When The Boys Are Away

Part 67

"Who's Grace?" Charlotte asked interestedly, tilting her head up towards the older ones around her as they moved through to the lounge whilst the business meeting went on without them. It took a moment for them to settle around the room, each falling on to different chairs comfortably. 

"I think she's a whore." Olly answered casually as everyone's heads shot towards him in shock, hardly believing that the twelve year old knew such a word. 

"Olly!" Lily snapped strictly, "You can't say such things. Especially when they're not true." She reprimanded him, taking a seat beside Isaiah who wrapped his arm around her shoulders gently. 

"Well..." Finn went to argue, a knowing smirk on his face before quickly shutting up as Lily sent him a glare. Edward and Theo chuckled under their breath, whilst Charlotte remained just as confused as she was at the start. 

"I thought that was her job. That's what dad said about her." Olly reiterated defensively as Lily sighed, shaking her head at her father's language. Usually he was quite reserved with what he said around his two youngest, but clearly Olly had been eavesdropping at the wrong time. 

"Don't listen to everything your dad says." Isaiah warned calmly, pointing at the puzzled boy before resting his head back against the chair contently. Lily glanced at him out of her side eye, a smile falling onto her face before Charlotte began with another question. 

"Did Harlow's boyfriend punch Uncle Arthur?" She pried nosily as Lily sighed once again, not liking how observant her sister sister could be. Edward shook his head, crossing his arms across his chest as he leaned forwards, Charlotte's attention fully on him, "No Charlie, Jay punched Arthur. Besides, stop asking so many questions, it's no business for a little girl." 

Charlotte pouted angrily, sticking out her tongue at her older brother, but less than a minute later, her attention had been captured by another, less violent thought, "Can we go and see the horses?" 

Olly nodded his head in excitable agreement, practically jumping to his feet at the idea. They both loved being outside, but since Charlotte was met by the Russian by the stream, Tommy was reluctant to let them out unsupervised. 

"Fine, but someone's got to come with you." Lily reminded them as they sprinted hand in hand towards the door. Looking around for volunteers, all the boys avoided her eyeline purposely, leaving Lily to groan and push herself up from the sofa. Although she didn't want to run around in the stables, she knew nobody else was going to do it. 

"I guess I'll do it myself." She stated reluctantly, chucking a cushion at Edward who just pulled a face back at his younger sister. The two little ones ran out the door enthusiastically, followed by Lily who warned them not to run too fast on the gravel. There had been more than a few scrapes on Tommy's uneven driveway. 

Heading out the open front doors, Lily narrowed her eyes when she saw two figures walking up towards the house, neither of whom she could identify from a distance. However, something in her told her to call her siblings back, though she did feel slightly bad for ruining their fun. "Charlotte, Olly, come here now please!" 

Her shout carried across the grass, causing the two lively children to frown, sulking their shoulders and pouting their lips as they started to walk back towards the house in a solemn mood. 

"Lizzie!" Lily called anxiously, twisting round in the doorway to find someone to address the new visitors. She placed her hands hurriedly on her younger siblings' backs, pushing them back into the hallway and out of the path as Lizzie and Rose entered up from the basement stairs, following the voice that called them.

"What's wrong Lil?" Rose asked brightly, tucking her blonde locks behind her ears that had been annoyingly tickling her cheeks. Lizzie tilted her head beside her, rubbing a hand soothingly over her rounded stomach, desperate for the next month or so to fly by so that she could finally hold her child in her arms.