Sir Arthur

• Twenty

"Kimberly," Lady Heather drawled out as she stood up from her seat where she had been waiting all night for the return of the girls.

Madame Paula had tried making her return inside after dispatching men to search for them but her pleas fell on deaf ears. She was adamant on waiting till they came.

Lady Heather rushed to them her demeanor somewhat calm after seeing them enter into the compound.

The horses stopped and the ladies got off just as Lady Heather engraved them in a tight hug. She was now relieved that they were safe.

"I've looked for you all over," she ran the palm of her hand over their faces running her eyes over the weird cloaks they had on their shoulders.

"We're back," Kimberly assured her mother soaking in the embrace. She too, felt content to be back home.

Before she could even question that, Madame Paula came over and whispered something in her ear that had her eyes widen.

She apprehensively stared at the girls feeling conflicted. She had just seen them yet she was urgently required at the palace by the Queen.

"I have to go to the palace," Lady Heather said as she withdrew from the embrace. She wanted to stay a while longer but she couldn't. She had to leave.

Kim and Faye nodded understandingly as they stared up at her anxious stricken face. They suddenly felt like babies who cried hysterically once they parents were leaving.

"Take care of them," she instructed Madame Paula rubbing the girls forearms as she lovingly looked at them then rushed back into the manor.

"Make sure you clean up," Madame Paula sternly spoke to them distastefully eying their dirty and wrinkled dresses.

She walked over to the gate where James led a group of young men who briefly glanced at them as their shoulders dropped in relief.

It would have been unfortunate to inform that they had not traced the ladies yet. They had searched all over all night with no success.

From where the girls were standing, they couldn't make out what was being said but with Madame Paula's stern eye over her shoulder, they scurried into the house.

The house was quieter than usual, a few attendants passed by openly gaping at them but none of them dared speak to them. Faye and Kim went up their rooms and cleaned up, removing their dirty gowns and washing up thoroughly.

It was not until that afternoon that Faye went to check on Kim where she had been cocooned in her room. She never came out since they returned and Faye became worried so she went in with a large tray of food.

The room was darker than it usually was. The curtains were not drawn. What a lazy girl. Faye thought as she placed the food on the table beside the bed where Kim was laying, her hair covering the entire pillow.

She drew the curtains first and light streaked into the room eliciting a groan from the sleeping girl.

Faye plopped herself in the chair beside her as she watched Kim stir uncomfortably. The sun's rays directly hit her face so she would have to wake up.

Kim groaned again then sat up absurdly looking around. She was far from awake though she got off the bed and washed her face in the bathroom then came back somehow vigilant.

She sat facing Faye on the bed. "Are you okay?" Faye asked removing the covers from the bed where they were loosely hanging.

"I'm better," Kim replied eyeing the dishes on the tray. They looked so tasty that when her stomach rumbled reminding her of how hungry she had been.