It was almost midnight when Astrid walked out of the lab. She had not suffered the effects yet, but she freshened up good and plenty all day. Dark circles began to appear beneath her eyes as if blooming, and she became like a withered vegetable after all juice had been extracted from it. Her lips were no longer pale pink, but dry and chapped like two sheets of paper that had been rubbing against each other for too long. Fortunately for her, every feature on her face possessed absolute perfection both in terms of proportion and structure; otherwise such work schedule would have wrecked havoc on both her appearance and health.
She had been called by Peregrine himself, around midday, to ask her to come back home when she could.
At least, that had been the plan. She was going to come back once this day's finished experiment was over. Well— Better late than never.
"Just ignore it! I will be back first thing tmr morning" she said to herself.
She bumped into a senior student who has the same advisor outside for a walk.
The senior student quickly made a beeline towards Astrid after she saw her and asked, "Hey, Astrid, are you going to do an early pursuit of your Ph.D?"
Astrid nodded in agreement and replied, "Yes. It's already happening."
"Who's in charge of you?" Astrid announced she got early admission into doctoral studies and the upper classmen were pissed. They have all been stellar students, almost the best of their high school lot, within top 10% except maybe one or two. And here was this 23 year old starting her doctorate after going through the 2 years route for her bachelors and master.
"Doctor Owen."
"Dr. Owen, may I?" "Do you mean Professor Lewis Owen?" yelled the senior student.
Astrid gave a nod.
"Wow, that's incredible!" exclaimed the older student. Professor Lewis Owen was someone who many of his contemporaries considered to be a bit of a legend in the area they were studying, not just nationally but internationally too.
It was said that Professor Owen would only take on Ph.D. students that he believed to be exceptionally gifted.
Every biology student wanted to take a course with Professor Owen.
The older student had caught sight of Ginevra by the campus entrance and wished he could have asked her some more questions about Professor Owen.
She said to the older student, "Excuse me," stopping her stride for a moment. I have someone coming to pick me up. I'll go now." She continued her sentence, quickened her pace towards Ginevra who had been waiting by the car, staring blankly at the entrance of the campus and smiled kindly at Astrid as she told her "Astrid, ah!, I didn't know you're so..." To tell you the truth she attended Hawthorne University as a graduate student Your grandfather also told me that you scored 1\1500 on SAT-CAR-gtisfactory score?" mused Astrid.
With a casual glance over her shoulder at the gate, Astrid looked where Ginevra was looking and thought, "Would Ginevra think I'm even more capable if she knew that I had entered the royal Med college with a 1580 on my SAT first take?"
But that wasn't all. On the way, before they reached home again, Ginevra made reference to Rowena. "Astrid you must be having some trouble understanding these things because you're just not used to how high class people are.
I've made sure that an etiquette master, Rowena Hawke I think, will be with us for the whole banquet. One of the best teachers in her field, and it's not without reason.
"Thank you," Astrid whispered with a soft grin.
She kept her countenance as if it were quite an accustomed thing, not ashamed of her own want of breeding, and not excited at the idea of going into the world.
She had always thought that her daughter, who vanished 18 years ago, would live a hard life where she couldn't eat three meals a day, couldn't afford a good education, and didn't have the elegant and refined qualities of an outstanding girl.
She hadn't expected Astrid to perform so well today.
Besides good looks, Astrid possessed brains. Despite growing up without being exposed to good education materials, she had made it to one of the top institutions in the country. If it was possible to be pure and efficient - in language, conduct and even in manners - she was as good as any that were considered high born.
She had stood out head and shoulders above the others with her demeanour alone.
Astrid got back to the Bennett mansion and had a quick shower before calling it a night. She figured that she could probably do with catching up on some sleep . She was right, but not as right as she thought she was.
Astrid slept like a baby and when she woke up, it was almost midday, the sun was high up in sky. She freshened up and went down to the dining room.
"Miss Astrid will you prefer normal food or exotic food?" She hadn't been awake when they had prepared her meal so early in the morning. The Bennetts were a highly reputed family and hence their staff maintained a five star rating of manners. Reality differed for they didn't resemble the ones depicted in books or tv shows, where they were either too polite to the rich or impolite to the poor.
All were just making a living. If Astrid was the real daughter or a fake, nobody minded.
If at all, they'd talk amongst themselves in private.
Are there any sandwiches? Astrid was used to meals being this simple. A busy student with almost no time free, she was also under employment with the multi-national corporation Vanguard Enterprises, working as a consultant for the company's Charm line of products. Thus, eating was more or less supposed to be akin to racing against time.
She had planned on getting some sandwiches and eating them in her room while reading books.
Astrid was about to hear the chef's reply when Iona came through the door and saw her.
She grinned at Astrid.
Iona didn't resemble the rest of the Bennett clan. She took after her actual mother, Cecily, and had that kind of perfect, guileless beauty that made a man think of his first or most treasured love.
Iona, however, disliked her own face.
She might actually have ended up marrying into wealth had she come from a regular, undistinguished family. In this case though, she came not only from the distinguished Bennett family but also from the failed Verity household. And it seems that Mrs Bennett didn't quite manage to instil in Elizabeth the requisite dignity and decorum.
That is to say, she just did not seem to be talkin' and actin' like no real fine laaaadddy of thuh rouuuueeeeehns.
Iona had always cultivated an air of being sensible and knowledgeable rather than trying for a pretty one.
It was not a very prepossessing one, but it would do for a good woman, and a rich man would be glad to have her for his wife.
"Are you still skipping breakfast?" Iona popped her head out holding a tray of mouth-watering pastries. "Try the sweet I made."
She had not expected problems, cold treatment, or insults. And she was not here to make up with Astrid this time.
I need to make up with Astrid soon no matter how she treated me., Iona mumbled to herself. "Isidore Bennett, the first son of Bennett family was coming back."
Iona had been living with the Bennett family for over ten years now. She got along well with Alaric and she was accepted by Casper and Ginevra as a sister, but Isidore had never warmed to her.
Isidore was the Bennett family's firstborn and he possessed talents that bordered on the supernatural. Individually tutored and groomed by Peregrine to be his heir apparent, he was destined to inherit complete control of the estate, managing most of the Bennett family's business enterprises.
More than Casper and Peregrine combined, he held the highest ownership.
Iona wasn't avaricious. Her aspirations for the Bennett family's estate were modest. All she wanted was her fair part. Which is why she was set on getting Ginevra's shares of the Greenwood family.
Besides, I have been stupid and cute for so many years to get Ginevra's attention. Wouldn't I spend it in vain if I did? She murmured herself.
But Ginevra couldn't give the Greenwoods' shares away; she only had the rights to dividends with what belonged to her of the shares of the Greenwoods. In other to give Iona that share of the family, Ginevra needed an agreement from the members of Greenwood.
The Greenwoods would normally not interfere with Ginevra's company. As long as she didn't transfer her shares to the rivals she was welcome to leave. But, if Isidore made things difficult for her, the Greenwoods would most likely back him up.
Iona had to win Isidore over, in a manner of speaking. Short of making him like her, she had to ensure he wouldn't come to dislike her.