Diary of Anna the Girl Witch 1: Foundling Witch Read Free Page B

thinking about the world suddenly stopping around me. I expected to freak out about that, but I didn’t. The episode was odd, but it left me strangely calm.
    As we all sat on the sand, enjoying Sister Daphne’s cinnamon-apple goodness, Lauraleigh wrapped the new green scarf around my neck. I found its touch soft and comfortable.
    “I think Jean-Sébastien has a crush on you,” she whispered.
    Ugh. If only she knew the truth!
    “Did you notice anything unusual right around the time that he gave you the scarf?” I asked. Unusual; that was putting it mildly.
    “Yeah. You screamed like something bit you,” Lauraleigh said. “What was all that about? I almost dropped the cake.”
    “That? Oh, I thought I saw a bee, but it was just a fly,” I lied. I wanted to tell her the truth, but I was starting to wonder if I hadn’t imagined the whole thing. Maybe Jean-Sébastien had been holding a scarf all along? Yes, that had to be it.
    I didn’t have more time to worry about it because my birthday surprise arrived. I had been looking toward the road all afternoon, expecting Gaëlle, but instead, she arrived from the air in a hot air balloon.
    André and Marie were rich. Like mega rich. They lived in a castle over the hills and drove fancy cars. Marie was always dressed as if ready for a gala, usually with more jewelry than I thought necessary.
    Today was no exception. As the beautiful rainbow-striped balloon descended, I could see André and Marie in the basket along with Gaëlle and their natural-born daughter, Candace. The Montmorencys claimed that they had always wanted a large family and plenty of sisters for little Candace, so they had adopted seven girls from the orphanage over the years. Gaëlle was the most recent. They were like heroes in Luyons. Sister Daphne adored them. Even though it was sad for her to see her children leave, she was always grateful when they found loving homes.
    I wasn’t so enamored with the Montmorencys. Last year, before adopting Gaëlle, they had asked me to join their family – and I had refused. Everyone at the orphanage was stunned. No orphan had ever turned down a new family.
    “Are you crazy?” Gaëlle had asked. “I would give anything to live in a castle and wear fancy dresses like Candace!”
    “I don’t need fancy dresses,” I had replied. “And I don’t need their money. I have enough of my own to get into the Collège next year.” And that’s exactly what I did. They adopted Gaëlle instead. And I guessed that was a good thing because she didn’t have a trust fund and she wouldn’t have been able to go to the private school with me otherwise. She would have had to stay back at Luyons.
    But still… there was something off about the Montmorencys. Something about them gave me the creeps, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it.
    “Hellooooo!” André boomed. Oh, yeah, there was that: André was really loud. He jumped out of the basket and squeezed me in a big bear hug. And that: He liked to hug, and he always smelled of cigars. Yuck!
    “There’s the birthday girl!” he bellowed. “We’ve come to whisk you away for a grand adventure.”
    “In that?” I asked, pointing to the balloon.
    “Of course!” Marie said. Somehow she had hopped over the edge of the balloon basket without even ruffling her long gown. “Candace, come out of there and let Anna Sophia and little Beatrice have a ride. They simply must see Irvigne Manor from the air.”
    “But, Mother, my new shoes will get ruined on the beach,” Candace whined. Like Marie, she was dressed in a fine gown.
    “It’s no problem, Marie,” Gaëlle said. “They can have my spot.”
    “Nonsense,” said Marie. “You should be the one to show your friends how fabulous your new home is. Come, Candace. The sun is still hot enough to burn. You don’t want age spots before your time.” Her daughter grumbled some more but followed her to the shade of an umbrella.
    “Get me something to drink,” Candace