Nuisance
"Edmund?"
The called boy quickly turned around to see his sister, in her pink robe and boots, emerge from the trees. Her eyes lit up with pleasant surprise.
"Oh, Edmund, you got here too!" she exclaimed happily, rushing to him. "Isn't it wonderful?"
Usually, he was quick enough to dodge her attempts to hug him. But he did not realize her intention until her small arms were wrapped around him and her head was resting on his chest. Perhaps he had not acted soon enough because he was thinking about what Her Majesty had told him.
Edmund staggered back a step when she flung herself at him. Lucy's tight hug made him realize his stomach did not feel good. Quickly he pushed her roughly away.
He really could not understand why Lucy loved to hug him. She was always getting on his nerves. And he always picked on her and made her cry. (And then Peter would get mad at him while Susan tried to comfort Lu and gave him a disapproving look.) So why she attempted to hug him so much was a mystery -- a nuisance of a mystery -- to him. She loved to hug everyone: Mum, Peter, Susan, and Dad before he went to fight in the war; but not as much as she loved hugging him.
In his family's eyes Lucy was the special one, the one who could not be denied anything. And he, he was the black sheep of the family. More than once Edmund wondered how Peter could be so wrapped around Lucy's finger and yet could treat him so beastly.
"Where have you been?" he demanded, feeling uncharitable as he noted she looked lively and cheerful while he realized how cold he was; and his stomach was hurting him awfully.
"With Mr. Tumnus," Lucy replied, for once not bursting into tears when he did not welcome her hug nor noticing his dark frown.