“Auguste!” I said, calling after him when I couldn’t catch up.
He briefly stopped at the threshold of the gate to wait for me.
“I have to go, Cendrillon. I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to accompany you to the palace today. I’ll see you after your next lesson,” he said, his voice trembling.
Auguste walked through the gate and disappeared into the crowds bustling in and out of the south wing. I hadn’t known him for long, but he didn’t seem the type to be scandalized by a little court gossip. He did look quite upset and worried, though. Whatever the reason, I couldn’t help feeling inordinately disappointed that we wouldn’t be spending the afternoon together.
Chapter Seven
“This is a terrible idea, Cendrillon. You’ve had terrible ideas before, but this may be the worst one yet. We’re going to get caught!” Elodie said as she, Marius, and I crept up the Ambassador’s Staircase. My plan had changed, and instead of staying after lessons, I decided we would just sneak back into the palace because I wanted Elodie and Marius to accompany me. There were so many side doors for servants that we just slipped through one easily.
The staircase was thankfully empty of courtiers because everyone was already at the ball. Muffled laughter and the faintest strains of violin strings echoed down the staircase as we climbed.
“We’re not going to get caught,” I said, but my words belied my jittery pulse.
“You were so confident that it was acceptable for us to visit the Orangerie, weren’t you? And look how that turned out!” Elodie declared. She was in a pretty pink-and-gold mask that matched her pink-and-gold ball gown. She looked like a particularly delicious confection.
“But we didn’t get in trouble, so does it really matter that things went a little sideways?” Marius asked, pulling at the lacy cravat of his borrowed clothing. Since Elodie was just a little bigger than me, it had been relatively easy to dress her, but I had to do some digging to find something for Marius. I managed to find an old outfit of Papa’s buried in a dusty trunk in the attic, and Elodie tailored it perfectly.
“Yes, it does, because it was humiliating!” she said, stopping and glowering from her perch above us on the stairs.
“We’re not going to get caught,” I said again. “We’re all wearing fancy clothes, with actual masks on our faces. You won’t be questioned if you’re in the palace and look like you belong. No one will be able to tell it’s us, and we won’t stay for very long,” I said as I flicked my fan open. I had borrowed a dress from my mother’s closet, a white one with blue ribbons, and found a matching blue mask as well. “I just want to take a fast peek, and then we’ll go.”
“Promise?” Elodie asked.
“I promise.”
I took Elodie’s hand and gave it a little shake. Her smile was small, but it was there, so we continued up the stairs. I’d managed to convince our footman that I’d left one of my necklaces at the palace and needed to retrieve it right away, so he drove us up to the palace in our spare coach. Thankfully, he didn’t question why all three of us were dressed up. I hoped not to bump into Papa in case he demanded I leave immediately, but I also secretly hoped to see him in this environment. How thrilling to be part of the royal court!
I had never visited the king’s state apartments before, but I knew from lessons that the room we were entering at the top of the Ambassador’s Staircase was the Salon of Venus. If we started there, then moved through to the Salon of Diana and entered the Salon of Mars, where the dancing was taking place, we would be able to see the entirety of the ball.
Because of the risk of Papa spotting me, this would have to be a quick visit, but I didn’t mind. A few minutes would be more than enough.
“We are not going to talk to anyone,” Elodie said, stopping us before we entered the Salon of Venus. The massive white double doors were thrown open, letting a flood of brilliant light out onto the landing. “None of us knows enough about court life to pass as a courtier, so we stay along the walls and talk to no one.”
Elodie’s voice was firm as she stared straight into my eyes through her mask, as if she could hypnotize me into doing her bidding. I couldn’t argue with her. Even with all my lessons, I wasn’t skilled enough in etiquette to interact with people who’d been living and breathing court life.
“I have absolutely no problem with that,” Marius said. “I just want to try the pastries.”
“I’m not going to talk to anyone, I swear.”
Elodie still looked nervous, but she nodded. “All right. Let’s go in.”
We walked through the doors of the Salon of Venus into a sea of light. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, along with dozens of candelabras placed strategically on sideboards, casting the room and its inhabitants in a warm glow. The walls were a speckled burgundy marble, glossy and highly reflective in the candlelight. Beautiful murals of frolicking nymphs were painted on the ceiling, and everything was bordered in gold.
Despite the room’s elegance and beauty, it was smaller than I had imagined. There wasn’t nearly enough room for the number of people milling about, chatting or sipping from the glasses in their hands. Perhaps milling wasn’t the correct word to describe the movement of the people in the room. There wasn’t enough room to mill. The courtiers were packed in and standing shoulder to shoulder. It was clear that there were no other options but to skirt the wall in order to move. Pushing through the middle of the salon seemed far too perilous.
“Ready to go?” I asked, turning to see Elodie staring wide-eyed at art on the ceiling while Marius stared wide-eyed at the tables running along the wall, covered from end to end in delectable-looking confections. Pyramids of oranges and lemons towered next to delicately tiered platters of glistening candied fruits. I spotted golden pastries and chocolate tarts, bowls of nuts, and intricate marzipan creations in the shapes of flowers and animals. Little chocolate-covered marzipans sat on a silver platter on the table right next to where we stood. I couldn’t resist grabbing one and popping it in my mouth. The bitter sweetness of the chocolate and the nuttiness of the almond exploded against my tongue. It was so wonderful that I had to stop myself from groaning in pleasure.
“I’m staying here,” Marius said, his eyes fixed on the desserts. “Find me when you’re done.”
“We are not leaving you,” said Elodie, but Marius was already walking away.
“He’ll be fine. How much trouble can he get into at the dessert table?”
Before Elodie could respond, I grabbed her hand and dove into the crowd of people. We couldn’t afford to waste any more time. My cheeks were warm, and my hand slipped as I tried to hold on to Elodie, who bumped into me when I stopped to look at a painting of a pavilion that caught my eye.