No Happily Ever After (The Fairytale Diaries #1) by Amanda Gatton Page A
Authors: Amanda Gatton
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brown hair was neatly trimmed and his clothing too, appeared tidily tailored. He looked like any number or all American boys, yet something about him and his way set him far above the rest.
Brittany and Lexi buzzed around him while Thelma and the social worker chatted. They fawned and mooned obviously over him. He couldn't get a word in edgewise for all their chatter. He smiled awkwardly, obviously flustered by the Dark twins' intense level of attention.
She hated to pull her eyes off the handsome boy. But she didn't wish to be caught eavesdropping. So she slipped back upstairs.
Consumed with thoughts of Nicholas Monarch, she didn't even notice what a poor job she did on her chores. Nor did she care just then, what the consequences might be.
Chapter 10
N icholas was placed at the head of the dinner table, opposite Thelma, as though he were some sort of royal guest. Nobody bothered to introduce him to Ella as she served them all dinner and then took a seat herself. But he watched her intently while the Dark women prattled incessantly. Luckily they didn't seem to notice he was ignoring them in favor of staring at Ella. And the feel of his eyes on her made her shiver deliciously.
Ella sat quietly, picking at her food. She wouldn't look directly at him, but she kept his every move in her peripheral vision.
Finally when there was a miniscule lull in the chatter, he spoke.
"Hello, I'm Nicholas Monarch," he said cordially, extending a hand across the table toward Ella. "And you are?"
All three of the Dark ladies' heads swiveled toward Ella. They each wore disgusted expressions and glared open mouthed at her. His blatant departure from their conversing suddenly made them get it. He didn't care at all about what they had to say. Ella's heart sped up as she looked from Dark to Dark to Dark.
Finally she met his eyes and shook his hand quickly. "I'm Ella Cinder," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She didn't foresee it being a problem often, but just that moment, she wished he'd stop staring at her.
Instead, he gave her a smile so warm, it melted her heart. "Nice to meet you, Ella Cinder."
All she gave him was a quick smile and blazing red cheeks. Then she dropped her eyes to her plate. The uncomfortable silence remained, and she knew that the Dark women still stared at her. But after a few excruciating moments, they resumed their useless chatter.
After everyone had finished eating, Ella rose to begin clearing the dinner dishes. Nicholas leapt up too, and began reaching for plates. His nice manners provoked uproarious laughter from Brittany and Lexi.
"Oh, sit down Nicholas!" Brittany cried.
"Let Ella get it," Lexi agreed.
He caught Ella's eye once more, but she quickly looked away.
"Oh that's OK," Nicholas replied politely. "I'm perfectly capable of helping."
Ella's cheeks reddened again and she rushed to grab everything before he could.
Brittany and Lexi stood, both of their expressions darkening. "No really," Brittany said, her voice taking a snide tone. "Let Ella do it."
Nicholas straightened his shoulders rigidly and his polite smile dissipated. "Does Ella live here, or is she a paid servant?" His tone was icy and he sarcastically emphasized the word "paid."
Because of course he knew, she wasn't.
"Mother!" Lexi whined shrilly at Thelma.
Thelma studied Ella with a shadowy frowning face. Then she flicked her wrist at Lexi. "We will all clear and clean our own mess," she said, leveling a cool gaze on her daughters.
But instead, Brittany and Lexi shrieked their protest and stormed from the room. Thelma withered Ella for a few fleeting seconds with an evil look, and then took her leave as well.
***
"So what's your story?" Nicholas asked, as they resumed cleaning the kitchen.
Ella knew she shouldn’t talk to him. It wasn't worth the fall out it would cause. The twins obviously craved his attention and Thelma never wanted her to have
Brittany and Lexi buzzed around him while Thelma and the social worker chatted. They fawned and mooned obviously over him. He couldn't get a word in edgewise for all their chatter. He smiled awkwardly, obviously flustered by the Dark twins' intense level of attention.
She hated to pull her eyes off the handsome boy. But she didn't wish to be caught eavesdropping. So she slipped back upstairs.
Consumed with thoughts of Nicholas Monarch, she didn't even notice what a poor job she did on her chores. Nor did she care just then, what the consequences might be.
Chapter 10
N icholas was placed at the head of the dinner table, opposite Thelma, as though he were some sort of royal guest. Nobody bothered to introduce him to Ella as she served them all dinner and then took a seat herself. But he watched her intently while the Dark women prattled incessantly. Luckily they didn't seem to notice he was ignoring them in favor of staring at Ella. And the feel of his eyes on her made her shiver deliciously.
Ella sat quietly, picking at her food. She wouldn't look directly at him, but she kept his every move in her peripheral vision.
Finally when there was a miniscule lull in the chatter, he spoke.
"Hello, I'm Nicholas Monarch," he said cordially, extending a hand across the table toward Ella. "And you are?"
All three of the Dark ladies' heads swiveled toward Ella. They each wore disgusted expressions and glared open mouthed at her. His blatant departure from their conversing suddenly made them get it. He didn't care at all about what they had to say. Ella's heart sped up as she looked from Dark to Dark to Dark.
Finally she met his eyes and shook his hand quickly. "I'm Ella Cinder," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She didn't foresee it being a problem often, but just that moment, she wished he'd stop staring at her.
Instead, he gave her a smile so warm, it melted her heart. "Nice to meet you, Ella Cinder."
All she gave him was a quick smile and blazing red cheeks. Then she dropped her eyes to her plate. The uncomfortable silence remained, and she knew that the Dark women still stared at her. But after a few excruciating moments, they resumed their useless chatter.
After everyone had finished eating, Ella rose to begin clearing the dinner dishes. Nicholas leapt up too, and began reaching for plates. His nice manners provoked uproarious laughter from Brittany and Lexi.
"Oh, sit down Nicholas!" Brittany cried.
"Let Ella get it," Lexi agreed.
He caught Ella's eye once more, but she quickly looked away.
"Oh that's OK," Nicholas replied politely. "I'm perfectly capable of helping."
Ella's cheeks reddened again and she rushed to grab everything before he could.
Brittany and Lexi stood, both of their expressions darkening. "No really," Brittany said, her voice taking a snide tone. "Let Ella do it."
Nicholas straightened his shoulders rigidly and his polite smile dissipated. "Does Ella live here, or is she a paid servant?" His tone was icy and he sarcastically emphasized the word "paid."
Because of course he knew, she wasn't.
"Mother!" Lexi whined shrilly at Thelma.
Thelma studied Ella with a shadowy frowning face. Then she flicked her wrist at Lexi. "We will all clear and clean our own mess," she said, leveling a cool gaze on her daughters.
But instead, Brittany and Lexi shrieked their protest and stormed from the room. Thelma withered Ella for a few fleeting seconds with an evil look, and then took her leave as well.
***
"So what's your story?" Nicholas asked, as they resumed cleaning the kitchen.
Ella knew she shouldn’t talk to him. It wasn't worth the fall out it would cause. The twins obviously craved his attention and Thelma never wanted her to have
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