Dining Room Mess

After the guest were shown to their rooms they were called down to dinner. Shivers had made a wonderful feast. He had even employed a few of the children from down in the town to serve as the weekends "waiters." They looked very handsome in their purple suits, and it was safe to say they earned their money, as many times as they went to Father Luggs.

One poor boy, however, was having a horrible time, his suit was much to big and his glasses kept falling down his face. Finally after dropping to many bowls of soup..(one happened to be on Aunt Petunia who excused herself and headed to the bathroom to give herself a good has always hated to be dirty.) Shivers called the boy into the kitchen and the next thing that could be heard was muffled crying and a slap. The young boy then ran past everyone covering a spot on his cheek. Shivers came out and glared at the other boys as if to say "mess up one time and you will be like him!"

Shivers then stood up straight and then smiled and then tapped a small gong and the children ran into the kitchen and brought out the little plates full of tiny cakes and cookies. Lydia then excused herself, saying she had a headache and went out into the main hall where she ran into the little boy who had changed into his street clothing. The poor boy had a huge red mark across his right cheek. He winced when he saw Lydia and tried to run out the door.

"Wait, little boy!"

Grabbing his hand as he went out the door she held on pulling him back inside.

"Please don't hit me...i'm sorry!" he said as he began to cry.

Lydia looked at him and brushed back his hair he couldn't be much older then her two boys. She smiled at him and he looked up. He was starting to slow down the crying, but tears still ran down his cheeks.

"Little boy...whats your name...?"

"Ed...Edward..."

"Well Edward let me tell you I am truly sorry about what happened to you. Mr. Shivers will have a stern talking to, and don't worry I will make it a good one." she said with a little wink.

The boy giggled a little then looked down again.

"How much did Mr. Shivers promise you for your help these two days?"

"$30.00..." he said sighing a little.

"Well would $100 be any better?"

The boy looked as if he were about to die from shock.

"I can't take that much money from you!"

"Oh yes you can!" she said going over to the stairs. " Now you wait right here and I will be right back."

With that Lydia ran upstairs to her nightstand and grabbed a $100 and ran back downstairs.

The boy was waiting closer to the door then when she left him and nearly fainted again when he saw the money.

Grabbing the boys hand she forced the money into it but before she let him leave she turned to him and looked him straight into the eyes and said something that stuck with him the rest of his days.

"Promise me that you will use this money for yourself and no others. For you have been the one that earned it...and promise me also that you will use this to better yourself...and you never know maybe one day when you get older you can help me with what you learned using this money."

The boy smiled, Lydia reached down and kissed his cheek where the slap was. Now his face was burning again but this time it was a plesent burning.

Bowing...and thanking her he ran out the door.

"By the way whats your last name my dear I may want to call upon you again to do some work around here!" she shouted.

"Edward...Gadd!" he said as he ran down the hill back to his house.

Smilling Lydia made a mental note of that name and went back to the party when she got there she told her guest that her headache had gone away and then she and Shiver went into the kitchen to "talk" about breakfast tommorrow.

Shiver followed her in and as the family left to go upstairs for the night they could swear they heard heated words from Lydia and a nice slap.