The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella)

Chapter 1905

"Thank you!" Louisa beamed, her smile so wide her cheeks might split. She motioned to the servants to hand out the New Year's

bonuses.

Then they went into the house.

"Bella, cool or what?" David squeezed in beside Arabella to her left, asking, "Mom and Dad said you probably haven't seen a

traditional dance before, so they arranged a special show right at our doorstep."

"Bella hasn't missed out on much," Clark interjected from her right, "Hungry? Let's head down for sbreakfast."

Arabella could sense the festive spirit and the bustle. She smiled softly and asked, "Why's everyone up so early today? Did you plot

this together?"

She herself wasn't one to sleep in, and she had risen quite early today, only to find everyone else was up even earlier.

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"We made a pact to wear matching family outfits as a surprise for you." David chuckled, "You wouldn't believe how hard it used to

be to get them to wear matching outfits in the past! But now, wanting to look more like a family with you, they couldn't wait to put

them on! Clark was up at the crack of dawn, even took a shower, just to slip into these new threads."

"Like you didn't shower," Clark laughed, "but the real shocker must be Hans and Sean. You could have held a knife to their throats

in years past and they still wouldn't have worn matching outfits. Especially not in such a bright color. But this year, without any

arm-twisting, Mom and Dad managed to get them into the gear."

"I look mighty spry in this get-up, don't I?" Cornelia smoothly edged Clark aside, linking arms with Arabella, "Don't | look dapper?"

Arabella's gaze fell on her grandmother and said to her, "You look stunning."

"Told you! That outfit would get compliments anywhere. It really is a winner, no foolin'." Belinda also nudged David aside, taking

Arabella's other arm as she spoke to Cornelia, "See, even Bella agrees. She wouldn't lie. You truly look fabulous!"

"I think you look even more charming, so elegant and fitting." Cornelia lavished praise in return.

David and Clark, seeing the mutual admiration fest, were at a loss for words. Why push them out of the way to compliment each

other?

But then, Louisa squeezed in front of them, eager to be closer to her daughter. "Bella, what do you think of my outfit?"

"And mine! You haven't complimentedyet!" Kenneth elbowed his two sons even further away.

Eventually, all the elders surrounded Arabella, insisting on riding the elevator with her.

Outside, the five brothers were left waiting, resigned to catch the next one.

"Hans, don't you think our elevator's a bit on the small side? Should we get a bigger one installed?" one joked.

"I'm taking the stairs. I'm sitting next to Bella for breakfast!"

"Wait for me, I'm coming too!"

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As David and Clark sprinted down, Hans remarked dryly, "Lucky if we're not squeezed out to the kids' table, let alone sit next to

Bella."

Sure enough.

By the tDavid and Clark made it downstairs, the seats around Arabella were already claimed by Cornelia and Belinda.

Kenneth and Louisa aimed to sit beside the two, but two even older relatives had beat them to it.

"Ah, I'm finally close to Bella," Bernard said with a twinkle in his eye. "lI don't get much twith Bella usually. Gotta take these few

days to spoil our darling, serve her a bit more."

"We can't be sitting too far off, else reaching over to Bella will be quite the stretch..." Darren added.

With no choice left, Kenneth and Louisa tried to sit next to them, only to hear Eunice say, "We're not often around, and as uncles

and aunts, we ought to be near our niece, shouldn't we? The rest of you lot have plenty of chances to dote on Bella, right?"