Chapter 41

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*Elizabeth's P.O.V*

I squirm slightly in the carriage, trying to look out the window for probably the millionth time. Mommy grabs my hand, stopping me so I pout at her. I just wanted to see if we were there yet.

"We won't be there any faster if you keep looking out the window. I promise that we're not there yet, it's only been a minute since you last looked," Mommy reassured me, making me glare at her. I couldn't believe she would do such a thing.

"Wanna check! Checking doesn't make us slower either," I whine, twisting my arm out of her hold. Mommy sighs, rolling her eyes and sounding exasperated as I move the curtains to look again.

"Enough, I'm sure you can find something to do besides looking out the window," Mommy says, earning a furrow of my brows.

"I know you used to stash things in the carriages to keep yourself busy, so find something to do," Mommy states, making me puff my cheeks out for a moment before I do what she says. I reach in between the cushion I'm sitting on, digging out a book which I open almost instantly.

"Is that an appropriate book?" Mommy asks, making me give a short, sharp nod to her question. Of course it was appropriate! I wouldn't read an inappropriate book in front of her, at least not on purpose.

"Is a romance story, one of yours that..." I trail off, shutting my mouth quickly to avoid admitting that I had 'stolen' one of her books. It wasn't really stealing though, she was my mother and I did intend to give it back at one point. I had just forgotten that I was "borrowing" it.

"It's one of mine? Let me see then," Mommy holds out her hands, raising an eyebrow when I hesitate. I hand it over, ducking my head as I expect her anger for taking something without permission, even if it had been in here for a long time.

"Huh, this is an interesting book. Not too graphic, if I remember correctly. I didn't think pirate romance was your type of thing though," Mommy says as she hands it back, surprising me as I take it. She wasn't mad? That was surprising so I hesitate as I look at her, furrowing my brows.

"You're not mad?" I finally ask, making her purse her lips.

"I could be mad at you for taking one of my books without permission... However, I knew that you took it and I chose to let you keep it way back then," Mommy states, my eyebrows nearly reaching my hairline with my surprise.

"How? I was so sneaky," I pout slightly, a small frown on my lips when she chuckles.

"Elizabeth, you were the opposite of sneaky. You walked into my office, gave me a hug and then left as if nothing had happened. That's not your normal behavior and everytime you did that one of my books would disappear. Usually one of the ones I had already read and been done with, so I didn't mind, as long as it was appropriate. I would have preferred you ask but I am not going to be mad at something you did a long time ago," Mommy says, making me pout.

"I was so sneaky though," I whisper, opening the book with a small frown on my lips.

"You were not sneaky enough. I am your mother, I know when my daughter is getting up to mischief. You can be as sneaky as you like but I will catch onto whatever you're planning on doing," Mommy warns, making me sink down in my seat.

I squirm slightly, not used to the feeling of wearing trainers when it had been so long since I had last worn a pair. I had been basically a baby when I last wore them. It felt so weird and I couldn't help but want to take them off and never touch them again. Maybe I could even burn them so that mommy could never trick me into wearing them again.

"I know that look! What are you plotting over there?" Mommy asks, raising an eyebrow which makes me shake my head slightly.

"Nothing," I squeak out, shrinking down even more when she leans a little closer.

"You are a terrible liar and I don't enjoy you lying to me, young lady," Mommy warns, making me squirm in my seat.

"My secrets are mine and I don't have to share them because my thoughts are supposed to be private and I don't have to share them," I repeat as I cover my ears, closing my eyes as I try to block out her stern look.

Mommy pulls my hands away from my ears, making me pout slightly but I keep my eyes tightly shut. I squeal, swatting her hands away when she starts to tickle my sides.

"Oh come on, let me see your eyes, pretty girl," Mommy tries to convince me but I shake my head with a small frown. I whine, trying to keep them shut tightly but she keeps tickling me.

"How are you going to pick out your dresses with your eyes shut?" Mommy asks, making my eyes shoot open. I scramble to look out the window, frowning when I see that we're just now getting into town.

"You tricked me! We're not even there yet," I sulk, giving Mommy a dirty look.

"We're about to be and I wanted to fix your dress before we get out," Mommy says as she moves to sit next to me. I realize that my dress has ridden up slightly, leaving my trainers on display from where she had been sitting.

"Mommy," I whine, moving to stand up slightly. She tugs my dress down slightly, smoothing it out. Mommy pulls me back down, purposefully pulling me onto her lap so that her arms can wrap around me. I huff slightly, squirming in her hold as I wait impatiently for us to stop.

As soon as the carriage lurches to a stop, I try to scramble off of her lap. She holds me still for a moment before I stop, looking at her.

"Do not rush out of this carriage. You will just end up falling and wanting me to kiss the owie away if you do," Mommy warns, making me huff as I squirm to get up. She pats my bottom when I do escape, huffing slightly as I open the door and step out after a moment. Time to get my dresses! And mommy hadn't put a limit on how many I could get so I was going to get so many! One look at the shop though, and I pause, staring at it in confusion...

Surely this isn't the dress shop! The dresses all look so... so... boring!!! Where's the colors!? The ruffles!? The puffiness!? They don't even have lace in them! They look exactly like the dresses in the section of mommy's closet I avoid at all cost!! Pouting, I turn and yelp when mommy takes that opportunity to scoop me up and place me on her hip very gracefully, never breaking stride!

"Stop pouting! The carriage can't go any further without causing problems so we have to walk the rest of the way to your dresses," Mommy tells me, continuing to carry me as I fight to be set down. Her warning pats to my bottom has me settling down though, especially when the pats never stop and I see us heading in the direction of the family bathroom!!

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