Mr.Pelton and His Five Children

No Mama

"Richard, you will never believe what my brother told me." Rebeca said, first thing when she walked in the house.

"And what would that be?" He said, not in a very particularly good mood for her overly cheerful and somewhat fake attitude.

"He took your childrens nanny out for a stroll! Can you believe that?" She snapped her fan closed. "I mean, what does he see in that horrid creature?"

A nerve bulged in his temple and he bit his tongue from saying something harsh and kicking her out of the house.

He just set the morning paper down on the table and made his way to the library without saying a single world.

"Has he grown so desperate to find a women that he would lower his standards so much? He's not even that bad looking. He could get any girl he wanted from the upper and noble class, what was he thinking?" Rebeca followed Richard into the library, not picking up on his anger.

"I'll have you know! Mama is more beautiful than you, you old ugly hag!" Sam screamed at her from the top of the stairs.

"I'll ignore what he said because he looks really upset, but you really should fire her if this is the vocabulary she is teaching them." She took a seat across from him and poked one of the books stacked up.

"I'll have you know. I fired her last night." He flipped through the book he was reading, not actually reading anything, but hoping this would get her to stop talking to him.

"Excellent news! I'll find you a new one immediately!" She excitedly got up and was about to hurry out of the library.

"Actually. Actually I was thinking to not bring them a nanny. I thought since you will be their step mother you might want to spend time with them and get to know them better." He slammed his book shut and placed it on the table.

"O-oh, what a wonderful idea." Her lower eye lid trembled at the thought of taking care of children.

*

An entire month passed without Annabel in the Pelton household and everyone has been miserable.

Margot would occasionally call out at night for her while she was sleeping. The twins grew more and more stubborn with everything. Maggie was getting snappy and more detached. George immersed himself in his studies with the start of school and took every opportunity he got to not be home. He was either studying in the public library in the city or out with his friends and he alway came home late and sometimes drunk. He found out that liquor was a great way to numb the pain and nothing stopped him from having it since he was legal now.

And Richard, Richard had many restless nights, tossing and turning. All day his mind would be plagued with the thought of one person, and during the night, her tear stained face would haunt him. It would get his chest all tight and he would begin to choke up at being the reason behind the tears. 

Not that Annabel has been doing any better than all of them. She found a new job in the city for another family that weren't as nice as the Pelton's. They were rude and always made her feel bad that she was from a lower, working class. The head of the house, Old Mr.Wilton, has been sick and bed ridden for a very long time and his children and wife are just waiting for him to die so they could inherit all his land and money, not that they haven't been spending it carelessly on useless items. The only good thing that has come out of working for the Wilton's was that they refused Annabel to be working for them in such old ragged dresses. Their eldest daughter, Tiffany, also the only kind person in the household, took her shopping for new dresses, although fairly simple, but still new, and Annabel was grateful. They also forget when her pay day is, so they end up paying her on random days, sometimes even double, so Annabel took it as their way of apologising for being a snobby rich family. 

She missed the Pelton children dearly, more than anything, even Richard, and the house staff. She constantly wondered how they were doing and her ears always perked up when Tiffany talks about how gorgeous Mr.Pelton and Ms.Von Eckerman were in the recent social gatherings and events she's been to, and how truly sad it is that he hasn't noticed her. She quickly got over her sadness when she remembered that he had an 18 year old so, George, and she didn't care that he was five years younger than her.

"And oh you should have seen her dress Annabel, it was just the most wonderful thing, it fit her like a glove I tell you." Tiffany hugged her pillow close to her chest with a dreamy expression on her face. "Richard Pelton is one lucky man to have her."

"I'm sure he is." Annabel gritted her teeth and continued picking up the clothes from off of the ground.

"You must come with me next time. I'll doll you up and everything. You can't live without seeing how beautiful the two couple are."

"I don't think that's a good idea Tiff. I'm rather busy working."

"But you can take a day off you know? I'll tell mama that I need you there with me to help me out, she won't say no. You also have to see George. For an eighteen year old he is quite handsome."

Annabel scrunched her nose at someone thinking about George in a romantic manner. She stood up and put her hands on her hips. She studied Tiffany. 

In the month she's known her, she's been wonderful. She's well educated and a proper fine lady. She could see her and George getting along fine. The only thing that's a little off was the that she was older. Frankly, Annabel thinks it's fine, and hopes George does too.

"On a scale of one to ten, how badly do you want to meet George Pelton?"

"Oh, one hundred." Tiffany blushed at the thought of meeting him.

"So, would you like me to introduce you to him?"

"You know him!?" Tiffany bounced up on her knees and stared at her wide eyed.

"I worked for them Tiffany. I've already seen Mr.Pelton and Ms. Von Eckerman together." Annabel smiled at the girls excitement, but it soon turned into a sad smile.

"Wait, why are you sad?" Tiffany patted her bed, an invitation for Annabel.

"I just really miss them. They are wonderful people and I wish I didn't leave the way I did. I wish it was on better circumstances that I left."

"What happened?" Tiffany put an arm around Annabel and pulled her head to rest on her shoulders.

"I don't even know. Except the children might hate me now."

"I doubt anyone can hate you Annie. You're too kind."

"Say that to Rebeca." She grumbled.

"Von Eckerman? What did she do?"

"Let's just say she's not as nice as she looks. Now, I have to go finish your siblings rooms and see how they are doing."

"Alright, but now you have to come with me this Friday. No excuses. I'm going to make you the prettiest woman in the room and make Mr.Pelton regret whatever he did to you."

"I'll go with you, on one condition. I don't like to dress too fancy, so something simple will suffice."

"We'll see."