Contrite & Convicted

A Bee In Your Bonnet Part III

A Bee In Your Bonnet Part III

Ester did a quick job to meet up with her husband whose face was flushed and his hair askew. He didn't seem to have his mallet or his ball so whatever upset him so, seemed to have been something drastic.

"Whatever is the matter? Where are the others?" Anthony scoffed and pulling Ester's hand away from his mother he walked her down a path towards the woods she hadn't been on in a long time....

"You'll never catch me Daphne! Not in a million years!" Ester cried as she ran through the thick bushes and trees. The two girls giggling as they ran side to side on the narrow path.

"I'll catch you Ester! I have three brothers and you, none!" Ester squealed as she heard Daphne nearly inches behind her.

Soon, Daphne caught her and it was now Ester's turn to tag Daphne. Daphne, true to her word was much faster than Ester. Was it because of older brothers? Or because she knew the paths in the woods well?

"Daphne! Wait up, I'll get lost!" Daphne, believing Ester was joking continued on. Within another moment, the redheaded Daphne was out of Ester's sight down a fork in the trail that Ester didn't know which path to take.

Left? Right? Deciding to follow her instincts, she went left. Running a little longer, she realized indeed she went the wrong way and her gut was rather misleading.

"DAPHNE!? WHERE ARE YOU!?" Ester cried out, hoping if not Daphne than someone would hear her. It felt like hours before she grew tired of wandering the trails looking for Daphne, she even went the way she came and turned down the other path. Only that path had another misdirection of trails.

"Who puts these many trails in the woods anyways?" Ester asked out loud. Her voice sore from calling out for Daphne. The sun was starting to set and there was a deep chill in the air.

"DAPHNE! ANYBODY! Please...." Ester was trying not to cry, to be a brave little girl, but it was rather difficult alone in the woods at almost dark. She was hungry and missed her parents who no doubt were out of their minds looking for her.

Just when she was about to give up and cry on the floor, she saw it. Lights! Feeling joy at seeing the large lanterns that surrounded Aubrey Hall, Ester's little legs ran faster, till she finally could see the house.

"I made it! I made it!" She squealed excitedly. Running into the house, her clothes and shoes a muddy mess, she ran into her room where her sister was staying, only she didn't find anyone. Running around the house she realized no one was in Aubrey Hall. Not even the servants.

Where was everyone? Ester wondered. When suddenly, she saw a light pulling out from under Viscount Edmund's office. Slowly creaking the door opened, she noticed no one was inside.

"Viscount...sir? Hello?" She called out once more but no one answered. Turning around she ran SMACK into someone. It was a hormonal teenage Anthony (who she had perfectly avoided so well until this moment).

"Sorry." She whispered, not wanting to anger him more than he usually was.

"Watch where you're walking." Walking into his father's study, with papers in hand Ester finally mustered the courage to ask before he closed the door-"I've come back, were my parents worried?" Anthony looked up and scowled at the younger child.

"Worried? Over what?" Ester raised an eyebrow.

"I've been gone for hours? Aren't they all out looking for me?" Anthony looked down the hallways that were empty--as it was rather late--and back to the little girl with the dirty clothes, sticks in her hair and an odd smell coming from her.