Fairy Step Mother
Once upon a time, I lived in a grand house and with a room just for my dolls, and a nurse to dress me and say nice things to me, and a nanny to teach me my letters, and a cook who’d make sweet things for good girls that ate all their vegetables. I had closets full of colorful frocks and even colorful pinafores to go with them. My father was a brave captain in the kings army fighting the war. One day he would come home triumphantly and we’d live together as a family. My Nurse used to tell me that all the time. She was not my family though, and how I wished and wished that I would finally have one. Wishes are dangerous things because one day a dark carriage arrived baring three darker dressed women who said they were my aunts. That meant they were my family and they would decide what was to be done with me.

They told me my father was a traitor when I was too young to really know what that meant. The told me I was unwanted and might as well be an orphan and I should be grateful for any kindness. My Aunts packed me out of my father’s house and moved me about from one distant relative to another. Finally I ended up in front of a house that looked like it was falling apart to be delivered to a woman who had all ready fallen (what ever that meant).

When I arrived she shouted at the carriage man and said if he didn’t take me back with him she’d chop me up and use me for supper. She screamed and cried and threw things, but they just ignored her as much as they had ignored me. My belongings were dumped and I was left alone.
Auntie was a frightening woman. She didn’t have enough to care for herself and wasn’t about to care for an unwanted girl like me. When I cried she slapped me and told me she should hang me for being a traitors daughter and that everyone would cheer. She’d get her money’s worth out of me one way or another. She wailed that I was too young, that they would stop coming because she had a child now, that she was ruined.

The other aunties had already said she was ruined so I didn’t understand. This got me slapped several times and locked in a closet where I could scream and cry as much as I liked. It was dark and frightening and I did cry. I cried for my nurse and for my father. I cried for my dolls and my home. I cried every tear inside of my until I was too dry to cry anymore and then I went to sleep. When I woke everything changed.

My Auntie would never be called Auntie unless the other Aunties came to visit, only “Mam” and when gentlemen were here “My Lady.” I was now her maid. She would teach me my duties once and hit me if I didn’t do them right. I was to be like her Nurse and help her get dressed now. I was to clean the house and prepare and serve her lunch. I could eat only after she ate.

I was Mam’s servant for 3 years and never a day without a bruise somewhere. The outside of the house was still slowly falling but I kept the inside clean. I prayed each night to see my father again, that he would come and rescue me from this awful place but he never came. The gentlemen that did come were a strange lot. Some were even kind to me. I was never allowed to spend much time in their presence. One day Mam promised I would. One that day I would earn back every kindness she ever bestowed on me. Some afternoons she’s grab my chin and look into my face while I was helping her dress. “Still too young. Too green. But soon I think.”

I had one good dress and I was to wear it if ever the other Aunties came. I was not to call her “mam” in their presence and not to tell them about my new chores. I was to tell them how I loved my lessons and my bruises were from dancing lessons. I understood she was as much afraid of the Aunties as I was afraid of her.

One day she bought me a new dress. She was excited and a little drunk. “Soon is now” she said, “Soon is now.”
“Mam?”

“Tonight you will not be my little maid.” And then she laughed, “tomorrow you won’t be a maiden.”
“I don’t understand.”

“Tonight we will entertain two gentlemen. Mr. Faringsworth has a nephew who has just returned from the war. He’s been away for many years and as a reward for his services Mr. Farisngsworth will pay me much for you to entertain him.”

“I don’t know how.” I told her looking at the dress. She grabbed my ear.

“You’ll learn!” She was in a good mood, but she was still my Mam and her hands were still as hurtful. She was different that though. She made me bathe and perfumed me. She brushed out my hair and pinned it up. She put rouge on my lips and dressed me in the new gown. It made me look years older. It made me want to cry.

“None of that!” Mam threatened, and then we heard horses. It was confusing because it was still daylight and the gentlemen only came at night. Mam went to the window and could see a unfamiliar carriage arriving at her house. She stood uncertain and looked down at me and then grinned.

“It must be one of the Aunties. You are even properly dressed.” She said and then soaked a rag and handed it to me. “Wash that paint off your face and come down.” Mam went to quickly dress herself and get the door.

The rouge was difficult to remove but I carefully worked at it afraid of what an Auntie might say seeing me wearing it. Then I heard a Mam shout out in surprise; and then my name. It sounded foreign; partially because it had been years since anyone had used it, and partially because the voice of the woman calling my name was foreign. I cautiously walked down the stairs. My feet were still bare and the stairs creaked. Below was the most beautiful Lady I had ever seen, accompanied by a footman.

“Ella?” She said again looking at me.

“Are you a new Auntie?” I asked looking nervously at Mam.

“No, no. I am your mother.” She said with a rich foreign accent.

“She has no mother!” Mam said scathingly.

“Stepmother.” The lady corrected. She kept her eyes locked on me, “And you must be his Ella. You have his eyes, and nose.”

“This is not possible!” Mam shouted but the footman prevented her from attacking the beautiful lady. Then she said the most magical things in the world to me.

“Come Ella, go and gather your things. I’ve come to take you home.”