The Cursed Blessing
Chapter 1
"And this, my dear niece and friend, is the most beautiful portrait of me in this entire mansion! This tapestry represented out ancestors....." Lord James droned on.
Dina, his daughter, rolled her eyes at her cousin who was visiting her for the first time since they were born. They didn't see each other much, but they chatted online. Finally, they had been able to see each other. Not to mention that she had brought along her friend Chris, along too. Sirena thought back to when she had first gotten the invite to stay in Dina's mansion for a month.
She had felt excited, but then she felt weird too. She had never met her before, so it would be strange to see Dina after all this time. Dina had mentioned in her latest email to bring along a friend too. Sirena decided to bring Chris along. Since their other friends were not around, Chris had agreed.
The next day, they took a train to the next city, and was picked up by her uncle's private chauffeur. Chris was just gaping at everything in the mansion, while Dina hugged and chattered with Sirena.
Their maid, Madame Rosie, looked on with a sour face, despite her name. Not that Sirena minded though. She had known that some people would hate her. Her father was not on good terms with her uncle when he still lived , thus the separation. Her aunt had been away, so Selina did not see Lady Ella until lunchtime.
Lord James had insisted on giving them a private tour of the humongous mansion, pointing out different paintings and their meanings. They had agreed, so here they were.
Sirena gave Dina a look of pity and glanced sideways at Chris. He stifled a yawn, and Sirena nudged him. He looked at her and mouthed "BORING!".
Sirena nodded and pointed at the clock. " 5 more minutes until lunch" she mouthed back.
Chris nodded unhappily.
Sirena understood. 'Who would want to look at portraits of Lord James for 2 whole hours anyways?' she wondered.
DING! The grandfather clock in the hallway struck 1:00 p.m. Chris heaved a big sigh, and they made their way to lunch. A great feast was laid out on the table." Wow!" exclaimed Chris.
Sirena was amazed too. She had to remind herself to close her mouth from gaping. Back home, they hardly had such luxurious food at all. Forget a feast, this was an all-you-can-eat buffet!
A big roasted chicken was in the center, surrounded by various dishes of vegetable, potatoes and fruit salads. Beside each glistening white plate, a tall crystal glass looked impatient to be filled. Nearby, two large pitchers of cool barley and refreshing lemonade stood, waiting to be served.
Plush red cushions were situated on every chair, making it look cozy. The air conditioner cooled the atmosphere, and everyone was grateful for the coldness, for it was blazing outside.
Lord James invited them to sit down, and Sirena thanked him for the magnificent feast but he brushed it off saying that they were the guests of honor.
So, Sirena and Chris dined with Dina, Lady Ella, who had just returned. Lord James was seated at the head of the long dining table. They said their prayers, and started eating. The servants and maids of the household dined with them too.
Lady Ella, who had a small appetite, finished her share and daintily wiped her mouth with a clean napkin. Then, she turned eagerly to Sirena, who had also finished eating, and questioned her about her family and friends. Sirena answered all her questions. When Lord James started talking with Chris, and the servants and maids were chattering amongst themselves, it begun to get a little noisy. Lady Ella and Sirena retreated to the living room and sat on beanbags and talked and laughed.
After an hour, Sirena excused herself to find Chris. The servants told her that he was in his room. Following the directions she received, Sirena went along the hallway to his room. She glanced outside the big window and saw something glowing. She blinked, and it was gone. Had she imagined it? Probably. She looked in front and saw a sign that read,
Thuratharrsinee
ReplyDeleteThat story was great