Once Upon a Romance 01 - Before the Midnight Bells by Jessica Woodard Page B

to know as badly as you do. You go find your mother’s kin and ask them all about it, then you can write and share all the details with me.”
    “ Fine, but I’m going to pout about it.”
    “ Pout all you want Princess, but you’ll have to do it alone.” Max grabbed up a wicker basket filled with matches. “Right now I have an errand to run.”
    ***
    Ella sat at her shop’s counter, patiently basting the sleeves of a costume for the Travelers’ Ball. She had been awake for hours, first making sketches for her patrons’ costumes for the ball, and then pulling fabrics from her attic workroom. The Travelers’ Ball featured costumes from around the known world, and the variety of styles and fabrics was much greater than the Paupers’ Ball. Ella was looking forward to working with all those rich materials. By mid-morning she had her work for the day packed up to bring to her shop front, and since she’d opened the store she’d been making patterns and carefully cutting and basting pieces together. Mrs. Minglesall, Madam Fire Hair, and all three of her other new patrons had been pleased with their Paupers’ costumes and immediately placed orders with her for the next ball; and this morning she’d taken two new orders, from patrons sent her way by Madam Fire Hair. While she worked she thought frantically. True, she needed the work to build her shop, and desperately needed the money to save her home, but the previous week had been difficult enough. She was going to be rising with the dawn and working far into the night to complete these orders.
    Ella stretched her shoulders out and then bent back to her task. At least there was a bright side of things. The butcher’s bill would be due in a few more days, and after postponing twice she would finally be able to settle the account. The rest of the funds from her first round of costumes would cover the cost of the materials she needed, and when payments were made for the Travelers’ costumes she would have a lump sum left over to put towards the first payment on the mortgage. Ella had started to hope that she could pull her family out from under the hideous debt Millicent had incurred, if only she could keep up her momentum. Somehow she was just going to have to find enough hours to finish it all.
    Ella had to rummage through the felt bag she had used to carry her sewing implements to the shop. It took her several long seconds to find her pinking she a rs, and her frustration grew. This morning she had discovered that she’d left her sewing basket at the ball the night before. She’d owned the basket for years, and was going to miss it, not to mention she could ill afford to replace it. In her mind she was going over the many “artistic” endeavors of her stepsisters to see if any of them would do as a replacement, when the little bell over her door tinkled sweetly.
    There in her doorway stood Max, her sewing basket hung nonchalantly over one arm. Ella felt her stomach give a queer leap at the sight of him, framed by the sun streaming in the doorway. Last night they had stood in the shadows. He seemed even more handsome by the light of day, as though the sun loved him and did her best to make him shine. The cut of his coat, the line of his trousers, the sheen of his boots, all confirmed what Ella had suspected last night. This was a man of quality.
    His appearance was so unexpected that she sat stunned for a moment, and then smiled broadly. She could hardly believe that he had taken the time to come and return her basket to her. Quickly she schooled her face into an exaggerated scowl.
    “ Ah, at last we see the real reason for your skulking in shadows. You, sir, are a thief.”
    “ It’s true.” Max sauntered forward. “But I was overcome with remorse and intend to mend my evil ways. Please, kind lady, forgive me, and allow me to make good my most grievous error.” At this grand pronouncement he knelt down and presented to Ella her basket, still full of