“I see no reason to buy you new dresses for a trip you will not be taking. And considering you hate me, I see no reason to bring you along.”

Drizella dashed out of her seat and grabbed her mother’s hands, pleading with her. “You really mean to leave us at home, Mama? This isn’t a trick? I can’t believe you would do this to us, your only daughters. The only things you have left of Papa. How do you think he would feel if he knew you were treating us so poorly? What would he think of you ruining my chances with the young Lord Hackle?”

Lady Tremaine took a deep breath and let it out with a heavy sigh. “I have ruined you. I gave you everything and this is how you treat me? You try to manipulate me by using the memory of your dear sweet father? You were so young when he died, you hardly knew him! He would find your behavior appalling. And he would be disappointed in me for raising you to become such terrible little beasts! I wanted this house to be a place of love, a place where people could show their emotions. I thought if I took a more active role in your lives you would love and respect me. That you wouldn’t grow up resenting me, but I find now that I resent you! I should have just let you be raised by the servants. I should have limited my time to an hour a day after teatime like all the other ladies I know.” She hated taking such a hard line with them, but she felt it was for their own good. “You’re right, Zella, I was trying to trick you, to scare you into thinking I wasn’t going to take you on this trip. I would have never dreamed of going anywhere without my precious girls, but at the moment I can’t stand the sight of you! Nanny Pinch, take them upstairs at once, and that is where they will stay. Do you understand?”

Drizella and Anastasia cried and reached out for their mother as Nanny Pinch took them both by the arms and tried to lead them out of the room. It broke Lady Tremaine’s heart to do this to her daughters, but she was at a loss. She had done it all wrong, and she worried she had ruined her daughters forever. She took another deep breath, pressed her fingers to her aching head, composed her emotions, and tried to sound stern.

“I will come up to say goodbye before I leave, girls. And, Nanny Pinch, please have Daisy sit with them. I want you to come back down so we can talk alone. Things are going to be very different around here from now on, and we have a lot to discuss before I leave for my trip.”