"Janice?" I mumble out, unsure if my eyes have mistaken me from the high perch I stand on.
I don't have a chance to properly confirm as my father finishes his speech and the crowd disperses to dance and make merry. In the fray, one dark-haired girl takes the place of another. A demure debutante stuck to her mother's side raises her head and reveals that she is not Janice. The woman in question has disappeared like a mirage.
But lucky for me, I am not a stupid horror movie protagonist.
If I think I saw Janice, I'm going to assume that my ex-maid is indeed here and act accordingly instead of dismissing it as a hallucination. Out of sheer habit, I begin to call for Emma's name for her to check, but a glance by my side reminds me that the only maid who was allowed to come was my official nursemaid, Marie. I heave out a sigh and throw one last anxious look into the crowd, but there is indeed no Janice to be found anywhere.
