Leavitt Stafford and the Awful, Terrible, Not Very Nice Plan.

Chapter the Tenth: An Impish Scotsman

John, after a day which was particularly harried by the requests of his neighbour, descended from the cabriolet before the end of the town where the fields rolled frolicsomely and blended with the spindly and gangling trees of the forest. The sun basked the earth with its golden glory on this fine day, and the flowers beside the country road reached their delicate dewy petal fingers to the sky as though they wished to touch the clouds. Spring was on the cusp of its arrival, and the butterflies would soon flutter through the air, and the bees would soon buzz between the flowers, and the skeletal trees would soon sprout their emerald leaves. John adored the heaven that spring cast upon the country. If only he could frolic through fields in the spring all day long, strolling amongst the butterflies and the flowers...

As he made his way towards the entrance of the forest, he realised that Clarence was once again late. Had he once again forgotten his shoes and shillings? John wondered if he should perhaps suggest that Clarence write down his list of tasks and then work through them so as to avoid such inconveniences as he attempted to leave, but he did not wish to be rude! Additionally, nervousness once again began to sneak towards him as he thought of how Clarence would most likely tease him again. Why had he made such a foolish decision as to accompany him on this stroll? He should return home before more adverse circumstances transpired!

Although, as he thought of how he should leave, he did not wish to leave, and his legs would not allow him to leave. Though he did not wish to acknowledge this, he partly wished to join Clarence in the dreadful adventure he spoke of. As he considered the outrageous incidents which would occur, a giddiness would fill him and make him wish to abandon his outwardly phlegmatic demeanour in favour of dashing down the streets and crying, "HALLELUJAH!" Clarence had turned him into a fool. Clarence had stolen all sense from him and filled his mind with homosexual thoughts, and he knew he would suffer as a result of this, but, as Clarence had said, he may negotiate with the Lord when the time came, and John knew he would only live on this earth once.

Eventually, John spotted Clarence dashing down the street with a hastily buttoned white shirt displaying the ginger curls of his chest hair. As he observed the disorderly gentleman, colour once again began to rise to his cheeks. He turned his eyes towards the fields so as to avoid Clarence noticing this, though Clarence naturally noticed it anyway, for such things would never escape his detection. A smirk crept across Clarence's visage; he believed this timid gentleman to be positively endearing, and he believed his reaction to teasing him for his bashfulness to be even more endearing. If only men could marry, then he would certainly propose to him soon!

"Good morning, Clarence," said John as he attempted to regain his composure. "It is a wonderful day, is it not?"

"The weather is positively charming today," agreed Clarence. "One really can see that spring is approaching just as the blood approached your countenance!"

"Oh, Clarence..." John hadn't even the energy to deny his infatuation at this point, and Clarence must have known this, for John could see the mischief in his eyes. "What an impish gentleman you are..."

"How so? For I state the truth? This states rather more of you than I..."

As Clarence gazed into the eyes of John, John felt as though he would grab ahold of his visage and begin to kiss him passionately there and then! How he wished to melt into the kiss, and how he wished to lie in his arms and gaze lovingly into his cheeky soul... "Perhaps we should begin our stroll," he said before he would allow such thoughts to progress further.

"My house is along this path. Would you like to go there? Perhaps that is where you could accompany me on an even better adventure, if you wish to do so."

John pretended to observe the sparrows which soared in the skies above him as his countenance once again turned the colour of red roses. "Yes, we shall journey towards your house."