Daisy's father said, and she herself agreed, that the Weasleys were one peculiar bunch.
They weren't as affluent, sociable, and affable as her other neighbours. They never came to the local kids' birthdays, they never invited the local kids to their...
FOR A FEW seconds after Mrs. Weasley's abrupt departure, everyone stayed rooted in their respective spots.
Marisol was surprisingly the first to move.
"Jane—" The strikingly beautiful girl wriggled herself out of the boys' grasps and cupped Daisy's cheeks, drinking in the sight of her marred appearance, then pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm sorry! I never knew, all these years!"
Daisy's heart swelled. Marisol's strong, cold, and nonchalant façade broke down in front of her for the first time. She returned the hug and patted the girl's back, "Thank you for your— love and concern. I appreciate it— I really do."
Marisol sniffled, "It must've hurt."
Daisy just smiled, "I'm getting better."
"Wow, the Weasley Mum must've worked her magic so hard."
Daisy's heart nearly leapt out of her chest as she turned to look at Vincent in alarm. The boy's eyes looked serious as he scanned her current condition, then said oh-so-innocently, "When I broke my leg, I had a cast on it for six weeks. Yours is completely healed in less than two! And —I know I shouldn't say this, sorry, but you look so much better, Jane! I mean, wow..."
Dominic and Atlas awkwardly expressed their apologies for their inability to help when she was hurt. Huddled between her four friends, she was subtly ushered further into the house. When they passed by the library, she caught Lucy's eyes and they wordlessly made a promise to meet in private after lunch.
She had forgotten all about her Father until she was finally seated in the dining room. She even tiptoed and craned her neck to look into the long corridor, but he was nowhere in sight (probably too embarrassed to join the feast after hearing the neighboring kids' remarks about his violence).
Now accustomed of being independent, Daisy pushed her own seat back right as Lionel, a manservant, pulled on it. Both of them nearly fell consequently.
He immediately bowed profusely, "I apologize, Young Miss!"
"Nonsense!" Daisy laughed, "It wasn't— your fault, Lionel."
"O— Oh, thank you for your kindness."
No doubt, Ms. Aubert tried her best to make the returning Young Miss lunch memorable, and the band of rich kids were served with a series of fine palates: iced poached oysters; duck, lobster, and artichoke soup with black truffles; smoked sabayon; guinea fowl with two morels variations; beef, onion curd, marrowbone; herbed milk-fed lamb; mille-feuille with Tahitian vanilla, followed by pure triple-chocolate tartlet.
Daisy asked Lionel to pack four servings of everything, if there were any left.
Everyone abandoned their manners and threw questions after questions over lunch.
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