Inside, servants moved up and down with hurried steps. Samantha Marudas stood at the center giving out orders to the maids, sometimes clapping to make them go faster.
Seated on a sofa in the middle of the living room was a young blonde woman who looked the same age as Annabelle. Beside her were two other women Annabelle was quite familiar with. Samantha's friends.
They flanked her like she was the center of the world, laughing and giggling bashfully. Gently squeezing the young woman's hands on either side with eyes of pity and relief.
"Oh stop it Aunt Martha, you are too kind," the young woman said, waving her hand with a blush on her cheek and a hand on the diamond necklace around her neck. "I can't possibly accept this. I am not used to such extravagance."
'Aunt Martha?' Annabelle thought but was not given the time to dwell on it as Martha spoke soon after.
"You deserve all of it dear. You have suffered too much to get anything less than this," Aunt Martha said and the young woman smiled widely, with an innocent expression. "You will get used to this soon. Then you'll know there's nothing extravagant with a simple gift like this."
"You and Mickie would make a lovely pair. Don't you think so, Sam?" the second lady, Kathrine said, already making plans for a marriage alliance.
"Mickie?" Annabelle uttered inaudibly. Her scowl deepened.
"What are you talking about, Kath? Julian is to marry the daughter of the Marudas. Her marriage has already been decided," Martha stated, the look of disapproval written all over her face. "Isn't that right, Sam?"
Samantha Marudas paused. Then turned to look at them and smiled.
"Of course he is. The Marudas and the Tates have agreed on this engagement for a long time. We can't break it now. Since Lillian is the true daughter of house Marudas, it is only right that the engagement goes to her."
Was that really her mother speaking? Annabelle couldn't help but question her hearing. How could she say something like that as she never existed. Julian was her friend since childhood and now, her fiancé. Julian loved her, why would he agree to marry this supposed daughter of the Marudas who came out of nowhere?
"But what about Anna…? I mean she has worked really…" Kathrine being the voice of reason uttered but Martha interrupted her.
"Mickie can marry her. It doesn't matter right? She has borne the Marudas' name since infancy. She is technically still a Marudas. All she lacks is legitimacy."
"Mum, is that true? Will I really marry Julian Tate?" Lillian asked and this time, Annabelle stepped through the door to take a closer look at her.
She didn't want to believe it but her resemblance to Isaac was uncanny despite being female. If Isaac Marydas was a woman, he would definitely look like this….Lillian.
"Of course. Our families agreed that the heir of the Marudas would marry the heir of the Tates. And right now, that is you, my darling," Samantha Marudas said. She sat beside Lillian as Kathrine moved aside to give her some space.
Lilian beamed, almost squealing. Then suddenly. Her expression fell and her voice went lower, almost a whisper.
"But… What about Anna? I am sure she won't like this arrangement. She has been Julian's fiance for so long. She will resent me,"
Hearing her and seeing the saddened look in her eyes, both Samantha and Martha squeezed her arms in reassurance.
"You don't have to worry about Annabelle, my dear. She is a sensible girl. I'm sure she will understand," Martha said with a smile.
When Annabelle heard her, she scoffed. Her hand balled into fists. They clenched so hard her knuckles turned white and her nails tore through the skin of her palm but she paid no mind to the pain searing through her arm.
"I can't wait to finally meet her, Mum. She sounds like a very kind person."
Annabelle, still standing by the door, saw all of this. Her eyes moved from the four women to the servants. There was an uneasy feeling inside her watching them.move familiar items about.
What on earth is going on here? Was what Annabelle wanted to ask but her lips just wouldn't move.
Then something the maids were carrying caught eyes and she lounged forward, toward the maid.
"What do you think you are doing? That's mine," Annable asked. A deep scowl forming on her face.
"Miss…" the maid looked startled and nearly dropped the suitcase.
At the sound of their voices, everyone stopped and looked in their direction. But Annabelle was not in the mood to pay attention to the stares. Not after what she had been through in just a matter of minutes.
"I asked you a question, where are you going with my suitcase?" Annabelle asked, her grip on the maid's hand subconsciously tightening and she winked.. Annabelle released her grip at once and stepped back but did not relent. "Answer me," her voice rising a little.
Before the maid could answer, Samantha's voice reached her.
"Anna,"
Annabelle paused, her narrowed slightly. Closing them, she tried to calm herself but she couldn't. How could she? Not with everything that has happened.
"When did you get back? I was going to tell you about this…" Samantha continued but Annabelle cut her midsentence.
"Why is my suitcase case being moved without my permission, Mum?" She turned to face Samantha. "Why are you all doing this to me?"
"Calm down Anna. There's a perfectly good explanation for this," Samantha said, drawing closer to Annable who scrolled her arms and nodded at her to continue. "I asked them to move your things from your old room."
"My old room?" Annabelled reiterated, eyes squinting. "Since when did I have an old room?"
Samantha swallowed a lump in her throat as her brain worked fast to think of what to say that wouldn't make it sound reasonable enough to Annabelle. "You see, Lillian liked the room and wanted it so…"
Her voice trailed off as only now realizing what was wrong with the whole thing.
She was unable to finish the sentence but she didn't need to. Annabelle already knew the rest. Her things being moved to a lower floor was answered on its own.
"So you gave my room to another without my knowledge," Samantha gave a half nod. "When exactly were you all planning to tell me about all…." she wasn't able to finish when someone called from behind,
"Annabelle."