Page 16 of Disenchanted
“You are trying to brew up a love potion?”
“Yes, there should be a great demand for it, don’t you think? With this royal ball in the offing and so many ladies hoping to win the heart of the prince, our golden hair apparent.”
I groaned. “Oh, Mal, not you too!”
When he regarded me with surprise, I flung up my hands in exasperation. “All day long I have been surrounded by people going berserk over this ridiculous ball. First, my stepsisters wailing they will die if they do not get to go and then I was nearly run over by those stupid pumpkin coaches with the ladies from the Heights racing to be the first at the Silk Emporium. I was almost crushed in a riot over ribbons and beads and even the poultry man is out of control. The one person I counted upon to be untouched by all this royal ball insanity was you. And now I find you as caught up in the madness as everyone else.”
“Calm down, Ella. I totally agree with you. This ball is ridiculous, but I would be insane not to try for a little profit from it. I imagine many women will pay quite handsomely for a potion that will give them an edge over their competition.”
“Shame on you for seeking to trick them. You know as well as I do there is no such thing a true love potion.”
“No, there isn’t. And that is not what I am offering them.”
“Then what is it?”
“A belief in possibilities.”
When I rolled my eyes, Mal said, “Let me ask you a question, Ella. Have you ever observed that it is not always the fairest woman in the room who attracts the notice of every man present? That often a woman who is less beautiful is the one who receives the most attention. Now why do you think that is?”
“She has a large fortune?”
Mal laughed. “No, my dear cynical friend. What she has is a complete belief in herself, in her looks, her power of allurement, her worthiness to be loved. That belief communicates itself in the way she walks, the way she smiles, the way she carries herself. You probably have no idea how much courage it takes a man to woo a woman, his innate fear of making a fool of himself. The lady who can meet his gaze boldly and knows how to encourage him with her eyes will win out over the timid beauty almost every time.”
While he spoke, Mal fetched a ladle and scooped up some of the liquid, pouring it into the bottle. Holding the golden liquid up to the light, he concluded, “The women who buy this potion will think that it has the magic to make them totally desirable and if they truly believe it, they will be. What I have brewed up in this bottle is confidence.”
“No, what you have conjured up there is trouble. I don’t care if your Elixir of Love works or not. If you are caught peddling that stuff, you are going to end up arrested for practicing magic without a license. Do you realize that Commander Crushington has you in his sights? He is just waiting for any excuse to lay charges against you. He told me so himself.”
“When were you discussing me with the Crusher?”
“Just this afternoon. He warned me to stay away from you.”
“Oh, don’t worry about him. Do you think I cannot handle the Crusher?”
“What I think is you have been sniffing the fumes of your own potion and suffer from an overconfidence that is going to get you arrested or even killed one of these days.”
Mal just grinned. “Recklessness has always been a characteristic of Hawkridge men. It is part of our charm.”
I scowled at him and added hesitantly, “There is something else Crushington told me. I know this is going to sound unbelievable, but it appears that the commander has developed some sort of fondness for me.”
To my indignation, Mal burst out laughing.
“I don’t see what is so amusing about that.”
“What is amusing, my dear, is how completely obtuse you are. I cannot believe you never noticed how smitten the Crusher is with you. One time, he craned his neck so far for a glimpse of you; I thought he was going to fall off his horse.”
“I never noticed that, and I am glad I didn’t. I am sure I never did anything to offer him the least encouragement so I cannot imagine why he should have become so enamored.”
“Can you not? You should try looking in a mirror sometime, on one of those days when you have found the time to wash your face and brush your hair. But you are also completely oblivious to how beautiful you are.”
“If I am that attractive, it is no merit of mine. I did not create my face and I am sure I am no prettier than scores of other women.”
“I could debate that with you, but I know it would be of little use,” Mal said. “In any event, I do not know why you are so distressed about the Crusher. It could prove of great advantage having a Scutcheon commander infatuated with you.”
“No, it couldn’t. The commander is not the sort of man to allow his feelings for anyone to sway him from his duty. Even if he were, I am not the sort of woman to take advantage of his infatuation.”
Mal smiled and cupped my chin. “I know you aren’t. That is why I am rather madly in love with you myself.”
“Oh, be serious, Mal,” I said, pushing his hand away. “I did not come here to talk nonsense.” I fetched a wearied sigh. “What I could really use is a cup of tea.”
