eliza ( klaus baudelaire )

I - PART V

V:.

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Eliza hadn't slept very comfortably that night. Well, the Baudelaires didn't exactly have a fancy bedroom, having being treated like servants by Count Olaf.

The Baudelaire siblings had taken Eliza's plan quite apprehensively.

They had expressed their worries about Count Olaf finding out Eliza's true identity, to which Eliza insisted, "I'd rather go through this than do nothing."

However, her grim smile and overall slight uneasiness couldn't seem to persuade the Baudelaires.

"Leave it to me." Eliza concluded, sending one look at the siblings before pacing to the corner of the room and taking of her cloak, using it as a mat to sleep.

This brings me to early morning, when Klaus Baudelaire seemed to have found out everything he needed to know about Count Olaf's wickedly scheme. He proceeded to tell him just that, much to the alert, and very much awake, Eliza..

Klaus' hopes rose along with the sun. Finally, when the first few birds began to sing, Klaus tiptoed to the door of the bedroom and eased it open quietly, careful not to wake the restless Violet or Sunny, who was still hidden in the pile of curtains. Then he went to the kitchen and sat and waited for Count Olaf.

He didn't have to wait long before he heard Olaf tromping down the tower stairs. When Count Olaf walked into the kitchen, he saw Klaus sitting at the table and smirked.

"Hello, orphan," he said. "You're up early."

Klaus's heart was beating fast, but he felt calm on the outside, as if he had on a layer of invisible armor. "I've been up all night," he said, "reading this book." He put the book out on the table so Olaf could see it. "It's called Nuptial Law," Klaus said, "and I learned many interesting things while reading it."

"Where did you get that book?" Count Olaf growled.

"From Justice Strauss's library," Klaus said. "But that's not important. What's important is that I have found out your plan."

Klaus turned to a different section of Nuptial Law, " 'A legal husband,' " he read out loud, " 'has the right to control any money in the possession of his legal wife.' " Klaus gazed at Count Olaf in triumph. "You're going to marry my sister to gain control of the Baudelaire fortune! Or at least, that's what you planned to do. But when I show this information to Mr. Poe, your play will not be performed, and you will go to jail!"

"I guess you've found me out," Olaf said simply. "I suppose you're right: I'll go to prison, and you and the other orphans will go free. Now, why don't you run up to your room and wake your sisters? I'm sure they'll want to know all about your grand victory over my evil ways."

To say that Klaus was terribly confused, was an understatement.

"Well, I will go tell my sisters," he said, and walked back into his bedroom. Eliza was leaning against the back wall with her cloak discarded on the ground, and her eyes straining onto Klaus. Violet was still dozing on the bed and Sunny was still hidden beneath the curtains. Klaus woke Violet before his little sister.

"You've found out Count Olaf's plan haven't you?" Eliza spoke calmly, beginning to walk towards Klaus. "So, you must know that he intends to literally marry Violet to gain the Baudelaire fortune?" She said nonchalantly.

Klaus was taken aback that she knew everything without him even telling her. "I was listening at the door." Eliza answered Klaus' surprised expression, her eyes dancing with playfulness.

"But surely I'm not old enough to get married," Violet said, interrupting the two. "I'm only fourteen."

"Girls under the age of eighteen," Klaus said, flipping to another part of the book, "can marry if they have the permission of their legal guardian. That's Count Olaf."

"Oh no!" Violet cried. "What can we do?"

"We can show this to Mr. Poe," Klaus said, pointing to the book, "and he will finally believe us that Count Olaf is up to no good. Quick, get dressed while I wake up Sunny, and we can be at the bank by the time it opens."

"I'll stay on lookout." Eliza piped up, making her way to the door.

Violet, who usually moved slowly in the mornings, nodded and immediately got out of bed and went to the cardboard box to find some proper clothing. Klaus walked over to the lump of curtains to wake up his younger sister.

"Sunny," he called out kindly, putting his hand on where he thought his sister's head was. "Sunny."

There was no answer. Klaus called out "Sunny" again, and pulled away the top fold of the curtains to wake up the youngest Baudelaire child. "Sunny," he said, but then he stopped. For underneath the curtain was nothing but another curtain. He moved aside all the layers, but his little sister was nowhere to be found. "Sunny!" he yelled, looking around the room. Violet dropped the dress she was holding and began to help him search. Eliza looked on sullenly. They looked in every corner, under the bed, and even inside the cardboard box. But Sunny was gone.

"Where can she be?" Violet asked worriedly. "She's not the type to run off."

"Baudelaires!" Eliza hissed quietly, pointing behind her.

"Where can she be indeed?" said a voice behind them, and the two children turned around. Count Olaf was standing in the doorway, watching Violet and Klaus as they searched the room. His eyes were shining brighter than they ever had, and he was still smiling like he'd just uttered a joke.

He lowered his head slightly to see Eliza and she could see the slightest hint of realisation pass through his eyes, before masking it with a sick grin.

Eliza's eyes rolled slightly to see such a man act so villainous. She looked back up at him with a sweet smile.

"Hello, you must be Mr Count Olaf! I am Eliza, Justice Struess' niece and I'm currently living in her home! You see, your children kindly asked me to come over and play!" She held out her hand to shake. He narrowed his eyes, and let Eliza's hand drop down.

"There is no Mr, my title is Count." He grumbled.

"Oh yes, terribly sorry!" Eliza gushed, her overly sticky, sweet smile haunting Count Olaf's thoughts.

AN- I feel so evil ending on a cliffhanger!
But thank you all for 700 reads, it has made my entire day!!
Xoxo
Cerise