"You're a lucky one," Frau Schmidt said as she got out her keys from her pocket.
"Oh", Eliza said half way paying attention to what the old women had to tell her.
"With Fraulein Helga, it was a snake." At this remark Eliza gave a gasp, frogs were one thing but snakes were a whole other matter. "Here you go!" Frau Schmidt held open the door for Eliza to enter the room first. Weary of the woman's words Eliza walked into the room suspecting a booby trap hand made by the children.
Eliza was actually quite pleased with the room, it wasn't Buckingham Palace, but it was clean. It only had one bed and one dresser, only enough room for one person. Eliza and Julia had become accustomed to each other and sleeping by one another, but this was a beyond smaller living quarter then they had already held. 'How could tow people possibly fit into this one room?' Eliza's mind began to wonder to the other two doors connected to the room as well. One of the doors lead to a bathroom that connected to another room and the other door was on the other side of the room and Eliza suspected it to be locked.
"Julia well sleep in this room here," Frau Schmidt said directing Eliza's attention to the room that connected through the bathroom. Eliza was a little disappointed to hear of her daughter's new room, it was going to be a big change to sleeping alone again. But, She would manage, just like she had done before. "Her uniform will have to be fitted, someone might be here later on today or early tomorrow morning."
"I don't want her to have a uniform," Eliza frowned to the thought of a child restricted to a uniform. Not being allowed to get it dirty and to just be children.
"Sorry, deary, but its Captain's orders, now this other door," Frau Schmidt lead Eliza to the door across the room. "This room is off limits."
"Why?" Eliza stared at the door willing it to open.
"I can't tell you why, lets just leave it at that," Eliza just nodded her head in agreement already planning to take a look inside once the old women had left. "Now, you have a wonderful view of the garden from here," Frau Schmidt pointed out as she to her long strides towards the window. Eliza followed behind so she could peer out side to see if she could see Julia with the other children.
From above Eliza could see the children walking sullenly around the grounds. Brigitta walked with her nose in its favorite place, her book. Her book was about a romantic tale of two star crossed lovers who were complete opposites. Freidrich walked everywhere, trying to keep hold of his frog, as he weaved in and out of his brother and sisters. Liesl walked with Gretl's little hand in hers and Kurt had his hands shoved deep into his pockets. Julia skipped along side Louisa, who found the little girls upbeat attitude towards everything annoying.
They wondered into the garden as they continued their walk. No one spoke, the only thing breaking the silence was the sound of Julia scrapping the gravel each time she kicked her self up in her skips. As she skipped she found a pinecone and began to kick it around as she followed alongside Louisa. Kurt was a step or two behind Julia and watched her as she kept kicking the pinecone around. He was intrigued by the game and he ran after the pinecone since Julia's last kick sent the pinecone off course. Kurt kicked it back towards Julia and ran to catch up with her. This time Julia kicked it farther for the two to chase after it together. They went back and forth for awhile until Liesl decided that the two kids were getting to close to her and she kicked it away.
"That wasn't very nice," Kurt exclaimed out a breath. Julia nodded her head, out of breath, and in agreement with Kurt. Liesl just rolled her eyes at her little brother and sat down on the bench by the gazebo. Louisa sat next to her and Gretl sat on Liesl's lap. The other kids plopped down on the grass around her.
"How old are you today again, Julia?" Liesl asked not that she was really interested, but she figured to be a kind gesture.
"I'm six!" Julia held up six fingers. Liesl figured the little girl to be cute, however, she could tell by Louisa's face, that she wasn't amused by the new permanent house guest. Liesl thought it was odd how Julia wanted so much to hang around the one girl that didn't like her.
"We'll have to get Cook to make you a birthday cake," Liesl smiled at Julia as the girl beamed at the word "cake".
"What kind of cake?" Gretl asked looking up to her older sister.
"That depends on what Julia's favorite is," said Liesl as she patted her younger sister's thigh.
"My favorite is chocolate!"
"I hate chocolate! What about carrot cake?" Friedrich suggested.
"Okay," Julia spoke as she lost a little gleam from her eye. Liesl kicked Freidrich in the shin and the boy winced in pain.
"I mean chocolate is okay, too," Freidrich retracted his statement from before as he rubbed his shin. Julia began to smile again. The frog in Freidrich's hands was really beginning to become restless and Freidrich could hardly hold it any longer. "I'm going to the pond." Freidrich announced as he began to stand up.
"Can I go?" Julia asked as she hopped up from the ground as well.
"If you want," Freidrich gave the girl an annoyed look. Julia didn't seem to notice though because she was up and standing beside him and his squirming frog.
"Can I hold it?" Julia asked as she kept glancing at Freidrich struggling with the frog.
"I don't know, he's kind of squirming now."
"I can do it!" Freidrich handed the frog to Julia who took it with wide eyes. The girl held the frog with no trouble at all. It was as if something possessed it to behave for her. Freidrich glanced up to his house and he could see Eliza looking down at him and Julia walking towards the pond. He thought he saw her wink. He wasn't quite sure if it was a wink or not, but he just turned around and continued his walk to the pond.
