Settling In & a Prank & a Challenge

Annabel felt like she was constantly being tested by the children in the week she has stayed with them so far. Whether it was them testing her nerves and being difficult on purpose, causing a large mess, or testing her on their school material for some reason. She was going to prove to them that she wasn't a horrible person like they thought she was and she was actually there to help, she wasn't the enemy.

No matter what the children did to Annabel, they felt like they couldn't get her to quit, pack up and leave. And the longer they spent time with her, the more they didn't want to actually have her leave. She was fun, kind and very understanding. She treated them fairly and age appropriately, never making them feel like they were inferior and she respected their thoughts and opinions. More importantly, unlike the other nannies, she didn't flirt with their father and try to do indecent things with him just for his money. They kept things professional, although friendly, but still professional.

"How are you settling in dearie?" Samantha knocked on the slightly ajar bedroom door and stepped in.

Annabel was given a fairly large room on the second floor, not one in the maids section of the house. This way, she could get to the children, if they needed her, faster. Her room consisted of a nice little living room, with couches and a heater for winter and the room also included a small book shelf for the few books she brought with her. The living room opened up to the bedroom that had a vanity, a closet, and door that led to her own separate bathroom.

"Just dandy, I think the kids are finally understanding that I'm not a horrible witch like they originally thought I was." She said from her comfortable seat on the couch, book in hand.

"And why do you think they thought you were a witch?" Samantha laughed and sat down on the one seat couch.

"I had tucked the little ones into bed and started cleaning up the mess they had created in their playroom adjoined to it, when I heard Maggie sneak in to them. They were talking in hushed voices about Annabel the witch. It was actually very comical. I might dress up as a witch one day just to give them a scare."

"Serves them right those little rascals. They've really been up your hair, more than anyone else."

"It's quiet alright really. They're all lovely deep down. I see the way they interact with each other and their father. A lovely little family they are." Annabel sat up right and glanced towards the open door, Samantha doing the same. "I hope I'm not overstepping when I ask, but do you mind telling me what happened to their mother?"

Samantha bunched up her apron nervously and quickly glanced at the door.

"Listen well dearie, I love to gossip, I do, but this is not for me to say. When they feel comfortable enough, the kids, they will tell you." Samantha heaved a sigh and got up. "Well, I have to get going. It is pretty late. Sleep well."

"You too. Would you mind closing the door on your way out, please?"

"Of course."

*

Annabel woke up the next morning feeling very refreshed. She sat up and swung her legs to the side and slid off the bed. She held in a shriek and gasped really loudly when her feet landed in cold, gooey, wetness.

A shiver ran up her spin in shock and she curled her toes and slowly looked down to find she had stepped into a pan full of chocolate fudge and whipped cream.

She took a deep breath through her nose and calmed down, a smirk making its way onto her face.

"Oh you've asked for it now you naughty little rascals."

Throughout the day, random screams were heard coming from the four eldest children.

Annabel had set traps for each and everyone single one of them with the help of Margot, and got them all covered in whip cream one way or another.

"Father!" Maggie screamed and marched to her fathers office. She barged in, only to find three of her other siblings already in there; and they all looked like her, covered from head to toe with whip cream.

"I see you're covered in whip cream as well." Richard tried his hardest to hide his amused smirk.

"You find this amusing!? You can't let her get away with doing this to us. Fire her immediately!" Maggie stomped her foot and crossed her hands.

"Now now Gigi, don't you think you might be overreacting slightly? Who are you even talking about?"

"That blasted Ms.Annabel, who else? If you-"

"Watch your language young lady. That's street talk and I will have none of that in my house."

"Yes sir, but you really must do something papa." She grumbled.

"I think she played fair." George spoke up. "You three did prank her in the morning. Which got me in this mess. I'm more upset with you guys." He sighed and got up.

"I'll go to clean myself up, excuse me." He nodded to his father and left the office.

Outside, he passed Annabel with Margot and when they passed each other, they high fived.

"You got her good." He said heading up the stairs.

"Now she won't pull that nasty prank again." She called back as she and Margot went to the kitchen to find a snack.

*

"I challenge you to a race." Maggie barged into Annabel's room.

"I would prefer it if you knock. Could you please knock first." Annabel said from sweeping her floor.

"Do you accept?"

"What's that? I think I hear something." Annabel pretended to look around the room for something by looking in every direction but Maggie's.

Maggie groaned out loud, stomped out of the room, shut the door and knocked.

"May I come in?"

"Ah! It was Maggie I was hearing. Of course you can come in. Can I help you?" She put the broom aside and gave the girl her full attention.

"I challenge you to a running race, today, an hour after lunch. If you're not there then I take that as your defeat, and my win."

"Well, I never back down from an honest challenge."

The two shook hands.

By the time the race was scheduled to start, everyone in the mansion had heard of it and they were all coming to watch. The horse handlers, maids, James, Samantha, the kids and even Richard.

"I hope you're ready to lose." Maggie looked her up and down when they took their positions at the start line.

"You do realize my legs are longer than yours?"

"I thought you don't discriminate."

"I was just pointing it out."

Phil, one of the horse handlers raised a hand to signal that they should get ready.

Both of them slightly lifted their dresses and took off when Phil put his hand down.

Annabel knew Maggie wanted this to be as honest as possible so she didn't slow down or let the girl win just to make her feel better. She pushed her legs forward and smiled at the feeling of the wind blowing in her hair that had fallen out of the thin black ribbon holding it in place.

Richard had originally come down to cheer his daughter on, but when he saw Annabel he couldn't think of anything or anyone else. He was focused on the smile on her face, the wind blowing in her hair, the look of pure happiness as she ran across the field and crossed the finish line first. He walked out on the field and picked up her the hair ribbon that had fallen out of her hair and stuffed it in his pocket.

All cheering came to a stop when Maggie tripped and fell hard, only a few yards short of the finish line. Annabel quickly rushed over and pulled the girl onto her lap.

"Maggie? Maggie are you alright?"

When the girl didn't respond, Annabel peered into her face and noticed the tears falling and the shoulders that began to tremble.

"Did you get hurt Gigi?"

"Get away from me!" Maggie pushed her away and pulled her knees up, wrapping her arms around them.

"I just want-"

"Why do you care!? You're not my mother! Stop caring! You're just lying! All of you horrible, evil nannies do. All you want is papas money. I don't want you here. I want my mama!" She hurriedly got up and ran back inside the house.

Annabel sat there in shock as she tried to process what this little girl had said.

She didn't blame her for her outburst. It was natural, expected. To her, Annabel must be looking like someone that was replacing her mother and wanting to take advantage of her father. Maggie didn't trust her because that's what everyone else has been trying to do.

A single tear of sympathy for the girl rolled down her cheek before she quickly brushed it off.

Sympathy isn't what Maggie needed right now, she needed someone to be there with her.

She began to get up and someone helped her by placing their hand on her elbow and pulling her up.

"Is everything alright? Is Maggie okay? Are you hurt?" Richard searched her face.

"We're alright, thank you. But I really need to go talk to Maggie, she needs someone right now."

"I could go if it would-"

Annabel shook her head no.

"It's quite alright Mr.Pelton, I need to talk to her. Don't worry yourself." She gave him one last smile and went into the house to look for Maggie.

She gently opened her bedroom door to find the girl softly crying into her pillow, still in her dirt and grass stained dress.

"Go away. I don't want to talk." Her muffled voice spoke up.

"We don't have to talk if you don't want to."

Maggie sat up and wiped her tears away when she heard Annabel. She wasn't expecting her to be the one to talk to her after what she's said. She expected her father to come tell her off for being rude.

"What are you doing here?"

"I noticed your knees were slightly bleeding." Annabel held the first aid kit up and walked over to the girl. She sat on her knees in front of a sniffling Maggie and began cleaning her cuts and wrapping it up.

She heavily sighed when she was done and began packing to leave.

"I'm sorry." Maggie wiped her nose with her sleeve and looked down to her lap in shame. "I shouldn't have screamed at you like that."

"It's alright. I understand."

"But you wouldn't."

"My father and brother both passed away in the same year, I think I understand a little bit."

Maggie looked up in surprise and saw a few tears well up in Annabel's eyes at the recollection of her brother and father before she brushed them away.

"Was it...was it..." Maggie couldn't even finish asking the question.

"It's still hard. I just got better at dealing with the pain. Look Maggie, I never meant to make you feel like I was taking over your mothers spot. I'm not. And I can't. No one can. A mothers place is special in their children's heart and no one can fill it up once they're gone. I'm also not trying to steal your father or his money. I'm here for you, for George, Sam, Tam, and Margot. I'm here to help in the best way I can. I'm really sorry if at times it might have seemed like I overstepped my boundaries or pushed your buttons. Truce?"

Maggie nodded and flung herself onto Annabel as she began to full on cry at finally having someone understand her pain.

"It's okay, you can let it all out." Annabel wrapped her arms around the fifteen year old and held her tight.

*

All five kids, Richard, and Annabel were in the spacious study room. Richard had a desk for himself that he was sitting in, doing his paper work. A round table was in front of him occupied with school work and books. A few couches lined the length of the room and a fireplace made the room all that more cozy. Although it didn't get used that often.

"In previous centuries Western Europe lived under feudalism and manorialism. The people identified with the manor they lived in or with Christendom rather than with King or country. It's because the King had little to no influence over anybody, but that changed when manors decided to unit into kingdoms and people grew a sense of-what was it called again?" Maggie recited out loud to herself while she walked back and forth along the room.

"Nationalism." Annabel spoke up from helping the twins with their simple math problems.

"Yes, that, thank you."

Annabel and Richard shared a look and he had a happy smile on his face. That was the first time Maggie said thank you to her.

"Right, and that fostered kings and queens because of the sense of loyalty people had for their own states." She continued to speak while Annabel ruffled Sams hair at getting the question correct.

"So what do you think Tam? If I had an apple, and you had an apple, how many would you have if I gave you mine."

"Two!" She said and held three fingers up.

"Excellent. Except two is actually like this." She put one of the fingers down on her hand but it popped right back up.

"Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the...that the moon?" George groaned and fell into a chair.

"Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt I love..." Annabel continued the lines from Hamlet for him and he continued on when he remembered it.

Richard looked up from his paper work to his hard working family and Annabel. They were all moving along in their studies and seemed to be enjoying themselves. They had to grow and mature so fast with their mother's passing and with the constant flow of nannies coming in and out of their lives. They seemed to finally be letting things loose and be children. Actual children that played in the yard, teased, laughed, ran in the house, and just be happy. He noticed George was slightly backing off on helping with raising the kids and was attending to his studies again. He had always wanted to be an architect, but those dreams stopped when he had to help look after the kids. Maggie wasn't being so uptight anymore and her true kind self was resurfacing, something he was sure had to do with her and Annabel's talk a few days ago, and the twins were getting along and starting their schooling. Margot was more of a happy baby and she loved just hanging around Annabel. He'd often find the two together immersed in some sort of crazy activity or out on a stroll around the house. He was very thankful for Annabel, she was helping bring his family back together and he hoped that she would be sticking around for a while.