Emma's foot peeked out from underneath the long layers of her petticoats. She nervously glanced around before letting her shoe clap down in the bottom of the bath. The other foot soon followed and, sure enough, Miss Woodhouse was now standing in the strangest and, in her opinion, most disagreeable room she had ever set eyes upon. The sickly-sweet scent of not-quite-apple-blossom and strawberries lingered in the air and the walls all around her were decorated with mermaids, shells and other sea-creatures. The colour scheme was inescapably blue, while smooth white machines covered with many little knobs and dials littered the walls and surfaces. She felt like she had stumbled into another world.
"Manda?"
Emma froze. She hadn't considered that she might meet someone here. Now it seemed to follow that a house, however odd, would have someone living in it.
"Manda are you up there?" The voice called again. It was coming from below her and most definitely belonged to a woman. Emma swayed with indecision: should she turn back? She knew her father would be worried by now and, after all, it really wouldn't do to be caught snooping around in someone else's house. She heard more hurried footsteps, this time travelling up some stairs, and the sound of doors opening and closing.
Well it was too late now.