"This is your room, I hope you like it." Hannah stepped inside the pale-lilac suite. In the centre was positioned a large, wrought iron bed, with pure white bedding and sumptuous cushions piled on top. The bed was the biggest she had ever seen. She looked at her fingers to make sure they were clean, then slowly stroked the top sheet. It felt soft and cool. No rough, holed blankets to keep out the icy cold here, she thought. The air was heady with the scent of the freshly cut lavender, presented in crystal vase on the dressing table. Hannah didn't like the smell of Lavender. She never had and neither had mother.
"What do you think?" Diana asked.
"It's very nice," she replied.
"Good, good, I'm glad. I'll leave you to settle in for a bit then. Come and find me downstairs when you are ready."
"Okay."
Diana stood looking at Hannah for a moment longer. The silence was deafening, their unspoken words seemed so loud in the absence of noise. Diana turned on her pointed, heeled shoes and closed the door behind her. Hannah slowly sat down on the bed and removed her boots. She then lifted her legs and lay down. The pillows and cushions seemed to swallow her up. Slowly she exhaled and looked up at the ceiling above- ice-white and recently painted, without the familiar water stains and crumbling plaster she was so used to seeing.
She turned her head to the left and saw two doors in addition to the one Diana had just left through and wondered where they went to. Forcing herself to stand, she walked over to the first door and turned the handle. It opened onto a bathroom, larger than her parent's bedroom. Inside saw a free-standing, roll-top bath, next to a large shower cubicle that had four shower heads positioned at assorted angles. The clinically white tiled room, was accessorised with hot-pink fluffy towels, bath mat and matching robe was hung on a hook. A mirrored cabinet occupied a corner of the room. Inside she discovered a vast array of make-up, creams, cleansers and vitamin supplements. Hannah looked at the make-up. Having only ever her used her mother's lipstick once or twice. She didn't have a clue what any of the items were for. Shane used to joke and tell her that you couldn't improve on perfection and that she didn't need make-up as she was a 'natural beauty'.
Shane. His name and the memory of his face haunted her and yet it hadn't been even twenty-four hours since she had last seen him, had last kissed him. The same boy, who would, in a couple of days, be buried alone, at an undisclosed location which was the norm for Flawed burials. Her legs crumpled beneath her and she fell to the marble floor and fell apart.
Several hours later, Hannah woke up shivering, with a crick in her neck. Next door was the most comfortable bed she had ever seen and yet she'd fallen asleep in the most uncomfortable place in the house. She picked herself up gingerly and walked over to the sink and set about washing her face and hands. Yet she still felt grimy. Hannah longed for a hot shower to warm herself up, but what would she wear. Straight after the meeting with General Briggs, she had been ushered into a car and spirited back to this house with her 'parents". Briggs had assured them all that they could still have visits with their adopted families, which came as both a surprise and a relief, but they were told, that for the time being, they needed to bond with their new families first. He had also said that their new families would provide for all their needs. She would have to ask Diana for a few clothing items to tide her over.
Back in the bedroom, she opened the third door in the room and gasped. Not only did she have a huge bed and a ridiculously large bathroom, she also had a walk-in wardrobe twice the size of the bathroom back home. But it wasn't the size of the room that made her gasp, it was the fact it was filled with new clothes and not just any clothes. Jeans and t-shirts, her normal choice of attire, were stacked on a large rack of shelves, sorted out by colour. Next to them, and running around the room, were rails holding an assortment evening gowns, sharp tailored suits, beach wear, day wear..., the list went on. Beneath them, were the shoes- dozens of pairs of shoes in every style imaginable each stored in clear plastic cases with lids. They looked like valuable museum artefacts. Surely these weren't all for her? She knew most girls in her situation would be giddy with excitement right about now, but Hannah just felt nauseous. This was a display of pure unbridled, brazen wealth and it disgusted her. She doubted now whether a shower would make her feel any cleaner.
Hannah chose a plainest pair of black jeans and the plainest grey sweater. They were the closest she could find to the modest clothes in her wardrobe back home. As she tied up her damp hair into a pony tail, her stomach groaned reminding her that it had been hours since she had last eaten. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she had. Having hidden away for the last few hours, she realised it was time to go downstairs. Just as she was about to leave the room, she remembered the pictures and the note from her mother, which she still couldn't bring herself to read, in her old jeans pocket. She had to hide them. Hannah searched the room looking for a perfect place and decided that the safest place was probably inside a pair of shoes tucked at the back of the closet. Once she was certain they couldn't be seen, she left the room and descended the curved staircase.
"Ah, there you are, I was about to come up and call you for dinner." Diana stood at the bottom of the stairs, still immaculately dressed. When her mother cooked she always wore and old striped apron. Flour always seemed to end up smudged on her face whether she was using it or not. Her mother was always baking, when supplies allowed and she had loved to help her as a small child.
"Maria has made us a lovely spring chicken casserole with fondant potatoes and steamed green beans. Come, she doesn't like it when we let her food get cold."
Hannah followed Diana. The most delicious aroma was wafting down from the kitchen and her stomach groaned appreciatively. She entered into the dining room and was met by three pairs of eyes, studying her.
John, stood up and pulled out the chair next to him. She walked around the oval table and took the seat. To her left sat Diana, on her right sat John, and Edward seated opposite.
"So, Hannah, how are you settling in?" Edward asked, as he unfolded a piece of fabric and placed it on his lap.
Hannah looked down at the table and spied a similar piece of fabric. It was folded into the shape of something, a bird maybe. She copied what Edward had done and placed it on her lap. She looked up to see him still waiting for an answer.
"Fine, thank you." What else could she say? "You have a very lovely home, Mrs and Mrs Page."
She saw John look over at Diana and they nodded to each other.
"Hannah," John began, "we obviously don't expect you to call us Mum and Dad, yet, but please call us by our first names. This is after all your home and you should feel comfortable here."
Hannah said nothing; it was safer that way, so she gave him a curt smile in acknowledgement. Fortunately, she didn't need to say anymore because at that same time a small woman in a black and white maids uniform walked into the room, carrying a large white dish.
"Hannah, this is Maria our housekeeper and the creator of this delicious meal we are about to eat. If you need anything for your room, or you just fancy a snack, then just ask her."
The woman placed the white dish on the table, turned and said hello to Hannah before returning to the kitchen to fetch more food. She served Hannah, John and Edward from the dishes, but fetched Diana plain green salad. Hannah picked up her fork and pierced the smallest piece of chicken on her plate and then raised it to her mouth and took a bite. Diana watched Hannah intently waiting for a reaction. The chicken was tasty, probably the most succulent piece of meat she had ever eaten, but her appetite had left her. For the next twenty minutes she moved her food around the plate. When Maria came to retrieve their plates, Hannah tried to help only for her hand to be swatted away.
"I have read your Induction file today and I agree with General Briggs that it is best that you return to High School immediately. Obviously, you won't be able to catch up on three years of education, but I am sure anything extra will be a help to you."
High School! For three years Hannah had worked and earned her own money. Sometimes the work was okay, sometimes it was terrible, but thought of returning to school was awful. At home she was treated as an adult, here they wanted to make her a child again.
"I would rather get a job, if that's okay?"
John and Edward burst out laughing. Diana winced. "Work! At your age! Goodness Hannah, that is not how things are done here. No, school is the best place for you. I am sure they will bring in some extra support to help you. Edward will escort you there on Monday and show you the ropes, won't you son?"
Edward, who hadn't uttered a word throughout the meal looked up and smiled at his father. "Yes, Father. It would be a pleasure, everyone is dying to meet you."
Hannah didn't like the sound of that. She had never had many friends her own age preferring to knock about with Shane. Why would they want to meet me?
"We have a meeting with General Briggs tomorrow at ten, to discuss the finer details of your move back here. Then apparently there is to be a press conference."
"What...?" Hannah squeaked, not quite sure if she had heard right.
"A press conference; the papers have got wind of your story. They want to know all about you and the others. You are big news Hannah. This has never happened before."
Hannah pushed away the untouched chocolate cake that Maria had just placed on the table for her. "May I be excused?" she asked. "I'm feeling dreadfully tired and it sounds like I need to be alert tomorrow."
"Of course, Hannah. Get yourself to bed and get a good night sleep."
Hannah stood up, placed the napkin back on the table, tucked in her chair and went to leave the room
"Sleep tight, Hannah" Edward called after. The tone of his voice it sounded odd and a shiver ran down her spine.
"Hannah, wait!" Diana called out.
She had made it to the last step. Please, just leave me alone, she pleaded inside.
Diana climbed up the stairs towards her. She had let her hair down and hung about her shoulders, sleek and glossy. Her perfectly shaped eyes looked sad and her face although still beautiful and line free, looked tired.
"I know this must be terribly hard on you. Ripped away from the parents who have loved and raised you these past seventeen years, you've been brought back here, to be with us. This place which must seem very alien to you. We, must seem very alien to you..." Diana's voice wobbled. "but I need to tell you that giving you up was the hardest, most stupid thing I have ever done. I knew it the minute you were taken away from me. I tried and pleaded at them to give you back to me, but they said that as John had signed the paperwork the decision was irreversible. You have every reason to hate me and I wouldn't blame you for it. But you need to know that I am here now, I am never going to leave you again and I so desperately want to try to make it up to you."
Diana stepped closer to Hannah. "You are my daughter; my flesh and blood, and I love you. I have always loved you." She reached out her slender hand, the precious stones in her ring glinting as the light bounced off its finely cut surface and stroked the side of Hannah's face.
Hannah couldn't breathe. She hadn't expected a speech like that and she hadn't expected to feel at all moved by it. But she was and she hated herself for it.
"Thanks" she gasped and fled to her room.
Sleep was again, evasive. She tossed and turned, cried and sobbed; her mind whirring and grieving. She had just begun to feel sleepy when she heard a light knock at the door. She ignored it, hoping Diana would stay away; she just couldn't deal with another big emotional reveal. A further knock came, then silence, then the door began to open slowly. Hannah slowed her breathing down, to try to pretend to be asleep. Soft footsteps padded across the carpet and she became aware of someone looking down at her. Convinced she was asleep, the person then lightly stroked her hair and Hannah was about to tell Diana to stay the hell away from her when she heard the quiet voice of someone she wasn't expecting and it chilled her to the core.
"Real live flesh and blood, huh? We'll see!" whispered Edward. His footsteps then quietly padded away and the door closed behind him.