Farewell, my friend!（1 / 7）

Mother Agatha disappeared.

For several days, Fiona heard the timid whispers of her girl schoolmates. Some claimed that the hideous nun was a witch, and now was summoned to the devil she served. The girls who had always harboured deep hatred for the old woman insisted that Agatha was facing her retribution, punished by the archbishop, destined to be thrown into the fiery depths of hell for eternal torment.

There were also older girls who sighed with trepidation that Mother Agatha had probably offended some big shot, and her fate was most likely to be bleak!

Apart from all these rumours, Fiona also noticed a strange shift in the attitudes of the girls around her. The change seemed to have started after Miss Sarah Hensfield got out from the visiting room having met her family:

First, Sarah and Claudia, in an unprecedented move, invited her to join their courtlike conversations. Then, several other popular girls came forward, sweetly taking her hand, showering her with praise for the exquisite adornments the Marquis had bestowed upon her. Within days, Fiona de Sèvremont had transformed from the lonely and pitiable newcomer into a sought-after "belle amie" among the school girls.

Initially, Fiona was perplexed and uncomfortable with these changes; but a child, after all, could never long resist the allure of friendship. She gradually embraced her new role and soon cast aside the animosity her companions had previously held and her own stubborn vows made before the icon.

Life in the convent ceased to be an endless and arduous penance for her. Now, Miss Fiona Sèvremont had become another centre of attention for the children. Her childish dignity and enchanting beauty truly befitted this position - when Fiona was present, the gatherings of young girls around the stone steps in the garden, imitating the salons of noble ladies, sometimes really taking on a hint of sophistication reminiscent of the □□ society.

It was