"Kendal, darling, your sister Adriana is absolutely right. The dark haired man was quite lovely to look at, but a little aloof for my taste," Mrs. Ingle commented to her two girls.
"Honestly mother, and Aide, if you think this 'suave' man is so wonderful to look at perhaps you think about hoarding him for yourselves," Kendal grumbled. Out of the corner of her eye, Kendal could see her mother and Aide exchanging a knowing glance. Kendal chose to ignore her mother and sister, and instead found some other point of interest. Kendal, peeved with her mother and sister's silent exchange, turned her attention to the vibrant vase of wild flowers sitting on a cabinet near an exit out of the dining room. Kendal slowly made her way to the rainbow assortment of wild flowers that seemed to be almost dangling off the edge of the cabinet. 'I better fix the flowers before the fall,' Kendal thought, and then silently walked to the arrangement of vivid flowers.
"Kendal, where are you going, honey?" Mrs. Ingle asked finally aware that Aide was not the only other person in the room.
"Around," Kendal answered turning her back to the flowers in order to look at her mother and sister.
"A coherent answer would be nice, sister," Aide dryly remarked while she moved some of her wispy, coal-black hair behind her ears.
"Then an articulate answer is what you shall get," Kendal remarked nonchalantly.
"You call that lucid?"
"Perhaps," Kendal replied absent mindedly.
"You are so childish!"
"Am not"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are-"
"Girls!" Mrs. Ingle exclaimed interrupting the ridiculous argument unfolding between the two sisters. "Your absurdity is giving me a terrible headache. Please settle down."
"Sorry mother," both Adriana and Kendal instantaneously responded.
"It's alright; just remember you both are over the age of eighteen. Please try to act your respective ages."
"Yes mother," Kendal and Adriana responded with their heads hanging down. Mrs. Ingle kissed her two daughters' foreheads and then tiredly plopped into the nearest chair. Kendal noted that her mother looked awfully tired and was starting to heave like a person who just finished running two miles.
"Mother do you feel alright?" Kendal asked, very concerned about her mother. Adriana's blues eyes quickly snapped into the direction of Mrs. Ingle.
"Do you need a cold rag?" Adriana worriedly asked.
"Yes I am fine girls. Now, while I appreciate your concern, I'm just taking a quick break. I must get back to the party. Imagine what kind of hostess I would be if I didn't return to my own party!" Ms. Ingle earnestly said. Mrs. Ingle slowly rose from her seat, and at the pace of a sloth started to make her way to the back door. She couldn't even get out of the living room before she became wobbly and tipsy. At the first sight of their mother wavering and almost crashing into a wall, both Kendal and Aide rushed to their mother's side.
"Mother, I really think you should just sit down for a bit..." Adriana said nervously while peering into her mother's ghost white face.
"No! I refuse to leave my party unattended," and with that said, Mrs. Ingle tried to muster all of her strength in order to take one step towards the back door. This proved to be a complete waste of energy for Mrs. Ingle, and her noodle legs, gave way. Kendal and Aide duly caught their mother before she fell on the hard wood floor. Kendal caught her mother's flailing right side; while Aide caught the left and they each tried to get a firm grasp to hold up their mother. Kendal never realized until that moment that holding up her mother was like holding up twenty bags of bricks. Grunting, Aide and Kendal tried to elevate their mother back up to the standing position. "Girls I think your right about sitting for awhile. Perhaps you could help me to the couch in the front room," Mrs. Ingle said in between huffs and puffs. Kendal mentally groaned for she knew trying to practically carry her mother all the way to the front of the house would be a tad bit painful. Kendal could already feel her arms stiffening. 'Oh well she's my mother and I love her, so I will' Kendal mentally told herself.
"Of course we will help you mother," Aide responded and shot a meaning full glare with her sapphire eyes in Kendal's direction.
"Perhaps if you put your arms around our neck it would help the trip go faster," Kendal said addressing her mother.
"Oh right! I'm terribly sorry girls; I'm not as light as I use to be," Mrs. Ingle remarked apologetically.
"You are light as a feather," Aide replied cheerfully. Aide must have gone insane Kendal thought wearily, as Mrs. Ingle put her right arm around Kendal's neck. Mrs. Ingle then proceeded to put her left arm around Aide's neck and soon the three of them were trekking towards the couch in the front room. Kendal found herself thinking that she never knew how big their dining room was until she was dragging someone across it. With much grumbling, grunting, and an occasional curse, the three Ingles made it to the edge of the dining room where the cabinet with the vase of wildflowers was situated.
"Girls, let's take a break," Mrs. Ingle gasped, clearly out of breath. Kendal and Aide stopped right next to the cabinet. Once at a complete stop, Mrs. Ingle leaned all her weight onto Kendal and Aide. Kendal could feel beads of sweat accumulating on her forehead; she was not use to lifting people. "Aide, dear, I would really like if you would get me a glass of water."
"Right away mother," Aide said and then she let go of her mother' left side in order to make her way to the kitchen.
"AIDE!" Kendal squealed as she struggled with the added weight that only her limp arms were left to hold. The high pitch squeal startled Aide, and soon she began to exhibit stumbling, squirrel-like movements while trying to go back to be sister and mother.
"Adriana, do not listen to your sister. Please go get me that glass of water," and with that order Adriana quickly turned on her heel. This quick awkward turn made her unstable, and soon she was groping for the nearest thing to steady herself. Aide's roaming hands finally found the tablecloth on the cabinet that was situated underneath not only the vase of flowers, but some of Mr. Ingle's precious china. Aide, unaware of the chaos she could create, pulled on the tablecloth to help lift her up. With one simple tug, the flowers that were teetering on the edge of the cabinet came crashing down along with the porcelain-like china. A loud shattering crash sounded throughout the house. Mrs. Ingle and Kendal quickly snapped there heads in Aide's direction, and the both saw tiny sparkling pieces of glass from the flower vase next to big white chunks that had once made up Mrs. Ingle's precious tea china.
"MY CHINA! OH MY PRECIOUS CHINA-" Mrs. Ingle started to wail in Kendal's arms.
"It is going to be fine, mother. Please stop your wailing," Kendal said trying to sound soothing. Mrs. Ingle, ignoring Kendal's remarks, continued to howl about her beautiful china. Kendal glanced over in Aide's direction to see that Aide's sapphire eyes were shimmering with tears.
"I MISS MY CHINA!" Mrs. Ingle continued to cry. In the next moment, tears started to flow down Aide's pale face and soon Aide was crying like a little baby too. 'This is unbelievable,' Kendal thought as her limp arms tried to bear her mother's weight. 'I cannot believe that they are wailing like little toddlers. Why do I always have to be the adult?" Kendal thought, very frustrated with the whole situation.
The noise made from Mrs. Ingle and Aide continued to escalate and soon Kendal found herself wondering how long it would take before the whole neighborhood arrived to see this 'catastrophe'. Just at that moment, a petite, light-brown-haired woman arrived in the room.
"Oh my heavens what has happened?" the Lady asked with a rich accent. Kendal finally recognized the fair skinned woman as Lady Marin.
"Lady Marin, a small mishap has happened. Nothing too big," Kendal replied under her mother.
"What kind of mishap?" Lady Marin inquired while gazing at the crying Aide and her yelling mother.
"The china broke," Kendal stated quite simply. Unfortunately for Kendal, this set Lady Marin off and soon her voice was joined in the cacophony of noises made by Aide and Mrs. Ingle.
"OH MY HEAVENS! THE POOR CHINA!" Lady Marin was excitably proclaiming.
"MY POOR CHINA-" Mrs. Ingle repeatedly yelled.
"Booooooooo whhhoooooooo." Kendal could hear Aide sobbing. The noise was too much for Kendal to take. It honestly sounded as if a mass murder had occurred in the dining room. 'I swear if I hear one more person sob and complain I'll...'
"Mommy!"
'Oh no!' Kendal thought wearily, 'Why, oh why, out of all the people to come into the kitchen did it have to be Eliza?'
"Mommy! Why is Kendal holding you up? And why is the china broken on the floor? Why..." Eliza's voiced melted in with the rest of the voices in the dining room. Kendal's head started to swirl with the overwhelming repetitive voices of her mother, Lady Marin, Aide, and Eliza.
"My china..."
"Oh Mrs. Ingle, your poor china!"
"Boooooooooooooo whoooooooooooooooooooooooooo."
"Oh this is absolutely dreadful I think I shall faint!"
Kendal could feel the anger bubbling inside of her and knew she was going to lash out at any minute. Unable to restrain herself, Kendal finally snapped. "SHUT UP ALL OF YOU!!! Mother, your china can be replaced! Lady Marin, my mother's china will be replaced. Aide, stop feeling sorry for yourself and Eliza, you are not going to faint! So all of you shut your mouths and stop complaining about the china! The only time any of you are permitted to speak is if you are going to offer help in carrying Mother to the couch. Do you all understand me?!" A deadly silence fell over the room; everyone was completely shocked by Kendal's outburst. Kendal was deeply relieved to find the penetrating silence around her and soon went back to trying to make her way to the front room with her mother. The others just stared at her, still in complete shock of the normally restrained Kendal's outburst.
"Do you need help?" asked a deep voice. Kendal turned her head slowly to see who was offering her help. The inquiring voice belonged to the dark haired gentleman that Kendal had early seen with Eliza and Prince Edward.
"That would lovely," Kendal said to the man, looking straight into his dark eyes. With a quick nod, the man promptly walked over to the left of Mrs. Ingle and began to help haul her to the front of the house. Before Kendal and the man could get out of the dining room, a small voice called Kendal's name. Kendal halted and turned her head slightly to see what the person wanted.
"Kendal, perhaps you should take mother to Doctor Ferguson's house," Aide said timidly. Kendal looked up to the ceiling and started to contemplate Aide's suggestion. Everyone's gaze was locked on Kendal and she could have sworn she felt their eyes burning holes into her.
"Aide, that is a wonderful suggestion, but our carriage is tied up and there is no way Mother is fit to ride a horse."
"She could use mine," Lady Marin suggested quite pleased with herself that she could be helpful.
"Great," Kendal replied and then she turned her head in the direction of the well-built gentleman that was helping her. "Do you mind helping me bring to her the carriage?" Kendal pointedly asked the man.
"Not at all," the man replied without a moment of hesitation.
"Well then it's settled; off to Doctor's Ferguson's we go."
To my Reviewers:
...: Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I'm glad that its sounds interesting so far and I hope you will continue to read.
DramaQueen007: Sorry for killing you with suspense with the cliffhanger laughs evil Actually, I hate cliff hangers too when I read a story, but some how I write them into my stories. : ) Thanks again for reading and reviewing my second chapter I'm so pleased that you are enjoying it so far! I hope you will continue to read and thank so much for your wonderful review!
EvenSong: warning prepare for some flattery...My ever helpful and talented Beta, I'm so glad you are reading my story! As for my cold turkey addiction to the word said, I must say it is hard habit to break. Stupid said... Again thanks for all your help and as always the help is appreciated! : )
Thanks again for the reviews
Now just a little F.Y.I., I'm working on a school project that is due and there are no promises on an update time. Sorry. I'm hoping to update this story in a week crosses fingers, but school comes first. Also, fairy tale references are going to come up in later chapters. : )
Thanks for reading and reviews are always welcome!
Flummoxed
"Honestly mother, and Aide, if you think this 'suave' man is so wonderful to look at perhaps you think about hoarding him for yourselves," Kendal grumbled. Out of the corner of her eye, Kendal could see her mother and Aide exchanging a knowing glance. Kendal chose to ignore her mother and sister, and instead found some other point of interest. Kendal, peeved with her mother and sister's silent exchange, turned her attention to the vibrant vase of wild flowers sitting on a cabinet near an exit out of the dining room. Kendal slowly made her way to the rainbow assortment of wild flowers that seemed to be almost dangling off the edge of the cabinet. 'I better fix the flowers before the fall,' Kendal thought, and then silently walked to the arrangement of vivid flowers.
"Kendal, where are you going, honey?" Mrs. Ingle asked finally aware that Aide was not the only other person in the room.
"Around," Kendal answered turning her back to the flowers in order to look at her mother and sister.
"A coherent answer would be nice, sister," Aide dryly remarked while she moved some of her wispy, coal-black hair behind her ears.
"Then an articulate answer is what you shall get," Kendal remarked nonchalantly.
"You call that lucid?"
"Perhaps," Kendal replied absent mindedly.
"You are so childish!"
"Am not"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are-"
"Girls!" Mrs. Ingle exclaimed interrupting the ridiculous argument unfolding between the two sisters. "Your absurdity is giving me a terrible headache. Please settle down."
"Sorry mother," both Adriana and Kendal instantaneously responded.
"It's alright; just remember you both are over the age of eighteen. Please try to act your respective ages."
"Yes mother," Kendal and Adriana responded with their heads hanging down. Mrs. Ingle kissed her two daughters' foreheads and then tiredly plopped into the nearest chair. Kendal noted that her mother looked awfully tired and was starting to heave like a person who just finished running two miles.
"Mother do you feel alright?" Kendal asked, very concerned about her mother. Adriana's blues eyes quickly snapped into the direction of Mrs. Ingle.
"Do you need a cold rag?" Adriana worriedly asked.
"Yes I am fine girls. Now, while I appreciate your concern, I'm just taking a quick break. I must get back to the party. Imagine what kind of hostess I would be if I didn't return to my own party!" Ms. Ingle earnestly said. Mrs. Ingle slowly rose from her seat, and at the pace of a sloth started to make her way to the back door. She couldn't even get out of the living room before she became wobbly and tipsy. At the first sight of their mother wavering and almost crashing into a wall, both Kendal and Aide rushed to their mother's side.
"Mother, I really think you should just sit down for a bit..." Adriana said nervously while peering into her mother's ghost white face.
"No! I refuse to leave my party unattended," and with that said, Mrs. Ingle tried to muster all of her strength in order to take one step towards the back door. This proved to be a complete waste of energy for Mrs. Ingle, and her noodle legs, gave way. Kendal and Aide duly caught their mother before she fell on the hard wood floor. Kendal caught her mother's flailing right side; while Aide caught the left and they each tried to get a firm grasp to hold up their mother. Kendal never realized until that moment that holding up her mother was like holding up twenty bags of bricks. Grunting, Aide and Kendal tried to elevate their mother back up to the standing position. "Girls I think your right about sitting for awhile. Perhaps you could help me to the couch in the front room," Mrs. Ingle said in between huffs and puffs. Kendal mentally groaned for she knew trying to practically carry her mother all the way to the front of the house would be a tad bit painful. Kendal could already feel her arms stiffening. 'Oh well she's my mother and I love her, so I will' Kendal mentally told herself.
"Of course we will help you mother," Aide responded and shot a meaning full glare with her sapphire eyes in Kendal's direction.
"Perhaps if you put your arms around our neck it would help the trip go faster," Kendal said addressing her mother.
"Oh right! I'm terribly sorry girls; I'm not as light as I use to be," Mrs. Ingle remarked apologetically.
"You are light as a feather," Aide replied cheerfully. Aide must have gone insane Kendal thought wearily, as Mrs. Ingle put her right arm around Kendal's neck. Mrs. Ingle then proceeded to put her left arm around Aide's neck and soon the three of them were trekking towards the couch in the front room. Kendal found herself thinking that she never knew how big their dining room was until she was dragging someone across it. With much grumbling, grunting, and an occasional curse, the three Ingles made it to the edge of the dining room where the cabinet with the vase of wildflowers was situated.
"Girls, let's take a break," Mrs. Ingle gasped, clearly out of breath. Kendal and Aide stopped right next to the cabinet. Once at a complete stop, Mrs. Ingle leaned all her weight onto Kendal and Aide. Kendal could feel beads of sweat accumulating on her forehead; she was not use to lifting people. "Aide, dear, I would really like if you would get me a glass of water."
"Right away mother," Aide said and then she let go of her mother' left side in order to make her way to the kitchen.
"AIDE!" Kendal squealed as she struggled with the added weight that only her limp arms were left to hold. The high pitch squeal startled Aide, and soon she began to exhibit stumbling, squirrel-like movements while trying to go back to be sister and mother.
"Adriana, do not listen to your sister. Please go get me that glass of water," and with that order Adriana quickly turned on her heel. This quick awkward turn made her unstable, and soon she was groping for the nearest thing to steady herself. Aide's roaming hands finally found the tablecloth on the cabinet that was situated underneath not only the vase of flowers, but some of Mr. Ingle's precious china. Aide, unaware of the chaos she could create, pulled on the tablecloth to help lift her up. With one simple tug, the flowers that were teetering on the edge of the cabinet came crashing down along with the porcelain-like china. A loud shattering crash sounded throughout the house. Mrs. Ingle and Kendal quickly snapped there heads in Aide's direction, and the both saw tiny sparkling pieces of glass from the flower vase next to big white chunks that had once made up Mrs. Ingle's precious tea china.
"MY CHINA! OH MY PRECIOUS CHINA-" Mrs. Ingle started to wail in Kendal's arms.
"It is going to be fine, mother. Please stop your wailing," Kendal said trying to sound soothing. Mrs. Ingle, ignoring Kendal's remarks, continued to howl about her beautiful china. Kendal glanced over in Aide's direction to see that Aide's sapphire eyes were shimmering with tears.
"I MISS MY CHINA!" Mrs. Ingle continued to cry. In the next moment, tears started to flow down Aide's pale face and soon Aide was crying like a little baby too. 'This is unbelievable,' Kendal thought as her limp arms tried to bear her mother's weight. 'I cannot believe that they are wailing like little toddlers. Why do I always have to be the adult?" Kendal thought, very frustrated with the whole situation.
The noise made from Mrs. Ingle and Aide continued to escalate and soon Kendal found herself wondering how long it would take before the whole neighborhood arrived to see this 'catastrophe'. Just at that moment, a petite, light-brown-haired woman arrived in the room.
"Oh my heavens what has happened?" the Lady asked with a rich accent. Kendal finally recognized the fair skinned woman as Lady Marin.
"Lady Marin, a small mishap has happened. Nothing too big," Kendal replied under her mother.
"What kind of mishap?" Lady Marin inquired while gazing at the crying Aide and her yelling mother.
"The china broke," Kendal stated quite simply. Unfortunately for Kendal, this set Lady Marin off and soon her voice was joined in the cacophony of noises made by Aide and Mrs. Ingle.
"OH MY HEAVENS! THE POOR CHINA!" Lady Marin was excitably proclaiming.
"MY POOR CHINA-" Mrs. Ingle repeatedly yelled.
"Booooooooo whhhoooooooo." Kendal could hear Aide sobbing. The noise was too much for Kendal to take. It honestly sounded as if a mass murder had occurred in the dining room. 'I swear if I hear one more person sob and complain I'll...'
"Mommy!"
'Oh no!' Kendal thought wearily, 'Why, oh why, out of all the people to come into the kitchen did it have to be Eliza?'
"Mommy! Why is Kendal holding you up? And why is the china broken on the floor? Why..." Eliza's voiced melted in with the rest of the voices in the dining room. Kendal's head started to swirl with the overwhelming repetitive voices of her mother, Lady Marin, Aide, and Eliza.
"My china..."
"Oh Mrs. Ingle, your poor china!"
"Boooooooooooooo whoooooooooooooooooooooooooo."
"Oh this is absolutely dreadful I think I shall faint!"
Kendal could feel the anger bubbling inside of her and knew she was going to lash out at any minute. Unable to restrain herself, Kendal finally snapped. "SHUT UP ALL OF YOU!!! Mother, your china can be replaced! Lady Marin, my mother's china will be replaced. Aide, stop feeling sorry for yourself and Eliza, you are not going to faint! So all of you shut your mouths and stop complaining about the china! The only time any of you are permitted to speak is if you are going to offer help in carrying Mother to the couch. Do you all understand me?!" A deadly silence fell over the room; everyone was completely shocked by Kendal's outburst. Kendal was deeply relieved to find the penetrating silence around her and soon went back to trying to make her way to the front room with her mother. The others just stared at her, still in complete shock of the normally restrained Kendal's outburst.
"Do you need help?" asked a deep voice. Kendal turned her head slowly to see who was offering her help. The inquiring voice belonged to the dark haired gentleman that Kendal had early seen with Eliza and Prince Edward.
"That would lovely," Kendal said to the man, looking straight into his dark eyes. With a quick nod, the man promptly walked over to the left of Mrs. Ingle and began to help haul her to the front of the house. Before Kendal and the man could get out of the dining room, a small voice called Kendal's name. Kendal halted and turned her head slightly to see what the person wanted.
"Kendal, perhaps you should take mother to Doctor Ferguson's house," Aide said timidly. Kendal looked up to the ceiling and started to contemplate Aide's suggestion. Everyone's gaze was locked on Kendal and she could have sworn she felt their eyes burning holes into her.
"Aide, that is a wonderful suggestion, but our carriage is tied up and there is no way Mother is fit to ride a horse."
"She could use mine," Lady Marin suggested quite pleased with herself that she could be helpful.
"Great," Kendal replied and then she turned her head in the direction of the well-built gentleman that was helping her. "Do you mind helping me bring to her the carriage?" Kendal pointedly asked the man.
"Not at all," the man replied without a moment of hesitation.
"Well then it's settled; off to Doctor's Ferguson's we go."
To my Reviewers:
...: Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I'm glad that its sounds interesting so far and I hope you will continue to read.
DramaQueen007: Sorry for killing you with suspense with the cliffhanger laughs evil Actually, I hate cliff hangers too when I read a story, but some how I write them into my stories. : ) Thanks again for reading and reviewing my second chapter I'm so pleased that you are enjoying it so far! I hope you will continue to read and thank so much for your wonderful review!
EvenSong: warning prepare for some flattery...My ever helpful and talented Beta, I'm so glad you are reading my story! As for my cold turkey addiction to the word said, I must say it is hard habit to break. Stupid said... Again thanks for all your help and as always the help is appreciated! : )
Thanks again for the reviews
Now just a little F.Y.I., I'm working on a school project that is due and there are no promises on an update time. Sorry. I'm hoping to update this story in a week crosses fingers, but school comes first. Also, fairy tale references are going to come up in later chapters. : )
Thanks for reading and reviews are always welcome!
Flummoxed