THEN
Eva woke early, showered and put on the uniform: a beige jumper, white blouse and cardigan. She checked herself in the mirror. She looked like any number of serving ladies she'd see leaving Lord Abernath's keep back home. She left early, hoping not to get lost finding Jolingo Hall.
"Hey, new girl," a voice called from behind her. She turned and saw a slender girl with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes walking quickly towards her. She was slightly taller than Eva but not quite as curvy, her small breasts barely visible through the uniform she wore. It made her think of what Madam Marie said about waifs. Eva smiled at her. "Sorry, you're newer than me. I'm Jillian."
"Eva."
"Nice to meet you," Jillian said. "I'm from..."
"I'd rather not know," Eva interrupted. "We are no longer from that place. We're from the place we go from now on."
Jillian made a face at the admonishment and sighed.
"You're right," she said. Other girls filled the halls, all headed for class. Eva and Jillian crossed the quad to a huge, utilitarian looking building near the back of the grounds. Stepping through a vestibule, they saw a tall woman in a dark blazer and skirt waiting for them with a clipboard in her hand.
"Names?"
They both said their names and the woman checked her clipboard. She nodded her head.
"Very good," she said. "Fifth floor. Room Five-Seventeen. Take the south staircase."
Eva led the way, finding the south staircase with little problem and made their way to the fifth floor. Room five-seventeen was halfway down the long hall, in the middle of the floor. The door was open and they stepped into the room. It was a large, lecture hall sized room with tiers of long tables and benches. Madam Marie was waiting for them. She smiled when she saw them
"Eva, Jillian, welcome," she said, coming over to each of them, giving a peck on each cheek. Eva mimicked the move. Her eyes slid to the front of the room where twelve women in similar dark blazers and short skirts sat waiting. Three girls were already there, glaring over at Eva and Jillian. Eva looked up at the clock. It was seven-fifty.
"Is this all?" Jillian whispered to Eva, who didn't answer as they took seats on the benches with the other girls. She looked up and a dark haired woman with dark eyes made eye contact with Eva then leaned over to another who looked up and nodded at whatever was said between them before going back to being as still as stone.
In the next ten minutes, seven more girls of all shapes and sizes showed up and sat alongside Eva and the others.
"Welcome, ladies, to the next step in your journey," Madam Marie said. "THis is where you will meet the woman that will mold you into a proper Proxy."
Eva looked at each of the women at the front of the room. Her eyes connected again with the woman with dark eyes. A slight upturn of the corner of her lips broke her stone face. Eva wondered if that was going to be her chaperone for the next few months. Madam Marie picked up a clipboard.
"Let's get started," she said. "Aliana?"
A short, petite girl with almond shaped eyes stood up.
"You'll be with Madam Ovanna."
A short, petite woman in a dark red blazer and skirt stood up.
"Beatrice."
A blonde girl with small breasts and long legs stood up.
"Madam Alexa."
Eva couldn't help but notice that the older woman was almost always a near match for the girls they were paired with. Eva scanned the remaining women and narrowed it down to three, if her guess was right. The four disappeared out of a back door in the room.
"Eva."
Eva jumped a little at the mention of her name. She wasn't sure why.
"Madam Chanel."
