Author's note: Thanks to Callie, if you're still following this, you'll know in this chapter.

Disclaimer: I – DO – NOT – OWN – ANY – OF – C.S. LEWIS'S – BRAINCHILDREN. PERIOD. :D

Chapter 2: Miss Pevensie's Dreadful Temper

After the sound had ended, Anne concluded happily, "I like this whistle." And she made up her mind to keep it. Laura saw her pocket the whistle and she said, "Anne . . ."

"What?" she whirled around crossly. "Are you going to say that I'm not supposed to keep it too?"

"No," said William quickly. "But it could belong to Miss Pevensie, you know. It's her house after all."

"We should ask her, at the very least," added Laura, who was grateful to her brother for the quick thinking. Anne frowned, but she didn't seem so cross anymore. "Must we really? Maybe she doesn't want it anymore."

"Never tempt fate," said John, mimicking a wise sage. William laughed and Laura smiled. Even Anne's lips twitched a little bit. "All right," she relented at last, "let's go find her now."

"Let's," said Laura and they trooped out of the attic. They descended to the kitchen to ask Mrs. Lafferty, for it would be utterly pointless to go about looking for Miss Pevensie in such a big house and get themselves lost instead. If there was anyone who would know where Miss Pevensie was, it would be Mrs. Lafferty.

"Why do you want to see her?" asked Mrs. Lafferty curiously.

Anne took the whistle out of her pocket and gave it to the housekeeper. "I found this and I like it so I want to ask Miss Pevensie if I could have it."

Mrs. Lafferty took the whistle and examined it with her floury hands, frowning and clicking her tongue here and there. "I don't remember seeing this. Where did you find it?"

"In the attic," replied Laura.

Mrs. Lafferty laughed nervously. "If that's the case," she handed it back to Anne, "just keep it. You needn't ask her."

Their eyes widened, for they were the sort of children who were honest and didn't feel comfortable at all about keeping another person's belonging without their permission.

"Why not?" asked William.

"Because the attic's where she usually keeps the things that she has no use for, like her old dresses, her piano, her school trunk – things that she doesn't have the heart to throw out. But don't you let her know that you've been in there, though."

"And why not?" asked John this time, his curiosity instantly aroused, because he had begun to think of Miss Pevensie as a mysterious, slightly batty old dame with a dark and shadowy past. He could see her now, dressed in a rich, black velvet dress, her white hair tied up in a bun and covered with a black bonnet. Her eyes would be a very pale grey and her lips very thin and strict. And when she spoke, her voice would be cold and steely and hoarse, like Mrs. Applefinn who taught him mathematics in school.

"She doesn't like children poking about in her house, especially not the attic, oh no! Why, she doesn't let even me to touch the things in there. I've only managed to take a peek in it, and that's saying something too. I think you should know that she detests children," said Mrs. Lafferty grimly.

The Kirke-Patricks immediately felt their hearts shrink. John's image of Miss Pevensie became a serious possibility. He gulped without meaning to.

"Oh, don't be frightened, children!" laughed Mrs. Lafferty. "It'll be all right as long as you stay out of her way, especially during her parties. Don't wander about the ground and first floor and most of all not the attic, and you'll be all right. Just don't let her see you. Honestly, I don't even know why she even agreed to take care of all of you when she can't even stand the sight of a baby. Your mother must have been a very good friend of hers. And she doesn't usually do favours either."

The children relaxed a bit, but now they were positively afraid of Miss Pevensie. They each took one of the chairs strewn about the kitchen and gathered around the table where Mrs. Lafferty was making some sort of dough. Even though John was a little scared of Miss Pevensie, he wanted to know if his vision of her was real.

"Tell us more about Miss Pevensie."

Mrs. Lafferty chuckled, but she said yes, she will. "Well, I don't know much about her myself, but I do know that her name was Susan Pevensie and that she's been engaged to Sir Richard Huntingdon for three years, and who wouldn't know about it because Richard Huntingdon is one of the most eligible bachelors in the country. He's young, handsome, and rich enough. And before that, she was married to a sick, old man called Philip Buckle who was a very important cotton merchant and when he died, all his fortune went to her. After he died, Miss Pevensie left London to move to the country, where she bought this piece of land and built this mansion on it."

"What?" exclaimed Anne. "You mean that this isn't really an old house?" She was really very dismayed.

"Why, no! It's only ten years old, but I suppose, yes, you can call this old."

"Do continue, Mrs. Lafferty," said John, a little cross with Anne for interrupting the story.

"When she moved here, she gave out a lot of parties. Glamorous ones, you know, the kind where the adults come in fancy suits and dresses and drink wine and dance until late in the night. Sometimes, some of them stay here for the night and after the party the next morning they would play cricket and badminton out in the lawn."

"Cricket!" said William.

Laura laughed. "Well, that's good news for you, Will." He grinned sheepishly.

Mrs. Lafferty laughed too. "I think it'll be all right for you to play with one of the sets that Miss Pevensie has. Anyway, as I was saying, Miss Pevensie was very famous in the London elite society, so lot's of rich people come here for her parties. She met Sir Huntingdon here and it was said that they fell in love at once. I don't know about that, but what I do know is that he always stays over for the night and, well, he does not very nice things with Miss Pevensie behind closed doors." Her face scrunched up in disgust.

John burst out in surprised laughter. "What? A man like that Huntingdon falling for an old hag like Miss Pevensie? He's got to be after her money."

The other children were shocked to hear that, but they laughed as well. Mrs. Lafferty probably laughed the loudest, so much until she banged the table with her kitchen spoon. "Oh dear me, John Kirke-Patrick!" she said at last, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. "Old hag? Old hag, you tell me? Oh, don't you let her hear that coming out of your mouth! She's beautiful and still young, I tell you, and a little vain of course, and with a good number of airs and graces, but she's a stunning woman, I tell you. Which man could resist her beauty and charm, I should like to know. Ho ho, old hag!" At this point, Mrs. Lafferty had finished with her dough and she shooed the children out of the kitchen so that she could finish cooking the dinner in peace.

"And remember to come back at precisely six-thirty sharp," she waggled a finger at them.

"But Mrs. Lafferty, we usually have our dinner at seven," said Laura.

"That's when you were at home. But now you're in Miss Pevensie's house, so the rules have changed." But she gave her a kind smile. "Now, out, all of you! And keep out of the ground and first floor!"

"Yes, Mrs. Lafferty!" they chorused together and they went upstairs to Laura and Anne's room to sit and talk things over.

"I say, Miss Pevensie sounds like a mean grown-up," said Anne.

"Oh, don't say that, Anne," said Laura. "You won't know for sure until you really see her. Remember what Mum used to say? Never judge a book by its cover."

"But she doesn't like children," said John pointedly. "How could she be a nice person when she hates kids like us?"

"You heard Laura," said William. "You can't make an assumption of someone until you really get to know that person."

"But all the same," said Anne with a shudder, "I think we should watch our step around here."

"Anne's right," said Laura, "It doesn't hurt to be careful. Give me the whistle, Anne, and I'll see if I can get it to hang around your neck."

"Can you really?" asked Anne excitedly, and she gave the whistle to Laura. Laura laughed and examined the whistle. "I think I can. Look here, there's a small puncture in this curve. I'll see if I've got any loose thread hanging around in my bag." She rummaged in her satchel and came out with a long, triumphant strand of red wool thread. She inserted the thread through the puncture and tied it up together at one end and put it over Anne's head. The whistle hung from the thread like a pendant.

"Oh, thank you, Laura!" she said and she threw her arms around her sister.

"Oof! You're welcome!" And from that moment on, Anne vowed never to be parted from her whistle

Nothing much happened during the next few days in the manor. The children went about their activities as usual: bothering Mrs. Lafferty in the kitchen, helping her to clean some empty, dusty rooms, and playing cricket and badminton using Miss Pevensie's game sets, which were very expensive but of high quality. And all the while, they never crossed paths with Miss Pevensie herself, not even during mealtimes. They were so caught up in their games and housework that they didn't get a chance to explore the house.

One day, it rained. Mrs. Lafferty had promised them the day before that she would take them to town with her on her weekly grocery trip but because of the rain, she had to leave the children at home. They were very sore by this decision.

"Can't we go with you, Mrs. Lafferty? Please?" begged Anne, who was fed up, having been cooped up in the house for almost one week. You would too if you were in her shoes.

"It's raining," Mrs. Lafferty replied firmly as she chose a floral-printed umbrella from the umbrella stand in the foyer. "Usually I won't even dream of going out in such a horrid weather but Miss Pevensie is having a party tomorrow so I really musn't dawdle!"

"But it's only a drizzle," protested John.

"No," said Mrs. Lafferty in a tone that permitted no further argument. "I shall be back in a jiffy, if the cart doesn't get stuck in the mud."

"Don't be mean, Mrs. Lafferty," whined Anne. But she knew that there was no chance of her changing her mind.

"Now you children mind your behaviours. If you're all good and neat and quiet when I get home, and if it doesn't rain, I'll bring you to town the day after the party."

"Hurrah!" cheered the children, and Mrs. Lafferty opened her umbrella and went out into the rain.

"You heard Mrs. Lafferty," said Laura. "Let's go back to our rooms."

"And do what?" asked John. His eyes shone mischievously and Laura and William knew that he was up to no good. "This is a good time to check out what's on the first floor!"

"John!" said William, aghast. "Didn't you hear what Mrs. Lafferty said? She told us not to go to the first floor. Goodness knows what we'll run into there."

"You're not afraid of Miss Pevensie, are you?" laughed John. "She's just a grown-up. Come on, we'll be in our rooms before Mrs. Lafferty comes home."

"Oh, do let's!" said Anne. Normally, she was an obedient girl, but the disappointment had fired up her rebellious side. Laura and William exchanged worried looks. There would be trouble for sure.

"It's your call, Laura," said William.

"All right," said Laura, but she regretted it at once. John pressed the side of Anne's head roughly with a finger, laughed, and then ran up the grand mahogany staircase leading to the first floor. "You're It!"

"John!" cried Anne, and she ran after him.

"John!" exclaimed Laura and William together, both furious at John for messing with Anne's head, and they went after their siblings to make sure there wasn't any trouble.

What a racket John and Anne caused! Anne was an excellent sprinter, but John was quick at spotting corners and ducking into them. Corridor after corridor they went, their shoes clack-clacking against the wooden floor. Their shrill laughter and shrieks echoed all about the house, so that it was never difficult for Laura and William to find them. Laura wondered how the situation could get any worse when there was a loud and sickening crash. Panicked, they rounded a corner and saw a porcelain vase shattered to a million pieces on the floor. Anne had covered her mouth in horror and John looked positively sick.

And to all their horror: "THOSE DAMN CHILDREN!"

"MISS PEVENSIE!" The children quickly ran away from the scene. A door slammed and they knew it was her. Stomp-stomp-stomp they went, climbing stairs, running along corridors, and occasionally William or John opened up hidden passageways on accident. They ran and ran until they were quite sure that they were safe. Out of breath, they dropped onto the floor and panted and gasped.

"That – was – close," said William.

"Never – again," said Laura, casting an angry look at John and Anne, who hung their heads in shame.

But suddenly, "There you are."

The children looked up and gasped. Anne screamed a little and hid behind Laura. John paled and William groaned. Laura's heart skipped a beat.

Standing right before them was none other than Miss Pevensie herself.

Mrs. Lafferty was right about her hating children. In fact, she looked as if she was ready to eat them up. She was beautiful, that was for sure, but her beauty was cold, fierce, and so dreadful that she reminded the children of Cinderella's stepmother, or someone just as hateful. In one hand she held a thin stick that Laura and William realised was a cane.

Miss Pevensie took one step towards them and said coldly, "It was understood that you are not to disturb me, wasn't it?"

Laura looked at her siblings, but it seemed that they had all lost their wits. Then, she looked back up at Miss Pevensie as bravely as she could and said, "Yes, Miss Pevensie."

"Then what were you doing," her voice getting shriller and angrier by the minute, "running around – on the first floor – making one hell of a din – and SMASHING VASES?"

"We're sorry, Miss Pevensie!" blurted Laura, tears biting into the edges of her eyes. For once in a very long time, she was afraid. Anne had already burst into tears and John looked ready to do the same. William managed to hold himself steady, but his face was flushed.

"Do you really think that SORRY is enough? That vase was antique – it cost me two thousand pounds! Nothing you say or do will make up for it! Hold out your hand. You first!" she glared at Anne. Anne whimpered, but she held out a trembling hand.

SWISH-CRACK! The thin cane landed hotly on the little girl's hand. Anne cried out in pain and withdrew her hand. But it seemed that it only angered Miss Pevensie more. "Out! Another time!" Then SWISH-CRACK! it stung her hand again. "That's for your cowardice!"

For John, who held out his hand and bit his lip to stop himself from crying out, she hit his palm once. Then, she asked, "Who's the eldest here?"

"I am," said Laura in a small voice.

"Out," she told William, and he did. She whacked his hand once, and he didn't even flinch, but his face turned a shade too crimson.

"You," she turned onto Laura. "You're the eldest. And frankly, you should have known better."

"Yes, Miss Pevensie."

"Out."

Laura acquiesced and waited for the worst. SWISH- CRACK! the cane went, but not once, or twice. On the third hit, the siblings stared in horror at Laura's palm. It was getting redder and redder by the minute, but Laura didn't protest, nor did she cry or bite her lip or went red or paled. She just sat there patiently and solemnly, taking her punishment as if it was nothing at all. This was because she was racked with guilt. It was her fault that all this had happened. It was her fault that Miss Pevensie lost her vase. If she had been more sensible, if she had been thinking right, if she had said no instead of yes . . .

"STOP!" shouted John. "Stop it! You're hurting her! She didn't do anything to deserve this! It was my fault! I wanted to come here and disturb you. I wanted to play chase. I was the one who pushed the vase. Punish me! I'm the one you should be hitting more than the others. Just – stop . . ." And his voice trailed off.

Miss Pevensie, and not only her but all his siblings, turned to look at him in shock. Then, much to their surprise, and relief, she said quietly, "If I catch you messing about again, I won't hesitate to double your punishment."

"Yes, Miss Pevensie," said the children obediently and they ran off at once. They didn't stop until they reached Laura and Anne's room.

"Thanks, John," said Laura.

John blushed a bit. "It – it was nothing."

"Are you all right?" said William, taking her caned palm in his. Fortunately, Laura had had the sense to hold out her left hand. The hand was streaked here and there by a multitude of red slashes and it buzzed and stung and hurt most painfully.

"Do you want me to get some water to wash it?" offered Anne.

"No, it'll go off." Laura attempted a smile. "But thanks, all of you." She looked out the window and saw that the rain had stopped. "Look! The sun's out! Let's go out and play!" They all agreed and went out into the brilliant sun and laughed and clapped happily when they saw a most beautiful rainbow, the clearest one they had ever seen in their life.

After that, you can be quite sure that they didn't even dare to dream of visiting the first floor anymore.