10 The Apology

The Apology The beast was right. Bethany was in no mood for mischief. After she'd changed clothes and cleaned the soot from her face, she sat downstairs and stared sadly into thin air. She didn't even have enough energy to watch television. When Ebenezer saw this, he experienced a strange and unfamiliar feeling. At first he

thought he was having stomach issues, so he filled up several hot-water bottles and strapped them to his waist, and then, when this didn't work, he presumed that it must be a headache. He fetched an ice pack from one of the freezers and bandaged it to his head. It wasn't until the ice pack had melted and the hot- water bottles had cooled that he realized that something else was wrong. No matter what he did, he couldn't get rid of this unpleasant gnawing at the pit of his stomach, and he couldn't shake his feelings of discomfort. It took Ebenezer a few more minutes before he realized that he was feeling guilty about what had happened. He knew that he should be happy, and he knew that he probably ought to thank the beast for helping

him to control Bethany. However, for some reason, it didn't feel right. There was even a part of him that wished Bethany would start pulling pranks again. Bethany deserved some sort of an apology. The beast wasn't going to give her one, so Ebenezer decided that he would have to do it himself. He went upstairs and changed into a blue shirt and a pair of gentle beige trousers, because he felt that this was exactly the sort of outfit that one should wear to say sorry. When he came back downstairs, he found Bethany waiting for him by the front door. She was wearing her coat and carrying the box of things she had brought with her from the orphanage.

"Ah, Bethany, so glad you're up and about. I need to say something to you," said Ebenezer. "I want to say I'm sorry," said Bethany. This was a bit of a shock for Ebenezer. He felt that he might have to change into a different outfit in order to deal with this conversation. "I beg your pardon, did you say that you wanted to apologize?" "Yes. But not to you. Can you drive me to the orphanage?" Ebenezer was too surprised to make a fuss. He didn't think to ask any questions until they were both in the car. "Why have you brought your box?" he asked, putting on his seat belt.

"Because it's part of my apology," she answered, not putting on hers. "Be quiet, I need to practice. I've never done one before." Ebenezer drove while Bethany practiced quietly to herself. After a short drive, they arrived at the orphanage. Miss Fizzlewick was coming to the end of her daily "ladylike smiles" lesson. She had lined up all the girls in the playground and was forcing them to stretch fake smiles across their faces. "Come on, Amy, you can do better! No one's going to love you with a face like that," said Miss Fizzlewick. "But my face is hurtsing," said Amy, as she clung tighter to Miss Lillipie, the teddy bear. "That's no excuse, pain is a necessary part of becoming a lady! I want you all to go back

to your rooms, stare in the mirror, and continue practicing. You're not allowed to stop until your gums bleed," said Miss Fizzlewick. She ushered the children into the main building, and as the last one went in, she turned around to find Ebenezer and Bethany walking up the drive. She trotted out her best fake smile for Ebenezer (the sight was far from pleasant). She tutted at Bethany. "I wish I could say I was surprised to find you here again. What did you do this time, Bethany?" sighed Miss Fizzlewick. "She didn't do anything," said Ebenezer. Of course, this wasn't true, but he felt that there was no need to bring up Bethany's