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12 Days, Act Ten (01.03.14)
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"What is this you want me to see, Gretchen?" Isabella asked, walking with her up to the warehouse where they stored the gifts for the client during the day.

Gretchen whistled, which was the signal for Milly and Katie to open the doors from the inside. As the doors slid upward, Isabella immediately saw what Gretchen was referring to. Most of the items needed for the day were already present, even though it was only a little past eight in the morning.

"Where did these come from?"

"We don't know, Chief."

As they went inside, they missed a small flying craft take off into the sky across the street, driven by an animal wearing a fedora. Meanwhile, the girls found shipping labels attached to each of the items. Isabella located an invoice, which was on the crate with the turtle doves.

"Well, someone paid for it. AND signed for the delivery."

Off in the back were the human gifts, which including the eight maids-a-milking - with their cows - and the nine ladies dancing.

"Hmm. It looks like all that's missing are the ten lords-a-leaping. Oh, and a partridge in a pear tree. Huh. Funny how it's always the partridge that's missing."

"The girls are already on it," Gretchen said, filling in the gaps. "And by girls, I mean…"

"Where do we find lords around here? Much less leaping ones? We have a democracy here, not a… the one where there's one ruler over all."

"You mean a monocracy, Ginger?"

"Is THAT what it's called, Holly? I thought a monocracy was that thing rich people hold up to one eye."

"That's a monocle."

"That's not the same thing?"

Adyson cut in, shushing them both. "Hey! Look!"

They were standing in front of a mailbox with named 'Lord' on it.

"I have an idea!"

Adyson bolted up the sidewalk and towards the front door.

"This is a stupid idea!" Holly shouted, as she and Ginger ran after her.

"No, it's not," Adyson replied, stopping at the door and waiting for them to catch up.

Once Holly and Ginger had reached her, Adyson rang the doorbell. The trio then waited patiently to see if someone would answer.

A few seconds later, a British man with an imposing chin opened the door and stepped out.

"Yes? Mayeth I helpeth you?"

Adyson nodded. "Fireside Girls Troop 46231, sir. We're looking for leaping lords, and since your last name is Lord, perhaps there's someone in your family who leaps for a living?"

"I knew it," Holly grumbled. "Stupid idea."

The man frowned, staring at them for a minute. Then, without warning, he whistled. Suddenly, nine other individuals of different ages from as young as 12 to as old as 75 ran out of the house and onto the front lawn. The man joined them and then they spontaneously started performing a number of leaping routines. Holly gawked in disbelief while Adyson gave her a satisfying smirk.

Back at the warehouse, all of the humans were seen boarding a bus, while all the animals and other gifts had just finished being loaded into a truck.

"I think that's everything," Isabella said aloud, double-checking the list.

"You're forgetting me," said Keith Partridge, walking up to the group.

"Don't we already have one of you? Like the standee?"

"Contract dispute. My apologies. If it helps… I come with partridge?"

He held up a small pear tree sapling that was in a cage with a partridge.

"That'll do."

"Oh," he said while handing it to her, "give the contract negotiator my thanks. And tell him that's a nice fedora he's wearing."

Isabella scratched her head in confusion as Keith Partridge boarded the bus. Meanwhile, looking down from atop the warehouse was the girls' benefactor… an animal wearing a fedora.

And he was far from done helping them.

End Act Ten