Chapter 16
Humiliation
"Let me in! Let me in!"
Pearl gasped as she leapt aside from where she stood speaking with Falco, who had yet stopped by again. Pimpernel was running as fast as she could down the dirt path with Pervinca only a few feet behind, holding her straw hat with the pink ribbon onto her head. Pimpernel carried a basket with the things she had to pick up from the market as she darted through the gate and immediately shut it. Pervinca nearly fell over it and Pimpernel doubled over laughing. "You can't beat me in anything, Vinca. You're still too little."
Pervinca took a few deep breaths of irritation before turning to stare at Pearl's "caller". Neither of the younger sisters said a word and all four just gaped at each other in amazement. Pimpernel's once cheerful face fell at the sight of Falco and she didn't smile even when he said "Hello."
"What is he doing here?"
"You're her boyfriend then?" asked Pervinca starting to giggle. Pearls' cheeks turned bright red with embarassment as she glared at Pimpernel.
"Yes.Falco.these are my sisters.Pimpernel and Pervinca."
He nodded respectuflly. "Well.I should go.I have to be home in time for supper."
Pearl started to stay something when Pimpernel cut in: "Goodbye, then." She said sourly and he tipped his hat to Pearl before heading away. When he was out of earshot, Pearl whirled around.
"I've never been more embarassed in all my life! The least you could have done."
"You were acting dreadfully.Mama would have had your hide if she were here and they're coming home today! You would have been even more dreadfully embarassed if they had showed up and not Vinca or I."
Pearl turned on her heel and stormed into the smial, slamming the door behind her. After that Pimpernel stomped her foot on the dirt. "Ooh." she opened the gate and let Pervinca through before heading back into the house. When they entered it, two of the maids were walking in from the kitchen: Leah and Anabell, and both of them looked very gloomy. "What is it?" asked Pimpernel when she saw the expressions on their faces.
"A telegram arrived for the three of you while you were out early this mornin'." Anabell whispered and she handed the slip of paper to Pimpernel who immediately hurried over to Pearl and Pervinca who were taking their places at the counter to help make supper for the evening.
"Why didn't you give it to us sooner?" asked Pearl as she took it.
"Got caught up in so many things.but here you are." Said Leah.
Pearl read the telegram quietly and suddenly she covered her mouth with her hand.
"What is it?" cried Pervinca. "Oh dear.it is Pippin?"
Pearl shook her head.
"Is it Frodo?" asked Pimpernel.
Another shake of the head, and then Pervinca put her hands on her hips. "For goodness sakes then, tell us what the matter is!"
"It's Uncle Saradoc." Pearl whispered.
Both of the younger girls gasped and Pimpernel clutched Pearls' arm. "What's the matter with him?"
"He's sick.came down with the flu at the beginning of the week and is doing poorly."
The girls immediately began to weep and the two maids hurried to comfort them. "There, there.everything will be all right, girls. 'Tis probably been two to three days since your Auntie wrote the letter so I'm sure your Uncle is improving."
Pearl sniffed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "You don't seem to understand. When one falls ill at Brandy Hall.then.then the rest of the hall is usually taken down within days. So that could mean that."
"Pippin." Whispered Pervinca, sitting down at the table. Pimpernel immediately enveloped her sister in a big hug as Pearl spoke up.
"We musn't alarm Mama and Papa. If something happens to Pippin.then I'm sure Auntie Esme will write and let us know."
Pimpernel nodded. "Of course she will. So don't worry your little head.and Uncle Saradoc is strong enough.he can overcome anything." She proceeded to ruffle Pervinca's head of thick, curly hair and received a squeal of annoyance and then: *POKE* Pimpernel let out a cry and then chased her sister out of the kitchen, causing the others to laugh. "Dear me.won't you all be interesting adults!" chuckled Anabell as she set out the plates and glasses. "GIRLS! GET BACK IN HERE AND HELP WITH DINNER!"
Around 8:30 that evening Paladin and Eglatine finally arrived home. Both looked extremely exhausted when they walked through the door, but were grateful to see their daughters healthy and happy. "Mama.Papa." Sobbed Pervinca as she threw her arms around her mother's waist. Pearl and Pimpernel immediately helped their parents with their cloaks and other traveling items and immediately ordered them to go and sit down for supper.
"What a long journey." Grumbled Paladin as he sat down at the table and smiled at Leah as she set a bowl of steaming mushroom soup. "How was your week, girls? I see you have kept house well enough."
"After a few arguments yes." Anabell laughed. "The girls were wonderful."
"Good, good. Now why all the glum faces? Your mother and I thought you would be happy to see us home."
"Oh Papa.Uncle Saradoc isn't well." Said Pearl, handing the telegram to him. "He's been ill for a week with the Flu."
Eglatine gasped as she read the note over her husband's shoulder. "We must get Pippin home immediately before he catches it."
"Not now, Eglatine. Sit down and rest.you've had a long day of travel." Paladin ordered and his wife complied. Eventually the conversation changed and Pimpernel had them all laughing over Pervicna's rediculous performance as the dragon in her play.
"We ought to act it out for you and Papa," said Pimpernel. " 'Tis nearly finished.I jus' wrote the part where the Princess is about to marry the knight."
Eglatine smiled. "We would love to see it. But not tonight, dear."
"Oh of course not. You and Papa need to go to bed early."
"Yes Madame.Leah and I will take care of the dishes." Anabel promised.
"Oh.thank you.good night, girls.we're heading off." Eglatine told her daughters and she and Paladin headed out of the kitchen.
"Let me in! Let me in!"
Pearl gasped as she leapt aside from where she stood speaking with Falco, who had yet stopped by again. Pimpernel was running as fast as she could down the dirt path with Pervinca only a few feet behind, holding her straw hat with the pink ribbon onto her head. Pimpernel carried a basket with the things she had to pick up from the market as she darted through the gate and immediately shut it. Pervinca nearly fell over it and Pimpernel doubled over laughing. "You can't beat me in anything, Vinca. You're still too little."
Pervinca took a few deep breaths of irritation before turning to stare at Pearl's "caller". Neither of the younger sisters said a word and all four just gaped at each other in amazement. Pimpernel's once cheerful face fell at the sight of Falco and she didn't smile even when he said "Hello."
"What is he doing here?"
"You're her boyfriend then?" asked Pervinca starting to giggle. Pearls' cheeks turned bright red with embarassment as she glared at Pimpernel.
"Yes.Falco.these are my sisters.Pimpernel and Pervinca."
He nodded respectuflly. "Well.I should go.I have to be home in time for supper."
Pearl started to stay something when Pimpernel cut in: "Goodbye, then." She said sourly and he tipped his hat to Pearl before heading away. When he was out of earshot, Pearl whirled around.
"I've never been more embarassed in all my life! The least you could have done."
"You were acting dreadfully.Mama would have had your hide if she were here and they're coming home today! You would have been even more dreadfully embarassed if they had showed up and not Vinca or I."
Pearl turned on her heel and stormed into the smial, slamming the door behind her. After that Pimpernel stomped her foot on the dirt. "Ooh." she opened the gate and let Pervinca through before heading back into the house. When they entered it, two of the maids were walking in from the kitchen: Leah and Anabell, and both of them looked very gloomy. "What is it?" asked Pimpernel when she saw the expressions on their faces.
"A telegram arrived for the three of you while you were out early this mornin'." Anabell whispered and she handed the slip of paper to Pimpernel who immediately hurried over to Pearl and Pervinca who were taking their places at the counter to help make supper for the evening.
"Why didn't you give it to us sooner?" asked Pearl as she took it.
"Got caught up in so many things.but here you are." Said Leah.
Pearl read the telegram quietly and suddenly she covered her mouth with her hand.
"What is it?" cried Pervinca. "Oh dear.it is Pippin?"
Pearl shook her head.
"Is it Frodo?" asked Pimpernel.
Another shake of the head, and then Pervinca put her hands on her hips. "For goodness sakes then, tell us what the matter is!"
"It's Uncle Saradoc." Pearl whispered.
Both of the younger girls gasped and Pimpernel clutched Pearls' arm. "What's the matter with him?"
"He's sick.came down with the flu at the beginning of the week and is doing poorly."
The girls immediately began to weep and the two maids hurried to comfort them. "There, there.everything will be all right, girls. 'Tis probably been two to three days since your Auntie wrote the letter so I'm sure your Uncle is improving."
Pearl sniffed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "You don't seem to understand. When one falls ill at Brandy Hall.then.then the rest of the hall is usually taken down within days. So that could mean that."
"Pippin." Whispered Pervinca, sitting down at the table. Pimpernel immediately enveloped her sister in a big hug as Pearl spoke up.
"We musn't alarm Mama and Papa. If something happens to Pippin.then I'm sure Auntie Esme will write and let us know."
Pimpernel nodded. "Of course she will. So don't worry your little head.and Uncle Saradoc is strong enough.he can overcome anything." She proceeded to ruffle Pervinca's head of thick, curly hair and received a squeal of annoyance and then: *POKE* Pimpernel let out a cry and then chased her sister out of the kitchen, causing the others to laugh. "Dear me.won't you all be interesting adults!" chuckled Anabell as she set out the plates and glasses. "GIRLS! GET BACK IN HERE AND HELP WITH DINNER!"
Around 8:30 that evening Paladin and Eglatine finally arrived home. Both looked extremely exhausted when they walked through the door, but were grateful to see their daughters healthy and happy. "Mama.Papa." Sobbed Pervinca as she threw her arms around her mother's waist. Pearl and Pimpernel immediately helped their parents with their cloaks and other traveling items and immediately ordered them to go and sit down for supper.
"What a long journey." Grumbled Paladin as he sat down at the table and smiled at Leah as she set a bowl of steaming mushroom soup. "How was your week, girls? I see you have kept house well enough."
"After a few arguments yes." Anabell laughed. "The girls were wonderful."
"Good, good. Now why all the glum faces? Your mother and I thought you would be happy to see us home."
"Oh Papa.Uncle Saradoc isn't well." Said Pearl, handing the telegram to him. "He's been ill for a week with the Flu."
Eglatine gasped as she read the note over her husband's shoulder. "We must get Pippin home immediately before he catches it."
"Not now, Eglatine. Sit down and rest.you've had a long day of travel." Paladin ordered and his wife complied. Eventually the conversation changed and Pimpernel had them all laughing over Pervicna's rediculous performance as the dragon in her play.
"We ought to act it out for you and Papa," said Pimpernel. " 'Tis nearly finished.I jus' wrote the part where the Princess is about to marry the knight."
Eglatine smiled. "We would love to see it. But not tonight, dear."
"Oh of course not. You and Papa need to go to bed early."
"Yes Madame.Leah and I will take care of the dishes." Anabel promised.
"Oh.thank you.good night, girls.we're heading off." Eglatine told her daughters and she and Paladin headed out of the kitchen.
