Cinders In The Waves: A Cinderella Story by A.R. Pridgen

Author:A.R. Pridgen [Pridgen, A.R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-03-31T04:00:00+00:00

To my Ace,

We made stops up the coast and picked up spices, textiles, and furs.

We off loaded silk at the port. Moving East across the sea next. Twenty more months.

Truly Yours,

Spade

That was it. To my Ace. X more months. Truly yours. Those simple words sent a thrill down Eleanors soul every time and was better encouragement than the countdown calendar she kept hidden in the gardeners shed.

So continued Eleanor's life. Her clothes became even more ragged.

Her curls grew back only to be shorn short again. (This time by Lady Prissa who was desperate to cover her own thinning hair) She was browbeaten into becoming a slave in her own house. But each letter counted down the months to the end of Eleanors incarceration so she gritted her teeth and plotted the day she escaped and could take her revenge.

Until the letters stopped. At first Eleanor was only mildly worried.

Hiccups happened in trade all the time. Spade knew to prioritize the business. As the month wore on and still no letter Eleanor became more and more concerned. No news was never good news in the trading world. When the news did come it affected them all.

It came disguised as a knock at the door; late at night. Bizarrely (Or not so bizzare given the Lady’s love of drama) Lady Prissa was the one who answered first. Eleanor came in from the kitchen just as the Lady threw open the door. There, framed by the doorway; backlit by the flickering

torchlight, was the wharf master flanked by the constable. The wharf master leaned around Lady Prissa to speak to Eleanor directly.

“I’m deeply sorry Miss.” he choked out. “I’ve just received word.

Your fathers ship, The Greatest Treasure; was found burned to the waterline.

We’re not sure what happened but no survivors were found and nothing was salvageable.”

Lady Prissa’s mouth flapped open and closed like a fish. She turned to face Eleanor and her two daughters who had come up behind her.

Dolly was the first to speak.

“What does this mean for us?”

Lady Prissa shut her mouth with a click. “It means” She whispered hoarsely “We are bankrupt.”

Polly collapsed to the floor with a wail. Dolly stormed back up the staircase with a murderous look on her face while lady Prissa shut the door in the wharf master's face and joined her daughter on the floor, weeping bitterly.

For her part Eleanor drifted back into the kitchen. She slumped into the stool placed in front of the fire. ( the same stool she sat on while at her father's side.) She slumped forward and buried her face in her hands but no

tears would come. The words from Spades last letter circled through her mind. To my Ace. Eleven more months. Truly yours, Spade.

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