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As she stood in front of his study door, she willed herself to have the courage to go in, trying to evoke something of her old self, but she felt ugly, covered in the soot she had been scrubbing off the floors. As she reached for the knob she saw her raw, cracked, and swollen hands. She sighed, deciding it would be better to bring this matter up with her husband later after he’d had the special dinner she planned.
Lady Tremaine had decided to wear the red dress she had worn the evening Sir Richard proposed to her, and she asked Nanny to see that the girls were also dressed festively, making sure to remind her to check Cinderella’s pockets for mice before she came down to the dining room.
The dining room looked lovely. Lady Tremaine had decorated the mantel, windows, and doorways with holly and filled the room with white candles. She had stockings by the fireplace, one for each of the three girls, with little things she had made for them and trinkets of her own she thought they would enjoy. She had even made a little outfit for one of Cinderella’s mice out of one of her old sparkly handbags. And the tree was magnificent, glistening in the candlelight, showcasing the girls’ decorations. It was going to be the perfect evening.
As she stood in the dining room entryway waiting for the girls and Sir Richard, she felt like her old self again. She reached up and touched her jade brooch, which she had made sure to pin to the bodice of her dress tonight. She loved how cold the stone felt beneath her fingers and thought that was how she would like to feel: cold, strong, and solid. Nothing Sir Richard could say to her this evening would sway her or knock her down. She felt sturdy and unmovable, like a statue.
And then she saw them, her girls, coming down the staircase in their vibrant red velvet Christmas dresses. Cinderella was in gold, and all of them looked like beautiful Christmas angels.
Sir Richard came down a few minutes later, narrowing his eyes at the festive dresses and decorations. “And what’s this?” he said as he got closer. “Well, don’t you look beautiful, Cinderella.” He smiled down at his daughter. “What’s the occasion?” he asked, looking at Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, and Drizella. “Why are you dressed in red?” He glanced into the dining room. “And what’s that?”
“Oh, Mama, you remembered,” said Anastasia, hugging her mother.
“It’s Christmas Eve!” Drizella clapped her hands together with glee.
“What is the meaning of this? Explain yourself,” Sir Richard said, taking in the stockings hanging over the fireplace.
“Those are Christmas stockings, my husband.”
Anastasia and Drizella dashed over to peek at what was inside. “You know the rules, girls, no peeking. You may open your gifts after we have had dinner if you like,” Lady Tremaine said, laughing. “Cinderella, there is a stocking for you, too.”
“Thank you, Stepmother,” she said carefully, eyeing her father.
Sir Richard’s face was red. “Have this tree taken down at once!” he said, his voice low and angry.
“Oh, Papa, she didn’t know,” said Cinderella, trying to calm her father down. “Look, Anastasia, Drizella, and I made these decorations ourselves!”
Sir Richard frowned at her. “You knew about this and didn’t tell me?”
Cinderella took her father’s hand. “I didn’t know why we were making the decorations, Father. I’m sorry. But isn’t the tree lovely? I missed having one for the solstice, and it was so thoughtful of Lady Tremaine to do all this for us,” she said, which surprised Lady Tremaine. It made her like the girl a bit more.
Sir Richard walked away from his daughter, standing in front of the fireplace looking at the portrait of his wife. She looked just like Cinderella but older. It was as if he were having a conversation with her in his mind, reconciling something with her.
Anastasia, Drizella, and Lady Tremaine just stood there watching, not knowing what to do.
“What did I do wrong, Cinderella? Why is your father so upset?” Lady Tremaine whispered.
“The solstice was a special time for Mama and Papa. That is when he proposed. We always made a grand party of it.”
Lady Tremaine understood. “I’m sorry, Richard. I didn’t know. Can’t we start a tradition of our own and celebrate Christmas? If not for us, then for the girls?”
He turned around with a sneer. “And this is how you celebrate in London, by hanging laundry on the fireplace mantel? It’s a mockery of the solstice,” he said, shaking his head.
“But I’ve arranged a Christmas dinner for all of us. Rebecca has been preparing it all day.” She held her breath, hoping he wouldn’t disappoint the girls.
“We don’t celebrate Christmas in the Many Kingdoms. Rebecca should have told you that,” he said angrily.
“Papa, won’t you please just sit down and enjoy the dinner Stepmother has arranged? We could have a lovely evening, Papa, if you just try.” Cinderella went to her father and gave him a kiss. “Please, Papa. For me?”
To Lady Tremaine’s surprise, his face softened. “Very well, my angel, you know I can’t deny you,” he said, and motioned for everyone to sit down to dinner.
Dinner went well enough, all things considered. Rebecca had made them a feast, though Lady Tremaine was wondering why she and Nanny had neglected to tell her that Christmas wasn’t celebrated in the Many Kingdoms. Sir Richard’s words still stung, but it was enlightening to see where some of his harshness had come from. She and her girls sat quietly through most of dinner as Sir Richard lavished most of his attention on his daughter, who was trying her best to bring everyone into the conversation.
“Isn’t this a wonderful dinner, Papa? Lady Tremaine did a wonderful job, don’t you think?” she said, surprising Lady Tremaine even more. She wondered if she and Cinderella might after all become friends.
“I understand Rebecca made the meal,” he said, shoveling more food into his mouth greedily. It made Lady Tremaine slightly queasy. She detested poor manners at the dinner table. She detested most things about Sir Richard, she had found. She sat there looking at him with disgust, wondering how she ever fell for his skullduggerous ways. She had thought he was so charming when they first met, and now she could hardly hide her contempt for him.
“Yes, she is a very good cook.” Lady Tremaine smiled at Cinderella to let her know she appreciated her trying to lighten the mood at the table.
