Alice stood at the pathway and smoothed down her wrinkled black dress. Her hair band which her mother had insisted that she should put on over her untamed hair pinched at her scalp. She pulled her suitcase behind her and waited for the crowd of nobles to come crashing in to swallow her whole for then she could quietly slip through the gait no questions asked no doubting glances for how could a girl in a black old tattered dress be in the school for the rich, the powerful, the people who were anything but like Alice.

But the crowd did not come.

Alice  checked her brothers old watch the only thing of value in her possession. It was nine-thirty she was sure they would be here by now. Alice unzipped her suit case and frowned as she dug for the letter. She sighed "ten I was meant to come here at ten." 

She turned away from the gate and walked down the stone path.

She stopped and saw a car arrive slowly she turned and looked at the car was it a limo model Z the one her brother complained about not having the other day. 

It was well over a thousand francs maybe one hundred thousand at least. She sighed and thought how much pastries she could by will that money from Ms. Patterson in the street market or how many from the old sweet shop on fifth street. 

She turned a corner and continued walking down the path that started her story.