Chapter 24

     The children visited Alice several more times during this time. Jack had become friends with Georgiana. Although Jack made friends very quickly, Georgiana attracted the attention of all the children and they felt they could be friends with her. On the other hand, Alice also attracted the attention of the Ellington family and they loved her.
   Alice recovered very quickly with Georgiana's care and attention, but this attention and care from others was too much, like a mother's love for a child. Anyway, it was nothing that would make them think or wonder. In the meantime, James thought a little about what he had heard from Georgiana a few days ago.
   Georgiana tried to look happy but she was worried about what Alice had said to her in the rain and fear and anxiety did not leave Georgiana for a moment.
     Alice was better now and it was time for her to go home and just as her aunt and uncle were returning home.
   Georgiana prepared a carriage to go home with Alice. They talked to each other on the way and Georgiana tried to get more information about Alice's life by asking kindly and indirectly. She realized that although Alice seemed very happy in general, but when the questions were related to her mother, her eyebrows immediately knotted. Her grief was so severe that Georgiana was taken aback and thought to herself that this was the same girl who was so happy and laughing a few minutes ago. Although Alice tried to control the tears that were ringing in her eyes, it took a while for her to regain control. Seeing this situation made Georgiana very upset and regretful that she had asked such questions from Alice and tried kindly to change the subject until they reached Margaret's house.
   Alice, who was still weak, got off the carriage with Georgiana's help and went up the stairs to her room. When Alice slept comfortably in bed and Georgiana pulled the blanket over her, then sat on the edge of the bed and looked curiously around that room.
   A special smile appeared on Alice's lips and she said: "This was my mother's room."
   Georgiana said: "Really?"
   Alice interrupted her speech and said: "It doesn't matter, you can see everywhere in this room."
Georgiana blushed for a moment, feeling ashamed that she had given in to a childish curiosity, and also not feeling good that her thoughts were so readable for a child. However, she tried to pretend that nothing special had happened. She got up and went to the desk, picked up a book and started flipping through different pages of the book until she saw a piece of paper inside the book that had something written on it. Her curiosity was aroused and she started reading softly: Finally, spring came again; today it's exactly four years that I've been living with my aunt. Maybe I foolishly waited for him all these years, day and night, and lived with the thought that he might come into the room right now. Today I'm thirteen years old, but I want to end this foolish wait.
Georgiana was surprised but continued to flip through the book. After a while, she put the book aside. She wanted to go back and sit next to Alice for a while, but her foot hit something. She looked under her foot and saw that her foot had hit a doll. She bent down and picked it up and smiled as she dusted it off and said: "What a beautiful doll."
   Alice said: "This doll belonged to my mother. I love it very much."
   Suddenly Georgiana remembered something and it seemed like that event was happening right in front of her eyes. She clearly saw that a little girl was sitting on the ground and playing with the same doll that was in Georgiana's hand.
   Suddenly the door was knocked and a maid entered and said: "Madam, your father has just returned from the trip and is waiting for you now."
The little girl ran down the stairs with the doll in her hand, calling her father over and over. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, her father hugged her and spun her around several times while stroking her hair. Georgiana came to herself like that little girl with the doll in her hand, repeating "father, father" with a thin lip as she ran down the stairs; when she suddenly stopped in the middle of the staircase and her gaze fell on a picture frame that was the face of a familiar person. Her hand was shaking, she wanted to touch it and for a moment it seemed like she was afraid to touch that picture. She pulled back her trembling hand but finally touched it. The children ran to her as soon as they heard Georgiana saying "father, father" with excitement and now they saw that she had suddenly stopped in the middle of the staircase.
   Linda said: "Georgiana, are you okay?"
   Georgiana didn't hear anything to answer.
   Georgiana, who had no color on her face and cold sweat on her forehead, said softly: "Father, this is impossible." When she came to herself, she heard Linda say: "This is our grandfather's picture. Did you know our grandfather?"
.    Georgiana, who looked very confused and pale, gave the doll to Liana with fear and said frantically: "I'm sorry, I have to go. I have to go."
When Georgiana reached the middle of the room, suddenly the door opened and Margaret's happy face appeared as she said happily: "Kids, I finally came home. Very." Her speech was unfinished because she was surprised to see Georgiana in the middle of her room and for a few moments she stared at Georgiana as if she had been stunned.
   Georgiana was also in such a situation that she could not move from her place or take her eyes off that strange woman until the children hugged their mother happily and welcomed her.
   After Margaret answered each child's affection, she said: "Kids, go outside and play. Go fishing."
   Linda, who remembered Georgiana's presence for a moment, said: "Mother, this is Mrs. Ellington." Margaret interrupted her and said with a smile: "Dear, I know this lady and now we want to be alone for a while."
   Georgiana felt heartbroken when she heard this because she really felt that she had never seen that woman before but no matter how hard she tried she could not say anything because no sound came out of her throat.
     When the children left the room in surprise and talking about this matter, only those two were in the room.
   After a few minutes of silence Margaret ran to Georgiana and hugged her tightly; Georgiana was shocked.
   Margaret said: "Emily, I can't believe you're alive? You came here to see Alice but why so late? Your daughter was waiting for you very much."
   Georgiana said: "I'm sorry, you have mistaken me for someone else. I'm not Emily. I'm Georgiana and unfortunately I don't know you either." Then she wanted to leave the room frantically, but Margaret grabbed her hand firmly and said: "Wait Emily, I have to explain something to you. But why don't you know your daughter, Alice?"
   Georgiana, who was trying to free her hand, said: "Madam, I really don't understand what you are talking about."
   At that moment Alice came to Georgiana's aid with all her weakness and tried not to hear Margaret's words that kept saying "Wait Emily, wait." And thanked Georgiana for all the trouble she had gone through and opened the door for her.
When Georgiana got on the carriage and left, Alice sighed involuntarily and closed the door.