Claudia looked to her left. At the end of the long dining table was one setting for her father. She then looked to her right.There were three places. One at the far end which was for her mother, one straight to her mother's left, and one three places over right next to herself. Claudia frowned, she preferred to eat alone and listen to the conversations of others. She looked over her shoulder towards the kitchen door,
"Lydia, there must be some mistake. I think that YOU think that there are two of me."
She heard Lydia laugh, "No Miss.Claudia, your mother has guests and you're supposed to entertain one of them this afternoon."
Claudia's frown turned into a scowl, "I don't entertain, if I entertain it will only be on stage in a great play! One day I will be a famous actress Lydia, you wait and see...."
Lydia looked through the door at Claudia, "Well now I want to see you get upstairs, change your dress, and wash up."
So, unwillfully, she dragged her feet up the stairs and into her room. When she had put on a new petticoat and a new dress, she walked to her wash basin. When she thought she was fit to be seen she headed towards the door and she thought,
"Mother knows I detest entertaining. Who could be so interesting that I would deem them fit to speak to?"
She skipped down the stairs and raced towards the dining hall and sat down as Lydia tinkled the tea bell.
Claudia's father came in and gave Claudia a hug and a kiss,
"So how's my little princess today?"
Claudia went into a long, detailed explaination of the game she had preoccupied herself with all that morning and afternoon. Before she could finish she heard the door open behind her. She turned around and saw her mother walk into the room and behind her were two people Claudia had never seen before. She was extremely was puzzled but when she felt Lydia pinch her ear she curtsyed to the guests.
Claudia stood up straight again rubbing her ear. She looked at the two people walking behind her mother. One was very tall and beautiful. She was about her mother's age, maybe younger and she had beautiful chestnut hair that fell about her shoulders in little ringlets. Claudia admired her like a doll.
The second was nothing like the first in that she was not nearly as pretty and she wasn't even an adult. She was a very skinny girl about Claudia's age and she had straight blonde hair that hung down her back and about her shoulders as feathers on a bird. She had deep blue eyes and the perfect tiny nose. She wore a sky blue dress with a white pinafore and as she walked into the room she curtsyed.
Claudia's mother stepped farther into the room and walked over to Claudia with her familiar light,brisk steps. Clair kissed her atop her head and lifted up her chin towards her, "And what tales of adventure have we had today?"
Claudia smiled and was about to go into another detailed explaination upon the mornings adventures when she spotted the little girl staring at her from across the room,
"Only a continuation of the witch hunt from yesterday, mother."
She heard her father stop inhaling his pipe and felt him looking at her but Claudia's mother only smiled and looked into her eyes,
"Honey, I would like you to meet our guests."
She motioned for the two ladies to step closer and then she stood up straight,
"Claudia, this is Mrs. and Miss.Burnstein. I was hoping that you would entertain Miss.Burnstein for the rest of the afternoon?"
Claudia flinched a little but when she saw the little girl's big blue eyes staring at her with a look of sadness she nodded her head and sat down in her chair.The little girl smiled and Claudia's mother helped her into the seat next to Claudia.Then, Claudia's mother made her way over to her husband and she kissed him, then she walked back over to the other side of the table and herself and Mrs.Burnstein took their seats.