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My first lesson

I jumped out of my room onto the stairs and almost rolled head over heels down. I managed to grab hold of the window opening in the wall in time. So I just stretched out on the sharp steps and whined. My school bag flew further. It contained my new stick, my old grandmother told me to leave at home, notebooks and writing utensils. Plus a schedule sheet.

I rose gently and cautiously walked down to the common room. An alarmed girl was waiting for me near the door from the tower. She knew my name and babbled quickly:

«Suzanne asked me to wait for you. We ran quickly, otherwise we won’t have time! – And the girl immediately jumped out the door.

I thanked Susanna in my mind and hurried after the girl. Her white hair was pulled back into a neat, short ponytail that bounced up and down with every step.

– Wait! I can’t keep up with you! – I croaked, feeling pain in my knee after falling on the stairs. The girl stopped at the end of the corridor and shook her fists.

– My leg hurts. – I complained, fearing that the girl would run forward again and this time leave me.

– Hurry! – Begged the girl. – Cornelie and Bridget are probably already in class! And because of you, I’ll be late!

– Do you know where we have a lesson? – I clarified, remembering the entry in the schedule.

– I know. Come on!

And the girl ran again. I hobbled along as fast as I could. And fortunately, the pain in my knee suddenly disappeared.

In turn, I tried to strike up a conversation, make friends with my guide and somehow distract myself from fear, appear at the door in front of the full class and explain why I came later.

– My name is Rosealynn. But you can also Rose. – Breathing heavily into the back of my guide, I whispered.

– I know, I know! – Suddenly whispered plaintively «my guide» and slowly trudged off, listening to the sounds in the empty corridor. I took a step, realizing that my steps are loudly echoing throughout the school. There was no one in front of the class. And now a solemn, strict silence reigned around.

To my deep relief, the door to the classroom was open. Perhaps we still made it?

There were only three boys and three girls in the room. They sat at their desks and turned when we appeared. I counted, we only have eight students. I breathed a sigh of relief. I have never liked large groups. Sitting down at the desk right behind the black-haired boy, I noticed that my companion sat down in the empty seat on the left. And then I saw «her». Matilda, my co-abuser and friend of Jacqueline! She was sitting in the farthest row from me. I felt a surge of anger again. Matilda glared viciously in my direction. I remembered what Susanna said.

And then I noticed the teacher. In a blue, seemingly airy robe, she seemed to float through the classroom and stopped in the center, next to the piano. A small table with a high, thin leg stood on her other hand. There was nothing on it. And I wondered what awaits us for the lesson? This whole hall breathed with the subtle charms of music, something sublime, but in no way the «Introductory course of the wizard.»

– I’m glad to see you all. – The lady in the blue dress spoke in a clear, not loud voice. I heard a slight accent that lent a melodic tone to her voice. It was pleasant to listen to.

– My name is Frau Mendelssohn, and I will teach you the very first and most important course in your magical development. «Introductory Course» of the first Grant. And so when you know how to contact me, let’s say hello! I say: Hello, young wizards! You answer: Hello, Frau-u, – in the word of Frau and her name, I again heard notes of accent. I liked him. Definitely; – Mendlson!

I coughed softly, preparing to greet my first teacher and…

– Glad to see you, young wizards!

…together with all the students she loudly reported:

– Hello, Frau Mendelssohn!

– Well. Well done! – The teacher praised. I smiled. While the lesson reminded me of a game.

– And now let’s get to know each other a little closer.

At this remark from the teacher, I was frightened. I didn’t want to stand in front of the whole class and tell about myself, as it was in my old school on my first day. But to my relief, it wasn’t necessary. Madame Mendelssohn simply read the list of names from her sheet, and the student got up for a second and immediately sat down.

– Allan White, James Clarence and Edge Lawrence…

I immediately got confused in these names. The last names of the last two guys seemed to me the same and difficult to remember, especially when you hear them one after another. There were not many guys in my class – only three. Girls – five:

– Lily Leng! «That was the name of my savior guide.

– Cornelia Snow, Bridget Oourd, Matilda Reinhart!

Matilda is that nasty and evil person, Jamely’s friend. Ooh!

All the names were new to me, and I immediately forgot most of them. Hard-to-pronounce surnames – that’s for sure. But the name of Matilda is etched into my memory. Reinhart! It even sounds unpleasant!

– Roselyn Burling!

I hurried to get up. And she sat down with joy. From a height above my desk, it was scary and a little uncomfortable when the whole class was looking at you.

Madame Mendelssohn put down the sheet of names on the table.

– I said that this course will be on your first Grant. Grants are academic years at a school. When you successfully pass all the exams, you will be admitted to the lessons of the second Grant, and so on. Look at the emblem embroidered on the left side of your school uniform.

I already had time to make out her. A beautiful capital letter H with curls, placed in a golden circle, from which rays diverged in all directions. And under H was a small star. I touched the star on my chest.

– Northern sun, and the first letter of our institution. Underneath you will find a star. This star is your pass to lessons. One star is the first Grant. In your second year of study, a new star will appear under the emblem. And then you will have two stars and a pass to the lessons of the second Grant. This is clear? Now let’s get your magic wands, or artifacts, if anyone has them.

I took my wand out of my bag and looked at the other guys. They also had sticks similar to mine. The girl sitting next to me looked at my wand with interest. I noted that we have the same. Probably all the student sticks were similar.

Frau Mendelssohn walked between the desks, looking down at our chopsticks, but not touching them.

– Great, great. – She purred. After making a small circle around me, she returned to the piano and folded her palms across her chest.

– Magic wands are your magic artifacts. They enhance the power of the wizard, direct it outward. With them, you will quickly gain confidence and develop a magic vein in yourself! Magic wands are very handy for young learners. They are not as powerful as artifacts. You yourself will understand why the wand is what you need now. Adult magicians have more expensive artifacts. These are already precious heirlooms, passed down from generation to generation. For example, wands, in the cores of which rare minerals are hidden, rings, watches. Any item can be an artifact. But with the magic in it!

From the first desk came a thin, uncertain voice. I didn’t hear what he said, and I got up in my chair to see better.

– I’m sorry, what? Speak louder, young magician!

Frau leaned over to the boy at the first desk.

– Well. Now let’s go again. Just before you ask anything, raise your hand and wait until I turn to you.

The boy’s ears turned red. I didn’t see his face, but, of course, it turned red too.

A thin, trembling hand went up.

– Yes, young wizard? Stand up and introduce yourself, please.

– James Clorence. – His voice sounded much quieter than Frau Mendelssohn.

– Repeat your question!

– I wanted to ask you, Frau Mendelssohn, what kind of magic wand… Is there an artifact?

– Great question. You can sit down! – Frau Mendelssohn was delighted and raised her hand in front of her.

– I have rings!

I noticed the rims of the rings on Frau’s thin graceful fingers. When the teacher turned her palm, the Sun jumped around the walls, ceiling and piano in bright bunnies. There were small stones on the rings, difficult to distinguish until this moment. I squinted at the black and red diamond, green like a cat’s eye, a ball and white, like pearls, a stone on gold rings. So it seemed to me, at least from my last place. And I was sitting on the fourth desk from Madame.

– Great! – I heard a sigh of admiration. James Clorence said that. And I caught myself thinking that I myself am saying something similar, only in a whisper. James sat closest to Frau, and fell more under the spell of magic stones. Frau said nothing to James. She did not remark that he should raise his hand and wait for her attention, but smiled.

Then Frau told us how to handle our chopsticks. I didn’t know, but they needed more attention and even respect. They are like little pets, animals that should be tamed. You can’t throw. Then I remembered Ismeralda and the way she handled her wand. Keep only in a pocket near the heart. Rarely, but possible, to put in a school bag. Wipe clean with a silk cloth. I kept waiting to see if Frau would say that the sticks should be given a name, like these pets, but she said nothing of the kind. The cat has a name. And here is a magical artifact!

And you need to use it differently than I did it at home. You need to take it in the palm of your hand, try to feel the vibration of the stick, hold it evenly with straight fingers and speak the spell not to yourself, but to the stick. Somehow I did not notice anything like this behind my grandmother. Perhaps the grandmother’s ring was more powerful or sensitive, that it worked like that. Or maybe he himself studied his owner so well that he did not need an appeal? I must ask my grandmother sometime. Only when will I see her again?

– Magic is a gift and a responsibility. – Frau Mendelssohn’s words came through my thoughts. – You are just starting to learn and have no idea what hard work awaits you. It takes years to become a powerful magician and perform excellent spells. And in this school you will only lay the beginning of your path. Despite the fact that your magic is quite weak and the enchantment cannot seriously harm, never use magic recklessly. It is forbidden to use magic on other students at school. I know what I am saying. Temptations to resolve disputes or even joke are always present. Not once were students expelled for this, even from the elders Grant. Therefore, please remember this once and for all.

My dreams were crying to punish Zhamely with some kind of fire spell.

– Frau Mendelssohn, show us some powerful magic. – Asked Allan White. It seems this boy was braver than the others. He raised his hand and then stood up and said all this!

– Thinking, it can be arranged. You have just started school and a good incentive will be helpful.

Frau Mendelssohn slightly raised her palm with the rings, and already around the desks the wind blew, hundreds, thousands of small snowflakes swirled. I found myself in the snow in the forest. Huge fir trees surrounded me and the other students. Behind the white shroud of the blizzard, it was not visible what was hidden further. And Frau Mendelssohn stood in the center of this whirlpool of snow and was absolutely calm. Another moment, and the vision, if it was it, and not in reality, was gone. I didn’t have time to be scared, only amazed. I gripped my wand tighter.

– Wow! – I heard Allan’s enthusiastic exclamation. He twisted his head, trying to figure out where the blizzard had gone.

The teacher smiled contentedly as she watched our reaction. Then she said:

– Of course, you will learn in more detail about the weather charms and the charms of movement in space in the lesson from Mr. Thomsen. It is he who teaches «Chary».

And then suddenly Frau Mendelssohn started talking about order at school. And I was afraid that somehow she found out about my confrontation with Jamely and Matilda. After all, it is not possible that the discussion about this would have gone completely by accident?

– The school has rules. All of them are aimed not only at discipline and order. Compliance with some has been credited for your safety. For example, don’t leave your dorm at night. And outside the castle walls it is generally dangerous. And don’t ask me why. And that’s all. In turn, I want to add that Mr. Noel and his dog live and work in the castle. Of course, none of you have seen them yet. And it’s good if you don’t see. Well, Mr. Noel is the guardian of the castle. He protects these walls, the area around them up to the black forest. His work falls on night hours. But for Mr. Noel, it’s even better. I can’t imagine how he would have coped during the day. – And the corners of Frau Mendelssohn’s lips twitched in a slight smile. – And if you think that Mr. Noel can not be afraid, then his dog is definitely worth it. She… How could I put it mildly? She’s a ghost!

At the last word, the whole class froze. The teacher, focusing on the word ghost, swam along the piano and continued:

«Ghosts are not that rare. All the more so here. Frau moved her hand around her, as if pointing to the walls. – You probably remember that on the way to this castle you had to see the glow. You can find out for yourself what it is. It will be helpful to you. Let’s see which path you have already chosen. You will find a book about this in the library. This is your homework. I do not require it, but I advise it. This concludes the lesson. Everybody’s Free.

Chapter 9. Allan

At the end of the lesson, I felt myself yawning. I was attacked by a slight homesickness and weakness. Probably out of habit. When I sat motionless on the chair for almost an hour? Even my legs were numb. Therefore, I gladly accepted the end of the lesson. And she ran out into the corridor one of the first, waited for Lily. She showed up with another girl. Cornelia.

At the sight of Matilda, who went out into the corridor with a boyish gait, I stepped aside. She was saying something to the girl sitting next to her in class, I think Bridget, and she didn’t notice me. Matilda was dissatisfied with something. And Bridget listened with great attention and exclaimed:

– Can not be!

Matilda repeated, and I made out her words:

– Northern Lights. That’s what it is! And so much importance! As if the earth is enveloped in a magical flame!

Carried away by the conversation, they did not pay attention to me, for that I was glad.

The whole class was impressed by the lesson. The boy with white hair, his name was Allan, said:

– I think Frau Mendelssohn did the right thing by showing her magic. Now I will not rest until I start to get something like that!

He walked beside Lily. And waited for her answer.

– Yes. – Lily answered in a weak voice. She, of course, was flattered by Allan’s attention.

– I have never heard such a parting word. I was told that the items for each are selected individually. And we must try, otherwise, instead of powerful enchantments, you will have to study something not so important.

Lily walked past me. I followed her and called out:

– Lily, what’s our next lesson?

I was clutching the schedule sheet and already read the names of the subject, but the classroom number opposite the lesson on «Water Enchantment» was not indicated.

– Lesson? Ah, lesson. Let me have a look. Hmm, now there will be «Water enchantment», and where it is not written.

Allan looked at me, came closer and said:

– Me too. We need to get together in the big hall. I think about big hours.

Allan turned his paper.

– There is a note in my schedule: to gather in the main hall. And you have?

Allan looked over Lily’s shoulder. She flinched as his cheek touched her hair and smiled.

– Right. Lily chuckled and handed the sheet back to me. – There it is written at the very bottom.

«I thought this meeting would be after class. – I explained, feeling uncomfortable, felt that I made myself stupid.

– Come on, let’s see. Edge, Edge? – Allan called. – This is the Edge Lawrence.

Introduced a student from our class Allan. Edge looked out from behind Allan and said:

– Hello.

– And this is Lily and Cornelia. – continued Allan. Then he turned to me and fell silent.

– Roselyn. – Prompted Lily.

– Roselyn. – Allan repeated.

The edge nodded to me. I just said hello. And we with such a company went to the ceremonial hall.

– You see, – Now Allan turned to everyone, including me: – We have the same lessons! There is no individual approach yet.

– Exactly noticed. – Lily agreed, she caught every word of Allan.

– But I’m only glad of that.

On the stairs, Lily and Allan pulled ahead, and I nearly pushed on the narrow steps with James Clurence. He obligingly made way for me. I never saw him after I left the class. But the Edge breathed into my neck and did not lag a step. I was glad to get out of the narrow flight of stairs.

There was no one in the front hall. Allan’s voice grew louder, and the echoes of the huge stone hall only added solemnity to his speech. He talked about his family of wizards of the White family. I’ve never heard of such.

I recognized the front doors of the castle. I only walked through them an hour ago, but they seemed to me to have aged, as if a hundred years had passed.

In the grand hall, we chose a place right under the clock. Now was a good time to check the time. My watch showed the time almost an hour ago. I set the time, glad that I had shown prudence and had not forgotten about it. Not far from us, Matilda was waving her magic wand. She tried to cast some kind of charm, but they did not work. Matilda was impatiently shaking her «artifact», and Bridget seemed to have lost all interest and looked sideways at us.

– This stupid school stick is to blame for everything! Matilda hissed. – I always did it! There are only problems with this piece of wood!

– Maybe you mixed something up? – Bridget told her.

– What is Bridget doing there? Lily looked at them. «I don’t know this new one.

– Matilda. – I suggested dryly.

I noticed that James stands apart from everyone. The overhead clock chimed and began to strike. The ringing sound of a small bell shook the air menacingly. The whole mechanism of the clock seemed to tremble along with this ringing. All silently looked at the dial.

And when the echo of the last blow rang in the air, several unfamiliar students appeared in the hall. Three girls and one boy. They were older and from the second Grant, as I noticed from the stars under the emblem on the chest. They slowed down and now looked at us appraisingly. It seems that something confused them. When the ringing died down, a quick knock of heels was heard from the side of the main staircase. The Water Charm teacher was heading towards us.

Chapter 10. In Depth

– Good afternoon, class. I’m Mrs. Wannelsker! – The teacher said in an imperious voice. There was something about her that I didn’t like right away. As I thought about what worries me about this sorceress, a chaotic chorus of greetings from my classmates was heard around me:

– Good afternoon, Mrs. Wannelsker!

I was confused and only had time to open my mouth, scolding myself for my forgetfulness. The guys from the second Grant saved the situation. Their voices sounded louder and more harmonious than anyone else. Our greeting, that is, Allan, Lily, Cornelia, did not resemble much the way we greeted Frau Mendelssohn. Just unsure babble! But Mrs. Wannelsker wanted nothing more of us.

– Please follow me! Mrs. Wannelsker said.

The teacher quickly walked away, and we all rushed after her.

Allan walked in front of me. Lily kept up with him. And I decided to stay close to them. Mrs. Wannelsker stepped around the front staircase, turned into an inconspicuous door.

Under the stairs, we woke up through a small door and stopped. Mrs. Wannelsker lit a flame in the air with a graceful wave of her hand. Bright flash. I covered my eyes with my hand, when the light became soft and even, to my surprise I did not see either a candle or a torch. Mrs. Wannelsker held a ball and chain in the palm of her hand. And I realized: «This is her artifact!» Although, having seen such a thing during the day, I would definitely have decided that it was a keychain or jewelry.

We crowded into a cramped, low-ceilinged room. And then the back door gaped. Our teacher stepped into the darkness, and immediately fell halfway down, went under the floor. One of the girls gasped. I leaned forward to see a new miracle, and saw a winding spiral of high, steep steps, and on them a teacher illuminated by a magic light.

She, like a firefly, fluttered on the stairs, going down below. The sound of her heels rang out over and over in the echoing room.

Lily took a shaky breath. Allan and one of the boys immediately rushed forward. I decided to keep up. Stumbling, leaning on the icy rough stone walls, I walked up the steps in almost darkness. The other guys were blocking my light. Their shadows slid across the floor. Everyone hurried after the teacher, afraid to fall behind her and find themselves in darkness.

The staircase wound in a spiral around the stone pillar and within a minute my head began to spin. It looks like the teacher led us through a vertical stone pipe, the shaft into which these steps were laid. I can’t imagine that it would be a tower.

Descending in the twilight was difficult. Every now and then other girls stumbled, groaned, fell on me or their neighbors. And I was no better. Itself almost fell on Allan, who was walking in front of me, inadvertently pushed him in the back. After scratching my knee and nearly breaking a nail on my right index finger, I finally found myself on a flat floor.

Mrs. Wannelsker stood facing us and waited for everyone to come down.

– So, everyone here? Have you lost anyone? – And without waiting for an answer, she continued, looking around the guys a little strangely: – We are now at the bottom level. It runs below the dungeons and cellars of the castle.

The girls from behind were pushing me, striving for the light, or just because of a joke. They pushed me towards the teacher. I had to take a couple of steps forward. Then I felt a stronger push. Someone poked me painfully in the back. I gasped, looked around, but could not make out who it was.

Mrs. Wannelsker looked at me sternly, fixed her gaze on her soiled right palm and scratched knee. Her face was disapproving.

– Behave like a real lady! – She announced loudly, looking through me. The fussing behind him immediately subsided. And I felt insulted.

The teacher moved her hand along the walls of the dungeon, illuminating them with the light of her magical flame.

«As you may know, there is a lake called» Living Inshon «to the north of our school. In fact, it is a small bay from the north sea. It connects with it underground flooded caves. During high tides, the water level in the lake rises significantly. So, these flooded caves come close to the castle itself. We can say that the castle is on the water… Please follow me!

I was scared. These words gave me terrible thoughts. So, the castle is about to collapse under water?

Hurrying to follow Mrs. Wannelsker down the corridor, another thought struck me: why then is she talking about this so calmly and even indifferently?! It means that there is definitely no smell of flooding here.

We soon found ourselves in the vaults of the oval hall. Mrs. Wannelsker said to stop and wait for her. And she herself disappeared, and when she reappeared against the wall, the vaults of the hall lit up with a yellow-red light. About two dozen torches flashed together with fire, which rustled and caressed the ear. The vaulted arches reminded me of the vaults of a church. On the far wall I could see mountains of some kind of scrap metal. Large parts of an unknown mechanism. The large toothed discs were like train wheels.

I shivered. Someone touched my elbow, and I pulled my hand away. It was Bridget. Only now I noticed that I was trembling all over. I rubbed my palms. They were icy. Of course, it was cold in the dungeon.

Mrs. Wannelsker walked over to the metal door on the left. This door was «unusual» to say the least. Then I noticed that the entire left wall of this oval hall was special. It consisted of brown metal plates in which large rivets were visible.

Not without effort, the door gave in, and with a resounding groan, a creak showed us a black mouth. Mrs. Wannelsker stepped briskly into the new room.

Through the dungeon, amplified by the echo, a formidable rumble of thunder rolled, which immediately turned into a quiet uterine muttering. Everyone shuddered. And I even screamed out of surprise. For this roar also vibrated the floor beneath me.

A second later, in the bowels of the room in which the teacher had disappeared, a gray light shone, more powerful than the teacher’s amulet or her conjured fire.

– well! Mrs. Wannelsker said, appearing in the doorway, and beckoned. – Come over here!

I didn’t want to go inside, and I stepped aside. All the sounds that came from the new room were strange, with a kind of tinny echo. And it was more frightening than ever.

Other girls walked past me, someone pushed me. Matilda. But maybe this is one of the guys from the second Grant. I stood in the way, and it could have happened by accident. I stretched out my neck and tried to consider what awaited me inside the new room. The room looked more like a classroom than everything in the dungeon. But unusual. There were chairs, wardrobes, and electric lights. Half a minute later, I was left alone in the oval hall and looked back longingly, regretting that I had come down here. In the dark darkness of the tunnel, I dreamed of mysterious monsters waiting for me and hiding until a certain time, but now ready to attack and tear to pieces. And this mechanical rumble, quiet and uterine, still continued to tickle my nerves. There was no way back.

– Miss Burling. – The teacher suddenly spoke in a completely different tone, softer, which I did not expect from her. And also that she knows my name. She came up to me, but I did not notice it.

– Do not be afraid. This fear will pass. Sometimes students get scared of my lesson. But only the first. Come on.

She took my arm.

Oh, how I needed that touch. To feel that I am not alone, that there is a strong and fearless person nearby.

Unbeknownst to myself, I found myself inside a metal room.

All the guys were looking at me. In some eyes, I caught a contented malice and superiority. For example, Matilda and a girl from the second Grant. Someone has pity. Although James himself looked no better than me. Most of my new acquaintances, Lily, Cornelia and the other guys, looked scared themselves. It means that I am not the only one who crushes.

The teacher released my hand and walked across the room. Now I could familiarize myself with the environment of the classroom in new details. Tables and chairs lined the walls to the right and left. All have already taken their places. Above the tables, almost in front of their very surface, were large round windows that were not curtained. Behind them is darkness. Two closets stood against the central wall. One with books, the second had four doors that securely hid their contents. A strange smell reigned in the stale air. Synthetic rubber and cabbage.

Mrs. Wannelsker stopped in the center of the room at a round table with an elegant stool and commanded:

– Have a seat!

And it seemed to me that she was addressing me. I squinted at the tables in disbelief. Hesitating, I slowly walked over to the nearest free chair and sat down. The surface of the table was, as I imagined, cold.

Cornelia was sitting in front of me. And I was glad of this neighborhood. Say what you like, but she will be better than this Matilda.

– Why windows in the dungeon? What will we see in them? Cornelia spoke in a whisper, pointing to the round window above her desk. – Really … – And, without finishing, she broke off.

A greenish glow appeared in these large round windows. I froze in amazement. And my neighbor too. Dense fog, thick jelly filled the entire space outside my window. And when the room shook and vibrated, this veil in the window stirred, slid to the side, opening up a huge space behind it. There was water outside the window.

In the light of the electric outdoor lights, long stems of bright green plants floated outside the window, hovering and enveloping my window. The light got brighter. The room, like some huge underwater monster, crept out of the stone tunnel.

Now I could clearly see the small fish disturbed by our light, the black surface of the stone bottom, strewn with stones and shells. A silver-glittering fish with huge blue fins swam past and sank as quickly as it appeared, leaving me wondering if it was real or was I blinded by something in the water?

– What is it? Cornelia whispered. I could not even shrug my shoulders and only with an open mouth looked at the new world that appeared outside the window. The first thought was that I was imagining it. That Mrs. Wannelsker somehow put a spell on me. But after the teacher spoke, I realized that all this is happening in reality. We’re swimming underwater in this metal room. What seemed to me like a room from the inside was a submarine, a ship.

– This is Batiskaph! – Explained Mrs. Wannelsker. – We will use it in the lessons on the study of the «underwater world» and «water charms». Today is an introductory lesson. Therefore, we will not record anything, but simply enjoy the journey on our lake.

«Mrs. Wannelsker, is this a real submarine?» Like ordinary people? – Raising his hand, asked Allan.

– From the ordinary world? Not! – The teacher was surprised. – The Bathyscaph is a very complex magic apparatus!.. Well, what can you say? Has anyone seen this before?

– Great! This is the coolest sight! Here’s a lesson! The best lesson! – The exclamations of girls were heard from all sides. It seemed that now the class grew bolder. The tension on the way here has melted. Cornelia chuckled. I saw Lily and Bridget. They smiled. And Allan left his seat and leaned across their table, showing something to Bridget in her window.