It wasn’t much of the party, though. The exhaustion from the previous night party showed. The royal guests, the family and the servants had dark rings around their eyes. It was an event of a few wine cups and sandwiches before the guests left in the cars towards the airport. One could hear the collective sighs from the servants as soon as the cars had left the gate. Life was returning to normal for them with Malee, and Mary moved back to the servants’ house to reunite with the rest of the servants. Georgia must have been the only one that wasn’t satisfied with everything that had happened and she wasn’t the type to let go of it.

As Mary and Malee slowly carried back a few pieces of personal items back to the servants’ house, Georgia was planning in her room. She wasn’t the youngest person in her prestigious university to be admitted was not just due to her family connection. If George was the problem, she would be the solution. Pa was weak against George, but it would not fool her. She wrote the plan furiously as she had never done before, for it concerned the only person she loved, her twin brother. George was unaware of all that was happening behind him and was playing football in the garden with John.

In fact, he was glad all the princesses were out of his sight and mind, including his sister. He was back to his own world, Mary, John and the garden. No more of the weak and sickly princesses or tasteless European dishes. More important for him, he was back in charge of the house affairs with Pa and Ma travelling to the States in a few days coinciding with the end of school holidays. He couldn’t wait to go back to meet his friends and ride on the bicycle again.

In his own world, he failed to notice the absence of Georgia and his parents after lunch. It would cost him dearly, as he found out during the dinner.

“Leave us.” said the master to the servants who were standing by the wall as their usual practice. It surprised them, and so did George. Private dinners were not unheard of, but he couldn’t imagine what could be so important that the servants had to go away. Malee followed the rest of the servants out of the room into the lobby and could feel the uneasiness among them. She tried looking for Mary to ask her, but she was talking to her husband and looking increasingly worried.

Then she heard several shoutings from within the dining room and soon George came out of the room, slamming the door and then stomping his way up the staircase towards his room. Malee had never seen George being that angry before, not even when he was being held in the police interrogation room with her. He was a picture of calm and serenity all throughout the questioning by the two policemen, who were more like street thugs than policemen.

Georgia came out next, holding a paper in her hand, and she too went up the stairs, saying nothing to the servants. The mistress came out next and spoke a few words to Mary before going up to the staircase.

“Malee and I will stay back. The rest may go back for the night.” announced Mary, relaying the message from the Mistress to the rest. As the rest of the servants went out from the back door, the master came out of the dining room with a worried look on his face and a cup of wine in his hands. He stopped by where Mary and Malee was standing as they bowed and went up the stairs, leaving the two servants remained standing in the lobby.

“Malee, get Georgia’s dish and bring up to her room. I will do the same for George.” whispered Mary. Malee nodded and was going up the stairs with an unfinished plate and a wine cup in her hands. She pushed the door slightly with her foot, and it opened. Georgia was expecting her, or Mary, to come up with her dish. She was on her desk staring at the same piece of paper that they saw her holding when she came out of the dining room. She didn’t look up to see who came into her room, but pointed at a spot on the desk.

Malee approached the desk gently and placed the plate and the cup on-the-spot Georgia pointed. She seemed so focused on that piece of paper that Malee wondered what was on it. Georgia must have noticed Malee looking at the writings over her shoulder and quickly grabbed the plate over it.

“You will know soon.” said Georgia.