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"I’esture Could you write it--," Elle hisked up by the footmen and deposited in the chair before she had the chance to react They carried her down the hallway in the chair and banged into her roorabbed Elle’s crutches and pulled the them down near the s She fixed a curl that had escaped fro on her slate

Rest

"See now, I--," Elle started

Emele underlined Rest

Elle stared at the slate before looking at her merciless ladies maid "Fine It appears I have been beaten today," she said, settling in the chair as Emele dismissed the footmen from the room

The next day Elle sat in an armchair next to the fire, the picture of innocence in her cast off dress from Emele "Emele, is it tea time yet?"

E on Not yet She wrote on her slate Why?

"I’ a hand on her sto at Emele under her eyelashes

Emele bustled to her feet with a smile Tea time, she wrote on her slate

"Thank you, Emele You are as sweet as you are pretty," Elle said

Eard Elle’s coreed

Emele smiled before she sailed out of the room

Elle waited until Erabbed the fireplace poker She hooked it around her crutches--which Ely out of reach--and pulled The crutches fell to the ground, and Eed her slipper on the crutches, and pulled them to her

She had about ten minutes before Emele would return with the tea, and Elle intended to use the time to slip off to a different part of the castle She needed to practice using her crutches--without the easily startled ladiesaround her like a butterfly

Elle stood and wedged the crutches under her armpits She kept her movements precise and unhurried as she thuled with the door for a minute before she was able to maneuver it open and close it behind her after sheup the hallway, careful to keep to the rugs and off the stone floor Based on the view froht there were a few e rooms--that weren’t too far away If she could reach theht be able to hide for a few minutes and practice

Elle turned up a different hallway When she reached an intersection and was deciding if she should go straight--where there was only one door--or if she should take a risk and go right, which would take her back towards her roo dishes The crash of a dropped tray The crash caused by Eor Elle thumped up the hallway She wouldn’t be able to reach a salon, but there was a large door further up the hallway If Elle could just get to it in ti over her shoulder when she heard footsteps They were heavy andElle wonder if Emele had already spread word of her disappearance to the other servants

Elle hastily slipped inside, ripping her skirt and al out when the door closed behind her Elle leaned against it, listening as the heavy footsteps drew closer and paused outside the door For a few long moments there was silence until the footsteps retreated back in the direction they had coainst the door "That was shamefully close A feeeks in bed and I a," she said before leaning forward on her crutches, eager to see what rooiants in the shadows, stretching sky high to disappear into the gloo Books lined the shelves--expensive books with leather covers and e and invasivelyon the walls

It was the library, and it was undoubtedly the most expensive feature of the castle

Elle thued off the unseeing stares of the portraits

Elle explored until she found a velvet arer version of the one in her roorate Elle took s steps around the chair as she looked for tripping hazards When she was sure the chair was an acceptable axis to use for her walking practice she adjusted her wooden crutches and took a deep breath before swinging her crutches in front of her She frohen she jostled forward