Esther snapped out of her reverie when the girl, Phoebe, hissed in pain; her glare switched to a pained look. She raised big, teary eyes to look up at Mr. Narok. Esther looked between them in understanding.
Mr. Narok's expression turned savage for a second. He glowered down at Phoebe. The girl gasped like a frightened rabbit and stood up. Her messy look made her ooze seduction, but before Esther could analyze any further, the door shut with a bang.
The hall was once again quiet. The silence was palpable, and Esther shuffled from one foot to another while trying to ignore the furious girl behind her.
"Why are you here?" Phoebe hissed.
Esther turned to face her, embarrassment coloring her cheeks. "I... nothing."
Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Don't even think about it."
Esther blinked in confusion. "Think... about what?"
Phoebe grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hall towards her room. When they reached her door, Phoebe flung her hand away.
"Many sneaky little things like you have come in here hoping to weasel into the Narok family. Well, keep dreaming because I will not let you."
She raised a rose-manicured hand and patted Esther's cheek. "Be a good painter girl or I'll make your stay here miserable."
Esther had stood outside her door in incredulous confusion for a few minutes after Phoebe left. Then she entered her room in a daze and lay down, it took a while for her to fall asleep.
Esther sighed and replied to Dahra's enthusiastic text with a bored emoji before getting out of bed. She washed up and dressed before heading to the dining room. After the events of last night, she wasn't excited to see Mr. Narok, but she couldn't excuse herself either. That would basically mean admitting her guilt.
So she wore a simple dress and headed to the dining room. When she got there, the maids were already laying out breakfast and someone was already seated at the table. Despite her bravado, Esther heaved a sigh of relief when she saw the small figure dressed in a pink onesie. She even managed a gleeful smile.
The little figure turned when Esther pulled out her seat. Esther took in the cute features and vaguely wondered why the child looked familiar. And also why the child was staring at her.
Esther coughed in embarrassment and picked up a juicy-looking pancake. A maid leaned over and filled her cup with creamy coffee. And still, the girl was staring, her expression getting more upset by the second. Esther vaguely wondered if she had done something wrong even as she bit into the pancake. There was no time to be embarrassed when the crispy, warm, and sweet flavor filled her mouth. She took a sip of the coffee and felt a shudder. How could breakfast taste so euphoric?
When she looked at the girl, she met an all too familiar glowering look. And her ecstasy vanished.
"H-hi?" Esther said tentatively. The little girl's glare disappeared, and she smiled.
"Ah ah," she said.
Esther gasped as she remembered where she knew the girl from.
"Little girl," Esther called out with a big grin; the first time they met, the girl had been dressed so differently, making it difficult to recognize her.
The little girl grinned and picked up a pink notepad that rested on the table. She scribbled for a few seconds and raised it up.
The notepad read in big block letters: "MY NAME IS BLOOM."
"Bloom, what a fitting name for a cute little girl," Esther looked around the house and came to another realization. "You live here?"
Bloom nodded.
Then... Mr. Narok was her father. She tried to recall the tall, sleazy-looking man that had taken Bloom away that day in front of the restaurant and compared him to the man she met yesterday. The difference was uncanny. Did the father and daughter enjoy living double lives?
"Where's your mom?" Esther asked politely. She regretted it immediately when she saw the little girl's expression fall. Bloom scribbled on her book again and held it up.
"SHE DIED."
Esther gasped. "I'm so..."
"Miss Powés," a voice called out.
Esther stood up with a spin to face the speaker. She had thought it was Mr. Narok, but she came face to face with a thin, severe-looking woman. She had grey hair, which was held in a tight ponytail, and thin-framed glasses perched on her nose. Coupled with her plain brown dress, she reminded Esther of the governesses she used to read about when she was younger.
"Are you done with breakfast?" The woman asked.
Esther started to shake her head when the woman turned and started walking. "If so, then follow me."
Esther barely had time to react before the woman turned a corner. She hurried after her. The woman introduced herself as Ms. Reid. She was the nanny of the house.
Apparently, she had watched Mr. Narok as well as Bloom grow up. She was in charge of the affairs of the house. Although she looked mean—and didn't let Esther finish her breakfast—she actually spoke kindly and was patient in answering Esther's somewhat dumb questions.
At the end of the short house tour, she brought Esther to a room. Taking a key from the pocket of her gown, Ms. Reid opened the door. Esther gasped in amazement. It was beautiful.
"This is?" Esther asked. Before Ms. Reid could answer, Esther caught sight of the large canvas and colorful cans of paint lined against the wall.
"The room was renovated as a studio, to serve you for the duration of your service here."
Esther sighed in her heart. Being rich had its perks.
Ms. Reid watched Esther touch this and that in childish excitement; her face softened.
"I'll leave you to it."
"Excuse me?" Esther dropped the paintbrush and walked up to Ms. Reid.
"Do I start painting today?"
Ms. Reid shook her head. "Mr. Narok is away for urgent business. You will be informed when it is time."
Ms. Reid paused and added, "Till then, I hope you can accompany our young miss. It's been a while since she's had company."