The morning of the thirteenth came calmly. The sky was beautiful; the clouds were cotton white and just enough to decorate the blue canvas. The lake was sparkling under the sunlight, clear and reflecting the expanse of blue and white above.
The trees, under the excellent grooming of Senan the hidden gardener, were lush green and picturesque, hugging the lake and the estate like a neat blanket. All kinds of flowers bloomed around the white house with a blue roof, filling the neatly arranged beds and flanking the walkway leading to the backyard.
The backyard itself was a spread of green grass--at least usually. This time, long tables covered in white clothes were arranged in the section closer to the house, while flower-adorned white chairs were arranged around round tables in the section closer to the lake.
