Mother's expression, when she sees me, makes me feel scared and calm all at the same time. It's like a mix between the expression a cat would have if it caught a bird, and the expression a Sunday school teacher would make when she was comforting a student. Sounds pretty ridiculous considering how opposite those two things are. But, her face sends chills of fear down my spine as well as making me feel relieved.
"Alice, darling, will you please enter the room?" Mother says as she continues to keep that strange expression.
"Yes mother," I say as I enter the room. I feel like I've walked into a nasty trap.
"Alice, sweetheart, your sister here has something that she would like to say to you," Mother says looking at me then Lorina. "Don't you, Lorina?"
"Yes, Mother," Lorina says looking down at the ground. I wonder if she is looking at my juice stain.
"Now, Lorina, speak up and give Alice an apology," Mother demands, giving Lorina an evil stare. Why does Lorina owe me an apology?
"Alice, I'm sorry I made you keep a promise for me," Lorina apologizes.
"Okay," I reply, not sure if I'm supposed to say anything yet.
"Please, Alice, let your sister finish apologizing." Finish apologizing? I'm confused, what else does she need to apologize for?
"I'm sorry that I made you promise not to tell Mother and Father…" Lorina stops for a second and gives me a penetrating stare, "that I forgot to let Dinah in last night."
Let Dinah in? What in the world is Lorina talking about? I promised Lorina that I wouldn't tell Mother and Father about her engagement. That has nothing to do with letting the cat in.
"Now, Alice, do you accept you sister's apology?" Mother asks.
"Yes, I accept Lorina's apology and I forgive her." I only say this because Lorina's giving me that look she gives that suggest that I go along with whatever she has just said or I will pay dearly.
"Wonderful," says Mother. "Now, Alice, why are you wandering around the house, anyway?"
"Oh, Father told me to tell everybody that lunch will be started earlier."
"This much earlier? Wow, Father must be extremely hungry," Lorina says. Wait, I thought Lorina wanted lunch earlier.
"Lorina, don't mock your Father's needs. Does the maid know that lunch will be at an earlier hour?"
"No, Ma'am, I'm just about to tell her."
"Oh, don't trouble yourself, darling, Lorina can do that for you," Mother says giving Lorina a meaningful look. "Can't you, Lorina?"
"I would love to," Lorina replies; in a voice that suggests that she would rather stick pins in her head then spend a second with the maid.
"Well, hop to it!" exclaims Mother.
"Gladly," Lorina says as she flounces out of the room, leaving me with Mother.
A/N
I'm having a wonderful time writing this story. And I don't know what else to say here.
. . .
B/N
My baby sister is just the cutest thing since sliced bread. She has now taken to 'reading' books to everybody. The scary thing is that she has fully memorized the books that she 'reads.' Therefore she can recite an entire book word for word, just by looking at the pictures.
Future writer in the making? Yeah.