Maggie and her friends enter the exquisite dining-room through floor to ceiling French doors, with grins on their faces. The walls were cover with shimmering golden swirls on soft baby blue paper and in the centre of the ceiling above the table that dominated the space, an elongated ellipse of oak with the raw bark at the edges, was a elegant chandelier. Down the oak table was a cream colour runner with white Celtic design woven into the fabric. The tall mullioned windows along the right wall from the entrance, hidden behind heavy silk cream curtains, gave the room more than enough light.
Seated in dark oak chairs, each one beautiful in its simplicity, all clean straight lines and high backs, were the girls of the orphanages day the staff that taught them. The four friends raced towards their assigned seats and patiently waited for Mrs Rose to join them for breakfast. Clare Elliott, seated across from Maggie, stopped her conversation with the girl next to her, to stare at the redhead sitting down. Her curly golden locks bouncing as she turns her head.
"In trouble again Greenwood?" Clare smirked at the girl across from her.
Maggie hid her bandaged hand further underneath the table and looked down, ignoring the girl. Rebecca, who was sitting next to Maggie, shot a harsh glare at the girl.
"Bugger off Elliott!"
Clare returned Rebecca glare with equal heat, "Or what giant?"
"Or I make thoughts buck teeth into two nice earrings for you," Rebecca snapped, earning a scoff and crossed arms from Clare and giggles from her three friends.
Maggie gave the dark haired girl a thankful smile, when the room became deadly quiet. The clicking of heels on hardwood floors pierced through the silence until it stopped. All the girls around the table stood up and turned towards the head of the table.
Mrs Rose stood in front to her chair with perfect posture. She cleared her throat, "Good morning girls."
"Good morning Mrs Rose," the girls voices flowed together like a perfect pitched choir. Mrs Rose sat down first, the girls mimicking her action a few seconds later.
Soft chatter rose as the girls began to eat. Maggie picked up her spoon with her right hand causing Clare and her two friends seated on each side of her to giggle.
"What's wrong Greenwood," Clare smirked. "I thought you were left handed... My mistake."
Rebecca stopped eating, she bumped Maggie with her elbow causing the girl to look up at her questioningly. She bit her lip when Rebecca held her hand open underneath the table. A slimy bug the size of a coin wiggle in her hand, Rebecca tilted her head to towards the giggling girl across from them. Giving a nod of understanding, Maggie turned to Clare and smirked.
"It seem it was you mistake after all Elliott,"
The giggles stopped immediately as Clare narrowed her grey eyes. She observed Maggie for a second before slowly opening her mouth and childishly stuck out her tongue. While Maggie distracted the three idiots in front of them, Rebecca carefully angled her body and flicked the bug with enough force, causing it to land perfectly in Clare's bowl of oatmeal.
Maggie bit her lip and Rebecca smirked behind her spoon as they watch Clare scoop up the bug and brought it towards her mouth. Not really paying any attention to the food of her spoon, Clare slipped it in her mouth and began to chew.
Both Rebecca and Maggie bit back their laughter as they watch Clare's narrows eyebrows dip in the centre into the perfect frown. She slowed her chewing, wondering why her oatmeal had such a salty bittersweet taste. A loud crunching sound echoed through Clare's ears as the salty bittersweet taste fades into a sour creamy liquid. Trying not to gag, the troublesome duo watch Clare swallow, know quite well that she in joyed the unexpected surprise by the scrunched up face.
The clicking of a spoon against glass silenced the room once again. Everyone turned towards the source of the noise, waiting for Mrs Rose to stop and address them.
"As you all know," she began, placing her silver spoon back onto the table and straightening her back. She glanced around the table at each girl, "that we will be having a visitor coming to pick a suitable child to adopt-"
Excited whispers amongst the girls broke out, causing Miss Harrington to roll her eyes. She slammed her hands on the table repeatedly gaining the attention silent attention from the girls, before turning her head towards the headmistress.
Mrs Rose gave the woman a nod, "As I was saying. We are having a visitor and I expect you all to behave and look presentable. Is that clear?"
Rebecca smirked at the narrowed eyes pointedly staring at her, "Yes Mrs Rose!"
The women gave the all a curt nod as she stood up and straightened her blouse, "Be ready after breakfast. Girls from the ages of five and up, are to be lined up in the foyer. That is all."
The whispers rose once again. Maggie stared after the woman deep in thought when she felt someone stare at her. Turned back in her seat, Maggie came face to face with a smirking Clare.
"Don't get to excited Greenwood," her two friends covering the laughter with their hands. "Your parents didn't want you so why would the visitor."
Maggie looked down in embarrassment, cheeks turning scarlet at the wicket blonde's words. Rebecca slammed her spoon down loud enough to stop the three from laughing.
"Maggie wasn't the only one abandoned Elliott,"
Clare crossed her arms over her chest, "My parents didn't abandon me... They will be back soon to come and fetch me. At least I know my parents love me."
Rebecca smirked, "Oh yeah, then why did they leave you here four years ago?"
Clare's smirk faded and she turned her head, avoiding the tall girl's eyes. Rebecca stood up and pulled Maggie with her. Grace and Crystal saw the two friends leaving frown the far side of the table. They bid they goodbyes and got up, quickly following after their friends.
"Ignore them Mags," Rebecca said as they climbed the stairs. "Elliott just trying to get to you."
Maggie sighed, her shoulders dropped and her head hung low, "I know...but have you ever wandered if your life would be different if your parents were still alive?"
Rebecca thought for a moment, " Nah, my parents died along time ago. I can barely remember them much less miss them enough to think about them."
Maggie rubbed the bandage on her hand softly. It was a bad habit she picked up a few years ago when ever she was sad or nervous, she would always pick anything that was on her person. Be it a bandage or her dress, her friends always knew how she was feeling when she did that.
"Hey," Rebecca stopped walking and lifted Maggie face with the fingers underneath her chin. "Your parents must have been idiots when the left you in that ally. So what if they're not here, you got me and we tend to stick together no matter what. Remember?"
A smile grew on Maggie's face when she remembered that day she and Rebecca became friends. Maggie had been at the orphanage for three years when the police came by and brought an emotionless child with them. Rebecca didn't talk about what happened, she did only glared and stayed lock up in her room for days on end until Mrs Rose and Miss Belle had to drag her out. Maggie remember that night after Rebecca's horrible punishment for cursing Mrs Rose, the silent tears and the promise she made to Rebecca same that night she cleaned her up. Rebecca opened up after that and endless nights of getting to know each other followed.
The redhead gave Rebecca a nod when Miss Belle came around the corner.
"Bonjour filles," the petit woman greeted, she stopped in front the the two girls and gave the each a charming smile, "Y-a-t-il un problème?" (Is there a problem?)
Rebecca rolled her eyes at the French woman however, Maggie shook her head and returned the woman's smile, "Pas de problème, mademoiselle Belle. Nous étions sur le point de nous préparer à l'arrivée du visiteur." (No problem, Miss Belle. We were about to prepare for the arrival of the visitor.)
" Très bien," Miss Belle said and walked past them. Crystal and Grace caught up with the two girls a second later.
"What was that?" Grace asked with a raised eyebrow.
Rebecca scoffed, "Nothing you need to concern yourself with. Now come on, we don't want to get her royal highness' kickers in a twist when she has to wait for us to get ready."
The other three girls laughed at Rebecca's comment about the headmistress and rushed after her...
Two hours of girls running around, trying to make them acceptable for the visitor's arrived, past and twenty two girls found themselves all lined up in the foyer. Miss Belle and Miss Harrington making sure that each girl was standing up straight. Maggie and her friends, all dressed in soft light colours, waited patiently for Mrs Rose to escort the mysterious visitor in.
Tension hung heavy as the click of heels and heavy footsteps drew closer to the girls. The footsteps stopped and standing in front of everyone was Mrs Rose and a man.
"Girls," Mrs Rose addressed them. "This is Mr Williams and he is here to pick out seven girls to adopt."
The man, Mr Williams was a about in his forty's, a little above the medium height, of well-knit frame, of a sanguine complexion. His bushy brows, shaded pensive eyes, that held a something mysterious.
Maggie could place the look, but the raising of the hair on the back of her neck told her that there wasn't something quite right about this visitor. She hand Rebecca shared an uneasy look, both thinking the exact same thing. Danger.