Chapter
Four: The Play Date
About 20 minutes
later the doorbell rang. Miss White opened it, "Good day Mr. Hartley,
Catherine." She led them in.
Mr. Hartley smiled, "Good afternoon." He removed his hat as he walked in.
"Where is Julia?" Catherine asked looking around the room. Miss. White took their hats and coats and hung them in
Mr. Conlon walked over, "Hello Catherine. Julia is up stairs in her room." He said, "Mr. Oolds show Catherine to Julia's room."
"Right this way." Mr. Oolds said.
"Patrick how's your business these days?" He asked as they walked into the parlor.
"Very well. I just bought..." Mr. Hartley said
trailing off.
Catherine followed Mr. Oolds, "Is Julia going to live here now?" she asked curiously.
Mr. Oolds looked down at Catherine, "Yes, Julia and her brother will be living here now." He led her down the long hall to Julia's new room. She nodded. Her father had sort of told her what had happened, but she didn't quite understand.
"Julia?" Catherine called into the room. Julia was sitting on the floor in front of a huge dollhouse. She heard Catherine call her name.
"Catherine!" She called jumping up. Catherine smiled and ran over to her.
"Happy birthday!" she announced happily.
"Thank you." Julia said, "Want to play dolls?" She asked.
"If you two need any thing just call." Mr. Oolds said as he left the room. Catherine nodded and sat down in front of the dollhouse.
"Did you get any presents? I always get lots of presents on my birthday."
"Yeah, but Eric and I aren't aloud to open them till after dinner tonight." Julia rolled her eyes. She handed Catherine a couple of dolls.
"Bang! Bang!" Hayden ran into the room and flipped over the bed. Eric wasn't far behind, "Don't tell him I'm here." He whispered to Julia and Catherine. Catherine looked over at Julia and raised an eyebrow.
Eric walked into the room, "Did Hayden come in here?" he asked looking around the room. Hayden slipped under the bed and pulled the dust ruffle down.
"Nope, he didn't come in here." Julia said pointing towards the bed.
"What are you playing?" she asked watching Eric walk towards the bed.
"Cops and robbers." He said ducking down on the other side of the bed, "Bang! Bang!" Eric shouted, "Gotcha!" Hayden made a sound and then rolled out from under the bed.
"You two wanna play with us?" He asked walking over. Catherine stood up and crossed her arms.
"Girls are not cops nor robbers," she said slightly offended.
Hayden and Eric looked at her, "Fine don't play. Who wants to play with a bunch of icky girls any ways?"
"How about Princess, Dragons and Knights?" Eric suggested.
Julia wrinkled her nose, "Why should we play with you?" She asked, "You called us icky."
"Either you want to play or you don't," Hayden said getting a little annoyed. Catherine thought about it for a second.
"Fine, but I'm a princess... and I'm NOT 'icky'."
Julia gave him a look before making her mind up, "Fine, I'll play as long as you don't call us icky any more."
"I'll be the dragon the first time." Eric said happy to volunteer.
"I'm not going to be a dragon or a knight." Julia said.
"I'm a knight," Hayden announced. "Um, Julia you can be..."
"She can be a princess too," Catherine said interrupting him.
"You mean I have to save you both?" He said looking at them.
"Yes," Catherine said stepping up on the bed. She motioned Julia to follow her.
Hayden sighed giving up. Julia followed Catherine and they climbed onto the bed.
"Hey if you don't come save them I'll understand." Eric whispered to Hayden. He held his hand up to block his mouth, "I might have to pay you to take them back." Julia eyed the two of them.
"Are we going to play or are you two going to continue to whisper loud enough so we can hear you?" Julia said in a little huff.
"Hold on...We are talking strategy." Eric said to his sister.
Catherine rolled her eyes, "I have a feeling we are going to be here for awhile."
Hayden laughed, "It's alright, I'll save them. But then I'll die tragically." Julia crossed her arms and waited for the two.
"What if the dragon happens to roast them with his hot fire breath?" Eric suggested as he laughed.
Catherine looked around the room as they waited. "Oh, I forgot to give this to you," she took something out of her pocket. "It's your birthday present."
Julia took it, "Thank-you." She said as she gave Catherine a hug.
Hayden laughed, "Sounds like a good strategy to me."
"Okay, we are ready." Eric said trying not to laugh.
"Finally." Julia said. Eric ran out of the room making "dragon" noises. Hayden went to chase Eric, but stopped.
He looked at the girls, "You're supposed to scream for help."
Catherine started screaming and yelling for help. "Help! We need help!"
"Help us from the evil dragon!" Julia screamed trying not to giggle as she did.
"I'm the evil dragon and I've come to take you to my layer." Eric called as he re-entered the room.
Catherine screamed, "If only a brave knight would save us!"
Hayden stood around watching them yell trying not to laugh too hard.
"Hayden!" she yelled again to get his attention.
He walked over to edge of the bed and put his 'sword' up in the air. "I am a knight and will..." He paused for a moment. The two girls looked at him, "Save you!" he declared.
"I guess he will do," Catherine said to Julia giggling.
"I thought we said brave." Julia laughed. Eric ran and jumped onto the bed. He took Catherine and Julia by the arms.
"Now I am going to fly off to my layer!" He called pulling them off the bed. Hayden watched them.
"Knight! Do something!" Catherine yelled at him.
"I can't. You're flying," he said laughing.
Catherine rolled her eyes. "Is it too late to get another knight?"
Julia followed her brother to his room, "Now we are in my dark layer." He said letting them go. He stood at the door of his room waiting for Hayden.
"Oh, hurry brave knight be before the dragon eats us!" Julia called, "I said oh, hurry brave knight!"
Hayden walked into the room taking his time. He put his 'sword' up in the air, "I am a-"
"A knight... we know. Now save us!" Catherine said interrupting him.
He half pouted. "Not with that tone young lady. I might as well let the dragon eat you."
Eric grinned evilly, "Here I come to eat you two!" He said. Julia screamed and ran.
"Some knight you are!" She said as she ran past Hayden. He laughed watching them being chased around screaming.
Catherine grabbed his arm. "If we are going to be eaten, then you are too."
Eric stopped chasing them, "I can't eat the knight."
"And why not?" Julia asked.
"Cause dragons aren't supposed to eat the knight." Eric said matter of factly. Julia just looked at him. Hayden took his arm out of Catherine's grasp and nodded agreeing with Eric.
"Well, knights are supposed to save princesses," Catherine said to Hayden.
He stuck out his tongue in response. Catherine stuck hers out too.
"I don't want to play this any more." Julia said crossing her arms and stomping her foot.
"Fine, what do you want to play?" Eric asked.
"Lets play tea party." Julia said un-crossing her arms. She smiled sweetly.
"I'd rather be eaten by the dragon then play tea party." Hayden said making a face of disgust.
"Please?" Catherine pleaded to the guys. "We played your game."
"No one said you had to play are game." Eric said. He then turned and whispered loudly to Hayden, "I'll eat you only if you slay me first." Hayden smiled and started making slashing sounds while he fought with Eric. Catherine rolled her eyes.
"It's not fair." Julia said stomping her foot again and pouting.
"ROAR!" Eric said, "I breath hot fire breath on you!" The two of them started cracking up.
"You two are mean." Julia said crossing her arms, "You.... A...Meanies!" She finally said.
Catherine nodded in agreement. "Let's go back to your room and leave these twits," she said to Julia leaving the room.
Julia followed in toe, "Boys."
Eric was laughing so hard, "Man, they are mad at us!" He said gasping for air.
Hayden wiped his eyes. They started tearing from how hard he was laughing. "Yeah, you think we should do something about it?"
"Well we haven't made them cry yet." Eric said looking down the hall, "I got an idea." Eric grinned mischievously. "Come on..." Eric said as they walked down the stairs, "We need an empty jar."
Hayden followed him. "There's one in the kitchen... what exactly are we going to do?"
"Do you like worms and ants?" Eric asked, "Cause girls don't."
Hayden grinned seeing where he was going with this. "Oh, I got it. There's lots of bugs in the garden... saw a huge spider there the other day."
"Spiders are good too." Eric said as they rushed down to the kitchen and out the back door. Mr. Oolds saw them leave and went to keep an eye on them in case the murderer was still around.
Hayden searched through the garden for some bugs. All he found were small ones and frowned. "I can't find any good ones," he said to Eric. Eric dug around in the dirt. He picked up a small worm and made a face at it.
"I know they're all to small." He said tossing the worm back to the ground, "Where did you see that spider?"
"Over here." Hayden said standing up and walking over to the garden fence. In between the two posts was an intricately weaved spider web. Resting in the center of the web was a big lazy spider. It was white with a red stripe on it.
"Prefect." Eric said. He lifted the jar in one hand and the lid in the other. He cupped it around the spider. The spider franticly scurried around the bottom of the jar before settling it's self down. Hayden grinned then the two of them headed back in to the house. Mr. Oolds stopped them.
"What are you two up to now?" He asked looking down at the two. Eric hid the jar with the spider behind his back.
"Nothing." Eric said with the straightest face that he could manage. Oolds eyed the two boys before he let them pass.
"If I find out you two are up to…." The boys were up the stairs and headed towards the girls room.
********
Karina got out her tea set and set it up on a small table, "I have some fancy hats and stuff we could dress up in."
Catherine smiled. "Great! We can be princesses without any 'icky' boys around."
Karina pulled some hats and dress clothes out of a toy chest, "Here we go."
Catherine put on some clothes topped with a feathery hat. She sat down at the table. "Shall we?"
"Yes." Karina put a stuffed bear in one of the other chairs and her new doll in the other, "Would you like some crumpets?" She asked Catherine.
"Yes please," she said thickening her accent. "Tea?" she asked the doll. The doll just sat there and she took that as a yes and began to pour the 'tea' in the cup. "Would you like a spot of tea?" Catherine asked Karina.
"Yes please." She said as she passed an empty plate across to Catherine, but first she took something of the plated and placed it on the one in front of the bear.
Catherine poured Karina some tea and then some for herself. She pretended to take a sip making sure her pinky was up. She frowned, "I don't hear anything..."
"Maybe Hayden slayed Eric?" Karina said a little worried her self.
"We can only hope." Catherine said. Just then the two boys could be heard running up the stairs. Hayden was the first to appear in the doorway.
"What are you to up to?" Eric asked holding thejar behind his back he carefully opened the lid.
"Playing tea party." Karina said raising her eyebrow at his question. It was pretty obvious what they were doing, and the girls had only told them that they were going to play a game with out them. Eric and Hayden stood there with huge grins plastered across their faces. Catherine could tell that they were up to something. Hayden carefully unscrewed the cap on his jar behind his back.
"What are you two up to now?" Catherine asked rather annoyed with the boys.
"One…two….three!" Hayden counted as he dumped the jar across the table. Karina and Catherine both jumped up and screamed
The screams of Karina and Catherine could be heard down in the parlor. Mr. Conlon and Hartley rushed up the stairs. Mrs. Conlon wasn't far behind.
When they got up stairs they found the two boys laughing hysterically. Mr. Conlon grabbed each of them b an arm and pulled them to there rooms. Where he yelled at each of them.
Mrs. Conlon and Mr. Hartley each went to their respective child. Mrs. Conlon wiped the tears that streamed down Karina's face away. After Karina and Catherine were both calm again. They said their good byes. Mr. Conlon and Mr. Hartley both had decided that it was a good idea if they had left and would see each other on another time when the boys could behave themselves.
*********************************
Later that night after Karina had returned from her Ballet lessons and dinner was over Eric and her headed up stairs to their rooms. On each of their beds a small box was placed.
Eric took his off of his bed and ran into Julia's room, "Julia did you get one too?" He asked. Julia held hers up and smiled, "Lets open them." Eric said excitedly.
"Wait…" Julia said as she pulled the small tag off of it, "It's from Mother and Father."
"Eric's smiled turned to a frown when he thought of his parents. They both opened their gifts. Inside each of the boxes were silver bracelets; their names were engraved in script with there birth date. On the back of Eric's there was a silver dragon from one of his books.
Eric Evins
May 2, 1887
To our loving son.
Julia took hers out of its box. Instead of a dragon engraved on the back of it there was Morning Glory's. She looked at the bracelet and put it on.
Julia Evins
May 2, 1887
To are beautiful daughter
They both looked at the ID bracelets. Eric broke the silence, "How about I finish the story I started?" Eric offered. He took out the book that the Conlon's had given him. Julia took a hold of her teddy bear again. Eric continued his story for about an hour until Mrs. Conlon came and told the two it was time for bed.
Eric cautiously made his way to his bedroom afraid that the man in the trench coat was lurking in the shadows of the dark corridor. He slowly opened the door to his bedroom flipping the lights on as fast as he could. Once the lights were on he let out sigh of relief out and climbed into his bed.
Mrs. Conlon tucked Julia into bed, "Happy Birthday and sweet dreams." She gently kissed Julia on the forehead. She walked out of the room leaving the door open a crack. Then she walked into Eric's room to tuck him in.
"Good night Eric." She said as she kissed him gently on his forehead, "Sleep tight." Mrs. Conlon tucked his covers around him tightly. Then she walked towards the door and went to turn the lights out.
"No!" Eric screamed sitting up straight in his bed, "Can you leave the lights on and the door open?"
Mrs. Conlon nodded with a small smile on her face, but it was of worry, "Happy Birthday and good night dear." With that said she walked out of the room to go and talk to Mr. Conlon about the children. She was worried about them and how the guy in the trench coat had traumatized them.
