"James, James! Look! I found one, it's really big!"
James Darcy looked over to where his sister sat, covered in mud. A long earthworm was clasped between her thumb and index finger, wriggling wildly.
"Well done Helena, it's a beauty. Quick, put in the jar with the others."
Helena, rather than walking, fell forward onto her stomach and wriggled towards where her brother sat with a glass jar.
"Look, James, I'm a worm!"
"Get up, silly. Little girls aren't meant to like worms."
"But I'm not a girl, I'm a worm!" She exclaimed, laughing as she deposited the worm in the jar. She rolled onto her back in delight; her dark curls escaping their plaits.
"Helena, James? Where are you?"
"Uh oh…." whispered Helena.
A dark-haired girl of about nine approached the clump of shrubbery that hid her siblings.
"James, Helena, I know you're there, I can see your feet."
James stood up, pulling Helena up with him, "Anna…."
"James! What have you been doing? Miss Jenkins is furious, she sent me to find you."
"We've been digging for worms!" Helena laughed, pushing her hair out of her face.
Anna looked at her younger sister, "Look at your dress Helena, it's covered in mud, mama will be infuriated."
"I don't care," Helena replied.
"You will when you get a good hiding."
Helena bit her lip and looked down at her once white dress.
"James, why did you let her get so dirty?"
"It's not my fault that she wanted to be a worm!"
"You should know better, she's only little."
"I'm not little," Helena retorted, "I am four, and that, is not little!"
"Come on, you need to be cleaned before Miss Jenkins sees you, or worse, mama."
Anna took her sister's hand and pushing James in front of her, started off back to the house. Anna was so engaged in reprimanding her sister that she did not notice that James had stopped until she walked into him.
"James, why…"
"Shh, we know that mama and Miss Jenkins will be furious but we did not remember papa."
"What are you…"
"Papa is coming, come on, quick, this way." He grasped Anna's hand, pulling her round some bushes, taking a different path back to the house.
The children were still anxious as they rounded the corner of the house. They leant against the wall, relieved to have escaped the danger. Suddenly, they were startled by someone clearing their throat behind them. All three children slowly turned around and found themselves face to face with their mother.
"Mama…." Anna started.
"I must say, I was most surprised on my visit to the nursery to find that three of my children were suspiciously absent." Elizabeth arched a curious eyebrow at her eldest child. Her eyes moved to Helena, taking in her dishevelled appearance; her muddy dress and wild curls.
"I believe an explanation is order. This is the third dress that has been ruined this month!"
The children did not respond, their eyes shifting to the ground.
Elizabeth sighed, exasperated, "If you do not respond then you will all be punished!"
Anna looked up, meeting her mother's gaze steadily, "It is my fault mama," she began, "Helena finished breakfast first and had taken to irritating Harriet. Lucy was busy feeding Thomas so I suggested that James took Helena outside until Miss Jenkins was ready to start our lessons. They were gone a while so Miss Jenkins sent me out to find them,"
"Anna, I understand that you wished to prevent your sisters' arguing but look at Helena's dress!"
"Mama, I…"
"No, Anna," started James, "I told Helena we could look for worms."
"Why on earth…."
"We're going to put them in Harriet's hair!" Helena laughed excitedly.
James pushed her in the back, "Helena, you…."
"ENOUGH!" Elizabeth's tone startled the children, "We shall see what your father has to say about this."
xxxxxx
Some time later, the three children emerged from their father's study, rather sore and very remorseful.
"Helena, why did you have to be so stupid and tell mama why we had the worms?" James grumbled.
"I'm not stupid!" Helena whined.
"Oh, stop it you two! All this trouble over worms!"
Helena paused, rubbing her sore behind gingerly, "I do not believe I like worms anymore."
"No, nor I," replied James, "Which is why I put them in Harriet's bed!"
Finis
Please review!