Dark Lady|| Venus Potter

Chapter II

Pale, the morning sun slowly climbed to its hierarchical place at the top of the sky, tinting the sky with pastel pink along the way. At the same time, London, much less dignified, was awakening to life to the accompaniment of loud car horns and the bustle of the crowd, in which everyone hurried in their direction. Nobody paid any attention to anyone, nobody devoted even a moment the majestic sun, too focused on their affairs. It was no better on the outskirts of the city, where commuters were hurrying to the centre.

Overall, on the third floor of the old and shaky Wool's orphanage, a low figure watched from the window. Venus watched with longing young gentlemen, shouting nervously at their cells, older grandmothers in berets, heading for the church two streets away, and women in the prime of life, wandering by the hand with joyful children. Her mind almost involuntarily guessed the stories of these people when she was bored, waiting for the next, arduous day of vacation at the orphanage to begin. Sometimes she even dreamed of exchanging life with someone - let someone else deal with age-old poverty, annoying residents of the orphanage and second-hand everything, and she leads the life of a spoiled princess of a rich man from central London. Let her live in these large white marble villas, eat rich breakfasts prepared by chefs every day, and her wardrobe will be full of the latest, most expensive clothes...

The loud screech of Mrs. Cole unpleasantly collided her with a dirty reality. Venus sighed with resignation, torn out of her childhood fantasies, then stepped away from the window, turning away and facing the headmistress who had entered her room without question.

- Good morning ma'am. - she said reluctantly, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her stretched pants. The old woman gave her an unfavorable look, glancing at all her disrespectful attitude. Then, as if to set a good example, she brushed the invisible crumbs from the starched apron, prolonging the still silence.

- You'll have a guest today. - the woman finally said haughtily, and Venus let out another, martyred sigh this time. "Guests" mean in Cole's speech: "doctors or possibly "other navies who say they want to adopt you but will eventually give you back". - They'll be in fifteen minutes, so... - the set broke off ostentatiously, pursing her lips in a narrow line. The girl did not move a single inch, so the director finally snorted, clearly outraged by her reprehensible mannerisms, and left.

As soon as the old door slammed behind her, and the plaster from the door frame fell to the floor, Venus resignedly shuffled back to her window. Of the two bad guys, she preferred to dream all day to be a spoiled inhabitant of London villas. Certainly, it was better than "guests".

She stared blankly at the window, where the noise continued to roll across the pavements. Londoners rushed through the crowd in a hurry, looking down like colorful ants crowding the anthill. Venus silently watched slowly thinning people who hurriedly jumped on the last departing buses, trams, taxis, or fled to the subway.

At one point, her eyes were caught by a specific man who appeared on the sidewalk, defying in the opposite direction of the rushing crowd. The girl didn't know what attracted him more eyes - whether his flashy, old-fashioned suit in the color of rotten plums or the fact that the people he was hanging around complained about so loudly that it even reached her.

She followed the weirdo from high above, who bypassed all stores in the area, heading to a place that most passers-by did not even boast with their attention - the neglected gate of the Wool's orphanage. Venus put her cheek against the glass to see better, but there was no doubt that the man was heading for the orphanage. Maybe he got lost? it flashed through her mind, and then a strange idea came to her mind - maybe it was the "guy" that Cole finally gave up on ordinary doctors, putting on quacks?

The front door slammed in the distance, and then the orphanage screamed over the thin walls, the director's screeching voice. Then, much quieter the sound of the newcomer answered vaguely. Venus listened, but the adults quickly moved on and their voices faded.