Parade
Jigging from one foot to the other, Bert glanced up to see what Mary thought. Arms crossed, she hardly seemed amused, but the laughter in her eyes gave her away.
"What is this for, precisely?"
Bert held out his arms so she could see his clothes- the black trousers, white shirt, and multicoloured vest. With a wiggle of one leg, the bells strapped around his shins made a sharp jingling sound.
"It's a dance festival! They will be parading around London next week." Hands on his hips, he was clearly pleased with himself. "I agreed to help with the Morris dancing. Some of the boys will be doing it as well."
Mary laughed, the sound light and airy. "Oh, Bert! What shall I do with you? I suppose I shall have to go see you perform."
"Well, you don't have to…"
"I would love to," she corrected.
Cheeks burning red, Bert took the cap from his head to twist in his hands. "W-well then, I best up my game."
Hearing the front door close, Mary knew Uncle Albert had returned. She sighed lightly, standing and facing the parlour door.
"I hope you have a plan for how to get down because Uncle Albert is back," she told him. "And the sight of you is enough to keep him up there for days."
Bert was already giggling. "Don't worry, Mary. You can always help. Besides, little Jack is coming with me to the festival. If I'm still up there, he'll be able to help, no problem."
"I doubt that. I've seen him conversing with Miss Jane Banks in the park and they're both as bad as each other. Extremely prone to giggling."
The door opened, Uncle Albert already laughing at the sight of Bert. With a quick kiss to her uncle's temple, Mary left them to laugh away their amusement. They could always spare an hour or two. As she started preparing dinner, she could hear the silver bells on Bert's uniform jingling in time with their laughter. Incorrigible, the both of them.