(A/N: Hildegard is not going to be the villian. Although, the character from Jane Eyre that she represents is a bit of a snob. But so is Hildegard, hence why I chose her for this role.)
Sofia watched Calista closely. Since the lunchtime fiasco, Sofia had worried that her pupil would run out and cause mischief. Calista sighed as she finished one final equation on her page of mathematics.
"Miss Balthazar, I'm hungry," Calista said. "Is it almost time for dinner?"
Sofia looked at the clock. To her surprise, it was just barely past their normal dinner time.
"Why don't you clear the books off the table while I go get some food," Sofia said. "Violet must be very busy with all the guests if she didn't make sure we didn't go late in lessons."
"Okay," Calista said.
Sofia stepped out of the schoolroom and walked down some back hallways to get to the kitchen. It took a couple minutes to get the food as other servants were running around the kitchen. But once Sofia had it, she stepped out of the kitchen, into the back hallway, right into a figure she didn't recognize and subsequently spilling food over the two of them.
"Oh I'm so sorry!" Sofia exclaimed.
"Hmph," the newcomer scoffed. "Incompetent girl. This gown is brand new and worth more than fifty of you. Your master will be hearing about this."
Sofia glanced at the young raven haired and olive skinned lady before looking down at the ground.
"I'm sorry," Sofia repeated. "It was an accident."
"You better start packing your bags," she all but screeched. "Once your master hears about this, he will be sending you away."
With that, the young lady stormed off. Sofia shook her head and collected the food again before quickly and quietly getting back to the schoolroom.
"You took a long time," Calista said.
"It is very busy outside of the schoolroom," Sofia replied. "All of the guests are getting settled and the kitchen is bustling with activity."
"Can I go see Uncle Ceddy now?" Calista asked before picking some food off the platter.
"Calista, I hope when your uncle calls for you, you remember not to call him 'Ceddy'," Sofia said. "Violet and I have told you more than once that you need to call him by Uncle Cedric while the guests are here."
Calista sighed and ate her dinner quietly.
oOo
Sofia watched as Calista boredly doodled on her sketchpad. Unexpectedly the door to the schoolroom opened and Violet slipped in quickly.
"Violet, how are things going?" Sofia asked.
"Is Uncle Ceddy finally asking for me?" Calista asked.
"Calista," Sofia warned.
"Not yet," Violet answered. "But I did just come from the drawing room. Who would have thought that the younger Miss Henrik would venture off into the servant passageway and go right in front of the kitchen door? She complained to Mister Sebara about someone running into her with a tray of food. I wish you could've seen her expression when Mister Sebara asked her why she was in the servant hallways in the first place. The younger Miss Henrik was not amused."
Sofia looked at the housekeeper with an intrigued expression.
"The younger Miss Henrik, you said that was Hildegard right?" Sofia asked.
"Yes, indeed," Violet said. "Anyways, after Miss Hilegard stormed off, I happened to mention to Mister Sebara that Calista was anxious to see him and that maybe she would enjoy the festivites. And he said that tomorrow, Calista could come down to the drawing room after dinner."
"Yes!" Calista exclaimed, jumping up.
"And he said that you, Miss Balthazar, would accompany her," Violet continued.
"What?" Sofia asked. "Oh no, he couldn't have meant that. I'm not suited for that sort of thing. He certainly was only being polite."
"I asked him if he was certain," Violet said. "Mister Sebara said that if you did not come, he'd fetch you himself."
Sofia silently mused about everything that was happening.