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Description
After he had disappeared, Belle slowly made her way back to the ballroom, keeping an eye open for Lady Tremaine and her daughters. Where was Cindy now? She wondered if she were still dancing with that young man. She hoped so, he had seemed nice. She looked at the clock; it now said nine o'clock. How could she and Rumplestiltskin have danced the hours away so quickly?

She wondered if she ought to go and help herself to some punch; since a load of other people were, but she felt very strange being on her own. Mustering up her courage, she made her way through the crowd to the table, being sure to list her skirt up so that it wouldn't be trodden on and dirtied, or worse, torn.

"Excuse me," said a woman as she passed. Belle looked up and stared. It was Lady Tremaine. And she hadn't recognised her. Belle followed her to the punch table, hesitantly. Lady Tremaine took a cupful of the stuff and then turned to her. Her eyes wandered over Belle's face briefly, showing no signs of recognition whatsoever. Eventually she smiled, clearly deciding that Belle was some lady of highborn quality. "You were with that mysterious girl earlier, weren't you, child?"

Afraid that her voice would give her away, Belle nodded.

"Tell me, child, who is she?"

Belle shrugged.

"What is it? Can't you speak?"

That seemed to be the best option. Belle shook her head and then made an attempt to clear her throat, rubbing her neck for emphasis.

"Oh, I see. You've lost your voice?"

Belle nodded.

"Well, how unfortunate for you. Excuse me, my dear."

Lady Tremaine left. When she was completely out of sigh and hearing, Belle allowed a relieved "Phew!" to escape her lips.

"That woman annoying you, dear?" asked a woman beside her who had witnessed the scene.

Belle smiled. "Let's just say that I know her but she didn't recognise me and I daren't tell her who I was."

"Mum's the word, darling!" the woman promised, tapping her nose and then becoming engaged in a conversation with another woman.

Belle poured herself a cup of punch and tried it. To her surprise, it was very nice. She relaxed a little. If Lady Tremaine hadn't recognised her, it was a long shot that she would ever recognise Cindy.

"Excuse me, my lady," said a voice beside her and she turned to see a tall man with black hair and a moustache wearing the uniform of a grand man and a monacle standing beside her. She smiled. "Yes, sir, can I help you?"

"I was wondering about that young lady you were with just now..."

"Oh," Belle put down her cup. "I'm afraid that she doesn't want anyone here to know who she is, sir. You see, her family wouldn't allow her to come here tonight but she came anyway and if word got out that she was here, she's be in a heap of trouble."

"She must be a very grand lady indeed."

"Well, her father did own a chateau; before he died." Belle chose her words carefully. "And the family do have a servant."

"You know her very well, then?"

"Yes, I am her best friend." Feeling it could do no harm, she extended her hand to him. "My name is Belle."

He took her hand and shook it. "I am the Grand Duke; I serve under the King."

"Goodness, that is an important job," she replied.

"Yes, very important, and between you and me, young lady," he glanced around over his shoulder, and then leaned forwards to whisper, "a dangerous one when the King is roused!"

Belle giggled. "He has a temper?"

"That's one way of putting it. But he's very concerned at the minute that his son, the Prince, will find a bride at tonight's ball."

"Well, let's hope he does," Belle replied. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Drizella and Anastasia coming towards her, calling for their mother. "It was nice to meet you, sir, and I hope we might bump into each other again before the night is out, but for now I have to go and find my friend. Excuse me."

"Quite alright, young lady; I have work to do as well."

He bowed, she dipped a curtsey and, picking up her cup, she left, only hurrying when she was out of his sight. Goodness, what an evening. She was meant to be having fun and here she was constantly on edge! Well, it was hard to relax knowing that at any minute Lady Tremaine or one of her daughters would recognise her or Cindy and declare that they didn't belong there.

Belle spent the rest of the evening just wandering around the place, trying to look nonchalant, holding her cup and pretending to examine various tapestries, statues or paintings. One she really liked was of two figures, a man and a woman. The man was in shirt sleeves and brown trousers with black boots on his feet. The woman was in a pink and white dress with long sleeves. Her hair was red with with streaks of white starting to come through and worn up with ringlets hanging at her ears. The man had white hair and a moustache, a little like her own father. He was holding a badminton raquet. She sat in a chair; the man sat with his head level with her knees. Their hands were linked and even though they were gazing out of the painting, Belle saw that there was a deep and meaningful love in their eyes. They were happy together. She smiled as she wondered who they were; it didn't say anywhere. Maybe she could ask someone?

A sudden chime made her start at once. She looked around. What time was it? How long had she been wondering around this place without Cindy? If the magic wore off and Cindy was left in this place in just her ragged dress, the secret would be out. She dropped her empty cup on the nearest table and hurried into the garden, only for Cindy to almost collide with her. "It's midnight!" she cried, snatching Belle's hand.

"Then we'd better scarper!" Belle replied and they ran for it. A few people were calling out behind them. "Oh, no!" Belle moaned as she turned and saw the Grand Duke running after them. Cindy stumbled on the stairs but regained her balance and they both made it into the coach. Their driver charged the horses and they were swiftly out of the palace gates.

"Cindy," Belle panted, watching as her dress turned rapidly from yellow to blue, "you've lost a slipper!"

"Listen!" Cindy stuck her head out of the carriage window and gasped. "Oh, no! They're following us!"

"Who?"

"The King's men, I think."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know, but we can't let them find us-!"

A sudden burst of magic flashed before their eyes as the air turned purple and the next thing they knew, they were sitting in the middle of the road, with no carriage or driver or footmen, in the same clothes they had been wearing when they had met Rumplestiltskin. The King's men were gaining.

"The bushes!" Belle cried, seizing Cindy's hand and they both hid themselves from view as the horses came galloping past them in a great thunderous stampede...and there was silence in the night.

"I'm sorry," Cindy said, now that they could talk properly. "I guess I lost track of the time."

"I did too," Belle replied. "So," she teased, "how was your night?"

"Oh, it was so wonderful. And he was so handome and when we danced...oh, I'm sure that even the Prince himself couldn't have been more...more..."

"Romantic?" Belle supplied, gently.

"Oh, yes."

"I guess we've a lot to thank Rumplestiltskin for," Belle said, geting to her feet. "Lady Tremaine didn't recognise us in those outfits. Come on, we'd better go home before the King's men come back."

"You're right."

"Cindy!"

"What?"

"You've still got a glass slipper on your foot!"

"So I have." Cindy reached down and removed it. "Do you think he wants me to keep it as a momento?"

"Rumplestiltskin? Maybe."

"Well, you're right. We do have a lot to thank him for."

Belle yawned as they got back to Cinderella's house. "You'll be alright if I go off home now? Papa'll have a fit if I stay out any longer."

"I'll be fine. Look, come over in the morning and we can talk properly about all this."

"I'll hold you to that." Belle gave her friend a hug. "Goodnight, Cindy, and I'm really glad that you got to go to the ball after all!"

Description
After he had disappeared, Belle slowly made her way back to the ballroom, keeping an eye open for Lady Tremaine and her daughters. Where was Cindy now? She wondered if she were still dancing with that young man. She hoped so, he had seemed nice. She looked at the clock; it now said nine o'clock. How could she and Rumplestiltskin have danced the hours away so quickly?

She wondered if she ought to go and help herself to some punch; since a load of other people were, but she felt very strange being on her own. Mustering up her courage, she made her way through the crowd to the table, being sure to list her skirt up so that it wouldn't be trodden on and dirtied, or worse, torn.

"Excuse me," said a woman as she passed. Belle looked up and stared. It was Lady Tremaine. And she hadn't recognised her. Belle followed her to the punch table, hesitantly. Lady Tremaine took a cupful of the stuff and then turned to her. Her eyes wandered over Belle's face briefly, showing no signs of recognition whatsoever. Eventually she smiled, clearly deciding that Belle was some lady of highborn quality. "You were with that mysterious girl earlier, weren't you, child?"

Afraid that her voice would give her away, Belle nodded.

"Tell me, child, who is she?"

Belle shrugged.

"What is it? Can't you speak?"

That seemed to be the best option. Belle shook her head and then made an attempt to clear her throat, rubbing her neck for emphasis.

"Oh, I see. You've lost your voice?"

Belle nodded.

"Well, how unfortunate for you. Excuse me, my dear."

Lady Tremaine left. When she was completely out of sigh and hearing, Belle allowed a relieved "Phew!" to escape her lips.

"That woman annoying you, dear?" asked a woman beside her who had witnessed the scene.

Belle smiled. "Let's just say that I know her but she didn't recognise me and I daren't tell her who I was."

"Mum's the word, darling!" the woman promised, tapping her nose and then becoming engaged in a conversation with another woman.

Belle poured herself a cup of punch and tried it. To her surprise, it was very nice. She relaxed a little. If Lady Tremaine hadn't recognised her, it was a long shot that she would ever recognise Cindy.

"Excuse me, my lady," said a voice beside her and she turned to see a tall man with black hair and a moustache wearing the uniform of a grand man and a monacle standing beside her. She smiled. "Yes, sir, can I help you?"

"I was wondering about that young lady you were with just now..."

"Oh," Belle put down her cup. "I'm afraid that she doesn't want anyone here to know who she is, sir. You see, her family wouldn't allow her to come here tonight but she came anyway and if word got out that she was here, she's be in a heap of trouble."

"She must be a very grand lady indeed."

"Well, her father did own a chateau; before he died." Belle chose her words carefully. "And the family do have a servant."

"You know her very well, then?"

"Yes, I am her best friend." Feeling it could do no harm, she extended her hand to him. "My name is Belle."

He took her hand and shook it. "I am the Grand Duke; I serve under the King."

"Goodness, that is an important job," she replied.

"Yes, very important, and between you and me, young lady," he glanced around over his shoulder, and then leaned forwards to whisper, "a dangerous one when the King is roused!"

Belle giggled. "He has a temper?"

"That's one way of putting it. But he's very concerned at the minute that his son, the Prince, will find a bride at tonight's ball."

"Well, let's hope he does," Belle replied. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Drizella and Anastasia coming towards her, calling for their mother. "It was nice to meet you, sir, and I hope we might bump into each other again before the night is out, but for now I have to go and find my friend. Excuse me."

"Quite alright, young lady; I have work to do as well."

He bowed, she dipped a curtsey and, picking up her cup, she left, only hurrying when she was out of his sight. Goodness, what an evening. She was meant to be having fun and here she was constantly on edge! Well, it was hard to relax knowing that at any minute Lady Tremaine or one of her daughters would recognise her or Cindy and declare that they didn't belong there.

Belle spent the rest of the evening just wandering around the place, trying to look nonchalant, holding her cup and pretending to examine various tapestries, statues or paintings. One she really liked was of two figures, a man and a woman. The man was in shirt sleeves and brown trousers with black boots on his feet. The woman was in a pink and white dress with long sleeves. Her hair was red with with streaks of white starting to come through and worn up with ringlets hanging at her ears. The man had white hair and a moustache, a little like her own father. He was holding a badminton raquet. She sat in a chair; the man sat with his head level with her knees. Their hands were linked and even though they were gazing out of the painting, Belle saw that there was a deep and meaningful love in their eyes. They were happy together. She smiled as she wondered who they were; it didn't say anywhere. Maybe she could ask someone?

A sudden chime made her start at once. She looked around. What time was it? How long had she been wondering around this place without Cindy? If the magic wore off and Cindy was left in this place in just her ragged dress, the secret would be out. She dropped her empty cup on the nearest table and hurried into the garden, only for Cindy to almost collide with her. "It's midnight!" she cried, snatching Belle's hand.

"Then we'd better scarper!" Belle replied and they ran for it. A few people were calling out behind them. "Oh, no!" Belle moaned as she turned and saw the Grand Duke running after them. Cindy stumbled on the stairs but regained her balance and they both made it into the coach. Their driver charged the horses and they were swiftly out of the palace gates.

"Cindy," Belle panted, watching as her dress turned rapidly from yellow to blue, "you've lost a slipper!"

"Listen!" Cindy stuck her head out of the carriage window and gasped. "Oh, no! They're following us!"

"Who?"

"The King's men, I think."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know, but we can't let them find us-!"

A sudden burst of magic flashed before their eyes as the air turned purple and the next thing they knew, they were sitting in the middle of the road, with no carriage or driver or footmen, in the same clothes they had been wearing when they had met Rumplestiltskin. The King's men were gaining.

"The bushes!" Belle cried, seizing Cindy's hand and they both hid themselves from view as the horses came galloping past them in a great thunderous stampede...and there was silence in the night.

"I'm sorry," Cindy said, now that they could talk properly. "I guess I lost track of the time."

"I did too," Belle replied. "So," she teased, "how was your night?"

"Oh, it was so wonderful. And he was so handome and when we danced...oh, I'm sure that even the Prince himself couldn't have been more...more..."

"Romantic?" Belle supplied, gently.

"Oh, yes."

"I guess we've a lot to thank Rumplestiltskin for," Belle said, geting to her feet. "Lady Tremaine didn't recognise us in those outfits. Come on, we'd better go home before the King's men come back."

"You're right."

"Cindy!"

"What?"

"You've still got a glass slipper on your foot!"

"So I have." Cindy reached down and removed it. "Do you think he wants me to keep it as a momento?"

"Rumplestiltskin? Maybe."

"Well, you're right. We do have a lot to thank him for."

Belle yawned as they got back to Cinderella's house. "You'll be alright if I go off home now? Papa'll have a fit if I stay out any longer."

"I'll be fine. Look, come over in the morning and we can talk properly about all this."

"I'll hold you to that." Belle gave her friend a hug. "Goodnight, Cindy, and I'm really glad that you got to go to the ball after all!"