Esther woke up late. Without checking the time, she knew it was nearly noon—her head throbbed, and she felt stuffy. Her stomach grumbled, prompting her to sit up.
The room didn't have its own bathroom, so she had to use the one at the end of the corridor. The only problem was that she was afraid of running into anyone, especially Matron Prim. The woman was just unnecessarily mean. Esther missed Ms. Reid.
Remembering Mr. Narok's late-night visit, she grinned. If he was here, then Ms. Reid would certainly be around too. She would stick to her like glue—anything to avoid dealing with Matron Prim.
After making sure no one was outside, she peeped into the dim hallway before stepping out. She was still wearing her normal clothes; maybe later in the day, she could get the uniform tailored to her size. Until then, she would ask Ms. Reid if she actually had to wear it.
Just as she exited the small hallway, a maid walked into her and hissed, "You're still here?"
