Page 70 of A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street
‘We’ll manage. I love The Cinderella Shop too. I’m happy splitting my time, at least until we’re doing well enough to hire full-time shop assistants so you can sew and not have to watch the shop all day too.’
‘I think Sade might be sewing from here from now on,’ Witt says.
‘Yeah, I’m kind of going to move into the castle. I think we’re going to do something about hosting weddings here.’ I look up at him for confirmation and he nods. ‘So maybe we could display wedding dresses here, bridal princess dresses, bridesmaids’ dresses, mother-of-the-bride ensembles, while the shop itself shifts focus to more everyday accessible outfits at reasonable prices. The best of both worlds.’
‘Display them on those creepy suits of armour. Anything to suffocate them,’ Scarlett mutters. ‘Talk about the way to give people nightmares.’
‘Yeah, they keep creaking in the nights too.’ Witt grins. ‘And sometimes, when I get up in the mornings, they’re definitely not where I left them.’
She realises he’s joking and pokes her tongue out at him, making us all laugh, and absolutely everything feels right with the world again. There is definitely more than a little magic in these castle walls.
* * *
When we leave the hallway, Ebony spots a friend and goes to chat and Jackson has arrived and is waiting for Scarlett with a corsage made of roses, and Witt and I stay on the side-lines, taking it all in.
‘Look how happy everyone looks,’ Witt whispers to me. ‘Youdressed the majority of people at this ball. How many do you reckon have found love tonight?’
I push myself up on tiptoes until I can press a kiss to his jaw. ‘I know one couple who definitely did.’
‘Nah, I fell in love with you weeks ago. It’s just taken the magic of a ball to make us admit it.’ He gathers my hair and pulls it aside until he can kiss my bare shoulder. ‘We should do this more often, you know. Make it a regular event. Make sure your dresses have always got somewhere to go.’
‘Dresses are, of course, renowned for having full calendars and a busy social season.’
‘You know what I mean.’ He laughs against my skin. ‘I want to be a part of this “sewing love into the seams” legacy. We should host regular events like this – a chance for people to find love if they’re looking.’ He nods towards a giggly young couple who are so engaged in chatting to each other that they walk straight into a suit of armour, and then his gaze shifts towards Lilith and her husband who are dancing with the aid of a Zimmer frame. ‘Or give long-established happy couples a chance to enjoy a night out together and feel the magic of the castle for themselves.’
‘I’d love that.’ I look around. Everyone has got a smile on their faces, and the castle itself feels lighter somehow, like the Beast’s castle when the curse was lifted. ‘I think everyone else would like that idea too. Maybe a seasonal ball, four times a year to celebrate every season.’
‘Yes!’ He sounds so happy, but as we stand there and look around, I can sense his unease growing and he starts fiddling with the collar of his shirt as though it’s too tight.
‘You okay?’ I find his hand and give it a squeeze.
‘Sade, will you… I need to do something, and I…’ He swallows. He’s gone pale, and his hand is suddenly clammy in mine. ‘Just hold my hand and don’t let go?’
I realise what he’s going to do as he starts leading us towards the stairs and goes up a few before the barrier blocks the way, so we’re standing above the crowd. I lift our joined hands until I can press a kiss to the side of his wrist. Someone whose greatest fear is public speaking is about to speak in public.
‘Hello, everyone.’ Witt clears his throat and has to say it twice before it comes out loud enough for anyone to hear. ‘Firstly, I want to say thank you for your support in helping me find my missing Cinderella. She has now been found.’ He lifts our hands and meets my eyes. ‘And along the way, I’ve found a lot of other things too. Long-lost childhood wonder, fun, friendship, and someone who makes me believe in magic again – Sadie, and actually all of you and what you do on Ever After Street.’
A few people clap, but no one can see how hard this is for Witt. No matter how tight I’m holding his hand, it doesn’t stop it from shaking, and I can feel every tremor that runs through him, and see the panic in his eyes with every sentence.
‘The night of the first ball, Sadie and I talked about pretending to be something we’re not, and I said I’ve spent a long time pretendingnotto be something I am, and being here, seeing this place again, and meeting all of you has made me realise how true that is.’
He stutters, of course he does. He’s fighting to focus on each word with so many eyes on him, but he keeps going. The guests are respectful enough to stay silent, and I grip his shaking hand, holding it tightly between both of mine, giving him something to fixate on instead of so many people hanging on his slow words. I don’t think I’ve ever been so proud of someone.
‘For decades, I’ve pretended not to have a stammer. I’ve pretended not to be the son of a viscount. I’ve pretended not to be the owner of this castle, but being here again has made me want to admit who I am. My name is Hewitt Kingscote. I have a stammer, as I’m sure you’ve all noticed and been too polite to point out. I am the son of a viscount. Yes,thatviscount. The man who owned this castle. I am the current owner. I am the person who was intending to sell—’
As a wave of shock buzzes through the gathered people, he lifts a trembling hand to stop it. ‘The castle is no longer for sale. I’m going to stay here and we’re going to make this castle a true part of Ever After Street, if you’ll have us.’
That pride flares up again. Each sentence is a struggle to get out, he’s blushing furiously, but he doesn’t stop. His grip on my hand is as tight as my grip on his, and I’m sure that neither of us have got any circulation below the elbow.
Most of the guests tonight are either people who work here or regular visitors, and as his words sink in, a cheer goes through them that builds and builds until it’s so colossal that it could blow the castle roof off.
Witt looks bewildered, as though he’s waiting for the punchline. He really expected people to hate him for this, and not just to be overjoyed that our beloved castle isn’t going anywhere.
Their acceptance lights him up. His electric smile creates so much brightness that it could be sold back to the National Grid, and he looks at me like he can’t quite believe it.
While everyone’s attention is on discussing the possibilities with each other, Witt can’t get away quick enough, and I can tell his legs are like jelly as we step down the few stairs and onto solid ground again.
‘If no one’s told you how amazing you are yet today, you’re amazing. That was incredible, Witt.’
