Chapter 78. A Risk Worth Taking
It was a quiet Saturday morning. The air felt fresh and peaceful as sunlight gently filtered through the curtains in Maria’s room.
She stirred and opened her eyes to check the time, it was just 6:30 a.m. Without wasting a moment, she pushed her covers aside and moved straight into the bathroom to take a quick bath.
She had to prepare for her trip to Paisley with Laura. It was a journey they’d both been anticipating, especially since they were finally going to meet the mysterious Mr. Frederick.
After bathing, Maria stepped out of the bathroom and returned to her room. Unsurprisingly, she found a message from Laura waiting on her phone.
The text was short and urgent: "I’m already at the train station. Please come quickly!"
Maria sighed, realizing she was running late. She dressed as quickly as possible, her mind buzzing, not just with excitement about the trip but with worry.
"What excuse am I going to give Bernard and his family?" she muttered to herself as she fastened the last button on her shirt.
The thought of lying to Beta Gilbert, in particular, made her stomach twist with unease. He had always been very observant, and any poorly thought-out excuse could raise suspicion.
As she made her way to the living room, she found Beta Gilbert already seated on one of the couches, deeply focused on the documents in his hands. The sharp rustle of paper was the only sound in the room.