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“No need to go on, Lord Silverton. I completely understand. I release you of any understanding we may have had.” And he literally dashed out of the room with barely a thank you and a goodbye to my mother. She was livid.
“Cruella! How dare you frighten him away like that?”
I walked to the sideboard and got myself another cup of coffee while she told me off. “You heard him, Lady Silverton wouldn’t have allowed him to marry a woman who kept her name,” I responded.
“Would it be so tragic to go against your father’s wishes?” she asked.
“Mother! His family needs him to marry someone with money. He wasn’t interested in me, he was interested in my fortune.”
She slammed her hand on the table, making the coffee cups and saucers rattle.
“I would have settled on an amount with his family. You wouldn’t be going into the marriage penniless, I would have arranged a yearly dress allowance for you as well. This is why you must leave these sorts of things to me, my dear. I would have made all the arrangements.” It was in that moment I knew my decision to never marry was the right one. The idea of my mother arranging a marriage in some stuffy drawing room with some lord or baron’s mother, agreeing to settle on an amount of money for them to take me off her hands like some kind of prized cow was laughable. It reminded me of Miss Upturn, and Arabella Slaptton, and everything I hated.
“Mother, I will never marry! Never! So you might as well give up the idea entirely.” That wasn’t the life I wanted. “Besides, Papa wanted me to be happy.”
I still had it in my mind that I would spend my days with Anita as my companion. Traveling the world together, seeing everything we had ever read about in our most cherished books. And I had a notion to find that distant and magical land where my earrings had been found by that ill-fated pirate, the one my father told me about the night he gave them to me. I was going to spring it on Anita the next time we saw each other. A grand pirate adventure. Curses, and heroes, and villains, just like one of Princess Tulip’s fairy tales.
It would be just the two of us. No stuffy lords or meddlesome mothers. From that point on I refused to go to any more balls or social engagements my mother tried to arrange. And I refused to wear any of my fabulous furs or feathers or any of the other things my mother had heaped upon me for the purposes of snagging a husband. I couldn’t stand to touch anything she had given me. She had even forced me into gaudy diamonds that dripped from my ears; I hadn’t worn my cherished jade earrings since Christmas. Poor Papa. He wouldn’t approve of what Mother was trying to do. He wouldn’t want me married to some boring man with a boring name who spent his idle days hunting, flitting from place to place depending on the season like a migrating bird. A man completely lacking in imagination. I’m sure he would want someone who loved my independent spirit. And someone who loved me for me, not just my money.
My mother, frustrated that I refused to see any more of her suitors, went off on one of her trips and announced she wouldn’t be back for some time. I was thrilled. I could have Anita stay with me. I called her the moment my mother left for her trip to Paris or wherever it was she’d run off to. I was almost sure she wouldn’t be returning home in time to celebrate my eighteenth birthday, and honestly, I was secretly hoping she wouldn’t. Everything was as it should be. My solicitor, Sir Huntley, had sent over the paperwork that detailed my new allowance once I turned eighteen. I didn’t need mama anymore, and I found myself feeling much more at home without her there. I was the lady of the house while she was away.
Before I knew it, the sc
hool term was over and Anita was to return home. Back to Belgrave Square, where she belonged. With me. And with her extended family, my servants. Anita had always been close to them, and since our holiday meal together I had felt closer to them than ever before. Mrs. Baddeley and Jackson had kept me sane throughout mother’s husband-hunting season, what with Jackson’s commiserating looks and my sneaking down to the kitchen to talk with Mrs. Baddeley about the awful bores my mother was throwing at me. But now I would have my Anita back. I couldn’t wait. The day had finally arrived.
I stood in the entryway for what felt like an eternity waiting for Anita to arrive. I couldn’t just sit in the morning room waiting for her to be ushered in and announced by Jackson. She wasn’t a mere guest. She was my family. My only family, now that Papa was gone and Mama had all but given up on me. Then I finally heard the car pulling up out front. I didn’t even let Jackson open the door entirely before I dashed over to give her a hug.
“Oh, Anita! I am so happy to see you!” I threw my arms around her.
She looked more radiant than ever. We wrapped our arms around each other, holding on tightly before letting go. She had the most beautiful smile on her face. She was home.
“Cruella! Happy birthday!” she said. I had almost forgotten it was my birthday. I was too excited about her visit.
“Miss Anita,” Jackson said, “I will have your things taken upstairs. I’m sure Mrs. Baddeley is eager to say hello if you’d like to go down and see her. I think she might have a little surprise for you.” He gave her a little wink.
“Oh, yes,” said Anita. “Come on, Cruella.” She took my hand.
“What are you up to?” I asked. “Why is Jackson ushering us downstairs?” Anita just laughed.
“It’s just as he said. I’m sure he realizes I am excited to see Mrs. Baddeley. Come on.”
I remember holding Anita’s small hand in mine as we walked down the stairs. It reminded me so much of walking down the stairs with Miss Pricket when I was a little girl. I almost felt giddy. There was an excitement in the air. It was almost entirely dark, but I could hear the giggling of the housemaids, and Mrs. Baddeley shushing them as I was taken from the kitchen to the servants’ hall. The scent of chocolate filled the air.
“What’s going on? What’s wrong with the lights?” I called out into the dark. And then, with a spark, they switched on.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CRUELLA!”
Everyone was there. Jean, Paulie, the footmen, and Mrs. Baddeley. Within moments, Jackson joined us. My family. They were all there. “Oh, Anita! Did you arrange this?” She smiled and patted Mrs. Baddeley on the arm.
“Along with Mrs. Baddeley, and of course Jackson. They did all the work.”
And they had gone all out. The room was beautifully decorated with black and white streamers and balloons. And sitting on the servants’ hall table was the tallest, most elaborately decorated cake I had ever seen. “You’ve outdone yourself, Mrs. Baddeley!” It was a many tiered cake, with alternating dark chocolate and vanilla layers.
“I’m so happy you’re all here,” I said. “Especially you, Anita,” I added in a low voice only she could hear.
“I have one more surprise for you, Cruella.” Anita seemed very excited, and a little nervous. “I hope you won’t mind.” A familiar figure came out from the kitchen. It was Miss Pricket! But she looked different. She wasn’t dressed like a gover-ness. She was in a lovely little traveling suit, with matching shoes and handbag, and her hair was softly falling around her face.
“Miss Pricket!” I hadn’t realized how much I had truly missed her. “I’m so happy to see you, Miss Pricket. Can you ever forgive me—” She stopped me before I could continue.
