~*~*~* A/N: Here it is.. the chapter I've been waiting for with an angry passion. Here, I will introduce a new character... *growl* *~*~*~*~
The next morning, Marigold's mother permitted her to leave the house, but she was not to frolic. Marigold cared not; for she was tiring quickly of her room. She walked outside, with her sister, and the two set off toward their favorite tree. When they got there, Pervinca was already there, alongside a girl they had never seen before.
"Oh, Marigold, Violet, I had hoped you would come!"
"Hello," said Marigold with a smile, and Violet waved at the new girl.
"This is Diamond, she is visiting relations here. She's from Longcleeve!"
"Oh!" exclaimed Marigold, and grinned at the girl, who was about her age. Diamond had long, curly blonde hair and big blue eyes, and she wore a yellow and white dress. The four girls sat about the tree, talking of make-up and of Marigold and Violet's adventure of the day before.
"I still cannot believe my brother is courtin' you, Marigold," said Pervinca with a laugh.
"He is?" asked Marigold, her eyes wide. "He told you?"
"Well, yes," said Pervinca, shaking her head. "I told him he would never have a chance, but he and Merry insisted on courting you two."
Marigold and Violet shared a grin, but then all four of them quickly fell silent as the two boys they spoke of, Merry and Pip, strode up the path.
"Good morning, ladies," said Merry with a grin, and Violet winked at him flirtatiously. Pippin smiled and waved to Marigold, and she quickly waved back. Diamond stood, introducing herself.
"Hello boys," she said in a soft, but charming voice. "I'm Diamond." She offered her hand to Pippin, and he obediently kissed it, as he was tought to since he was a boy. "'Tis a pleasure to meet you," she said with a wink, and Pippin glanced down, blushing profusely.
Marigold shared a wide-eyed look with Violet. The nerve!
"Hullo," said Pippin, his eyes still on the ground. Diamond gave a laugh, and ran her hand, almost seductively, up his arm.
"Why are you so bashful?" she asked softly, tilting her head. Marigold thought she may wretch at that very moment. Pippin would never fall for such an obvious-
"It's due to your beauty," he said softly, then looked up at her, meeting her eye. "I have never seen a girl so beautiful in all my days."
Marigold's eyes widened, and she swallowed back a few tears. Right in front of her, the nerve of that Diamond!
Violet caught Marigold's hurt look, and she stood up quickly. "Marigold, I do believe your cut is bleeding again. Let me get you back home so mother can have a look." Quickly, she helped her sister to her feet.
"Bye Merry," she said softly, and he nodded, almost understanding. "Goodbye Pippin." He did not respond, looking instead at Diamond, with wide, innocent eyes.
Marigold grumbled all the way back home.
"The nerve!" she exclaimed as the two walked into the house. "How dare she!"
"I know, Marigold," said Violet ruefully, shaking her head. "I hope Merry will give Pippin a good thrashing for acting so foolish."
"I may give Diamond a thrashing of her own," mumbled Marigold under her breath, as the two journeyed to the kitchen, to help their mother ready luncheon.
"Pippin!" exclaimed Merry once Diamond and Pervinca was left. "What are you doing?"
Pippin sighed, and then shook his head. "What?"
"With that Diamond of Longcleeve!"
"Isn't she beautiful?" he asked, and Merry grabbed his cousin by the shoulders, shaking him violently.
"No.." shake, shake, ".. she .." shake, shake, ".. isn't!" Shake, shake. "Remember Marigold?"
Pippin glanced around, his brow furrowed. "Where did Marigold go off to, anyway?"
Merry shook his head, rolling his eyes. "I'm going to have to give you a thrashing for being such an ass."
"What?" asked Pippin innocently, as Merry grabbed him in a headlock.
"Weren't you, just yesterday, saying how much you 'simply adored' Marigold?"
Pippin grumbled something, unable to speak properly.
"Yes, you were. And now, that cheap Diamond comes into town, and suddenly all that's changed?"
Pippin looked down, confusion in his eyes.
"You hurt Marigold's feelings!" Merry exclaimed, nearly shouting. Pippin's eyes widened, and he straightened.
"I did?" he asked, and Merry nodded.
"Oh, Merry, what a horrible mistake. Whatever shall I do?"
~*~*~ A/N: By the way.. I HATE DIAMOND OF LONGCLEEVE! *~*~
The next morning, Marigold's mother permitted her to leave the house, but she was not to frolic. Marigold cared not; for she was tiring quickly of her room. She walked outside, with her sister, and the two set off toward their favorite tree. When they got there, Pervinca was already there, alongside a girl they had never seen before.
"Oh, Marigold, Violet, I had hoped you would come!"
"Hello," said Marigold with a smile, and Violet waved at the new girl.
"This is Diamond, she is visiting relations here. She's from Longcleeve!"
"Oh!" exclaimed Marigold, and grinned at the girl, who was about her age. Diamond had long, curly blonde hair and big blue eyes, and she wore a yellow and white dress. The four girls sat about the tree, talking of make-up and of Marigold and Violet's adventure of the day before.
"I still cannot believe my brother is courtin' you, Marigold," said Pervinca with a laugh.
"He is?" asked Marigold, her eyes wide. "He told you?"
"Well, yes," said Pervinca, shaking her head. "I told him he would never have a chance, but he and Merry insisted on courting you two."
Marigold and Violet shared a grin, but then all four of them quickly fell silent as the two boys they spoke of, Merry and Pip, strode up the path.
"Good morning, ladies," said Merry with a grin, and Violet winked at him flirtatiously. Pippin smiled and waved to Marigold, and she quickly waved back. Diamond stood, introducing herself.
"Hello boys," she said in a soft, but charming voice. "I'm Diamond." She offered her hand to Pippin, and he obediently kissed it, as he was tought to since he was a boy. "'Tis a pleasure to meet you," she said with a wink, and Pippin glanced down, blushing profusely.
Marigold shared a wide-eyed look with Violet. The nerve!
"Hullo," said Pippin, his eyes still on the ground. Diamond gave a laugh, and ran her hand, almost seductively, up his arm.
"Why are you so bashful?" she asked softly, tilting her head. Marigold thought she may wretch at that very moment. Pippin would never fall for such an obvious-
"It's due to your beauty," he said softly, then looked up at her, meeting her eye. "I have never seen a girl so beautiful in all my days."
Marigold's eyes widened, and she swallowed back a few tears. Right in front of her, the nerve of that Diamond!
Violet caught Marigold's hurt look, and she stood up quickly. "Marigold, I do believe your cut is bleeding again. Let me get you back home so mother can have a look." Quickly, she helped her sister to her feet.
"Bye Merry," she said softly, and he nodded, almost understanding. "Goodbye Pippin." He did not respond, looking instead at Diamond, with wide, innocent eyes.
Marigold grumbled all the way back home.
"The nerve!" she exclaimed as the two walked into the house. "How dare she!"
"I know, Marigold," said Violet ruefully, shaking her head. "I hope Merry will give Pippin a good thrashing for acting so foolish."
"I may give Diamond a thrashing of her own," mumbled Marigold under her breath, as the two journeyed to the kitchen, to help their mother ready luncheon.
"Pippin!" exclaimed Merry once Diamond and Pervinca was left. "What are you doing?"
Pippin sighed, and then shook his head. "What?"
"With that Diamond of Longcleeve!"
"Isn't she beautiful?" he asked, and Merry grabbed his cousin by the shoulders, shaking him violently.
"No.." shake, shake, ".. she .." shake, shake, ".. isn't!" Shake, shake. "Remember Marigold?"
Pippin glanced around, his brow furrowed. "Where did Marigold go off to, anyway?"
Merry shook his head, rolling his eyes. "I'm going to have to give you a thrashing for being such an ass."
"What?" asked Pippin innocently, as Merry grabbed him in a headlock.
"Weren't you, just yesterday, saying how much you 'simply adored' Marigold?"
Pippin grumbled something, unable to speak properly.
"Yes, you were. And now, that cheap Diamond comes into town, and suddenly all that's changed?"
Pippin looked down, confusion in his eyes.
"You hurt Marigold's feelings!" Merry exclaimed, nearly shouting. Pippin's eyes widened, and he straightened.
"I did?" he asked, and Merry nodded.
"Oh, Merry, what a horrible mistake. Whatever shall I do?"
~*~*~ A/N: By the way.. I HATE DIAMOND OF LONGCLEEVE! *~*~