"Those things cost a fortune to maintain," the king boomed, shoveling away a large portion of his venison.
Hilda shifted her attention to Queen Thomasine whose expression held a blank mask.
"The girls did seem to be enjoying themselves quite contentedly," Prince said smoothly. Hilda caught the queen's grateful flash, but it disappeared quickly.
"That's wonderful," Hilda murmured, wondering what spell her daughters had fallen under. She'd always leaned toward the possibility that Cinderella was some kind of white witch. Evidenced by her propensity to keep company with the vermin in the basement of their previous dwelling. Why, the wretch came away with nary a bite. Hilda let out a frustrated sigh. One small case of rat-bite fever-was that too much to ask?
She directed another covert glance toward Cinderella. Oui, clearly it was past time for their little rendezvous.
She took another sip of her wine and smiled.