An hour and a half later, Jane was in the kitchen rinsing out her mug when movement caught her eye through the kitchen window. "What in the World?" She exclaimed, as she looked out the window.

Marie got up from her chair at the kitchen table, walked over, and stood by Jane, saying, "Oh, dear. They appear to have immersed themselves in the work." Jane and Marie were watching as the three teens slowly walked back to the house from the stable, each trying to brush the other off, looking as though they'd been playing in the mud. The three were covered from head to toe in… everything they'd taken out of each horse stall. "This should be an amusing explanation, I think," Marie chuckled, as she turned, along with Jane, and made their way out of the kitchen and to the back door of the house.

Sherry and Susan were still sitting at the dining room table when Jane and Marie came out of the kitchen, both chuckling as they walked. "Susan, you and Sherry should come with us. Those three are going to have an interesting explanation as to why they are covered from head to toe in horse manure and straw," Jane told the two women.

Both women smiled at the prospect of hearing the explanation and wasted no time getting up from the chairs and following Jane and Marie to the back door. When they reached the back door, Jane opened the door and stepped out onto the small porch, stepping aside to allow the other three women to do the same. When the three teens reached the porch, Jane asked, "Why do you three look as though you've been playing in the mud? Charlotte, you and Francis have been shown how to muck out horse stalls, and at no time did those instructions include appearing as you now appear. So, who would like to explain why you are as you appear in front of us?"

The three took a moment to look at each other before saying in unison, "Pinto."

Jane looked at the three with her dragon face before telling them, "Toby, you're new to Seasons House so don't know I require more than a one-word answer when requiring an explanation." She then looked at Francis and Charlotte and said, "But you two have that knowledge. You two also know I do not like repeating myself, and there are often consequences if I must repeat myself. So, girls… try again."

"Aunt Jane," Toby said, getting Jane's attention. "They can't explain how it started because they were in your mare's stall still cleaning it out. Guess I better start at the beginning."

"Yes, Toby, that's always the best place to start," Jane told him, still looking at the three with a stern look on her face.

"When we first got ready to clean out the mare's stall, we found out the three of us and the cart was too many objects in the stall. So we decided the girls would pull everything out of the stalls and I would shovel it into the cart. I positioned the cart so it was between the mare's and Pinto's stalls, that way I would be out of the way so the girls could go into and out of the mare's stall easily. I had just put one shovel of stuff into the cart when I was pushed from behind. I lost my balance and ended up face down in the pile of straw and other stuff. I must have cried out because Francis and Charlotte came out of the mare's stall to see if I was alright. They came around behind me so they could grab me under my arms when they cried out and both ended up lying next to me in that pile."

"I better continue, Aunt Jane," Charlotte said. "Both Francis and I had been pushed from behind, like Toby. I pushed myself up and looked back at Pinto, who had her lips folded back and was whinning as she shook her head up and down. Aunt Jane, I think she was laughing at us. I finally was able to get up and out of the pile, then walked over to her and stood in front of her. She still had her lips back, whinning, and nodding her head up and down. When she stopped I asked her if she pushed the three of us into the pile. She looked at me for a moment, then pulled her lips back, started whinning, and nodded her head up and down. She admitted pushing the three of us from behind and causing us to fall into the pile. By then, Francis had gotten herself out of the pile and was having a hard time helping Toby back up, so I went back over to the pile and helped her get Toby out."

Francis continued with the story by saying, "We tried brushing each other off but we were only able to get the straw off. Toby changed positions so he was facing Pinto and Charlotte and I went back into the mare's stall to finish cleaning it. We weren't in there very long before Toby cried out again, and Charlotte and I found him once again lying face down in the pile. We asked him what happened and he told us he'd been pushed from behind again. Charlotte and I looked at the mare but she ignored us, acting as though she knew nothing about what happened. Even when I stood in front of her and asked her if she pushed Toby, she ignored me, which I found unusual."

"Let me guess," Aunt Jane said, "as you two tried getting Toby out of the pile, you two were pushed from behind again?"

Nodding her head, Charlotte replied, "Yes, Aunt Jane. We were pushed from behind again. And when I looked back at the mare, she acted like she knew nothing about us getting pushed from behind. But Pinto was laughing again."

"Okay, that explains why your front side looks as though you fell into a mud puddle, but not the back of you three. How did that happen?" Jane asked.

Susan and Sherry excused themselves and went back into the house. When the back door closed, even with the back door closed the two could be heard laughing. When they had it out of their systems, they came back out onto the porch and, as the mare had done, acted as though nothing had happened. Jane looked at the two with a stern look on her face; both women covered their mouths again.

Turning back to the three teens, Jane said, "Well… I'm waiting for an answer."

The women watched as the three teens looked at each other before Toby spoke. "After getting pushed into that pile twice, we decided I would watch the mare while Charlotte and Francis finished cleaning her stall. Then after her stall was ready for her, we'd put her back into the stall before picking up the pile and starting on Pinto's stall. With me watching her, she behaved herself, even going calmly into her stall. The three of us then picked up the pile and the cart emptied without a problem, though we stayed near the mare's stall as we picked everything up. I stood with Pinto as the girls pulled everything out of Pinto's stall. I was standing facing Pinto's left flank, the girls had just turned to go back into the stall, when Pinto stepped to her left and knocked all three of us backward into the pile. And yes, she was laughing at us again. Charlotte and Francis were able to get out and helped me up, only to have Pinto step to her left and knock us backward into the pile once again. This time Charlotte and Francis crawled out of the pile toward the mare's stall, then pulled me out in the same direction. The three of us then raked the pile more toward the mare's stall so Pinto couldn't knock us into it again. I stood in front of Pinto this time as the girls finished cleaning Pinto's stall. As I look back, I believe the mare was laughing each time Pinto knocked us into the pile, but when I looked at her, she ignored me. We didn't touch that second pile until Pinto was back in her stall."

Francis chimed in with, "We tried brushing each other off the best we could, but were only able to get the straw off, much like we were doing as we approached the house."

The three were now silent as Jane stared at them. Marie nudged her, causing her to look at Marie. Marie nodded her head toward the stable then the three dirty teens. Jane was confused until Marie said, "Showers."

"Oh, wie vergesslich von mir (Oh, how forgetful of me.). I neglected to show you girls but there are showers out in the stable. If you go into the equipment room and open the door on the left as you enter the room, you'll find enough showers for each of you to shower. You'll find shampoo, conditioner, bath soap, and towels in a cabinet to the left as you enter the shower room. Girls, clean your faces well, you'll have to reapply your makeup after you return to the house. And if Toby needs your help, please help him. After taking off your dirty clothes, please put all of them into a trash bag you'll also find in the cabinet. Toby, I hope you don't mind, but we'll bring your robes to wear back to the house until you get to your bedrooms and put on clean clothes."

Toby shook his head, telling Jane, "No, Aunt Jane. I don't mind. The robe would be better than shocking anyone watching us. Sherry, I think we need to talk about how I need to deal with others seeing all the scars I have and will have after I'm completely healed."

Sherry was nodding her head as Toby addressed her. "Toby, I believe Jill is bringing someone with her tomorrow when she comes to examine your back. She may have a solution to get rid of those scars or to reduce their appearance. But we'll talk about it as you want. However," and she laughed, "right now I think it best you three go take the shower Jane told you about."

The four women watched as the three teens walked back to the stable. "Those two horses must really like those three to play with them as they did. But it is funny what they did to those three," Susan said. And with that, the snorts and chuckles became full-blown laughs.

Marie went into the house and upstairs to each bedroom, gathering the three robes and three sets of slippers she'd take to the stable. As she walked into the house and back out, and to the stable, she chuckled as she thought back to the teen's story and how they looked as they walked back to the house. When she reached the stable, she stopped at the mare's stall, asking, "Why were you such a méchante fille (bad girl?)? Do you like those three that much?" At first, the mare ignored Marie's question, but her last comment caused the mare to nod her head up and down. "Well… next time think of some other way of showing how much you care for them, oui?" Rubbing the mare's muzzle, Marie went into the supply room, then into the shower room where she said in a raised voice over the running water, "I have brought your robes. They will be placed with Toby's on the left as you face them, then Charlotte's, then Francis'. I have also brought your slippers, so it will be not so much pain on your feet as you walk back to the house. Do not linger or you may soon be showering in ice-cold water, as Jane will turn off the hot water. And Toby, you will meet with Sherry first. So hurry." Before she left the stable and returned to the house, Marie stopped at Pinto's stall, eyeing the mare who seemed to be smiling at Marie. "So, you started the Spielereien (shenanigans?)? You must care a lot for our wards." As Marie said that, Pinto nodded her head up and down, then laid her head on Marie's shoulder. "Now now, no one is angry with you. We all thought it was very funny and clever of you. But you should not make it an every-time game with them, oui? They come to keep your stall clean for you so you are comfortable. You wouldn't like it if they stopped coming because you keep playing games with them, would you?" Pinto lifted her head off Marie's shoulder, looked Marie in the eye, then shook her head from side to side. "Charlotte was right, you do understand what's said to you." Rubbing Pinto's muzzle one last time, Marie left the stable and returned to the house, again chuckling to herself as she walked.

Marie and Jane were standing at the kitchen window when the three teens came walking out of the stable. "They are much cleaner than before," Marie commented. "Hopefully they smell much better," she said before looking at Jane.

Jane slowly turned her head to Marie, giving Marie a stink eye she knew didn't affect Marie, and asked her, "Are you suggesting I should smell them after they return to the house? Are you not capable of doing such a thing?"

Chuckling with a gleam in her eye, Marie answered, "Oui, I am able to test their aromas, but you are the head of the house and as such, you decide what aromas you want inside your home."

Jane narrowed her eyes as she looked at Marie, telling her, "Alte Frau. Eines Tages wirst du zu weit gehen und die Konsequenzen tragen (Old woman. One day you will go too far and suffer the consequences.)."

Marie belly laughed as she replied, "Jane Thompson. Das haben Sie mir gesagt, seit wir Seasons House gegründet haben. Aber ich bin immer noch hier. Gehen Sie jetzt hin und sehen Sie nach, ob sie sich richtig gereinigt haben (Jane Thompson. That's what you've been telling me since we started Seasons House. But I'm still here. Now go and see if they have cleaned themselves properly.)." Marie then kissed Jane on her cheek, before watching Jane turn and leave the kitchen.

Jane waited by the stairs for the three teens to enter the house. When they finally entered the house, Jane stopped them next to the bench in the hallway. Walking over to them, she told them, "Before you three enter further into my house, I want to make sure you properly washed yourselves. I will not have you three make a mess of my home." Jane watched as all three sucked their lips inside their mouths, suspecting they were trying not to smile at what she just said. She walked around them closely, looking for anything still 'hanging' from their hair, face, or arms. She had almost told them to remove their robes, only to change her mind as she felt she would have gone too far this time. She also took deep breaths as she walked around the three, determining if the stench of the stable had washed off with the other material. Determining the three in a fit state to be in her home, she told them, "Francis, Charlotte, you two cleanse your faces well before using moisturizer and reapplying your makeup. Toby, after you are dressed, you are to meet Sherry in the study for your IQ test. You two, Francis and Charlotte, after you are dressed will return to the library where you will continue your studies with Susan. Are there any questions?" Jane didn't give them time to ask any questions before saying, "No, good. Then off you go." The three had taken the first step on the stairs before Jane asked, "Ah, Toby. Does that robe bother you?"

The three stopped climbing upon Jane's question to Toby. Francis and Charlotte looked at Toby as Toby looked at Jane. Toby surprised Jane by answering, "Why should it Aunt Jane? It's just a robe." Francis and Charlotte looked at each other, giving the other a raised eyebrow. They looked back at Jane and saw her nodding her head at Toby's answer, before waving them up the stairs.

As Jane watched the three climb the stairs, she couldn't help but wonder, 'Would he feel the same if he was completely dressed as a girl?' Sherry was in the study getting the material ready to administer the IQ tests. After Jane walked into the study, she told Sherry, "Toby should be down in a few minutes. The girls will be in the library with Susan, so you can send for them when needed. With your permission, I need to check for any pertinent emails and I see the light on the fax machine blinking so a fax has arrived."

Sherry had looked up as Jane came into the study. After listening to Jane, she told her, "I don't see any reason you can't check your emails or print out the fax before I start testing Toby. However, once I start testing Toby, or the girls, I will require everyone to be kept out of the study until the test has concluded. What they see out of the window won't be as detracting as someone in the room."

Jane nodded her head at Sherry's statement, before putting in a code that allowed the fax to be printed. Once the fax had been printed, she took the fax then sat down at her desk and turned on her computer. After logging in on her computer, she pulled up her emails, spotting one sent from Ruth. She opened it and started reading.

Jane,

Further discussion took place with the Willows and they are adamant in having Frank live with them again. They learned everything Agnus did to him and Penny's husband had to calm Penny down because of what she wanted to do to Agnus. Frank's new caseworker is already preparing the necessary paperwork and will have it all in place by the time you release Frank back to me. I must confess that I too had my own thoughts about what Agnus should suffer, but since she'll have an interesting experience in a few months, I'll let that give her what she deserves. I wonder how her fellow inmates will take to her attitude. Something tells me they will have a way of showing Agnus the mistakes she'd made.

Please give Frank the concrete news he deserves to hear.

Ruth

Jane smiled at the news from Ruth. "Good news I hope," Sherry said, seeing the smile on Jane's face.

"Yes it is, Sherry. When Frank leaves Seasons House he'll be living with the Willows, it's written in stone. Nothing was certain before when the Willows wanted Frank back with them, but he was still hopeful it would happen. Well, it's happened."

Sherry smiled upon hearing the good news, "You better sit him down before you break the news to him. Try not to be the dragon when you have him sit down, or he'll take it as a sign he's in trouble."

"Oh, so I'm supposed to waltz into the library all smiles and radiating a syrupy grin?"

Sherry rolled her eyes as she looked up at the ceiling. "Geez, Janie, you know what I meant. Don't go in there blowing smoke and with your fangs bared. Treat him as you've learned to treat him so he gains a better sense of himself. But don't go in there like a Pixie high on pixie dust, that'll scare the hell out of him."

"Yes, mother," Jane replied, just before looking toward the study door as someone knocked on the door. "Come in," she said and watched as the door opened and Toby entered the study. She got up from her chair and walked around the desk, intercepting Toby in the middle of the study. "So, feeling better after a shower and clean clothes? How are your injuries? Nothing opened, did it?"

Toby reached Jane as the two reached the middle of the study. "Oh, gads yes I feel better. Not only was I grimy and smelly, but itching too. I guess it was a combination of my wounds healing and the staw down my shirt. As far as I know, nothing broke open while doing the work, at least there wasn't any evidence of it on my shirt or underwear. And surprisingly, I seem to be walking much better as well."

As they talked, there was a noticeable clearing of a throat coming from the direction of the window. "I do mean to break up your hen party so I can get the testing down today instead of next year," Sherry said in a sarcastic voice.

Jane and Toby looked at Sherry as she cleared her throat, then looked back at each other after what she said. An unspoken word passed between the two, and they turned to face Sherry before they both stuck their tongues out at her. Sherry just shook her head before waving Toby over and pointing to the chair opposite her. She shook her head again as Jane and Toby high-fived each other before Jane left the study and Toby walked over and sat down in the indicated chair. "Are you ready to begin or are you going to continue being s-o-o-o mature? You're as bad as Jill can be."

Toby smiled at Sherry, telling her, "I'm sorry, Sherry. I'm just so excited to finally be able to take this type of test. If I didn't like you so much, I wouldn't act as I do with you sometimes." He reached across the table and took Sherry's hand. "And I want to thank you for helping me, I never realized how close I was to fully losing it." He gently squeezed her hand before adding, "Thank you very much."

Clearing her throat, to give her time to calm herself, she replied, "You're very welcome, Toby. I'm glad I could help you get through it and get it out into the open. Now, let's get you tested, shall we?"

And so it began. Toby was in the library 90 minutes before Francis took his place. When 90 minutes passed, Charlotte took her place. When the testing was over, Charlotte returned to the library where she collapsed on the couch, letting out a big sigh. "I do NOT want to take another test like that one ever again," she exclaimed as she let her head fall back against the top of the couch.

Toby chuckled before he told her, "Aw, it wasn't that bad. We aren't going to be graded, there's no homework, and no one will yell at us or make fun of us if our scores are just above what a pumpkin would score."

Charlotte had slowly raised her head and was now looking at Toby. "Relax, Charlotte. He's just doing it again. He knows full well a bag of rocks could score higher than a pumpkin," Francis said to Charlotte.

Charlotte had been looking at Toby and the wide smile on his face. But when they heard what Francis said, they both slowly turned their heads to look at her. "Et tu, Brute?" Toby asked, picking up a pillow and throwing it at Francis; Charlotte had once again laid her head back on the back of the couch. Now it was Francis' turn to have a wide smile on her face, until there was a knock on the door and Jane walked into the library.

Right away, Susan recognized the neutral expression on Jane's face for what it was. However, the three teens thought Jane's neutral expression meant they'd stepped into it again. Susan covered her mouth with her hand after seeing the 'deer caught in the headlights' look on the teens' faces. Jane looked at Francis, who was still holding the thrown pillow, then at Charlotte and Toby. In a neutral voice, Jane asked, "Francis, why are you holding a pillow that belongs on the couch? Charlotte, why is your head leaning back on top of the couch instead of your person sitting up straight?"

Wincing, Charlotte sat up straight before telling Jane, "That test gave me a monstrous headache. It feels like someone is playing kettledrums inside my head." After saying that, she resumed her initial position, her eyes closed, and pain bouncing on and off her face with each pounding in her head.

And Jane's response? "I see. And the pillow, Francis?"

Francis looked at Toby, who looked back at Francis, who looked back at Toby, both trying to get the other to explain about the pillow. "If you two are finally finished looking at each other, somebody tell me about the pillow," Jane came close to shouting.

"When Charlotte came in the library after finishing her IQ test," Francis started. "She said she never wanted to take another test like that. After she said that, Toby tried to cheer her up, as he tried at the dinner table that one time, by saying our scores might be just about the score a pumpkin would get if it took the test. Then I said a bag of rocks would get a score higher than a pumpkin, and that's when Toby threw the pillow at me, which I caught, and it didn't get hurt… Aunt Jane."

Again Jane replied, "I see." After Francis stopped speaking, Jane noticed Charlotte had raised her head, her face still wincing with the pounding in her head, and she was looking at Jane. Toby and Francis were also looking at her, the three having an expression that told Jane they thought they'd crossed a line.

Before Jane could say anything more, there was a knock on the library door and Marie entered the room carrying a tray holding a pitcher of iced tea, five glasses, and a bottle of aspirin. After setting the tray on the table, Marie picked up the aspirin bottle, popped the lid off, and told Charlotte, "Hold out your hand, chère." Once Charlotte held out her hand, Marie shook two tablets from the bottle before replacing the cap. Setting the bottle back on the tray, she picked up a glass of iced tea and handed it to Charlotte. "Drink plenty so you make sure they go down."

They all watched as Charlotte popped the tablets into her mouth, took a sip of the iced tea, swallowed, then took a longer drink. Francis' natural curiosity made her ask, "How did you know Charlotte could use the aspirin, tente Marie?"

Everyone was still looking at Charlotte, so Francis missed Jane and Marie looking directly at Charlotte. By the looks on both women's faces, Charlotte knew they were asking her not to say anything about the cameras she knew were scattered around the house. So instead she said, "Francis, when doesn't Marie know what anyone needs? She's psychic." Both Jane and Marie gave Charlotte a small smile as thanks for keeping quiet about the cameras.

No one had a chance to say any more, as they heard a knock on the library door. After the door opened, Sherry stepped into the library and asked, "Jane, may I speak to you and Susan in the study?" She didn't wait for an answer, or close the door behind her, she simply turned and left the library. Jane and Susan exchanged looks, Susan shrugging her shoulders before she stood up from the couch.

Looking at the three teens, Jane told them, "You three have work to do and are to be on your best behavior, or else. And Francis, please return the pillow to the couch." Jane turned after speaking to the teens, hoping Francis would realize she never said how she was to return the pillow to the couch. Just after closing the library door behind her and Susan, she heard an, "Hey," from Toby, and a giggle from Francis. Francis had figured it out!