Six years passed, and true to her word, Ella stayed kind and courageous. She continued to make sure the littlest birds got just as much food as the big birds at the fountain. She made sure to say good morning and good evening to the cooks and maids of the house. When she had to make trips to the market, she smiled at everyone she passed. Always she felt her mother’s presence, reminding her of the promise she had made all those years earlier.

One morning, Ella read aloud from a book in the drawing room. Her father sat in a chair opposite her, nibbling on a piece of toast slathered in honey.

Looking up, Ella smiled. She had harvested that honey especially for her father. It was his favorite treat, and the little things meant so much these days. The smile faltered a bit as she noticed the dust that had accumulated on the mantel and the curtains. Since her mother’s death, the house had lost some of its sparkle.

Now, now, Ella thought. Times are not so bad. Father is here and we have a roof above our heads. And we have each other.

With a resolved nod, she returned her attention to the book and read the final paragraph aloud: “‘And thence home, and my wife and I singing, to our great content, and if ever there were a man happier in his fortunes, I know him not.’ ” Closing the book gently, she looked at her father. “Thus ends Mr. Pepys. I do love a happy ending, don’t you?”

Ella’s father nodded. “They are quite my favorite sort.”

“As well they should be,” Ella said. She paused before adding, “I suppose it would be selfish to ask for happy beginnings and middles as well.”

Silence filled the room. Both father and daughter were lost in thoughts of Mother.

“No,” her father finally answered, breaking the silence. “I do not think that would be selfish.” He paused before going on. “Ella, I have come to the conclusion that perhaps I may begin a new

Chapter .”

Ella had been waiting for this day and knew immediately what he meant. Her father was a handsome and still rather young man. It did not make sense for him to spend the rest of his years alone. Still, her stomach fluttered uncomfortably at the thought of someone new in her life.

Ella turned her attention back to her father. “You recall that some time ago in my travels,” he was saying, “I made the acquaintance of Sir Francis Tremaine?”

Ella nodded. “Yes. The master of the mercers’ guild, is he not?”

“Was,” her father corrected. “The poor man has died, alas.”

“I am grieved to hear it, Father,” Ella said, her voice filled with genuine sadness.

Her father looked down at his hands, which he was clenching and unclenching nervously. Then he raised his head, and his eyes met Ella’s. “His widow, an honorable woman, finds herself alone, though still in the prime of her life.”

Ella’s gaze softened. She knew this was hard for her father to say. “You’re worried about telling,” she said gently. “But you mustn’t… Not if it will lead to your happiness.”

“Happiness . . .” he repeated. “Do you think I may have another chance, even though I thought such things were done with?”

Ella did not hesitate. “I do, Father.”

A relieved smile broke over her father’s face. “She would merely be your stepmother,” he went on. “And you would have two lovely sisters to keep you company. So I will know, as far away as I may be, that you are safe at home, cherished and protected.”

Ella stood up and hugged her father tightly. This was bound to be a big change. But perhaps there was a silver lining. She would have sisters—real sisters who could become real friends—and a stepmother, who might, in time, become like a real mother. . .

Within a fortnight the plans of marriage had been made and the ceremony performed. Soon after, Ella found herself standing in front of her house waiting for the arrival of her new stepmother and stepsisters. Her father stood beside her, with a cautiously hopeful look on his face.

Ella wrung her hands. She had spent the past few days helping the staff clean the house. As Ella had looked around the home earlier that morning, she couldn’t help missing her mother. Mother had loved seeing the home gleam after a fresh tidying.

The house was not the only thing to receive special attention. Ella wore her best dress, its blue complementing her eyes. Her blond hair had been brushed until it shined and then pulled back gently. Now, standing in front of the house, she hoped that she, too, would look fine through fresh eyes.

The distinct clip-clop of hooves echoed down the drive, and within moments a carriage pulled up in front of the manse. Two coachmen jumped to the ground and opened the door.

Ella’s breath caught in her throat. This was it. Pasting a smile on her face, she waited for the first glimpse of her new stepmother.

Lady Tremaine’s foot appeared in the door, beautiful in an ornate shoe. A moment later, Lady Tremaine’s hand appeared and took one of the coachmen’s hands. Then, with practiced grace, she stepped out of the carriage and onto the drive.

She was one of the most beautiful women Ella had ever seen. Her skin was radiant and soft, her strawberry-blond hair piled atop her head in a fashionable coif . Her dress, clearly the latest fashion, was cinched tight at her tiny waist, and the jewels at her throat made her eyes sparkle.

Ella’s father offered his hand to his new bride. “My daughter, Ella,” he said by way of introduction.

Ella curtsied. She was rewarded with a large smile from Lady Tremaine. “Please, Ella,” the lady said sweetly, “let us treat each other like family.” Then she motioned to the carriage. “These are your sisters, Drisella and Anastasia.”

There was a small commotion and the carriage rocked gently on its wheels. Then out stepped two young ladies. The eldest, Anastasia, was pretty, with dark hair and porcelain skin. Her sister, Drisella, had red hair and was slightly smaller in stature. Catching sight of Ella, Drisella looked her up and down, apparently not impressed. She whispered something into Anastasia’s ear.

“Have courage, be kind,” Ella muttered to herself. It would do no good to start off on the wrong foot. Smiling, Ella said, “How do you do? I hope you will all be happy here.”

“What manners,” Lady Tremaine said approvingly. She turned and gave a knowing look to her daughters.

Taking the hint, Anastasia and Drisella began to bombard Ella with hollow compliments. “You’re very nice,” Drisella said.

“And you have such pretty hair,” said Anastasia.

Drisella nodded. “You should have it styled,” she added.

The insult was not lost on Ella. Still, she refused to react. Perhaps the girls were just cranky from their journey. She continued her welcome. “Would you like a tour of the house?” Ella asked.

“What did she say?” Drisella asked her sister. “Her accent is so twangy .”

“She wants to show us her farmhouse,” Anastasia replied. “She’s proud of it, I think.”

Lady Tremaine cleared her throat, then addressed Anastasia and Drisella. “Dears,” she said, her tone warning, “I do hope you won’t fuss.”

Her daughters snapped to attention. They were not used to being chastised by their mother. She usually let them get their way. But now she was telling them to be nice to their new country bumpkin of a sister. With a sigh, they followed Ella toward the farmhouse.

As they entered, Lady Tremaine turned to Ella’s father. “You did not say that your daughter was so beautiful,” she said. It had been impossible to ignore. Compared to her own daughters, Ella had a grace and beauty that made them seem dull and mindless.

“She takes after her…” Ella’s father began, but stopped himself.

Lady Tremaine finished the sentence. “Her mother,” she said, nodding. “Just so. You must not be afraid to say it. Not to me.”

A relieved smile spread across his face as Lady Tremaine put a hand on his arm. But as her new husband began to give her a tour of her new home, Lady Tremaine frowned. She would have to keep an eye on Ella. The girl could prove to be trouble if she was a constant reminder to her father of the wife he had lost.

六年过去了，瑞拉一直遵守着自己的诺言：善良而勇敢。她还是会在喷泉旁边确保小鸟和大鸟都能吃到一样多的食物。她会每天问候家里的厨师和女佣们。去市场买东西时，她会向遇到的每一个人微笑。她一直觉得母亲就在身边，提醒着她不要忘记六年前做出的承诺。

一天早晨，瑞拉在客厅里朗读着一本书。父亲坐在她对面的椅子上，小口地吃着一片涂了蜂蜜的烤面包。

瑞拉抬起头笑了。那是她特意为父亲收获的蜂蜜。父亲非常喜欢吃这些蜂蜜，虽然是不起眼的东西，却饱含着深情厚谊。但当瑞拉看到积满灰尘的壁炉架和窗帘时，她的笑容僵住了。母亲去世后，家里失去了一些生气。

好了，好了，瑞拉想到。现在也不算太差劲——父亲还在，我们还有房子住，我们还可以相依为命。

瑞拉肯定地点点头，回过神来，开始读最后一段：“‘回到家以后，我和妻子尽情地歌唱，这个世界上还有谁比我更快乐呢？估计没有。’”瑞拉轻轻地合上书，看着父亲。“佩皮斯日记今天就念到这儿。我喜欢皆大欢喜的结局，你呢？”

瑞拉的父亲点点头：“我也非常喜欢。”

“就像事情本该这样子，”瑞拉说。过了一会儿，她又说道：“我觉得想要故事的开头和中间也欢欢喜喜的有点太自私了。”

房间里一片沉默。父亲和瑞拉都沉浸在关于母亲的回忆中。

“不，”父亲的回答终于打破了沉默。“我认为那不是自私。”他停顿了一下，接着说道：“瑞拉，我觉得或许我可以开始新的生活。”

瑞拉早就等着这一天了，她立刻明白了父亲的意思。她的父亲仍然是个英俊而又年轻的男人，没道理让他就一个人度过余生。但是，想到自己的生活中要出现一个陌生人，瑞拉还是感到非常不安。

瑞拉的注意力又回到父亲身上。他说：“你还记得我以前出去旅行的时候，结识的弗朗西斯·特曼妮爵士吗？”

瑞拉点点头：“记得。他是绸缎商会的会长，不是吗？”

“曾经是，”父亲纠正道，“那个可怜的人去世了，唉。”

“听到这个真让人难过，父亲，”瑞拉说道，她的声音充满了悲伤。

父亲低头看着自己的双手，紧张得一会儿握紧拳头，一会儿又松开。随后，他抬起头看着瑞拉的眼睛说道：“他的遗孀是一个令人尊敬的女人，现在孤身一人，尽管她还风华正茂。”

瑞拉的目光变得温柔起来。她知道父亲难以开口。“你是怕我反对吗？”她轻柔地说道，“你不用担心。……只要你能够幸福就好。”

“幸福……”父亲重复道，“这是不是上天又给我一次机会？我原以为这种事不会再有了。”

瑞拉毫不犹豫地说：“是的，父亲。”

父亲的脸上露出一丝宽慰的微笑。“她只是你的继母，”父亲说，“你还会有两个可爱的姐姐和你做伴。这样，不管我走多远，我都知道你平平安安待在家里，有人疼爱，有人保护。”

瑞拉站起来紧紧地抱住父亲。这肯定会是一个巨大的变故，但也有好的一面：她会有两个姐姐——真正可以成为朋友的真正的姐姐——还有继母，将来也可能变得像真正的母亲一样……

不到两星期的时间里，婚礼筹划妥当，也举行了仪式。没多久，瑞拉就站在房前等候继母和姐姐们的到来。父亲站在她身旁，脸上的表情小心翼翼，而又满怀希望。

瑞拉搓着双手。最近几天她一直在帮忙打扫房屋。那天上午的早些时候她环顾家里时，忍不住想起了母亲。母亲以前最喜欢看到打扫一新的房屋。

引人注目的不光是房子，瑞拉也穿上了最漂亮的礼服。蓝色的礼服很好地衬托了她的眼睛。她金黄色的头发梳得闪闪发亮，轻轻地拢到脑后。此刻，瑞拉站在房子前面，希望自己也能让新来的人眼前一亮。

车道上传来清晰的马蹄声，不一会儿，一辆马车停在了庄园前。两个车夫跳下马车，打开了车门。

瑞拉屏住呼吸。这辆车就是了。她脸上挂着微笑，等待着继母看她的第一眼。

特曼妮夫人那穿着装饰精美的鞋子的脚先伸了出来。过了一会儿，特曼妮夫人伸手握住马车车夫的手。然后，她熟练而又优雅地迈下马车，站在了车道上。

她是瑞拉见到过的最美丽的女人之一。皮肤柔嫩发亮，微红的金黄色头发挽在头顶，戴着时尚的贴头帽。她的礼服俨然也是最时新的款式，紧紧裹着她纤细的腰肢，项上的珠宝让她的眼睛熠熠生辉。

瑞拉的父亲朝新娘伸出手。“我的女儿，瑞拉，”他介绍道。

瑞拉给继母行屈膝礼。特曼妮夫人报以灿烂的一笑。“瑞拉，”她轻柔地说，“我们以后像一家人那样相处吧。”接着她指着马车说：“她们是你的姐姐，崔西里亚和安泰西亚。”

车厢里一阵小小的骚乱，马车轻轻地晃动了一下。接着走出两位姑娘。年长的叫安泰西亚，她长得很漂亮，有一头乌黑的头发和像瓷器一样光滑的皮肤。她的妹妹崔西里亚，长着红头发，身材稍微小巧一点。崔西里亚看到瑞拉，就上下打量，显然觉得瑞拉不怎么起眼。她悄悄在安泰西亚耳边嘀咕着什么。

“坚强而勇敢，仁慈而善良。”瑞拉低声对自己说道。一开始就处理不好的话，可没有好处。瑞拉微笑着说：“你们好！希望你们在这儿生活得开心。”

“多么有礼貌，”特曼妮夫人赞许道。她转过脸朝女儿们使了个眼色。

安泰西亚和崔西里亚领会了母亲的意思，一股脑地奉承起瑞拉来。“你真是太好了，”崔西里亚说。

安泰西亚说：“你的头发真漂亮。”

崔西里亚点点头说：“你应该做个发型。”

瑞拉还没忘记刚才的羞辱。然而，她没有流露出不快。可能她们是因为旅途劳累，所以脾气不好吧。瑞拉继续表示欢迎。她问道：“你们想参观一下这所房子吗？”

“她说什么？”崔西里亚问姐姐，“她的鼻音可真重。”

“她想带我们看看她的农舍，”安泰西亚回答道，“我看，她觉得这房子很了不起呢。”

特曼妮夫人清了清嗓子，用警告的口吻对安泰西亚和崔西里亚说：“亲爱的，希望你们别大惊小怪。”

她的两个女儿马上规矩起来。她们不习惯被妈妈呵斥。她通常对她们都是听之任之。但现在妈妈提醒她们要善待这个土里土气的妹妹。她们只好叹了口气，跟着瑞拉朝农舍走去。

进门时，特曼妮夫人对瑞拉的父亲说道：“你可没说你的女儿如此美貌。”对于这一点她无法视而不见，和自己的女儿相比，瑞拉既美丽又端庄，而自己的女儿则显得笨头笨脑，傻里傻气。

“她长得像她……”瑞拉的父亲回答了一半，突然停住了。

特曼妮夫人接着说，“她母亲，”她点点头，“事情本来就如此。你不用不敢说。对我不必如此。”

特曼妮夫人用手拍拍他的胳膊，瑞拉的父亲欣慰地笑了。但是当她的新任丈夫带她在新家四处看看的时候，她不禁皱起了眉头。她要时刻留意瑞拉。如果她老是让她父亲想起死去的妻子，那她可是个麻烦。