Amabelle

Chapter Twelve

She had had a pleasant and quiet morning so far. She ate her breakfast in peace, an the children's lessons didn't start until eleven, so she had a couple of hours to kill. She wandered into the stunning garden, and was nearly knocked unconscious by the sweet aromas assaulting her nose. Summer wasn't too far away. She suspected her mother would have liked her to have a summer wedding. There would be a great party outside; they would stay up late with soft lanterns casting friendly shadows across the dry ground. They would dance in the midnight heat and be so happy... She felt another pang of guilt in her heart. She should have stayed. Mother might have actually felt proud of her. Then again, something in her always strives to disappoint... She frowned slightly, then looked up to the fluffy clouds in the baby blue sky. She continued to walk along a paved path,winding around rose gardens, flower beds bursting with beauty, and between trellises of great winding creeper plants. Various insects hummed and birds sang merrily. It was quite an idilic scene.

The paving stopped abruptly, transforming into an unkept dirt path. The elderly trees blocked all light. The The darkness of the forest was unkind and foreboding. She was about to step over the threshold - purely out of curiosity - when she heard peels of laughter, and light but hurried footsteps.

She spun around in time to see a blur of bright red tumble to the ground, followed by a flash of gold and chocolate, all landing in a heap on the wet grass. Little limbs stuck out in various imaginative angles and positions, as they rolled around: giggling and tickling each other. She chuckled and strode towards the gangly troupe.

"Stop it! Stop it, Oliver, stop it!" Amelia wailed with glee.

"You started it!" Mable pointed out, turning on Amelia to tickle her rather than Oliver.

"Fine. I guess it is Mable's turn..." Oliver grinned and launched at his older sister.

"No!" Mable cried in anguish, as she landed on her back, both siblings sitting on top of her, having their wicked ways, and tickling her into oblivion. "Stop! Stop!" She protested and writhed. She managed to stifle her laughter long enough to declare: "That's it! You two had better run!" She threw them off, with only slight difficulty, and chased them around the garden. They squealed with delight, until they ended up in a heap again.

"What are you doing?" Amabelle finally interrupted. She'd never played such a wild game when she was little...

"What does it look like we're doing?" Amelia cheekily reposted,before proceeding to tickle Oliver under his arms.

"We're playing tickle-it!" Oliver announced between screams.

"It's like it, only you tickle each other as you chase each other." Mable explained, a hand on each sibling, trying her best to tickle them back.

"What are you doing?!" Mrs Douglas screeched, quite horrified. They were like little frogs, positively glowing green with grass stains. The children froze immediately, faces falling.

"We were playing, mother." Mable apologised, getting up, but keeping her head down.

"Go inside and clean yourselves up. You are absolutely filthy!" She snapped. The children complied and left silently. "And what are you doing?" She glares at Amabelle accusingly.

"I went for a walk, then found the children playing." Amabelle answered.

"Why didn't you stop them before they got so mucky?"

"They were having fun..." She replied simply.

"Well I'm sure Daisy will have a lot of fun getting those stains out!" Mrs Douglas remarked, storming off, her anger rippling off her in waves, hitting Amabelle with intense heat.