Hey guys! So I recently binge watched all of the new season 2 which I both hated and loved. I also recently got 2 new reviews and 2 new followers (Thank you guys by the way. You guys make my day) and that is what pushed me to write another chapter. I hope you guys like it. I have already started working on the next chapter. Now without further Adue, here is Chapter 4.
The old broken-down Victorian mansion felt a whole lot bigger after having cleaned it all with a toothbrush. The children Violet, Klaus and Sunny slumped on the small twin bed while Bree and Max slumped against the walls and floor of their atrocious new room.
"I never wanna use a toothbrush again," Klaus said.
"Max I think it's time we started looking for jobs," Bree said "We could make some money and possibly get a few nice things like maybe another bed."
"I could check the junk yard. See if there's anything there that could be worth salvaging," he offered.
"Perfect," she said. "Does anyone know if Count Olaf gets the paper?"
"Can't say that I do," Klaus said.
"Nor I," Violet said.
"Vo te," Sunny burbled.
Bree looked to Violet, "She doesn't either," she translated.
Bree sighed. "Well, we'll find out tomorrow."
The door opened loud and swiftly as Count Olaf burst into the room. Everyone scampered up from where they were standing into attention. "Why aren't you cleaning? My list was very specific."
"We finished it," Klaus told him tiredly.
He looked over it doubting that they had, "No you didn't."
"We even washed your underwear," Klaus told him a bit disgusted.
"You missed one," he told them. "You still have to prepare a large meal for me and my theater troupe."
"We've never done that before," Max told him not unkindly.
He rolled eyes, "Plan the meal, purchase the ingredients, Prepare the food, Set the table, Serve the food, Clean up afterwards and Stay out of our way."
"How can we purchase anything? We don't have any money," Violet told him.
He groaned and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small brown bag and tossed it to Bree. "Do you know what this is?"
"Something greasy," Violet answered.
"Money. Hard-earned money. The most important substance on earth besides applause and lip balm," he told them. "Since the bossy banker won't let us use any of your parents' enormous fortune, I am now forced to cough up my own earnings from theatrical performances and the occasional bit of consulting work. Now quick. Get a move on. The troupe will be here at 7:00. And in the meantime, I will be up in Can you guess?
"Your secret tower room?" Klaus guessed.
"Wrong! My secret tower room," he told them. "Which you are forbidden to go in. Understand? Forbidden," he emphasized.
"Forbidden," Violet repeated almosted annoyed.
"That! Yes!" Count Olaf said as he slammed the door behind him.
They all let out a sigh of exhaustion. "How are we supposed to prepare a meal for an entire theater troop?" Klaus asked concerned.
"Well, We start by picking out what we're going to make," Bree told him. "Although I doubt Count Olaf has many cooking books around here if even any at all."
"We could try Justice Strauss," Max suggested. "To be honest though, I just want to get out of this house."
"It's so dark and dismal here," Violet said. "I wish we lived Justice Strauss instead of Count Olaf."
"It would be so much nicer," Klaus said. "And she wouldn't make us do everything by ourselves with nothing but a toothbrush."
"Ah ve," Sunny burbled.
"Even Sunny agreed," Violet translated.
Bree gave a longing sigh. She knew she had to put up a front to keep some positivity in the air but she was just as miserable as everyone else. "Do you guys remember those trolley rides we'd take to Briney Beach when you really young and you were miserably waiting to get off because you were dying to do something far more exciting than sitting?"
"Yeah. What about them?" Klaus asked.
"This is just like that," she told them. "This isn't where we're going. It's just what we happened to be riding to get to where we want to be. Once this ride ends we can be anywhere we want. We just have to be patient. This is just the wait."
"She's right," Max said. "We are just the passengers here. As soon as we're old enough we can get off this trolley and end up at somewhere so much better."
"I suppose that does makes sense," Klaus said.
"We can do anything we want to when we're older," Max told them a little more excited.
"In the meantime, we can make the best of what we've got," Bree said standing up and picking up Sunny. "Let's go over and see what we can find at Justice Strauss's."
"Alright," Max said. Everyone felt much better than they had been before. Smiling, the Baudelaire's set off to go see her. The air felt a lot lighter. As they exited, the air felt a lot lighter and the world brightened a bit.
Max knocked on her bright red door. She opened it with a gentle grace and said, "Baudelaires, I wasn't expecting to see you so soon."
"Good afternoon Ms. Strauss," Bree said. " We would've come sooner but we've been cleaning."
"Yes, Count Olaf said you were very particular about that," she said. Max and Bree exchanged confused looks. "I hope you appreciate how much he's doing for you."
"I wouldn't say much," Violet said but not unkindly.
"Well, perhaps not compared to what you're used to," she said. "What can I do for you?"
"Actually, Justice Strauss, we really need your help," Klaus said.
"You do?" she asked excited to be assistance.
"We were wondering if we might use your library?" he asked.
"Why of course," she said excitedly, inviting them in. "Is there a particular book you have in mind?" she asked leading them through her house and out the back to an enclosed wooden pavilion.
"A cookbook, so we can make dinner," Violet answered.
"I suppose anything other than lamb," she said kind of sorrowfully quiet.
"Pardon?" Max asked.
"I said I suppose anything other than lamb," she repeated louder.
"Why would you say that?" he asked confused.
"Count Olaf told me you didn't like the lamb I brought over earlier today," she told them.
"We never had lamb," Bree told her. "Actually we haven't eaten anything since breakfast." Her stomach growled.
"I remember him coming in to check on us and he was eating a leg of something but that was about it. Other than telling us we missed a spot," Max piped in.
"Well that is peculiar," Justice Strauss said. She might have continued if they hadn't reached her outdoor library. "My private library is always open to you. It's mostly law books but there are sections on everything from the Italian cuisine to the earth's most deadly fungus." She sighed in admiration of her well stocked library. "I suppose it's not as nice as the libraries your used to but…"
"It's marvelous," Violet cut her off lightly
"It's wonderful," Klaus concurred.
"You really think so?" Justice Strauss asked.
"It's like a small piece of home," Bree said gently brushing her fingers over a certain book.
"Hey," Max said seeing the book that Bree was staring at. "No way, It's A Knight's Heart." He pulled the book out of the shelf. "I thought they stopped selling these."
"I don't remember that book being in the library," Violet said.
"Neither do I," Klaus agreed. "And I've read all the books in our library."
"That's cause it wasn't a library book," Max told them. They all looked at him quizzically. He laughed and told them, "I saved up every penny I had to get that book. I wanted to make sure that the first book Bree read was the best one there was."
"What are you talking about?" Violet asked. "Didn't she have books before she you met her?"
Bree looked down at the ground a little ashamed. "No actually," Max said. "Bree had never seen a book until she was nine years old. They didn't have any money for books where she was staying at before us."
Max stared down fondly at the book. "Mom said that if wanted to buy a book that I'd have to pay for it myself. I scrounged around for loose change, did extra chores, everything I could to get that money."
"You should have seen him the day he finally got that book," Bree said. "He came bursting through the door yelling, 'Bree! Bree! I did it! I did it! I got the book!' And I asked, 'What book?' and he said, "Yours, Your first book. It's the best one ever! And it's all yours!' He even had it inscribed. 'To Bree, May our knights always find their princesses. Love Max' It ended up being my absolute favorite book."
Max handed her the book and she gently traced the cover over and over again. "Can I borrow this book as well please?"
"Of course you can dear," she answered sweetly. "I will need it back on Thursday however, I have a book club meeting and I've been wanting to do that one and I just know they're going to pick it this time."
"That's plenty of time," Bree told her hugging the book closely to her chest.
"The cookbooks are over there in Section G, and right here is my favorite table for serious research," Justice Strauss gestured. "Do you have a paper and pencil to take notes?"
"Always," Klaus answered.
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