The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella) novel Chapter 1483

She said she doesn’t feel well in her stomach, but it’s alright. It's not too heavy to carry, and besides, mom and dad shouldn't fret over me chipping in with the chores."

After her parents finished their dessert, Serena was about to offer the fruit platter to Romeo when he stood up, preempting her move, "Mr. And Mrs. Collins, Bella and I are going to take a walk for a bit."

Kenneth quickly invited, "Why not have some fruit first?"

"No, thanks. I'll spend a little more time with Bella before I leave."

Kenneth turned to Arabella, "How about you, Bella? Won't you have some?"

"I'm full, thanks."

"Alright then, you two go ahead and take a walk. It's still early."

Romeo reached for Arabella's hand, "Didn't you tell me this afternoon that Hans planted some flower on your balcony? We can see them from the garden, right? Show me."

"Sure."

Watching their departing figures, Serena felt a pang of jealousy. After a while, she turned her charm back on, coaxing her parents into good spirits, hoping they would take her to Mr. Albright's birthday bash.

"Mr. Albright's birthdays have always been low-key affairs. It's only because he's turning sixty that he's hosting a grand party. There won't be another chance like this. I know I’m not qualified to be Mr. Albright's protege. I just want to experience it. Mom, please take me there. I heard Jamie Noelle will be there too. You know how much I love playing the violin. I really hope that I can get a chance to learn from Jamie Noelle. They say the guests this year are all very influential. If I could find a great mentor, I could make our family proud, like my sister."

Louisa patted her back lovingly, "It's not that I don't want to take you, dear. Those two invitations were for your grandparents."

Now that route was a dead end, Serena was fretting over what to do next. After much thought, a name popped into her head - Martin!

She wondered if Mr. Albright had invited him. If so, she could sweet-talk Martin into taking her.

With this plan in mind, she abruptly left her parents, "Mom, dad, I'm going to take a shower!"

If she could just get into Mr. Albright's birthday party, she was sure to find a great mentor and finally outshine Arabella. Just the thought made her feel triumphant.

Feeling superior, she reflected on the fact that even if Arabella was the Collins family's beloved daughter, she didn't have the privilege to attend!