The two maids were best friends from a poor home and could not afford to loose their present job so they fell on their knees and pleaded.
"Please Young Miss forgive us of whatever crime we have committed"
"Crime?" Bella walked to where the aprons were hung and chose her mom's apron before walking back to the maids. "No my dears surely you mean "crimes", yes?"
Guilt washed the features of the maids and their mouths were sealed shut at the Young Miss's accurate claim.
Bella was aware that she had little time on her hands and started bringing out pots from the cupboard.
"Miss Bella—"
"And just who gave you the right to say my name?" Bella asked fiercely her eyes glinting with a murderous intent as she stabbed a knife on the island. The steel cut into the wood. The young maids fell back from the unexpected lash.
Bella took slow steps towards their pitiful forms on the floor. "You should be glad I'm letting you walk away with your lives. Or would you rather six feet...hm?" she taunted them.
They shook their heads hurriedly and dashed out from the kitchen in the quickest way possible. Bella immediately thought of something.
"Faye!! Harriet!!" She called out.
Half a day passed before the both of them stuck their necks in. They looked at each other, conveying a message through their eyes. Then Harriet sighed and walked in.
"You called Young Miss" she said politely while beckoning Faye to enter with her hands.
Faye shook her head and continued to peep at the back of the Young Miss. Bella was already stuffing the chicken she deboned with peppers, onions and other ingredients.
As though she didn't hear Harriet she put the stuffed chicken into the oven and turned on the heat to the correct temperature.
Behind her she could hear the whispers of the maids.
"Hey Harry what did you do? Faye won't you come in?"
"Shh"
"C'mon gimme some hints"
"Noisy!"
In an instant a pin drop silence enveloped the kitchen as soon as Bella spoke that single word. They even started controlling their breathing for fear of it being too loud for the Young Miss.
When Bella was done putting the filled pots on the stove she removed her apron and strolled leisurely to hang it back on the wall.
A few strands of hair that had gotten loose while she was cooking was hanging down her pretty face making it look slimmer.
Since she couldn't use her hands to scratch her head that was itching her she had to use her arms and shoulders, thus resulting in the loose strands.
She finally acknowledged the presence of the people before her. She looked at Faye who was still hidden partially behind the door because of her newly emerged fear for the Young Miss.
She opened her mouth to speak to the only one she deemed sensible in the kitchen. "Nanny Blanca I have done the major work all you have to do is help me put it down when it is done" she pointed at the maid next to her. "You help her out" she pointed to Harriet and Faye "come with me"
So saying she strode out of the kitchen in elegant steps like the properly well bred lady that she was. Bella couldn't wait to run out of the kitchen because the atmosphere was too thick and the kitchen's capacity was too small to handle the tension, so she moved it to a larger environment...the living room.
Her lazy eyes glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. The time was eleven fourty three...she had only seventeen minutes before her guests arrived.
Her parents and brothers were nowhere in sight. They were probably getting ready upstairs...
She wondered if she should attend the feast. It depends on if Alan was going to be there or not. She couldn't let him see her fresh face before the charity to be held next sunday. She was surely going to rock his world.
"Ha ha ha" her evil laugh resounded in the empty and spacious room.
*ahem* Nanny Blanca coughed to remind the Young Miss of their existence in case she might have forgotten.
Bella turned to face her victims...Yes they were her victims because she was no longer a harmless fly but a stinging bee.
"You seem to judge people based on their appearance, so I ask..." she took a seat and crossed her legs "...do I look stupid?"
The servants present in the room at that moment refused to speak because of the cold aura surrounding the beast- turned- beauty perched on the couch.
"Please... feel free to express yourselves" Bella said.
Faye nodded slowly and the others glared at her as if they wanted to put a bullet in her head.
Bella smiled pleasantly. In an instant her smile changed into a mocking smirk. She stood to her feet and strolled to where Faye was standing.
She put her hands that were as cold as her countenance on Faye's bare shoulders. The latter involuntarily shivered from the contact.
"Dearest Faye, don't you know that looking dumb and being dumb are entirely different things?"
There was silence after she asked that question.
"Atchoooo"
They heard a loud sneeze and the guards, maids and Bella lifted their eyes to see the shocked expressions on the rest of the faces of the King's family.
♠♠♠♠♠ ♔ ♠♠♠♠♠
"Darling don't you think that we should slow down until Bella is ready to get married to Lexus?" Stephanie King, Bella's mom asked her husband.
"Babe I really do not know. Lexus is hell bent on marrying Bella. Who would've thought that after twenty three years he's really come back for her?" Ernest King, Bella's dad replied while choosing a shirt from the ones that hung in the wardrobe.
He brought out a light pink shirt and held it in front if him. "Hey babe what do you think of this shirt?" he finally brought his gaze to his wife who was holding a pink button up dress staring at the mirror.
They stared at each other before bursting into uncontrollable waved of laughter. They don't know how it started but what they remember was one of their lips twitching and soon they were on the bed trying to stop laughing.
"After all this years, we still act like young couples" Stephanie said.
"Aren't we? I mean you don't look any older to me. In fact even at fourty four you look younger" Ernest replied.
"Aww babe you are saying I look young... hey why did you mention my age? Are you trying to say that I am no longer a young lady? humph! I know a lot of things that this young girls don't" she sat up and crossed her arms.
"No no of course you are pretty...and maybe if you show me the things you are so knowledge in I might concor..." he said opening his arms and moving closer to her.
"What are you saying? We have only a few minutes to prepare" Stephanie protested when Ernest wrapped her in his arms.
"Er...quickie?"
"Shoo away. You are so perverted"
"Not more than you though. I clearly remembered how you seduced me that night-ow"
Stephanie slammed a pillow hard on his face. "F*ck you Ernest. If you are not ready in ten minutes we will never do it again"
In an instant Ernest was on his feet buttoning his shirt with a betrayed look on his face. This wife of his was only approachable on valentine's day. Maybe that's why all his kids were born in November.