solace // a cinderella story

♚ Chapter Two ♔

Father is coming home today.

Isabelle repeated that to herself like a mantra all through the morning when she woke up and watched her stepmother and stepsisters eat, fetching what they demanded and waiting to be sent away so she could enjoy her own meal.

Father is coming home today.

Having her father at home would lessen the burden on her shoulders until he left again, she was sure of it. Not that she wanted to disappoint her stepmother by not completing her chores, but she was almost 19 for goodness sake and she rarely got time to herself while he was away.

Father is coming home today.

All she needed was a break. Just a day or two to sit in the woods or swim in the lake unencumbered by the call of her family and surrounded only in peaceful quiet. But until he arrived, she had jobs to do and Isabelle was determined to get them finished so she could have all the time in the world to sit by his feet and listen to stories like she did when she was a child. He was gone three months this time. Not the longest he'd ever been, but not nearly as bearable for Isabelle as they once were.

She tucked one side of her long blue hem up into the waistline of her apron and took a large basket from the kitchen. Once she had a better idea of today's apple yield, she would come back for the barrels.

Outside the sky was warm and blue and the air was fresh, just as a day on the brink of summer and early fall ought to be. It brought a smile to her face. What a lovely day for her father to be reintroduced to the De Marigny manor. Walking through the rows of apple trees always made her feel like a child again, dipping in and out between the rows to lose her father during those glorious days he was home.

Isabelle filled the basket rather quickly, delighting herself in the snap of the stem as each apple was pulled from its greater whole before the real work began. When she brought out the barrels, she knew the day would grow hotter and she'd have to lug all of them back inside to the cold room to be stored. She knew Guillaume would help if she asked, but he had his own work to do and completing the work herself would be more rewarding. At least, that's what she told herself, day in, day out.

By the road leading towards the forest, Isabelle heard a couple familiar snaps in succession and turned to see a cloaked man with one of his hands in the tree. He had wandered far enough into the orchard to know it belonged to someone; the meticulous rows clear to any eye. Isabelle frowned and she took a couple steps towards him.

"Hey!" She still had to yell for her voice to reach him, even though her voice was the only sound in the orchard. "Thief!"

His head snapped up to look at her. The man, figure shrouded and face obscured, drew back his hand after a moment of contemplation. He had an apple in his fist and didn't seem to want to let it go, so Isabelle moved closer to him, still maintaining her distance in case he decided to lash out. He turned to leave, but she reached into the basket and threw an apple after his receding figure. It hit him square on the shoulder and bounced to the ground with a soft thud.

"Ow!" He turned and looked at the apple in disbelief before staring at her again.

She threw another, though this time he managed to dodge it and the red fruit sailed past him. Her eyes widened as he started making his way towards her and she threw a third apple, only to his him right in the forehead and knock him back.

When his head flew back—though he kept his balance—his hood flew down as well, revealing his face and tousled brown hair. Isabelle was close enough now to drop to her knees in horror, basket beside her and head bent.