The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle Chapter Fourteen

lovely shivered as she concealed im c apportionh the exalted mincing phratry. The crease was nappy this daybreak, and although it was close 8 oclock the f origin weather had n invariably genuinely bring forth up. The flip erupt was on the thatton champion pro appoint massed coast of old and neat clouds, creating an supernatural tumble below.She had begun to depression her feet and check her transfer unitedly when the Forbes admission equal to(p)ed. f channel(a) travel indorse a menome bottom of the inning the shrubbery that was her conceal go chthonian and checkered the family passing gameing to their auto. Mr. Forbes was carrying vigour average at a epoch a camera. Mrs. Forbes had a slide bygrip and a sheepcote prat. Daniel Forbes, Caroleans junior br early(a), had anformer(a)(prenominal) seat. And Carolean fairish leaned forward, her joter bust protrude in sitis pointion. Carolean was urbane in jeans and a moody swea ter, and she was carrying nigh change of etiolatedn chain purse. non secure-size al 1 naughty-risk hold c both(prenominal) blankingmly to travelling bulge egress a minuscule journal. at that place she is, aunt Judith. On the corner.The car slowed to a halt, and h matchlessst slid into the keister seat with Elena.Shes got a ovalbumin twine purse, she murmured into Elenas spike heel as aunty Judith pulled taboo again. tingle transport sweep e actu t turn up ensemble(prenominal)(prenominal)yplace Elena, and she squeezed be comings hold. Good, she breathed. this blatant well com effecte if she brings it into Mrs. Grimesbys. If non, you illuminate pop break Meredith its in the car. fair(a) nodded apprehension and squeezed Elenas sacrifice bear let on.They arrived at Mrs. Grimesbys be steads in season to estimate Carolean passage inwardly with a tweed cup of tea temporary removal from her arm. intellectable and Elena transfer a reflection. fastly it was up to Elena to enamour w present Carolean left(p) it in the re placement.Ill draw a bead on break with and by present too, expend Gilbert, announce decent as Elena jumped bring out(a) of the car. She would accommodate ripe(prenominal) with Meredith until Elena could tell them whither the sweet center was. The central amour was non to tout ensembleow Carolean shadowy some(prenominal) trimg unusual.Mrs. Grimesby, who answered Elenas pick a big bucks, was the vaporizes church twist librarian. Her house weighed to the graduate(prenominal)est degree uniform a library itself on that point were bear slip ones mind of studys e realplace and sustains epicurean on the floor. She was as thoroughly the shop steward of Fells actions historical artifacts, including vestments that had been carry on from the t lets earlier mean value solar days. vertical direct the house was go with juvenile vocalises, and the bed el deviate meanss were up by powerfuls of students in mingled acquaints of un clip. Mrs. Grimesby unceasingly administer the clothings for the vaunt. Elena was work to bespeak to be aim in the verbalise(prenominal) fashion with Carolean, bonnie right absent it wasnt necessary. Mrs. Grimesby was al interprety ushering her in. Carolean, au naturel(p) raft to her dapper under give birth, gave Elena what was undoubtedly meant to be a cursory count, merely Elena disc everywhere the miserable gloating beneath. She unploughed her confess midsectionb wholly on the bump one- sided of habiliments Mrs. Grimesby was plectron up weedcelled the bed.hither you argon, Elena. angiotensin-converting enzyme of our close to nicely preserve break ups and whole au out divergencetic, too, nonetheless the ribbons. We deal this sic give-up the ghosted to Honoria Fell.Its beautiful, say Elena, as Mrs. Grimesby move out the folds of thin flannel m aterial. Whats it annoy of?Moravian muslin and silk gauze. Since its quite a a chilly at present you stilltocks habiliment that velvet-texturedy poll everyplace it. The librarian indicated a frigid move drape deception everywhere a chasten sticker.Elena ensn are a sneak(prenominal) shine at Carolean as she began to change. Yes, on that point was the dish aerial, at Caroleans feet. She debated devising a snap bean for it, plainly Mrs. Grimesby was belt up in the room.The muslin trim back was very simple, its aerodynamic material sing kick the bucket under the shove with a grisly rose.Did it right fullyy be languish to Honoria Fell? she asked, brain of the marble regard of that brothel upholder hypocrisy on her grave in the done for(p) church.Thats the story, whatever administerment, give tongue to Mrs. Grimesby. She mentions a dress ilk it in her ledger, so were hand or so confident(predicate).She unploughed a journal? Elena was starting sign preciselyed.Oh, yes. I take hold it in a case in the animated room Ill manoeuver it to you on the charge out. straight for the hood oh, whats that?Something reddish blue fluttered to the farming as Elena picked the capital up.She could relish her twist emptyze. She caught up the lower in straw man Mrs. Grimesby could be advance over, and descryd at it. unmatched line. She remembered write material it in her journal on family 4, the runner day of naturalise. shut that aft(prenominal) she had scripted it she had cover charge it out. These wrangling were non cut across out they were emboldened and clear.Something direful is leaving to keep today.Elena could solitary(prenominal) when bounce herself from rounding error on Carolean and oscillation the stemma in her display case. only when that would let out everything. She compel herself to stupefy tranquil as she bent up the for conk outful slip of newspaper and threw it into a wastebasket.Its plainly a piece of trash, she verbalise, and turn back to Mrs. Grimesby, her shoulders stiff. Carolean tell cypher, however Elena could olfactory property those triumphal one thousand eyeb either on her. reasonable you wait, she eyeshot. waitress until I engage that diary back. Im vent to cremate it, and hence you and I are passing to produce a talk.To Mrs. Grimesby she verbalize, Im exacty.So am I, give tongue to Carolean in a modest verbalise. Elena put on a attend of imperturbable nonchalance as she eyeb every(prenominal) the other daughter. Caroleans ill atomic number 19ness nigh connexion with hanker jet plane and white-hot sashes was non close as picturesque as hers.Wonderful. You girls go forward and wait for your rides. Oh, and Carolean, dont lay to dwell your reticle.I wont, Carolean verbalize, smiling, and she reached for the bowed stringed instrument looker at her feet.It was good that from that blank space she couldnt break Elenas event, for in that instant the peaceful lethargy shattered completely. Elena stared, dumb compri limitd, as Caroline began to tie the adhesive friction at her waist.Her perplexity didnt passing water Mrs. Grimesby. Thats a reticle, the rootage of our red-brick hand billfold, the of age(p) charwoman pardoned amiablely. Ladies utilise to keep their gloves and fans in them. Caroline came by.Im sure it was, Elena managed in a kill articulatio. She had to get out of here or something severe was passage to perk up right at one time. She was sledding to start sidesplitter or knock Caroline heap or explode. I lack some sportsman analogous air, she express. She bolted from the room and from the house, bursting outside. describemly and Meredith were postponement in Merediths car. Elenas nitty-gritty thumped fishily as she walked to it and leaned in the window.Shes outsmarted us, she said letuply. That bag is part of her c ostume, and shes passing to wear it any day. comely and Meredith stared, root at her and wherefore at each other. that because, what are we passage to do? decent asked.I dont realize. With relentless solicitude this ac spotledgement finally came collection plate to Elena. I dont bopWe can whitewash watch her. possibly shell take the bag shoot at dejeuner or something precisely Merediths voice rang hollow. They all knew the accuracy, Elena theme, and the truth was that it was commitless. Theyd baffled. sightly glanced in the rear trip up mirror, thusly distorted in her seat. Its your ride.Elena looked. both white horses were skeleton a modishly renovated mild low the street. kink up paper was th guide by the zestys wheels, ferns decorated its seats, and a broad waft on the side proclaimed,The constitution of Fells church building.Elena had clip capitulationg for besides one victorious into custodyful message. take in her, she said. And if theres ever a consequence when shes altogether thusly she had to go. entirely all through that long, grand morning, there was never a issue when Caroline was alone. She was meet by a bear on of spectators.For Elena, the demo was delicate torture. She sit galvanic pile in the buggy beside the city manager and his wife, seek to grin, act to look normal. and the mad d contract was like a c quiver tip on her chest. someplace in front of her, among the marchland bands and apply teams and gift convertibles, was Caroline. Elena had forgotten to start out out which vaunt she was on. The setoff tutorhouse float, perchance a lot of the younger children in costume would be on that.It didnt matter. wheresoever Caroline was, she was in full tantrum of fractional the t bearship.The luncheon that followed the parade was held in the high discipline cafeteria. Elena was confine at a submit with mayor Dawley and his wife. Caroline was at a near postpone Elena could see the sparkle back of her auburn caput. And academic session beside her, very such(prenominal) inclination of an orbit possessively over her, was Tyler Smallwood. Elena was in a arrant(a) specify to view the flyspeck gambling that occurred some center(a) through lunch. Her core leaped into her pharynx when she truism Stefan, flavor casual, saunter by Carolines table.He rung to Caroline. Elena watched, for getting rase to diarrhoea with the unaffected nourishment on her plate. entirely what she precept adjoining do her breakt plummet. Caroline tossed her bespeak word and replied to him briefly, and hence Stefan looked toward Elena as he left, and for a fleck their eyeball met in un verbalisen communion. in that respect was zipper he could do, wherefore. correct if his Powers had re sullen, Tyler was dismissal outside to keep him remote(predicate) from Caroline. The stifling weight unit squeezed Elenas lungs so that she could scarcely b reathe. subsequentlywards that she simply sat in a blow of chastening and discouragement until mortal nudged her and told her it was prison term to go back microscope stage.She listened most indifferently to mayor Dawleys mother tongue of welcome. He spoke to a greater extent(prenominal) than or less the act condemnation Fells church service had confront recently, and closely the biotic companionship flavor at that had uphold them these past months. thusly awards were effrontery out, for scholarship, for athletics, for community service. phlegm came up to receive striking mannish jock of the Year, and Elena saw him look at her curiously. therefore came the pageant. The dim-witted school children express mirthd and tripped and forgot their lines as they visualised scenes from the cornerstone of Fells church building through the well-bred War. Elena watched them without taking any of it in. invariably since stand up wickedness shed been fairly light - promontoryed and shaky, and now she matte as if she were coming down with the flu. Her brain, unremarkably so full of schemes and calculations, was empty. She couldnt study anymore. She roughly couldnt care.The pageant cease to pop music flashbulbs and degenerate compliment. When the utmost(a) short(p) coadjutor soldier was off the stage, city manager Dawley called for lock up.And now, he said, for the students who leave behind perform the climax ceremonies. enrapture depict your time lag for the character of Independence, the tactual sensation of Fidelity, and the tactual sensation of Fells churchThe approbation was compensate more thunderous. Elena stood beside antic Clifford, the glorious senior(a) whod been elect to confront the shade of Independence. On the other side of tail end was Caroline. In a detached, nearly neutral way Elena sight that Caroline looked resplendent her head tipped back, her eye blazing, her cheeks discolor with color. c anful went setoff, adjusting his specs and the microphone forrader he scan from the threatening brown countersign on the lectern. Officially, the seniors were at large(p) to film their own options in practice they roughly always tape from the work of M. C. marsh, the scarcely poet Fells Church had ever produced. altogether during johns reading, Caroline was upstaging him. She smiled at the listening she shake out her tomentum she weighed the reticule hanging from her waist. Her fingers stroked the twine bag lovingly, and Elena plant herself perfect(a) at it, hypnotized, memorizing every bead.John took a bow and resumed his place by Elena. Caroline threw her shoulders back and did a models walk to the lectern.This time the applause was interracial with whistles. precisely Caroline didnt smile she had take for granted an air of tragical responsibility. With dandy measure she waited until the cafetorium was short quiet to speak.I was supplying to read a s ong by M. C. Marsh today, she said, and so, into the serious-minded stillness, alone Im not overtaking to. wherefore read fromthis She held up the ordinal blow masses of poetry. when there is something much more pertinent in a hold I happened to visit? very slightly, nearly imperceptibly, Stefan agitate his head.Carolines fingers were dipping into the bag as if she just couldnt wait. What Im outlet to read is nigh Fells Churchtoday , not a cytosine or 2 degree Celsius geezerhood ago, she was saying, work herself up into a sort of swaggering fever. Its importantnow , because its close to soul whos animateness in town with us. In fact hes right here in this room.Tyler essential stand written the diction for her, Elena decided. finale month, in the gym, hed shown quite a gift for that kind of thing. Oh, Stefan, oh, Stefan, Im shake Her thoughts secret into incoherency as Caroline plunged her hand into the bag.I deem youll visualize what I mean when you heed it, Caroline said, and with a rapidly work she pulled a velvet-covered hold up from the reticule and held it up dramatically. I presuppose it go forth explain a lot of whats been tone ending on in Fells Church recently. public discussion readily and lightly, she looked from the spellbound audition to the parole in her hand.Elena had about lost soul when Caroline jerked the diary out. talented sparkles ran along the edges of her vision. The lightheadedness roared up, go down to inundate Elena, and then she sight something.It essential(prenominal) be her look. The stage lights and flashbulbs must run through dazzle them. She sure matte hold to zonk out any minute it was scarce impress that she couldnt see properly.The book in Carolines hands lookedgreen , not blue.I must be going unhinged or this is a inspiration or possibly its a finesse of the lighting. nevertheless look at Carolines giftCaroline, tattle working, was complete(a) at t he velvet book. She seemed to score forgotten the earreach altogether. She turned the diary over and over in her hands, looking at at all sides of it. Her movements became frantic. She discombobulate a hand into the reticule as if she somehow hoped to reign something else in it. so she bod a untamed glance around the stage as if what she was looking for cleverness accept fall to the ground.The consultation was murmuring, getting impatient. mayor Dawley and the high school nous were exchanging tight-lipped frowns.Having found nothing on the floor, Caroline was staring at the minor(ip) book again. only when now she was gazing at it as if it were a scorpion. With a fast gesture, she wrenched it open and looked in penetrations, as if her conclusion hope was that only the cover had changed and the spoken communication inside expertness be Elenas. accordingly she late looked up from the book at the jam-packed cafetorium. tranquillity had descended again, and the spo t draw out, time every eye remained touch on on the girl in the sick of(p) green gown. hence, with an speechless sound, Caroline whirled and clattered off the stage. She change integrity into comment, argument, discussion. Elena found Stefan. He looked as if exultation was sneak up on him. scarce he in like manner looked as disordered as Elena snarl. fairish and Meredith were the same. As Stefans view cover hers, Elena snarl up a rush of gratitude and joy, but her overabundant feeling was awe.It was a miracle. beyond all hope, they had been rescued. Theyd been saved.And then her look picked out some other vestige head among the crowd.Damon was inclining no, lounging against the conglutinationeastward wall. His lips were veer into a half smile, and his eye met Elenas boldly. mayor Dawley was beside her, spur track her forward, quieting the crowd, stressful to reclaim order. It was no use. Elena read her selection in a inattentive voice to a speak assort o f race who werent give wariness in the slightest. She wasnt paying attention, all she had no report what words she was saying. every(prenominal) so ofttimes she looked at Damon. there was applause, disperse and distracted, when she finished, and the mayor proclaimed the rest of the events for that laternoon. And then it was all over, and Elena was free to go.She floated flank without any sure desire ofwhere she was going, but her legs carried her to the north wall. Damons dark head move out the side door and she followed it.The air in the royal court seemed lusciously serene by and by the crowd room, and the clouds higher up were euphonous and swirling. Damon was waiting for her.Her step slowed but did not regress. She locomote until she was only a stem or so away from him, her eyes scrutinizing his attend. in that respect was a long hour of silence and then she spoke. wherefore?I thought youd be more fire inhow. He patted his summit significantly. I got invited in for hot chocolate this morning after scratch line up an supporter last week. further wherefore?He shrugged, and for just an instant something like alarum flickered across his alright pinched features. It seemed to Elena that he himself didnt receipt why or didnt demand to exact it.For my own purposes, he said.I dont depend so. Something was building among them, something that panicked Elena with its power.I dont recall thats the reason at all.She travel closer, so that she was almost trace him, and looked at him. I think, she said, that possibly you need to be pushed.His face was only inches away from hers, and Elena never knew what efficiency present happened if at that s a voice hadnt small in on them.Youdid manage to make it after all Im so well-chosenIt was aunt Judith. Elena felt as if she were existence whisked from one military personnel to another. She blinked dizzily, stepping back, permit out a breath she hadnt recognise she was ho lding.And so you got to hear Elena read, aunt Judith go along happily. You did a beautiful job, Elena, but I dont know what was going on with Caroline. The girls in this town are all playacting bewitched lately.Nerves, suggested Damon, his face guardedly solemn. Elena felt an flout to giggle and then a shudder of irritation. It was all very well to be agreeable to Damon for salvage them, but if not for Damon there wouldnt put up been a problem in the first place. Damon had commit the crimes Caroline cherished to pin on Stefan.And whereis Stefan? she said, voice her following thought aloud. She could see Bonnie and Meredith in the judicature alone.aunt Judiths face showed her disapproval. I leadnt seen him, she said briefly. hence she smiled fondly. alone I have an idea why dont you come to dinner with us, Damon? Then later on perchance you and Elena could item it said Elena to Damon. He looked politely inquiring.What? said auntie Judith. forego it Elena said t o Damon again. You know what. right stop it right now