Free The Midnight Dancers: A Fairy Tale Retold by Regina Doman

hoped. Now she didn’t need to worry. “Thanks so much for coming by. Can you come again?”
    “Absolutely.”
    “Good.” Rachel felt another thrill go through her. This was working. She looked out at the island standing aloof in the bay, and appraised it like a diamond.

five
    Paul stood on the Durham’s doorstep around ten o’clock the next morning, steeled with determination, and  knocked. He wasn’t entirely sure of what to do next, but it had occurred to him that this might be a decent idea.
    When one of the girls answered the door, he asked to see their mother. In a few minutes, Sallie came to the door. She was dressed in a blue cotton jumper, and was holding baby Jabez, who looked recently cleaned.
    “Good morning, Paul,” she said, and her eyes were still a bit nervous, although she smiled. “What can I do for you?”
    “I wanted to say thanks again for the great dinner last night. I really appreciated it.”
    “Well, you’re very welcome, I’m sure.”
    “Last night, I had told your younger daughters, Debbie and Linette, that I could teach them juggling. They seemed to be interested so I wanted to find out if that was all right with you, and when would be a good time.”
    Sallie looked hesitant. “I would have to ask my husband. That’s very kind of you to offer. Would you want to be paid for it?”
    Paul shook his head. “Not at all. Actually, I’m scheduled to do this show next week at the Colonial festival. I could really use some assistants. If you and Colonel Durham were willing, and the girls as well, they could be my assistants in the show.”
    “Oh my! Well, that would keep them busy! Are you sure you could teach them in time?”
    “Even if they learn a few things, they can help me out. It’s really not that difficult.”
    She paused. “I’d have to check with my husband first. If he says it’s okay, then maybe you could come by at noon to teach them? If the girls are finished with their chores. Would that work for you?”
    “Sounds great!”
    “All right,” Sallie said, still seeming a little guarded. “I’ll see you then, Mr. Fester.”
    “Call me Paul, please. Goodbye.”
    Paul walked away as the door closed, breathing deeply.  He was fairly certain Colonel Durham would allow the lessons.  The only difficulty was that he was sure he would be tired by noon.
    I’d better go back to the tent and make up my sleep now, he thought. And I hope Debbie and Linette manage to make up their sleep too.

    Rachel yawned over the laundry. I must, I must get some sleep today. She thought of the hammock outside in the sun.  After she was done here, she would steal down there and doze off, if none of her sisters got there first.
    Stepping up her pace, she finished the laundry a bit more quickly than usual, dabbed on some sunscreen, and slipped outside, stifling another yawn.  The hammock hung in a corner of the yard, unoccupied.  She lay down, closed her eyes against the sun, and was asleep almost instantly, swaying in the breeze.
    A bit later on, she drifted to the surface of sleep and became aware of shrieks of laughter and shouts. She opened one eye, and saw some figures cavorting on the lawn. After watching them in a bored perplexity for some time, she remembered that Paul was supposed to come over to teach Debbie and Linette juggling, or tumbling, or something like that. She closed her eyes again.
    Then she heard giggles coming closer. She opened an eye a bit irritated, and saw her two younger biological sisters Liddy and Becca, dressed in fancy dresses, come dancing up to the hammock, carrying a big plastic hamper between them.
    “What are you doing?” she asked, a bit sharply.
    Liddy, resplendent in royal blue, with ample costume jewelry said, “Becca and I are going to play dress up. In the cave.”
    “Won’t Sallie think you’re a bit old for dress-up?” Rachel asked mildly.
    “Oh no. She saw us, and she said we looked very cute,” said fourteen-year-old Becca. “Of