The Secret Life of Beatrice: A sequel to A Series of Unfortunate Events #13

Chapter 1

               "Was it a good idea taking Beatrice away from the island?" asked Klaus.

               "Of course it was!" snapped Violet "We can't hide her from the world forever."

               "Trouble would have washed up on those shores anyway," Sunny pointed out. Violet  and Klaus agreed silently, and I started creeping away from the entryway to the living room.

               I was constantly eavesdropping on my adoptive guardians' conversations like this. Their names are Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire. I am Beatrice Snicket-Baudelaire. The reason I'm doing this is to find out the secrets of my past to find out the secrets of my past. I would ask about my mother, where I was born, and where I lived, but they would always tell me to ask when I was older. Today was the first time I learned something of importance. Something about an island. I practically shook with excitement as I climbed the stairs to my room.

               We lived in a fairly large house, bought with some of the fortune Violet acquired when she had turned eighteen. Another portion of it was spent on a large printing press that sold books and our own newspapers, The Unfortunate Events Times, and we made a great deal of money from that.

               "Beatrice!" called one of my guardians. I cringed, thinking one of them had heard me spying, but went into the living room anyway to face the music.

               "Our friends the Quagmires are going to be coming over today," said Violet "I want you to be on your best behavior, we haven't seen them in... Quite a while." Violet bit her lower lip when she said this and looked nervously at Klaus and Sunny. Klaus slowly shook his head and Violet turned back to me.

               "I'm old enough to know that you guys are keeping something from me," I said with a rising tone of suspicion "Can you please just tell me?"

               "Maybe when you're older," Klaus quickly interjected "But for now, just drop it." I sighed in disgust, knowing they would never tell me anything. I was about to come up with an argument when the door bell rang, and Violet ran to answer it. Outside stood two people, a man and a woman, who looked very much alike. They both looked about twenty-two.

               "Violet!" cried the man.

               "Klaus!" shouted the woman. They all rejoiced in hugging as Sunny and I called out our own names, hugging each other and laughing. Sunny was more of a best friend to me since she was only about two years older, and I did not attend school.

               "Wow! It's been so long!" exclaimed the girl "After the..."

               "Isadora! No," Klaus interrupted and nodded his head toward me "Now isn't the time." I crossed my arms and began to pout. Violet gave me a warning glance, and I immediately stopped.

               "Well, come in!" Violet cried, surprised no one had offered yet.

               "Duncan, Isadora, this is our adoptive family member, Beatrice. And of course you remember Sunny." We both waved from the living room as Klaus took their coats and quickly went to put them in a closet.

               "Would you like anything to drink or to eat?" asked Violet "I know you've had a long trip here."

               "No thank you," answered Duncan "We stopped on the way here." Violet nodded and sat down on the couch with them, but suddenly sprang up.

               "Oh, I really must give you a tour of the house!" she told them, and immediately grasped both their hands, pulling them like a little girl would. Once they were gone, Sunny turned to me.

               "You know, I saw you eavesdropping," she said calmly.

               "You did?" I croaked "Did Violet or Klaus?" Sunny shook her head and straightened the bow in her hair.

               "But I understand your dilemma," she continued "I was the youngest one once." I knew that already and I wanted to know what she was going to say. So I looked at her with pleading eyes.

               "So, I'll tell you one thing. Anything you want to know." I grinned happily. What should I ask about? The island, my life? But I finally decided that I should ask about the most important thing to me.

               "Who was my mother?" I asked frantically "Where is she now?" Sunny sighed, and I guessed that that wasn't the questioned she was prepared for me to ask.

               "Well your mother's name was Kit Snicket. She was part of a noble group called..." She paused here "Well, she, uh, worked to save animals. She was very noble and she saved many of them." And then Sonny started quickly walking away.

               "No wait!!" I cried "I asked 'Where is she now?'" Sunny stood there, motionless and silent for a few moments, then turned back to me.

"Beatrice, your mother..." Sunny winced trying to just come out with the truth "She-she's dead..."