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

Chapter the Sixteenth: Trailing Leavitt

Marjorie, after casting a cursory glance about the nearby houses and gardens to ensure that nobody was observing her honourable misdeeds, began her journey back down the tree and dashed out of the garden and into the streets. She hoped that Leavitt would not return whilst she hurried along such an exposed area!

As Marjorie dashed down the streets, many delivered peculiar glances to her. She felt dreadfully anxious; not only could Leavitt spy her at any moment, but she was arousing suspicion! Perhaps it was due to the expression of terror upon her countenance, or perhaps it was her furtive steps, and so she crafted a mask of calmness and placed it upon her visage, and she forced herself to step more slowly. She felt as though she now bore the appearance of a puppet possessed by latent panic! She must hide in the park before dreadful occurrences transpired.

Once she had hidden herself within a hollow of shrubbery, Marjorie had waited a significant length of time, and the insects within the shrubbery crawled upon her skin and made her wish to scream! The predicament worsened once three wasps began to buzz about her, and one even landed upon her nose! As the wasps buzzed about her, the brambles snagged her skirts. Her dress was in sore need of darning now...

Nearby, a group of children were romping about in much a similar manner as Winnie, Hazel, and Polly, and they were romping about in a most uncomfortable proximity to the shrubbery in which Marjorie was hidden.

"Let's play hide and seek!" declared one of the children, and he began to count to ten.

Oh no!

Immediately, another of the children made his way towards the shrubbery. "Why are you in the bushes?" he enquired as he parted the bushes and stared at Marjorie. "Maids don't play hide and seek in the park!"

"I'm sorry, poppet, but could you perhaps hide somewhere else?" Marjorie whispered urgently.

"Why?"

"You should hurry along and hide..."

The boy ran across the park, seemingly employing the tactic of darting from hiding place to hiding place whilst his friend searched for him. This tactic had served as an excellent means to avoid being spied until he tripped over the roots of a great oak, and his friend immediately delivered the accusation of cheating to him, which resulted in a great deal of complaints... of a maid hiding in the shrubbery.

The children journeyed towards the shrubbery to besiege Marjorie with questions.

"Why are you in the bushes?" the boy who had discovered her enquired once again.

"It's a long story..." sighed Marjorie.

"We have all day!" cheered another, taller boy. "Are you running from pirates?"

"If you don't leave, I shall be caught!" Marjorie trembled with trepidation; it was now certain to those who observed that she was engaging in suspicious matters, and she feared that word would reach Leavitt, for the mothers of the children would certainly speak of this!

The children left at last, though they drifted towards their mothers to tell them of the maid in the bushes. Marjorie could feel her heart leap to her throat! Oh goodness gracious, one of the mothers was being dragged along by the child who had discovered her! The distance between then was becoming lesser and lesser...

Marjorie swiftly burrowed deeper into the shrubbery, scratching her face dreadfully in the process. If this did not appear incriminating, then she hadn't the faintest idea what would! She would have to fabricate the excuse of having fallen into brambles as she returned home, though she was most uncertain of whether this would serve as an effective means of concealing her culpability.