Mrs. Donovan noticed her old classmate's strange reaction and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong? Is there something off about what Serena said?"
Beatrice's mother pressed her lips together and said hoarsely, "When Beatrice was six, she went back to our ancestral home with us to pay respects to our ancestors. It was a hot summer day. A few children of relatives and neighbors invited her out to play, and the whole group ran off to the river. Beatrice couldn't swim, but when she saw her friends playing in the water, her curiosity got the better of her, and she jumped in after them."
Mrs. Donovan gasped, "Then..."
Beatrice's mother patted Mrs. Donovan's hand reassuringly. "Thankfully, they found her in time. There also happened to be an adult nearby who knew first aid, so a disaster was averted."
After so many years, Beatrice's mother never expected to speak of this again. Her gaze, as it fell on Arabella Donovan, grew tinged with a hint of melancholy.
