[Orual]

Melilot wasn't looking forward to going home at all. True to her impulsive nature, she had made a promise that she wasn't sure she could keep. The conversation had gone something like this:

"Oh, by the way, Prim, we have a pony that I could bring along."

"Are you sure it's okay with your dad, Mel?"

"Oh, don't worry about it. He'll be fine with it--I'll just ask nicely."

"Well, if you say so, but isn't your dad sometimes a little..."

"Stubborn about this kind of thing? Yes, but this is a special case. He'll let me."

"You know him better than I do, I suppose."

"Really, Prim, don't worry about it. I've got it under control."

That was what had transpired, and now she had to follow up. "Wonderful," Melilot groaned as she opened the gate and went up to her house. "This ought to be fun."

Mr. Bracegirdle was sitting in the den, smoking a pipe and watching Melilot's younger brother, Nick, play. Melilot took a deep breath and went to kneel by her father's chair.

"Hi, Dad," she said, smiling winningly. She pushed a lock of curly hair behind her ear, and leaned her head against the armrest of the chair.

"Evening, Mel," her father said, smiling back at her. "Where were you all day?"

"Oh, out with Primrose Tussock," she said. "We were at Mr. Olo Proudfoot's house."

"Doing what?" Mr. Bracegirdle asked.

"This and that," Mel replied vaguely. "That was a good smoke-ring, Daddy," she commented when her father produced a particularly round one.

"Thank you, Mel," her father said suspiciously.

"You know, Daddy, you look very nice today," Mel continued.

"Mel, would you like to ask me something?" Mr. Bracegirdle asked, looking dubiously at his daughter, who was smiling in a peculiarly charming manner.

Melilot continued to smile, but she silently she groaned. This wasn't going quite the way she had wanted it to. So much for buttering him up: time to take the direct route. "Yes, Dad, I do have something to ask you," she said, her face solemn.

"Fire away," her father said.

"I told Prim that I could borrow Brynna for a trip we're going on, and it won't be that long, I promise. But we do need another pony, and I promised Prim that I'd be able to get her one, and I don't want to go back on my word, so can I please borrow Brynna?" Melilot's words came tumbling out without a break for breath, so when she was done she gasped and turned her smile on again.

Mr. Bracegirdle seemed a little stunned. "Well, Melilot, I don't know," he said. Melilot winced; when he called her by her full name it wasn't generally a good sign. "Brynna's our only pony, and it won't be easy to get on without her."

"I know, Daddy, but this is really for a good cause," Melilot said earnestly. Her mother, sitting on the floor with Nick, made a noise that sounded suspiciously like stifling a snicker.

"Oh, go on, Holfast," said Mrs. Bracegirdle, "you'll survive without Brynna for a while. Let the lass take her, just so long as she doesn't mess around. I trust Primrose not to lead Mel on a wild chase throughout the wilderness." She grinned. "And a good cause is a good cause, after all," she added solemnly.

There was a long pause. "Fine," Mr. Bracegirdle said finally, "take Brynna. Just be careful with her, won't you?"

"Thank you! I'll be so careful with her, she'll look better when she comes back than she did when she left!" Melilot exclaimed, throwing her arms around her father's neck. Nick screamed with delight and pounded his blocks on the floor, and Mrs. Bracegirdle smiled knowingly at her husband.

"Don't doubt it," Mr. Bracegirdle grumbled, fiddling with his pipe, "she's been looking a bit bored lately. Do her some good to be out and about, I suppose."

Melilot smiled, gave her father a kiss and her mother a grateful look, and went to pack.

[ February 09, 2003: Message edited by: Orual ]