𝐞 𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐈 𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐡 𝐣𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬

004.

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The reception was held at Thomas and Grace's home. Their home was a huge manor ― much bigger than the one Anna and Imogen were staying at but not as big as the one they have just outside of London. Most of the party and its guests were spending their time in the ballroom with their drinks and pointless conversations. One thing Anna never understood was how people with money can carry on so boring conversations while they could talk about many amazing things their wealth has and could provide to them.

Anna stood in the corner of the ballroom, taking a small break from all the socializing. 

She felt stuffy and mingling with all the guests had proven to be much more work than she originally thought. Most of Grace's family was snobby and incredibly rude with their snarky comments. Many questioned Anna's position in Imogen's family but Imogen set those speculations straight by telling everyone how Anna was now her god-daughter. She wasn't a gold digger who was trying to con an older woman.

While Anna has gone through many boring and thoughtless conversation with Grace's family, she hasn't had the chance to talk with Thomas' family yet. Almost immediately after everyone had arrived to the house, Thomas and his brothers along with some other men, had taken off and were still gone. 

Anna watched the woman whom she had quickly seen during the ceremony. The woman was talking now to a younger woman who had matching dark hair but otherwise they didn't resemble each other that much. 

At first one might think they were mother and daughter but something about their body language proved Anna otherwise. Perhaps an aunt and niece. 

Anna knew Thomas has one sister and they were raised by their aunt ― this proved her theory quite well. 

The two women were drinking and laughing, whispering and gossiping. Anna wondered what it was like ― she has never really done any of those things. They looked carefree, almost childish with their giggles echoing through the music filled room. 

Anna turned to look away from them and began to search for Imogen.

Imogen was having polite conversations with some of her late husband's family and Anna didn't feel like interrupting them. Anna left her empty glass of champagne on one of the small tables in the room and left to catch some fresh air. 

She walked out of the ballroom, the music and loud conversations disappearing as she got further and further away from the party. She looked around, noticing paintings hanging from the walls, fine pieces of art laying around in some dusty corners of the corridor she believed led towards the foyer and front door. 

Her attention however was suddenly caught by voices coming from a corridor to her right ― she knew the front door wasn't there.

Anna had been a curious girl when she was younger ― but as the famous saying, curiosity killed the cat goes ― Anna's curiosity was the reason of her near death. She contracted Spring Fever because she was too curious to see what was behind a door in the nunnery ― a door that separated the ill children from the healthy ones.