Fortunately, Daniel Handler owns all of these characters.
Beatrice glided through the throngs of people all gathered for this special event, occasionally she exchanged a "good
evening" with a passing guest, but otherwise, she was silent. "Beatrice" said a man's voice, she turned, "James" she said,
kissing her fiancée on the cheek. From across the room Beatrice spotted Esme, glaring bitterly at her. Beatrice was
surprised Esme even recognized her; it was, after all, a masquerade ball. Then Beatrice saw him, darting in and out of
people, he was dressed as a bullfighter. "Lemony" she whispered under her breath, "pardon?" asked James. "LEMONY!"
she yelled. It happened so fast, the guards carried him away as he called "BEATRICE! COUNT OLAF IS ALIVE"
Beatrice pushed her way through the crowd, trying to make her way towards the door. But she stopped, when she heard
the one word that had begun all of the trouble. "FIRE!" the hall erupted, it was mayhem. Beatrice looked all over, rooted
to the spot. James was nowhere to be seen, as was Esme. Finally she ran, down the grand staircase with the carved crows,
through the green room, until she reached the library. On hands and knees she fumbled around the floor, pulling up rugs
and tossing furniture aside. "Well, well. Hello Beatrice" said a snarling voice that seemed very familiar, she whipped
around, Olaf stood there, in his hand was a flaming torch. "Don't move or that pretty dress of yours will go up in flames"
he said. Beatrice heard a woman's giggle; Esme was standing behind Olaf, also holding a torch. "Burning down houses is
ever so in!" she squealed. All the while Beatrice had been running her fingers through the cracks in the floor, tying to find
the trapdoor. Finally, one of the floorboards came up, just as Olaf dropped his torch and cackled. "Soon all of V.F.D.
will go up in flames!" he yelled, Beatrice, unnoticed as Esme and Olaf performed a victory dance, climbed through the
trapdoor. Safe in the dark passageway, she sank to the ground, breathing in the musty underground scent.