“Better luck next time,” Nathaniel said as he passed Charlotte, who scowled.
They took their positions again as Alfred retrieved the ball.
“Go long!” he cried. Nathaniel watched Charlotte carefully and closed the distance. The ball came sailing toward her. Nathaniel raised his hands, stretching past her arms, and he knew thathis reach would prove superior. However, at the last moment, a cloud drifted away, and the sun burned his eyes.
Blinded, he turned away, shielding his gaze. He cried out in anguish as Charlotte collected the ball. She yelped with delight. Nathaniel shook off the stunned sensation and watched helplessly as Lydia forgot to run. Mary broke away from her and collected an easy throw from Charlotte. She ran up to the bucket and put the ball in it.
Clara raised her hands, and Mary gathered the girl in her arms, celebrating together.
“It seems the sun is on our side,” Charlotte replied wryly. Nathaniel scowled.
“You must remember to run, Lydia,” Edmund cupped his hands over his mouth.
“Yes, sorry!” Lydia said.
Edmund trudged to the bucket and retrieved the ball.
“Let’s move quickly. Lydia, run!” he cried, and lobbed the ball to Nathaniel. Nathaniel caught it as he turned and threw it into the space into which Lydia was running. Charlotte threw herself through the air in a desperate attempt to intercept the ball, but the throw was too strong.
Lydia collected the ball and seemed to panic. Instead of running toward the bucket for an easy shot, she threw the ball from where she was standing. The ball bounced harmlessly past the bucket, allowing Alfred to collect it.
Charlotte was pushing herself up. Nathaniel approached her and held out his hand.
“It seems you are making a habit of falling in front of me,” he said. “The sun may be with you, but the ground is with me.”
She took his hand and squeezed it more tightly than she had before. He assumed this was intentional. Only then did Nathaniel realize that Alfred was throwing the ball right past him. He went to catch it, but Charlotte was still holding his hand.
Mary collected the ball and scored again.
“That’s another one! Well done, Mary!” Alfred said. Edmund and Lydia clapped.
“That’s not fair,” Nathaniel complained as Charlotte finally released his hand.
“You never mentioned that in the rules,” she replied.
He put his hands on his hips and looked over to the side. Agatha was chatting away happily, while Beatrice was leaning forward, moping.
“Come on, team, let’s not lose heart. We’re only one down,” Edmund said.
“I’m ever so sorry. I feel like that was my fault,” Lydia apologized.
“These things happen,” Nathaniel replied, swallowing his ire because it wasn’t meant for anyone apart from Charlotte.
The game continued. Points were scored on both sides, and plenty of mistakes were made as well. In the middle of the field, Nathaniel and Charlotte gravitated toward each other. There was a private game being played between them. They celebrated every interception as though it were a point. Whenever they ghosted past each other, it felt as bitter as defeat.
Clara was struggling to get involved in the game. She was having lots of fun running around, but the ball was a bit too big for her hands, and the throws were often too hard. She either missed the catches or dropped the ball when it was thrown to her.
Nathaniel overheard Alfred tell Charlotte that they were going to get Clara more involved in the game. Even though Mary was open, Charlotte passed to Clara. It was a soft throw. Nathaniel could have caught it easily.
His competitive nature fought with his compassion. On the one hand, he believed that children should obey the same rules as everyone else, and they should not be given any leniency, as it would only lead to a lack of discipline.
On the other hand… this was a friendly garden game.
Would it really hurt to let this one go?
As this thought streaked through his mind, he held his hand, allowing the ball to pass him. Clara caught it, spun, and ran toward the bucket. Edmund made a show of chasing after her, tripping at the last moment and falling into the dirt. Clara put the ball in the bucket and then jumped on the spot.
She went back to Edmund and helped him up, but Edmund pulled her down and started tickling her. The game paused for a moment while Clara recovered from her giggling fit.
