The Great Escape

Chapter- 3

"You were not listening, I guess. Mrs Smith had come. We are to gather in the backyard as of right now. It's urgent."

"Oh," She breathed out, her eyes downcast.

The maids did not try concealing their amusement this time as they laughed loudly, looking at Ada with deriding stares and walked away taking Amy along with them. Ada frowned.

Did I miss something? What was there to be laughing about?

Perplexed as she was, Ada silently followed after them nevertheless, but not before taking a look in the pond water.

A shiver raked down her spine and she quickened her steps.

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Mrs. Smith was already present as Ada reached the gate which led into the backyard of the mansion. Slowly, tentatively, she made her way into the backyard beautified by several flowers and statues.

Avoiding any eye contact, she stood there ponderously, alone, near a sculpture of a young woman carrying a pot on her head. She hoped no one would bother throwing a glance at her direction. Even so, she noticed everyone taking a quick peep at her direction and then laughing quietly among themselves.

Her eyes searched for Sarah and Misa, but the brunette duo were nowhere. She did found Amy and the other maids, however. They stood near the Head Maid, whose stern blue eyes scanned the crowd. They finally zeroed on Ada's wet figure, narrowing slightly.

Among the cacophony of noisy servants, the slitted eyes remained stuck on her figure, as if asking- 'What happened?'

Ada was the first one to break the eye contact, trembling slightly as a soft breeze passed by. She busied herself with drawing invisible patterns on the statue with her roughened fingers instead.

"Ada, come and stand closer." She suddenly heard the Head Maid speak up, her voice gravelly and authoritative.

She quickly bowed and rushed towards where the other maids and male servants were standing. A hand wrapped around her forearm.

"Come here." Sarah, newly spawned out of thin air of the backyard, dragged her far away to the back where Misa stood alone.

"Mrs Smith told me to stand in the front." Ada looked around.

"Because you made a face," Misa huffed, "And why are you drenched head to toe?"

"I fell into the lake. What face?"

"Face of the widow whose husband died at the sea." Sarah shrugged, then froze. She glanced at Mrs Smith and sighed upon noticing her attention was elsewhere.

"Your shoulders would not be cut off. Don't take Mrs Smith's words to the heart," Ada mumbled to her.

"Should I ask her?" Sarah hummed. She raised her hand. "Mrs—" 

Misa clamped her mouth shut with her palm and pulled her back as Ada shushed her, chanting 'no, no, no' in panic.

"Girls at the back," Mrs Smith shouted from the front, "Something is troubling you?"

"No ma'am," Ada squeaked out, "Sarah saw a bee."

"I— I didn't—"

Misa pinched her back to shut her up. Mrs Smith gave them an annoyed look and let out a huff of frustration.

"I would rather not take much of your time," she said loudly and looked away from the troublesome trio.

"Tomorrow, in the afternoon, Young Master Paris' fiancee will be visiting us—" she continued.

Ada's eyes widened.

Oh.

Paris Monroe, eldest of the three children and sole son of the Monroe family was famous in and around the town of Johannes. A handsome red headed, pure-blooded vampire aristocrat. An eligible bachelor through and through. He had completed his academics from a renowned institution in Wredia, a werewolf territory in the West. He was the one who had brought her here—

"Ada, penny for your thoughts?"

Oh, Goddess, no.

Startled, Ada looked around her, finding everyone watching her.

Mrs Smith had an eyebrow cocked up at her, her lips set in a thin line, grey hair pulled back in a tight bun behind her head.

"I— I am sorry, Mrs Smith," Ada apologized with flushed cheeks.

"Pay attention, young lady." She didn't wait for Ada to respond before she started speaking once more. "So you all, make sure you are undertaking the assigned duties properly."

She assigned the duties! Ada bit her tongue.

"You heard where I am assigned to work?" Sarah asked Misa.

"I would have if it weren't for you munching the cookies right beside my ear. Where did you even got those?" Misa groaned.

"Kitchen, of course," Sarah replied, wiping the crumbs off her face.

No point asking these two.

"Dismissed." Mrs Smith waved her hands in the air, and everyone started leaving.

Ada was about to go after and call out for the elderly woman, who was walking towards the door when the woman herself turned around and called out for her.

Ada rushed towards her.

The Head Maid stared at the drenched girl for few seconds, her eyes still narrowed, greying eyebrows knitted together, slightly wrinkled lips set in a thin line.

"You were not listening," she scolded at last, making Ada lower her head in embarrassment.

"None of us was," Sarah chimed in from behind.

"Do what you are assigned for today." Mrs Smith pinched the bridge of her nose and Ada flinched upon seeing her clenched fists. How come Sarah is still breathing?

"Tomorrow, you will assist me, Ada. Off you go, now," Mrs Smith continued. "Sarah will be on dishwashing duty and Misa will be in the kitchen. Ruth is the kitchen in charge so better not forget to report to her, Misa."

Giving a quick bow, Ada and the two dashed back to their respective duties. Unbeknownst to what the future held in it's womb for them.

A/N: Sarah may or may not be my favorite character to write