"My guess," Cinnamon said with a deep sigh, "is that she is embarrassed by her. Madame Senetsky can't have a daughter like that. Not our Madame Senetsky. the Queen of Theatrical Perfection. She'd die if there was a picture of Gerta and the story in a newspaper. I remember how embarrassed my grandmother was when my mother went loony. And that was just my grandmother worrying about people who knew us and would gossip! And we weren't celebrities. remember."
"It's not fair," I said. "She's a very lonely person. Did you see how happy she was when we appeared-- and how trusting, just like a child would be."
Everyone was quiet.
"We could just march downstairs and tell Ms. Fairchild we want to meet with Madame Senetsky and demand she let her out," Rose suggested.
Ice smirked.
"Oh, she would just say 'Sure thing, girls. I'm so happy you pointed out my mistake.' "
"Ice is right," Cinnamon said. "Forget that." "Then what, forget about her?"
No one spoke for a moment.
"I've got to call Evan and let him know what we've discovered. Maybe there was a mistake in his information or he got something confused." Rose said.
"I doubt it," Cinnamon said. "When Madame Senetsky wants to forget something, she definitely has a funeral and buries it. Who knows what else she's buried?"
"Maybe we could go back up there and try to help her." I suggested.
"Back up there? You're kidding, right?" Ice said. "How can we help her?"
"I don't know. Maybe if we spend some time with her, she'll..."
"Snap out of it? It doesn't work that way," Cinnamon said. "It takes intense therapy and medication sometimes. But..."
"But what?" Ice asked,
"But I guess we can visit her again, learn more about her, maybe help her a little,"
"You're the crazy one now," Ice insisted. "Maybe, Rose, what do you think?"
She thought, smiled, and shrugged. "I'm for it. if y'all are."
"Honey, you sure?"
"Yes. I don't care who gets mad at us." Cinnamon looked at Ice.
"If you're all going to be thrown out of here, I guess I'd better join you. I won't be happy staying with Howard and Steven."
"What about them?"
"Don't dare let them know a thing," Cinnamon said. "Steven would not take it seriously and get us in trouble faster. and Howard..."
"What?" I asked.
"Would probably turn us in."
Everyone nodded in silent agreement.
"Besides," Cinnamon said with a smile. "the next time I'm going to be an orange."
All of us laughed. even Ice.
"Let's just let a few days pass to be sure neither Ms. Fairchild or Madame Senetsky has found out about our little expeditions into their private world and that we've discovered their big secret," Cinnamon suggested.
Everyone nodded.