Mystery

Beatrice called me unexpectedly one evening. She simply said, "I'm going to London. Come with me." I was surprised. I thought she'd forgotten about that old house. Beatrice had inherited it, but she wasn't interested. Beatrice and I met at the orphanage. We became fast friends. Nothing came easily to us at the orphanage. Our longing for a real home grew stronger. We looked with envy at the children whose foster parents were taking them away from the orphanage forever. We didn't leave the orphanage until we were 18. Beatrice was taken to the orphanage when she was only four days old. A 50-year-old woman brought her. She simply said, "I have to do this. I have no other choice." Only the headmistress remembered. I'd been here since I was five. My parents died in a train crash. My little brother died too. I was also on that train. But I survived. They took me straight here from the hospital. I found Beatrice's room. The girl she lived with was adopted. Beatrice took care of me. I remember her asking me, "Would you like to be my friend?" We were inseparable. Beatrice received a beautiful postcard every month. No one knew who sent them. I didn't receive any postcards. After we left the orphanage, we rented a small apartment. We worked and studied. I graduated with a degree in English. Beatrice works as a translator, and I teach children. In the orphanage where we grew up. We no longer live together, but our paths have not diverged. Beatrice has a two-year-old daughter who lives with her father in Milan. Beatrice visits her often. I'm not married. My children are children from our orphanage. I know it's not easy living there. Last week, Beatrice received news that she has inherited an aunt from England she didn't know existed. Beatrice decided not to accept the inheritance. She believed her aunt was trying to curry favor with her after her death. Therefore, Beatrice's call surprised me. I decided to accompany her. I couldn't leave her alone. The next day, we met at the airport in Rome. We soon arrived in London. When I asked Beatrice why she changed her mind, she replied, "I wanted to see the house at least once." She took with her the postcards she had received for so many years. London turned out to be a depressing, gray city. We took a taxi and went to the address she had given. We expected something different. It was a beautiful, large—one might even say enormous—house with many windows. It seemed gloomy. We weren't sure if it was the right address. But there was no other house nearby. We decided to knock on the door. An elderly and respectable gentleman opened the door. When Beatrice introduced herself, he said, "We've been waiting for you." Those were the only words he said to us that first day. We didn't find out who else was waiting for Beatrice. This mysterious man,We assumed the butler wouldn't answer any of our questions. We were curious who else lived here. While we were exploring the house, which had about 50 rooms, we entered a room hung only with paintings. Beatrice was surprised. All the paintings resembled pictures on postcards. Now we knew the postcards had come from England. We had no idea who painted them or why Beatrice had grown up in an orphanage. The butler forbade us from entering the attic rooms. He stood before us with a candle; there wasn't even electricity in the house, and he wouldn't let us in. So we went to the dining room. I'd never seen such a large dining table. From one side, it was difficult to see the other. The butler served us a traditional English dish. We didn't know what it was, but we enjoyed it. Tired as we were, we went to bed. We chose rooms near the dining room. I don't remember how I fell asleep. I woke up when I heard a knock. It was coming from the attic. Beatrice heard it too. We were both terrified. Beatrice said to me, "Anna, we're leaving this place tomorrow. I won't stay here any longer." We sat in the corner of my room all night. Neither of us had the courage to leave. Only in the morning did we emerge. The butler was nowhere to be seen. Although I was terrified, I wanted to see what had happened in the attic that night. Since the butler had disappeared, we could open the door without any problems. There was another door. I opened it and... And we saw a paralyzed woman sitting in a wheelchair. When she noticed us standing in the doorway, she only said, "Beatrice! My daughter!" We were stunned. She asked us to sit down. Then she told us the whole truth. Beatrice was her illegitimate child. Her aristocratic family couldn't accept a bastard. The baby was taken away immediately after birth. Joan, Beatrice's mother, attempted suicide by jumping off a bridge. She survived, but broke her back. With the help of a friend, she learned that her daughter was in an orphanage in Rome. She sent her postcards because painting had become a hobby. The family never found out about the postcards. The butler's job was to make sure Joan never left that room. Joan forced her aunt to leave the house to Beatrice in her will. We were both surprised. My friend spent the entire day with her mother. That evening, the butler returned. Beatrice fired him. After a few days, I returned to Rome. I wanted to leave them alone. Beatrice sold the house and returned to Rome with her mother.Who painted them and why Beatrice grew up in an orphanage? The butler forbade us from entering the attic rooms. He stood before us with a candle; there wasn't even electricity in the house, and he wouldn't let us in. So we went to the dining room. I'd never seen such a large dining table. From one side, it was difficult to see the other. The butler served us a traditional English dish. We didn't know what it was, but we enjoyed it. Since we were tired, we went to bed with pleasure. We chose rooms near the dining room. I don't remember how I fell asleep. I woke up when I heard a knock. It was coming from the attic. Beatrice heard it too. We were both terrified. Beatrice said to me, "Anna, we're leaving this town tomorrow. I won't stay here any longer." We sat in the corner of my room all night. Neither of us dared to leave. We only emerged in the morning. The butler was nowhere to be seen. Even though I was terrified, I wanted to see what had happened in the attic that night. Since the butler had disappeared, we could open the door without any problems. There was another door. I opened it and… And we saw a paralyzed woman sitting in a wheelchair. When she noticed us standing in the doorway, she only said, "Beatrice! My daughter!" We were stunned. She asked us to sit down. Then she told us the whole truth. Beatrice was her illegitimate child. Her aristocratic family couldn't accept a bastard. The child was taken away immediately after birth. Joan, Beatrice's mother, attempted suicide by jumping off a bridge. She survived, but broke her back. With the help of a friend, she learned that her daughter was in an orphanage in Rome. She sent her postcards because painting had become a hobby. The family never found out about the postcards. The butler's job was to make sure Joan never left the room. Joan forced my aunt to leave the house to Beatrice in her will. We were both surprised. My friend spent the entire day with her mother. In the evening, the butler returned. Beatrice fired him. After a few days, I returned to Rome. I wanted to leave them alone. Beatrice sold the house and returned to Rome with her mother.Who painted them and why Beatrice grew up in an orphanage? The butler forbade us from entering the attic rooms. He stood before us with a candle; there wasn't even electricity in the house, and he wouldn't let us in. So we went to the dining room. I'd never seen such a large dining table. From one side, it was difficult to see the other. The butler served us a traditional English dish. We didn't know what it was, but we enjoyed it. Since we were tired, we went to bed with pleasure. We chose rooms near the dining room. I don't remember how I fell asleep. I woke up when I heard a knock. It was coming from the attic. Beatrice heard it too. We were both terrified. Beatrice said to me, "Anna, we're leaving this town tomorrow. I won't stay here any longer." We sat in the corner of my room all night. Neither of us dared to leave. We only emerged in the morning. The butler was nowhere to be seen. Even though I was terrified, I wanted to see what had happened in the attic that night. Since the butler had disappeared, we could open the door without any problems. There was another door. I opened it and… And we saw a paralyzed woman sitting in a wheelchair. When she noticed us standing in the doorway, she only said, "Beatrice! My daughter!" We were stunned. She asked us to sit down. Then she told us the whole truth. Beatrice was her illegitimate child. Her aristocratic family couldn't accept a bastard. The child was taken away immediately after birth. Joan, Beatrice's mother, attempted suicide by jumping off a bridge. She survived, but broke her back. With the help of a friend, she learned that her daughter was in an orphanage in Rome. She sent her postcards because painting had become a hobby. The family never found out about the postcards. The butler's job was to make sure Joan never left the room. Joan forced my aunt to leave the house to Beatrice in her will. We were both surprised. My friend spent the entire day with her mother. In the evening, the butler returned. Beatrice fired him. After a few days, I returned to Rome. I wanted to leave them alone. Beatrice sold the house and returned to Rome with her mother.I won't stay here any longer." We sat in the corner of my room all night. Neither of us had the courage to leave. Only in the morning did we emerge. The butler was nowhere to be seen. Although I was terrified, I wanted to see what had happened in the attic that night. Since the butler had disappeared, we could open the door without any problems. There was another door there. I opened it and... And we saw a paralyzed woman sitting in a wheelchair. When she noticed us standing in the doorway, she only said, "Beatrice! My daughter!" We were stunned. She asked us to sit down. Then she told us the whole truth. Beatrice was her illegitimate child. Her aristocratic family couldn't accept a bastard. The child was taken away immediately after birth. Joan, Beatrice's mother, attempted suicide. She jumped off a bridge. She survived, but broke her spine. With the help of a friend, she learned that her daughter was in an orphanage in Rome. She sent her postcards because painting had become a hobby. The family never found out about the postcards. The butler's job was to make sure Joan never left that room. Joan forced her aunt to leave the house to Beatrice in her will. We were both surprised. My friend spent the entire day with her mother. That evening, the butler returned. Beatrice fired him. After a few days, I returned to Rome. I wanted to leave them alone. Beatrice sold the house and returned to Rome with her mother.I won't stay here any longer." We sat in the corner of my room all night. Neither of us had the courage to leave. Only in the morning did we emerge. The butler was nowhere to be seen. Although I was terrified, I wanted to see what had happened in the attic that night. Since the butler had disappeared, we could open the door without any problems. There was another door there. I opened it and... And we saw a paralyzed woman sitting in a wheelchair. When she noticed us standing in the doorway, she only said, "Beatrice! My daughter!" We were stunned. She asked us to sit down. Then she told us the whole truth. Beatrice was her illegitimate child. Her aristocratic family couldn't accept a bastard. The child was taken away immediately after birth. Joan, Beatrice's mother, attempted suicide. She jumped off a bridge. She survived, but broke her spine. With the help of a friend, she learned that her daughter was in an orphanage in Rome. She sent her postcards because painting had become a hobby. The family never found out about the postcards. The butler's job was to make sure Joan never left that room. Joan forced her aunt to leave the house to Beatrice in her will. We were both surprised. My friend spent the entire day with her mother. That evening, the butler returned. Beatrice fired him. After a few days, I returned to Rome. I wanted to leave them alone. Beatrice sold the house and returned to Rome with her mother