The boy was momentarily dazed speechless by her reaction before he bent over with uncontrollable laughter. “Oh…..you….should…..see…..your….face!” he said through loud, rather annoying bouts of laughter.
Elizabeth ran her small hands over her pink gown and looked down her nose at him. Well, she tried to at least. It was rather difficult to look down on someone taller than her.
“You, Robert Bradford, are a beastly boy!” she said loudly, perhaps a little too loudly if the laughter erupting around them was any indication.
Robert’s face turned an interesting shade of red as Elizabeth narrowed her eyes on her nemesis and studied his face, hoping to find some proof that this boy was an imposter. It was simply impossible that such a crude, distasteful little boy could be related to her James. This boy had darker, almost black, hair, green eyes instead of James’ brown eyes and wasn’t in the least bit good looking. The boy was rather homely looking. Even her mother said so, so it had to be true.
“And you smell like the backside of a mule!” Robert shot back loud enough for everyone walking past them to hear.
Elizabeth felt her face flush hotly. She looked back in time to catch her sisters trying to hide their smiles from their overbearing mother. Their mother threw them one look of warning before turning her attention back to Elizabeth. The glare that she sent Elizabeth’s way was a clear warning to behave and not to make a scene.
The other children around them stopped playing to watch as they giggled and pointed at Elizabeth and Robert. Lady Bradford looked horrified at her son’s behavior or Elizabeth’s, she wasn’t exactly sure and she didn’t care, because at this very moment James was laughing.
At her!
She turned away before he could see the tears streaming down her face.
“Are you crying?” Robert demanded, sounding horrified.
“Leave me alone.”
She tried to push past him, but being only seven years old it was rather difficult to push past a towering twelve-year-old boy who’d planted himself firmly in her path.
“I know you fancy my brother. He laughs about it, you know. We all do,” Robert said proudly.
She gasped loudly.
He knew?
He laughed?
Oh no, this was bad. This was very bad. Had she been that obvious? Her own family never said anything. They smiled at her when they knew they were going to see the Bradfords, but that was only because they liked the Bradfords, wasn’t it?
Oh no, everyone knew, she realized with something close to panic. She had to get out of here, fast. She made another attempt to step around Robert only to have him move quickly to block her. “What’s the rush? Running off to plan the wedding?” he asked mockingly.
Slowly, Elizabeth turned around to see her parents, sisters, Lord and Lady Bradford, and James walking towards them. She wanted to cry all over again when she saw that her sister Heather was hanging on James’ arm. She was eighteen and this was her first season. She was plain, boring and annoying, but at least she got to touch him. Elizabeth felt her little heart break.
“You know that you’re the ugliest sister, don’t you? And you’re fat, too!” Robert added. He looked around, beaming at the chuckles the other boys were sending his way and clearly enjoying himself at her expense.
Elizabeth had baby fat, but she would grow out of it. Her governess and father had promised her that is was just a phase. She caught one of the boys making rude gestures with his hands, indicating a fat stomach before he pointed at her for his friends.
“Stop it!” she cried.
That only made them laugh louder and Robert grin hugely. She looked back, hoping Mary would come to her aide. Her sister was no longer smiling. She cared about Elizabeth, she truly did. Unfortunately, Mary was still a good ten yards away. Elizabeth could tell that her sister was upset, but she knew that Mary couldn’t rush over and help her. Married woman or not, their mother would be devastated if any of them did anything improper that would bring the family embarrassment, especially since it was Heather’s first season.
They didn’t seem to be coming to her aide quickly at all. In fact, they appeared as though they were taking a relaxing stroll through the park. They actually stopped to talk to Lady Newman. Lady Newman! She was the biggest gossip of the ton ! Her annoying daughter Penelope was with her. She was just as mean as her mother. She was also glaring down her too thin nose at Elizabeth.
“Come on, Beth, what’s the matter? Don’t you want to go over and give your betrothed a big fat kiss?”
“Enough, Robert,” James said, chuckling.
Elizabeth couldn’t look back. No, she wouldn’t do it. He was laughing at her, again. Her sweet, understanding James, who’d kissed her scraped elbow when she was five, was laughing at her.
That was it. She didn’t care if all the children of the ton laughed at her and made fun of her. She didn’t care if she was the fattest, ugliest girl in the world. She would not be forced to stand here and listen as James laughed at her.
This was all Robert’s fault.
At that moment, she decided to do something that her parents had specifically forbade her ever to do. In fact, after it was done she knew that her father would spank her soundly, but it would be worth it. Somehow she forced herself to stop crying and smiled sweetly up at Robert as she prepared herself for a month without pudding and a sore bottom.
* * *
His smile faltered as he looked down at her. Her pudgy little cheeks were pushed up by a smile that was rather unsettling. She looked….dangerous. He licked his lips nervously, wondering what was she up to.
“Robert, I don’t understand why you’re being so silly right now. You know how dangerous that can be,” she said, a little too loudly for his liking. All the children watching them stepped closer, eager to see how this was going to end. Some of the adults also seemed quite amused with the afternoon’s entertainment, but not him. He suddenly felt the overpowering need to get away from the little brat.
Robert tried to take a step back and get away from her, but Elizabeth took a step closer, refusing to grant his escape. She suddenly looked oddly dangerous in that light pink dress. Looking thoughtful, she tapped a finger to her chin. “If I recall correctly you’ve been told to be careful when you laugh, get too excited, nervous…” she started to explain.
Robert knew where she was going with this. The little witch was about to break the promise her parents had made to his. “Shut up!” he screamed as desperation and fear coiled in the pit of his stomach.