Jonathan visibly hesitated. Despite what Mrs. Worthington thought, it was going to be very uncomfortable for the three boys to squish together on one seat during the bumpy ride.
"Aniline is going to spend the afternoon with us," Mrs. Worthington explained as Jonathan, with a slight grimace, squeezed onto the seat beside his brother.
Derek was pushed against the wall so hard he couldn't move his arm all the way from his shoulder. Gabriel, too, seemed more than a little uncomfortable as he tried to shift a little. He only managed to wedge his shoulder more firmly against Derek's.
"I hope it's not any inconvenience," the girl said, turning her radiant smile on Jonathan.
"Not at all, Miss Clayton. Pleasurable company is never an inconvenience."
Derek hid an involuntary snort behind a fake cough. "Dust," he explained when everyone looked at him.
By the time they were halfway home, Derek had lost all feeling in his left arm and his fingers began to tingle. He wasn't sure what was more painful: Gabriel's elbow digging into his side or hearing Aniline giggle for the hundredth time.
"I've been to Charlestown several times," she said. "It's lovely in the fall."
"I like it during the spring better, myself," Jonathan replied flatly. He'd long since given up on politely agreeing with her, perhaps hoping she would stop asking his opinion.
The carriage jostled over a patch of stones causing the boys to elbow each other in the ribs yet again. Derek winced and he could have sworn he heard Jonathan let out an annoyed noise that was somewhere between a pained groan and a frustrated sigh.
In the shaking, Gabriel's shoulder had lodged itself even farther behind Derek's. Derek couldn't have guess which of them had to be more uncomfortable: himself with the other boy's shoulder digging into his own, or Gabriel with his arm wedged between Derek's back and the thin padding of the seatback.
At another heavy jostle, Derek stifled a groan as Gabriel's elbow dug more instantly into his side. That's going to be a bruise , he thought. He tried to move his right arm between himself and Gabriel, hoping for some extra cushioning on the bumps, but all that did was make Gabriel elbow him on purpose, glaring at him.
"Derek, stop fidgeting," Mrs. Worthington commanded.
"Yes, 'am. Sorry."
She narrowed her eyes at him, her thin lips almost disappearing in her saggy, wrinkled face because she was pressing them together so hard.
Another patch of rocks made all three boys wince once more.
When they finally stopped at the house and climbed stiffly from the carriage, Jonathan was the only one who bothered to hide the fact that he was rubbing his side. The rush of blood back to his swollen, blue fingers made Derek's entire hand pulse and sting.
"How was service, Jonathan?"
Looking up at the porch, surprise written on his face, Jonathan said, "Catherine, you should still be in bed."
Catherine, who was sitting on the bench by the door, smiled. "It was the first nice morning in a week. I wanted to sit outside." Her voice was airy as she spoke, like a weak breeze wending through a noisy room."
The concern leaving his eyes, replaced by his usual hard stare, Jonathan walked up the steps.
"Hello, Derek," Catherine said, looking passed her husband.
"Afternoon, ma'am," he answered.
"Derek, don't just stand there," Mrs. Worthington hissed. "Make yourself useful and help with the carriage."
Walking towards the carriage house, he heard Aniline's sugary voice behind him, "You look ever so much like you're feeling better today, Catherine."
"Yes," Derek said with a snort. "Just ever so much."
"What'd you say, boy?"
"Nothing, Devon." He patted Blueberry absently, his eyes still on Catherine. "Do you want me to put everything away?"
"You're catchin' on," he said, walking away.
"What do you think of that, Blueberry?"
Looking at him blankly, Blueberry shook his head a little, flipping his tail at a fly.
"I think he might have been close to complimenting
"Aniline is going to spend the afternoon with us," Mrs. Worthington explained as Jonathan, with a slight grimace, squeezed onto the seat beside his brother.
Derek was pushed against the wall so hard he couldn't move his arm all the way from his shoulder. Gabriel, too, seemed more than a little uncomfortable as he tried to shift a little. He only managed to wedge his shoulder more firmly against Derek's.
"I hope it's not any inconvenience," the girl said, turning her radiant smile on Jonathan.
"Not at all, Miss Clayton. Pleasurable company is never an inconvenience."
Derek hid an involuntary snort behind a fake cough. "Dust," he explained when everyone looked at him.
By the time they were halfway home, Derek had lost all feeling in his left arm and his fingers began to tingle. He wasn't sure what was more painful: Gabriel's elbow digging into his side or hearing Aniline giggle for the hundredth time.
"I've been to Charlestown several times," she said. "It's lovely in the fall."
"I like it during the spring better, myself," Jonathan replied flatly. He'd long since given up on politely agreeing with her, perhaps hoping she would stop asking his opinion.
The carriage jostled over a patch of stones causing the boys to elbow each other in the ribs yet again. Derek winced and he could have sworn he heard Jonathan let out an annoyed noise that was somewhere between a pained groan and a frustrated sigh.
In the shaking, Gabriel's shoulder had lodged itself even farther behind Derek's. Derek couldn't have guess which of them had to be more uncomfortable: himself with the other boy's shoulder digging into his own, or Gabriel with his arm wedged between Derek's back and the thin padding of the seatback.
At another heavy jostle, Derek stifled a groan as Gabriel's elbow dug more instantly into his side. That's going to be a bruise , he thought. He tried to move his right arm between himself and Gabriel, hoping for some extra cushioning on the bumps, but all that did was make Gabriel elbow him on purpose, glaring at him.
"Derek, stop fidgeting," Mrs. Worthington commanded.
"Yes, 'am. Sorry."
She narrowed her eyes at him, her thin lips almost disappearing in her saggy, wrinkled face because she was pressing them together so hard.
Another patch of rocks made all three boys wince once more.
When they finally stopped at the house and climbed stiffly from the carriage, Jonathan was the only one who bothered to hide the fact that he was rubbing his side. The rush of blood back to his swollen, blue fingers made Derek's entire hand pulse and sting.
"How was service, Jonathan?"
Looking up at the porch, surprise written on his face, Jonathan said, "Catherine, you should still be in bed."
Catherine, who was sitting on the bench by the door, smiled. "It was the first nice morning in a week. I wanted to sit outside." Her voice was airy as she spoke, like a weak breeze wending through a noisy room."
The concern leaving his eyes, replaced by his usual hard stare, Jonathan walked up the steps.
"Hello, Derek," Catherine said, looking passed her husband.
"Afternoon, ma'am," he answered.
"Derek, don't just stand there," Mrs. Worthington hissed. "Make yourself useful and help with the carriage."
Walking towards the carriage house, he heard Aniline's sugary voice behind him, "You look ever so much like you're feeling better today, Catherine."
"Yes," Derek said with a snort. "Just ever so much."
"What'd you say, boy?"
"Nothing, Devon." He patted Blueberry absently, his eyes still on Catherine. "Do you want me to put everything away?"
"You're catchin' on," he said, walking away.
"What do you think of that, Blueberry?"
Looking at him blankly, Blueberry shook his head a little, flipping his tail at a fly.
"I think he might have been close to complimenting
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