Hide
It wasn’t always difficult to predict the weather; one could look for many signs in the heavens and in the nature to see whether it was going to rain or blow up to a storm. That morning the sun had been shining through the clouds and it looked as though it might be a fine day.
Anne had set off to Crow Nest to pay Ann a visit as she had promised she would the day before, and Anne rather kept to her promises. But just a short while after she had arrived to join the party the sun disappeared, and the wind picked up and heavy rain began falling.
It wouldn’t have been equally unbearable if it were just her and Ann but with them was Mrs. Priestley, Mrs. Jeremiah Rawson, Miss Catherine and Delia Rawson and Miss Harriett Parkhill. The conversation was overall fine, but Anne was growing restless, she flicked her pocket-watch open and closed – a nervous tick mainly because she was beginning to feel the boredom settle in her shoulders and Ann was too far away. She was on the other side, on the other sofa. All she wanted was to reach out and caress her cheek, and maybe kiss her for a bit, and then… Anne sighed, there was no hope for that now.
“It doesn’t look like the rain is stopping anytime soon.” Anne mumbled as she stood herself by the window looking out. The other women merely nodded in agreement.
“Should we play a game?” Harriett suggested and the other girls lit up, but Anne stood by the window waiting till a proposal of game had been made before she made any comment on it.
“Couldn’t we play hide and seek? Oh please! We always used to have such fun doing that when we were younger!” Catherine said excitedly and somehow, she managed to get everyone to agree – even Mrs. Priestley who had eventually resolved, giving them a gleeful,
“Oh go on then!”
Anne turned from the window and her eyes found Ann’s blue ones immediately and she smiled when the blonde quirked a brow as if to ask if she would participate.
“Who should begin counting?” Catherine asked as they had decided that the whole house expect for Ann’s room was up for hiding in.
“You should as it was your idea.” Harriett smiled and Catherine nodded in agreement,
“I will count to a hundred – slowly.”
Catherine sat down on the sofa, closing her eyes,
“One…two…”
Anne sprang into action and ran out of the room, thinking to herself as she ran where would be a good place to hide. Maybe somewhere where no fine lady would think to look. A servant’s passage or something like that. Anne went into a room upstairs that she hadn’t been to before – but she concluded it must be Ann’s father’s old study, and she closed the door behind her, and all sound died out. Anne ran her hands over the books, but it stopped over one of the hardbacks, Anne raised an eyebrow – this didn’t feel the same. She went to pull it out but when she did a secret door swung open, hidden in the bookshelf. Anne smiled to herself and went inside the tiniest of sitting rooms – there was only a large armchair, a small table with an old bottle of brandy on it and a small window. It was well hidden this room and judging by the dust – not even the servants had been in here for years.
“Brilliant.” Anne hummed and closed the secret door behind her. She was certain no one would find her here, and she wondered if she would dare to sneak out to fetch a book so she could sit and read for a while. But there were sounds coming from the study and Anne looked around in a panic for somewhere to hide better in the room. Maybe Catherine knew of this secret room. Anne realised it was pointless trying to hide so she sat down and crossed her legs, waiting to be found. The door opened but it wasn’t Catherine but Ann.
“Ann!” Anne said surprised and the blonde jumped startled but sighed relieved,
“Oh its only you!”
“I thought you were Catherine.” Anne smiled and Ann shook her head laughing,
“No, I didn’t think anyone knew about this room – but I see nothing gets past you, Anne.”
“I found it by pure accident.”
“Maybe I should look for another hiding place then – only Catherine was so close to a hundred. She will find me first.” Ann said but Anne’s hand found her arm, stopping her,
“No – let’s hide together!”
Ann tucked her lip under her teeth, looking adorable, and Anne placed her free hand on her other arm and then smiled small before leaning down to capture her lips in a sweet kiss. Ann sank into her and Anne held them up.
“I’ve missed you.” Anne murmured against her lips and Ann’s chuckles vibrated against her lips, and they pulled apart for a second,
“You’ve been here all morning, and the day before that.”
“Mhm…” Anne murmured against her lips, sending shivers down Ann’s spine, and she placed a featherlight kiss on top of her pink lips, devouring her slowly,
“But I haven’t been able to do that when nothing else has been on my mind since I left you yesterday.”
“You jest! – You do not wander around thinking about me all the time.” Ann replied but her voice shook a little as Anne trailed kisses down her jawline, down her throat and when she moaned Anne grinned into her neck before releasing her – pressing a rough kiss on her lips,
“You underestimate me… I can think of you even as I’m doing business. I can promise that I think of you when I… ah- I shall not say.”
Ann pouted at that tease, and Anne went to kiss her, but the blonde moved out of her way, so she was met with air. It was Anne’s turn to pout and Ann laughed quietly at her.
“Unless you tell me Lister, there will be no more kisses.”
“Urgh, minx! I could kiss you if I wanted to.”
“Yes, but you won’t.”
“Ah, damn my morals!” Anne groaned but she wore a smile all the while and Ann went up to her,
“Do you think about me when you play hide and seek?” Ann asked and Anne looked completely bewildered, glancing at Miss Walker who looked so deviously and mischievously at her, biting her lip looking annoyingly enticing.
“What?”
Ann merely stared at her, her mouth twitching as she tried to not laugh, and then Anne gasped, as it dawned upon her, and she swatted the woman playfully across the arm,
“Ann! That’s the worst euphemism I have ever heard!”
“What? I didn’t say anything!”
“You were thinking it!” Anne pointed a finger at her, and Ann looked at it and then at her,
“All I was asking was if you thought about me during hide and seek – there’s nothing untoward about that.” Ann said innocently and Anne pulled her to her and murmured,
“Liar.”
Before pressing a kiss to her lips, to which Ann answered readily, but then she let go,
“I am not lying.”
“More lies, Miss Walker? You expect me to believe that?”
“Says the woman who thought I would believe that she had never done this before.” Ann replied with a cheeky smile and Anne’s mouth fell open again as she laughed in disbelief – who was this sassy woman and where had sweet, innocent Ann gone? Ann couldn’t help but laugh at her expression because Anne was so stunned and speechless and it weren’t often it was so.
Suddenly there were sounds inside the study – Catherine looking for them and Anne realised she might hear Ann’s laughter so she did what any reasonable person would do – she kissed her to muffle her laughter.
“I haven’t found Ann or Miss Lister anywhere… have you seen them?” They heard Catherine say to presumably the others whom she had found.
“Well they’re not, any of them, in here in any case.” They heard Harriett say and soon the voices died out and Anne released Ann from their kiss. Red-faced and panting Ann grinned up at the brunette,
“We will win for sure.”
“Hm.” Anne agreed before kissing the blonde again hungrily against the wall, her hands trailed from her shoulders and found something pleasant, and she let go of Ann’s lips for a second as the blonde moaned and she smirked at her,
“Do you want me to take you to Italy?”
“How is that better than hide and seek?” Ann replied panting and Anne growled at her, kissing her neck,
“Shut up!”
After they had kissed each other senseless and beyond all reason and more, they noticed that time had flown away – it had been two hours. Anne and Ann smiled at the other and they began laughing,
“Do you think they gave up on finding us, Ann?” Anne asked and the blonde grinned,
“I guess they aren’t as well versed in hide and seek as you and I.”
After making sure both of them were presentable they ventured downstairs and everyone looked up to greet them,
“Where on earth were you? We couldn’t find any of you anywhere!” Catherine exclaimed and Anne could see Mrs. Priestley were eying them closely but there was really nothing to remark on.
“Ah, well I shan’t say – what if we play some other time?” Anne shrugged her shoulders with a small laugh.
“The others I found in twenty-five minutes! I gave up after an hour and a half with you.” Catherine told them and Ann glanced at Anne before looking at her cousin, smiling sweetly
“Well not everyone is as experienced at playing hide and seek as Miss Lister. She taught me a lot today.”
Anne had to bite her tongue down hard not to laugh at that, especially since Mrs. Priestley looked intently on her to try and discern if that was a euphemism, she settled on smiling agreeably to the party.
“I guess if we all teamed up with Miss Lister – we would win every time.” Harriett replied bitterly and Anne smiled,
“With a little practice – you can win on your own.”
No one would ever know for sure why that caused Ann to burst out laughing – the others just followed as it was a contagious laughter, and soon enough the rain stopped falling.