the next morning dawned with a beautiful sun rising from the east, behind the mountains casting a golden and pinkish glow on clouds and the skyline, A low mist hung in the forest and the valley, while the air was filled with the scent of wet earth and flowers.
The sound of little birdsong entered Evangeline's bedroom along with soft rays of sunlight through the open window, Evangeline lay on her bed fast asleep. There was a knock on the door and Rosina's voice called from the hallway ", Eve I am coming in."
The door opened and Rosina entered the room. She was dressed in a white silk nightgown with a baby pink robe on top of it, she reached Eve's bed and nudged her slightly "wake up Eve the chef's called us downstairs for breakfast."
Eve turned to her side covering her face with the sheets and said sleepily " just a few minutes more I didn't sleep well last night."
Rosina sit down on the foot of the bed "was it the same nightmare again, you should have woken one of us" she said beginning to become a bit worried about her friend.
"I didn't want to disturb you guys, you were all tired from yesterdays journey, I thought it best to let you all rest" said Eve defensively.
"you should know that what disturbs us most is you waking up every night from those horrible nightmares and crying your eyes out" said Rosina a bit angrily.
" don't be made at me" said Eve now wide awake and sitting up,
"I'm not mad I'm just worried about you" said Rosina calming herself.
"I know I'm sorry" said Eve apologetically
"don't apologize just wake up one of us next time you have a nightmare" said Rosina holding Eve hand and squeezing it gently.
"I will" Eve replied " but I doubt there is much you can do to make me have a peaceful sleep" at hearing this Rosina smiled slightly and said teasingly "well we can tell you bed times stories or Jasmine can always sing you a lullaby"
"don't mock me" said Eve smiling herself now.
" I'm not mocking it seems like a good idea and if it doesn't work we can always tuck you in bed while stroking your head, I know you like that" she said with a slight chuckle.
"so what if I do it's soothing" replied Eve and they both laughed.
"now lets change and go down for breakfast"
Eve got out of the bed to get ready and Rosina returned to her room to get dressed as well, in fifteen minutes they were both walking down the stair, they reached the entrance hall and went to the door leading to the dining room.
Jasmine and Christen were already seated at the table as they entered the room Christian said " good morning sleepy heads" cheerfully.
"what took you guys so long?" asked Jasmine.
"Nothing, Eve wanted to sleep a bit more" answered Rosina taking a seat next to Christine and starting to butter her toast.
"She had a nightmare again" now eating her toast while Eve took her seat and gave Rosina a warning glare.
"again why didn't you woke one of us " asked Jasmin concerned for her friend.
"I asked her the same thing" said Rosina.
"and like I replied before I didn't want to disturb you all" said Eve.
"Eve don't be silly, it disturbs us more that you wake from having nightmares and cry your eyes out" said Christine.
"I said the same thing" chimed in Rosina "but are you not taking your medicines, I though they were helping you sleep but if you still can't sleep I can call Doctor Hawken and ask him to change your meds" suggested Jasmine
"There's no need to call doctor Hawken the meds are working fine my sleep is way better than before it's just that it was nostalgic to come back here and I was thinking about my parents a lot yesterday, that's probably why I had the nightmare its nothing to worry about" explained Eve.
"well if you say so" replied Christine and they started there breakfast while discussing what they should do today. Doctor Hawken was both Jasmine's and Evangeline's therapist, it was Jasmine who had referred him to Eve after her parents died and she had taken sessions with him for the past five months which had helped her recover quite a lot.
Jasmine on the other hand knew Doctor Hawkins for many years as she had become an orphan at a very young age and had been to many foster homes meaning she had been abused and tormented by many couples who only adopted a child to look good in society and when they can not deal with the kids anymore they dump them back at the orphanage.
Jasmine had always been a kind and thoughtful girl but it was never enough, at last after Jasmine had turned sixteen some long lost relative had taken her custody and sent her to a boarding school and later helped her get into college where she had become friends with Evangeline and the rest.
The funny thing about all this was that Jasmine never mentioned who this mysterious long lost relative was nor he\she ever come to visit her all her friends knew about this stranger was that at the end of every month he would send a check of her alliance and pay all of her college fees and fulfil other requirements of living.
After breakfast, they all asked Mr Krum for a tour of the house they had barely seen the house yesterday as they were all tired. Mr Krum was delighted to show them around. He first asked them to come to the entrance hall from where he began their tour.
"I ask you, ladies, to stick with me unless you want to get lost in this big house" he said happily.
" as you can see there are four doors leading in different directions one to the north and one to your south both leading to two sitting rooms on either side of the entrance hall then on either side of the main staircase in the centre of the hall there are other to door the left one is the dining room where you all had your breakfast and the one to the right leads to the kitchens."
He then lead them south of the house into one of the sitting rooms and said" The sitting room to the south of the house leads to a gallery lined with expensive and dazzling paintings and The gallery led to an orchard that opened to the gardens at the south of the house".
They walked through the halls and sitting rooms staring at the beautiful paintings and asking Mr Krum about the history of the paintings. He then showed them a sitting room to the north of the house which lead to a huge ballroom that was beautifully decorated with lights and chandeliers The girls danced and joked with each other as if they were attending a ball.
They then went to the second floor of the house which had all of their bedrooms and the study which they had seen yesterday after that he lead them to the third floor this which was not as clean as the floors below.