Edith first met the Saint-Clemont siblings in the summer of 1779.
By that time, summer was coming to an end, and little Edith felt very reluctant to say goodbye.
Among the four seasons, her favourite was summer. When the weather turned hot, she could splash in the water and catch all kinds of colourful butterflies and bugs. The best part was that the day was long, allowing her to play outside for a much longer time.
One day in the afternoon, Edith was chasing a squirrel and ended up near the distant castle.
She stopped, panting for breath, realising she had lost sight of the little squirrel. But right under the porch, facing the garden, she noticed a girl about her age. She must be the daughter of the lord.
The girl had a heart-shaped face, very thin, her wrists were slim, poking out from the sleeves of her white dress. She sat in a chair with a pair of strange big wheels. Even on such a hot day, a thin blanket covered her knees, draping down to hide her legs.
Edith was curious, so she hid behind the fence and observed her. The young lady turned her head and said a few words to the maid standing behind her. Then the maid curtsied and retreated into the house.
When the girl was alone, she sighed like a grown-up and then opened a book that was resting on her lap.
Edith noticed that when the girl read, her head was bowed low, and her face looked pale, oh so pale.
She couldn''t help but walk up to the little girl, showing her worry. "You look unwell! Are you sick?"
This girl was exactly Charlene, the daughter of the count. She only just noticed Edith standing there and got a little surprised. Then she smiled and shook her head, explaining, "I''m fine. I''ve been holed up in my room reading, so my face might look a bit pale."
"Why don''t you come outside to play?" asked Edith, feeling confused.
Charlene lightly tapped on the armrest of her wheelchair and said, "Didn''t you see my wheelchair? I can''t walk. I got ill, then I couldn''t feel my legs anymore. I guess I probably will never be able to stand up again."
"Wheelchair? I''ve never seen this before." Little Edith curiously looked at the refreshing big thing in front of her.
Charlene was happy because the girl in front of her didn''t apologise.
Ever since her legs became paralysed, the grown-ups would always look at her with sympathetic eyes and come up with all sorts of awkward ways t