mischief

            "Little Miss Mischief"
   By: Susan Wickert and Paris Annette Morreau Paris_morreau@yahoo.com
     (C) 2001

     As the sun came shining through the window and touched her face, Ashley turned onto her side. The breeze was blowing the curtains slightly and the smell of fresh flowers wafted into her nose. The six year old slowly woke to the sound of birds outside her window. She placed her pillow onto her head to block out their song. As she lay there not quite awake, she felt a gentle hand caress the back of her head.

"Wake up sleepy head, we have a lot to do today," her mother sang quietly.

"Good morning Mommy," Ashley replied in her little voice, turning to look at her mother. "Can I sleep just a little longer?"

"I wish you could baby, but we have many things to do today so we need to get going," her mother explained. "Now let's get ready to face the day."

Annette gently pulled her child from the covers. Ashley wrapped her arms around her neck and hugged her tightly.

"What would you like to wear today?" Annette asked Ashley as she stood her on the floor, turned and walked toward the dresser. "Do you want to wear the red shorts, the blue jeans or the yellow dress with the sunflowers on it?" she asked.

"Yellow sunflowers Mommy," Ashley replied, rubbing her eyes.

Annette pulled the dress from the closet and helped Ashley put it on before heading down the hall and into the kitchen to make breakfast. Ashley watched her mother retrieve two bowls from the cupboard and set them on the small table that was inside the breakfast nook just off the kitchen.

"Can I have Toastums Mommy? Ashley asked as she climbed onto one of the chairs and made herself comfy.

"If that is what you would like," Annette replied, as she set the box in front of her.

She then went to the refrigerator to retrieve the milk as Ashley carefully poured some cereal into the bowl.

"Do you want me to put some in your bowl, too Mommy? Ashley asked.

"No sweetheart. Mommy is going to have a bagel and some fruit for breakfast," she replied as she poured milk onto Ashley's cereal.

Annette sat across from her little one and smiled as Ashley tried to fit an enormous spoonful of cereal into her mouth. In front of her mother's look of amused disapproval, Ashley picked up the bowl and drank the last of the milk.

"Can I watch tv, Mommy?"

"May I," Annette answered, clearing the table. "Not today, Sweetie."

"Not you, Mommy. Me," Ashley clarified. "Can I watch tv?"

Annette looked at her daughter with a slight frown. "The correct way to ask is 'may I', not 'can' I. And today, you may not," Annette explained. "We have to run lots of errands, so please put on your sandals," she directed. "I am going to wash the breakfast dishes and then we need to leave."

Ashley ran to her room, picked up her sandals and hurried back to the living room. She picked up the remote control and hit the power button. She pressed the down arrow on the volume key until all she could hear was the sound of running water and the clanging of dishes in the kitchen. She was staring at the television and putting on her shoes when sh heard a knock at the front door. Ashley quickly pulled on her other sandal and dashed across the room.

"I'll get it," Ashley shouted over the noise of the water. She touched the knob then hesitated, remembering what her mother had told her about never opening the door unless she knew who was there. The knock came again. Ashley stared wide eyed at the door. "Who is it," she said as loud as her little voice allowed.

"Ashley, it's me, Katie," her friend called. Ashley threw open the door and greeted her friend. "Can you come over and play?" asked Katie.

"Sure," Ashley said, her eyes beaming at the invitation. "Mommy, going to Katie's to play," she shouted, as she walked out the door.


Annette finished the dishes and headed down the hall to pick up the papers she would need to take with her today.

"Do you have your shoes on yet, Ashley?" she asked as she entered the living room. "Ashley?" Annette repeated when she discovered the empty room. "Ashley?" she called again as she headed back down the hall and into her daughter's room. "Are you hiding from me, Sweetie?" Annette called. She looked under her little girl's bed before searching the closet. "Honey, we need to go. We don't have time to play hide and seek today. Please come out now," Annette said. Silence was the only response. Annette walked back down the hall and into the living room.

"Now I know my little girl wouldn't have left the house without telling me. She knows better than that," Annett murmured, as she opened the door and stepped out onto the front porch and looked across the small expanse of yard in front of the duplex.

"Annette, are you looking for Ashley?"

"Yes. Is she with you, Michelle?" Annette asked her neighbor. She walked back to the porch they shared.

"Yeah, she and Katie are coloring," Michelle replied, pointing to her apartment.

"Ohhh thank goodness!" Annette breathed in relief She touched Michelle's shoulder before stepping into the apartment.

"Hi Mommy, Ashley greeted.

"I guess you didn't know she was here," Michelle said, directing a look of disapproval at Ashley.

"No, I didn't know she was here," Annette said sternly, casting her own look of reproval at her daughter. "We were getting ready to run errands and she just disappeared."

"But I told you Mommy," Ashley defended herself, her smile quickly fading at her mother's serious statement.

"Annette, I'm sorry. I thought you knew Ashley was here. She said you did," Michelle apologized.

Annette shook her head. "I had no idea where she was," she said. "And she knows not to answer the door or leave unless I tell her it's ok," Annette continued, speaking to Michelle, scolding Ashley. She reached down and took her daughter's hand, pulling her up from the floor.

"But I did tell you, Mommyyyy," Ashley whined. "I said it right out louuuuud."

"We will discuss this when we get home," Annette promised, pulling her little girl out of her friend's apartment.

Ashley looked away from her mother's stern expression, stared at the floor and pouted. "I did tell you," she whispered.

"I'll see you this afternoon, Michelle. Tell Katie goodbye, Ashley," Annette directed, as they walked out the door.

Ashley stared at her shoes, refusing to speak.

"Bye Ashley," Katie quickly murmured as her mother closed the door.

"Mommy," Ashley said angrily as her mother led her across the common porch, "I did tell you where I was going. And I said 'who is it,' too. And Katie said it was her and then I opened the door."

Annette ushered Ashley into the living room and closed the door behind her. She walked over to the sofa and put her daughter on her lap, hugging her closely for a moment.

"I didn't hear you say anything," Annette began. "Did you see me when you were speaking to me?"

"No," Ashley admitted.

"When you want to go somewhere, you need to look right at me when you ask."

"But I did ask," Ashley repeated.

"No, Sweetie, you did not. You said you told me where you were going. First of all, you need to ask for permission. I need to decide whether or not you can do something or go somewhere. I have to be sure it's okay."

"Katie is okay. It's okay for me to play with her," Ashley said. "She's my friend."

"Yes, Katie is your friend, but I didn't know that you were with her. I looked all over the house for you and I called out your name. I couldn't find you. I looked outside for you, too. I was afraid something had happened to you. I was so worried," Annette explained. "I want you to understand something. Even though it's okay for you and Katie to play, I still have to decide whether it's okay at the time you want to play with her. We have lots of things to do today and I told you that, didn't I?"

Ashley reluctantly nodded her head.

"Secondly, I need to hear you ask. The way to be sure that I can both hear you and give you permission, is if I am right in front of you. We can see each other and hear each other and there won't be any mistakes. Okay?"

Ashley nodded again. "It's okay to play with Katie," she whispered.

"Look at me, Little Miss Mischief," Annette directed firmly, lifting her daughter's chin.

Ashley looked at her mother, her little heart pounding at the name that usually preceded a spanking.

"Did you hear me tell you that you needed my permission,even to play with Katie?" Annette asked.

Ashley nodded.

"I need to hear you speak, Ashley. Even though I am happy that Katie is your friend, there may be times when I can't let you play with her. You must always ask and you must always wait for my answer. Do you understand?"

Ashley nodded.

"I said I needed to hear you speak. I want to be sure you understand. Do you need a spanking to remind you to obey Mommy?"

"No," Ashley responded quickly.

"Do you understand that you must see me when you ask for permission to do something and that you must hear what I say?"

"Yes," Ashley squeaked.

"Okay," Annette said, hugging her daughter to her again. "That's my good girl."

"Mommy? Can I go play with Katie?"

"Ashley! Didn't you just hear me say we had a lot of things to do today? No, Sweetie, you can't play with Katie right now."

"But I don't want to do a lot of things today. I want to play with Katieeee," Ashley whined.

"I know, Sweetie, but we have to get you registered for school, have a check up at the doctor's, and go shopping for your new uniform," Annette explained.

"No. I don't want to do those things. I don't want to go.You go. I'll stay at Katie's." Ashley folded her arms across her chest and pouted up at her mother.

"You can't very well have a check up at the doctor's if you aren't there. I need you with me to do the other things as well," Annette reasoned. "We'll go now and we'll get back just as fast as we can and you can spend the afternoon with Katie. Okay?" she suggested.

"Noooo," Ashley whined. "I don't want tooooo." She climbed off her mother's lap and walked to the front door, arms folded across her chest, her back to her mother.

"Very well, Little Miss Mischief," Annette sighed. She stood up, took her daughter's arm, and led her back to the sofa. "It looks like we aren't going anywhere until your bottom has been warmed."

"No! No, Mommy!" Ashley cried. "I will go with you."

Annette pulled her daughter over her lap and lifted her bright yellow sundress.

"I will play with Katie later," Ashley agreed. "We can go now."

Annette slipped her fingertips into the waistband of Ashley's yellow cotton panties and tugged them down over the girl's chubby bottom.

"Don't spank me, Mommy!" Ashley begged.

Annette raised her hand and brought down a light smack on one plump bare cheek.

"No, Mommyyyyy!" Ashley pleaded.

Annette spanked each chub quickly and lightly, warming her daughter's tender flesh.

"I gave you every opportunity to cooperate with me, Ashley, but you have chosen to be naughty instead," Annette scolded. When you do that," Annette explained, "it's the same as asking Mommy to spank you."

Annette spanked the middle of Ashley's little bottom in sharp smacks that quickly turned the little girl's pink cheeks red.

"Nooooo, Mommyyyyy! Don't spaaaaaank! I don't want a spankiiiiiing!" Ashley assured her mother a moment before she burst into tears.

"I'm going to spank you right where you sit," Annette said, ignoring her daughter's protest and delivering the promised smacks at the tops of her little girl's thighs"And each time you sit today, you will remember that you must not talk back to Mommy and that you must obey." Annette spanked back and forth across her daughter's tender skin.

"I'm sorryyyy, Mommyyyyy!" Ashley cried, kicking her legs. "I'll be goooood!"

"I explained what we had to do today and told you that you could play with Katie this afternoon, but you decided that wasn't good enough, didn't you? You decided that you could make the rules," Annette scolded while she spanked. "You cannot make the rules, Ashley, only Mommy can.

"Okayyyyy! You make rules, Mommyyyyy!" Ashley promised between sobs.

Annette gave her daughter a final spank and then pulled her little girl's panties up. She smoothed down her dress and sat her up. She rocked her until Ashley's cries subsided.

"I know you want to play, Sweetie," Annette sympathized. "I know it's hard when you can't have what you want. A mommy has to make some difficult choices sometimes. I have to take you with me today, even though I know you don't want to go. What we will do today needs to be done, and you have to be
with me," Annette explained. "I allow you to play every day and I give you lots of time to do what you want to do. When I have to take you somewhere, even if you don't want to go, I expect you to obey me and to cooperate. Okay?"

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Ashley nodded and hugged her mother. "I'm sorry, Mommy."

"All right, Sweetie. Let's get all our errands done and then we'll come home and you can play with Katie. Maybe she can come over here and we'll make a big tent out of lots of blankets and you can play circus. Would you like that?"

"Yes!" Ashley cried, hugging her mother. "Let's go right now!" Ashley jumped off her mother's lap and took her hand, pulling her.


     Chapter Two

Annette paced the corridor outside of Ashley's classroom waiting for the last bell of the day to ring. "First grade," Annette thought as she walked. "Impossible. I could swear it was only last week that she was saying her first word; instead she was being registered for school." She looked at her watch. A minute to three. "She was so excited this morning," Annette smiled at the recent memory. "A whole day
in school. She was going to eat lunch in the cafeteria. Yes, for the first time she was not going to have lunch with me and she couldn't wait," Annette swallowed and quickly brushed away a tear. "She was out of the car almost before it stopped."

Riiiiinnnnnng! Annette jumped out of her reverie at the jarring sound of the bell

"Mommy, guess what my teacher gave me today," Ashley squealed. "I got a gold star for listening and following directions," she blurted, waving a little card with a gold star on it at her mother.

"That is such a good girl! Mommy is so proud of you," she complimented with a tight hug, as much in relief as pride.

"May we go get ice cream?" she asked hoping for a reward for her good behavior.

"Mommy is very proud of you, but also very tired. We still have to stop and get groceries. You can choose some ice cream at the grocery store if you like. And you can have some after dinner."

"Did you have a hard day Mommy?" she asked as they walked down the hall together.

"Yes Ashley. Mommy had a very hard day and it will be so nice to be home," she replied.

In the store, Ashley sat quietly on the bottom of the cart while Annette did their weekly shopping, tossing in the usual items as quickly as she could. Once home, Ashley held the front door open for her mother and Annette carried the bags in and sat them down on the counter.

"Mommy, ice cream?" Ashley asked, smiling and waving the little card with the gold star.

"After dinner," Annette reminded her daughter as she headed down the hall and into her bedroom.

"But Mommy, I want some now!" she cried, following her mother.

"Ashley," Annette said, as she sat down on the small bench in front of her vanity. "Can you tell Mommy again what you earned the gold star for?"

Ashley turned the card up and stared at it. She placed her tiny finger on her bottom lip.

"Listening and following directions," she replied with a smile.

"And what did I say about the ice cream?" Annette asked.

"Okay, Mommy, after dinner," she replied

"That's my good girl," Annette complimented with a weary smile.

Ashley stood in the doorway of her mother's bedroom and watched her take off her necklace and earrings and put them into the rosewood jewelry box on her dresser. Her mother had an ample collection of rings that sparkled, gold necklaces with matching bracelets, and earrings of every size and design. She had a gold filigree tray that held a variety of perfumes in bottles of all shapes and sizes. All of these things intrigued Ashley. Sometimes, if Ashley asked nicely, and as long as Mommy was right there, she was allowed to touch the assortment of gold, pearls and diamonds. Mommy might even let her try on her pearls or dab on a little bit of perfume behind Ashley's ears. Today, however, mommy didn't have time to play.

"Why don't you go play in your room, Sweetie, while I put the groceries away," Annette suggested, as she headed toward the kitchen.

Ashley walked across the hall to her room. Leaving the door open, she listened until she heard her mother's heels click on the Spanish tile of the kitchen floor. She stepped into the hallway and stood there, listening intently at the sounds coming from the kitchen. Just to be on the safe side, Ashley peeked around the corner into the dining room. The door to the kitchen was at the other end and she could still see several bags of groceries on the counter that had not yet been put away. She watched her mother cross from the counter toward the refrigerator. She then turned around and quickly entered her mother's bedroom. She stared at the dresser and all of the pretty things on it. She lightly touched a bottle of her favorite perfume. She ran her fingers over the shiny rosewood jewelry box. She touched the gold clasp that kept the box closed. She flipped it up and pushed it down again. She looked at the doorway. The house was quiet except for her mother's footsteps in the kitchen. She flipped up the clasp again. She gently pried open the box. There, on top, was her mother's pearl necklace, the one that had belonged to Ashley's great grandmother. Ashley reached out and touched it. Her heart beat so loudly that she was sure her mother could hear it. She let go of the necklace, closed the box and stared at the doorway, sure her mother would appear. A little pinch in her tummy warned her to get out of the room. Instead, she opened the box again, admired the necklace for a moment, then grabbed it and ran across the hall to her room.

"Ashley," called her mother. "Are you playing in your bedroom?"

Her heart leaping, Ashley quickly hid the necklace under her pillow.

"Yes, Mommy," she shouted.

She lay across her pillow and stared at the door waiting for her mother to come in. When she didn't appear, Ashley took out the pearls again. She slowly drew the beads through her fingers. She picked up one of the many dolls on her bed and put the necklace on it. The pearls were huge on its small body and the strand longer than she was. Ashley took the necklace off the doll and put it around her own neck,
carefully fastening the clasp. She walked over to her full-length mirror and smiled at her image.

"Ashley?" Annette called. "I forgot to pick up my clothes at the cleaners. We have to go out again, Sweetie."

Her heart pounding, Ashley quickly reached behind her and tried to unfasten the clasp. Stuck. She heard her mother's footsteps click across the kitchen floor and onto the oak parquet of the dining room. Her fingers shaking, Ashley tried the clasp again.

"Ashley?"

Her mother's voice was a bit louder now and her footsteps closer. Ashley pulled at the clasp again and watched in horror as the strand broke and pearls tumbled down her small, slender body to the floor.

"Ohhhh noooo," Ashley breathed.

"We have to go," Annette said, just outside Ashley's room.

Ashley raced to the door, opened it just enough to squeeze her body through it, and stepped into the hall.

"Are you okay, Sweetheart?" Annette asked.

Ashley nodded. "I'm fine, Mommy," she murmured.

"Your face is all red."

"I, um, was, uh, playing."

"Are you sure you're all right?"

Ashley nodded, her eyes wide as she looked at her mommy.

"Okay," Annette said, certain only that something was wrong. "Let's go."

*********************

Back from the cleaners, Ashley went straight to her room, scooped up the scattered beads, put them into a cup from her Little Miss Manners Tea Set and hid it in her dollhouse. She stared at the cup and wondered how she was going to tell mommy what happened. Maybe she could fix it and put the necklace back where it belonged before mommy noticed it was missing.

"Yes," she whispered to her dolls, "that's what I will do. As soon as I get home from school tomorrow, I will fix Mommy's necklace and put it back right where it belongs."

The next day, Annette picked Ashley up from school, but they did not go straight home. There was Ashley's dental appointment and then a trip across town to On Your Toes to pick up her new ballet shoes. By now it was too late to cook dinner, so Annette picked up a roasted chicken on the way home. After that, Ashley did her homework, took her bath and before she knew it, Mommy was tucking her in.

"Were you a good girl today?" Annette asked her usual bedtime question.

"Yes, Mommy," Ashley answered as she did every night.

"As good as an angel?" Annette asked, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Yes," Ashley giggled.

"Are you an angel?" Annette asked, looking around her daughter's head for a halo.

"Yes! I put my wings under my jammies."

"Well, then," Annette continued as she did each night,"I must remember to call Heaven tomorrow and tell them they are missing Angel Ashley and that she is right here, safe and snug, and surrounded by dozens of dolls who live in a great, big dollhouse." Eyes twinkling, Annette smiled and kissed the tip of her daughter's nose. "Goodnight Angel Ashley," she whispered.

Ashley swallowed hard. "Night, Mommy," she whispered back,her heart suddenly pounding.

"Ohhhh nooooo," Ashley breathed, when her mother was safely out of the room. "The necklace. I will fix it tomorrow. Maybe Mommy won't know it's gone."

In the dim illumination of the nightlight, Ashley stared at the dollhouse in which the forbidden necklace was hidden."Tomorrow," she whispered again, yawning.

**********************

"Rise and shine, Sleepyhead," Annette called cheerfully as she strode into her daughter's room. "Time to get up. I have to get you to school and I have an appointment this morning, too, so, up! Up! Up! Quick like a bunny!"

Ashley peered at her mother through mostly closed eyes before yawning, then stretching like a cat on a summer afternoon.

"Come on! Come on!" Annette urged as she threw the warm covers off her daughter. "We have to go."

"Okayyyyy," Ashley sang and pulled herself out of bed.

Assured that her little girl was up, Annette walked into her bedroom to put the finishing touches on her outfit. She lightly dabbed on her favorite perfume and then opened her jewelry box.

"Hmmm. Where are my pearls?" she murmured.

She searched the top of her dresser knowing perfectly well that she never placed any of her jewelry anywhere but in its proper box.

"Ashley?" Annette called as she walked across the hall. "Have you seen Mommy's pearls?" she asked entering her daughter's bedroom. "I was sure that I had put them in my jewelry box but now they're not there."

Ashley looked straight into her mother's concerned and gentle eyes. Tell her, an urgent voice inside Ashley insisted. Tell her. It will be okay.

"No, Mommy," Ashley said, shaking her head, her eyes wide as she answered. "I don't know where your necklace is."

Annette gave a small frown as she looked at her daughter."Are you sure you haven't seen them, Sweetie? Maybe they were accidentally put in the wrong place."

Ashley shook her head.

"All right," Annette said quietly. "Go ahead and finish getting ready for school." She watched her daughter turn away. She took a quick glance around her little girl's room and then walked out. I wonder what I did with my pearls, she asked herself.

Ashley finished buckling her shoes, picked up her backpack, glanced at the dollhouse then quickly headed out the door to the car. She sat silently in the backseat while her mother drove through town towards her school.

I will pick you up outside your class again. Be a good girl and Mommy will see you this afternoon.

"Okay, Mommy," Ashley agreed with a smile as she hopped from the car.

Throughout the day, Annette found herself putting her hands to her neck to touch her pearls only to be reminded again that they were gone. Although Ashley tried to focus her attention on everything but the pearls, there seemed to be constant reminders. On the playground at recess, Ashley chased a ball that stopped at the end of a small rock garden. Its round, white pebbles were the same size as her mommy's pearls. In the classroom, the teacher handed each child a picture with a word next to it. Ashley's was a drawing of a pearl necklace. Her tummy twisted into a painful knot that was not relieved by the blaring sound of the final bell. Ashley was the last child to leave the room. She pushed open the door slowly and stepped into the hall.

"Hi Mommy," she murmured reaching out for her mother's hand.

"Hi my little angel," Annette greeted giving her little gir a quick hug before taking her hand and walking out of the school to the car.

"How was school, Sweetie?" Annette asked her unusually quiet child.

"Fine," Ashley murmured.

"Did anything interesting happen?" Annette prodded.

"No," Ashley sighed.

"What did you learn?" Annette tried again.

Ashley shrugged. "I don't remember."

"Are you feeling all right?" Annette asked.

"Tired," Ashley responded and fell silent again.

Annette looked into the rearview mirror at the at her daughter staring out the window. I'll give her a few more minutes when we get home. If she hasn't talked to me by then, I'll try again, she thought as she drove

"Sweetie, why don't you go change out of your school clothes," Annette instructed as they entered the house.

Without a word, Ashley dropped her backpack on the sofa and headed to her room. After she had changed her clothes she stared at her dollhouse. Hoping it had just been a dream she knelt down and peaked inside. They were still there. What am I going to do she thought to herself as she sat on the floor. She stared at the teacup with the hidden treasure inside. "You have to tell your Mommy," the little voice inside her said.

"Noooo noo no," she quickly blurted allowed.

"Ashley?" her mother called from the doorway.

"Yes Mommy," Ashley answered, startled. She quickly jumped up and walked over to her mother.

"What are you doing sweetie,? Annette asked.

"Nothing Mommy. Playing. You scared me," Ashley hurried to explain.

"Well my angel, I think I heard you mention a paper that you have to color. Is that your homework for today?" Annette asked as she glanced around Ashley's room, looking at the
dollhouse that so intrigued her daughter.

"Yes Mommy," she replied.

"Okay, then, why don't you sit down at the dining room table and do that? I have some work of my own to do. We'll do our homework together. Okay?

Ashley nodded and headed for her backpack.

Annette scooped her papers into a neat pile to clear a space for her daughter. Ashley laid down her paper and turned her box of crayons upside down, spilling them onto the table.

"Mommy, what color do I use for this,?" she asked.

"Blue would be a nice color Sweetie," she replied as she looked up from her work.

"Mommy has homework too?" Ashley asked as she shuffled through her mother's stack of papers.

"Yes, Mommy has homework too," Annette replied, smiling. Don't touch Mommy's papers, Sweetie. I need them right where I put them."

Ashley swallowed hard at her mother's mention of needing her things to be where she put them.

"I bet you I can get done first," Ashley said, changing the subject.

"You probably will Sweetie, but remember not to hurry and to color nicely," she suggested.

Ashley went to work on her paper while her mother worked on the stack in front of her. When Ashley was finished, she sat and watched as her mother continued to work.

"Tell her the little voice once again said."

"I can't Ashley said.

"You can't do what, Sweetie?" Annette asked, looking up from her own papers.

"What Mommy? she asked breathing rapidly.

"What is it that you can't do?" Annette asked again.

"I don't know Mommy," she replied as her heart began to beat
     faster.

"Is it your paper? Annette asked.

Ashley stared silently at her mother.

Annette reached over and picked up her daughter's paper.

"You did a very good job, Sweetie, and you did beat Mommy today. Why don't you go and see if Katie wants to play for a few minutes while I finish up. I'm almost done."

"Can I watch cartoons instead?" Ashley asked.

"You don't want to play with Katie?" Annette asked in surprise.

Ashley shook her head. She slid off the chair and walked into the living room. Annette watched as her six year old picked up the remote and pushed the power button as though there had never been any other way to turn on a television With remote in hand Ashley tried to find a comfortable spot on the sofa. She flipped through several cartoons before discovering the rug rats. She watched Angelica talk Chuckie into distracting her mother so she could sneak into the
kitchen and get some cookies. Ashley's tummy begins to pinch again. She peeked over the back of the sofa at her mother.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ashley staring at her. She looked up at her daughter and smiled. Ashley quickly ducked down. Annette waited to see if the game of peek a boo would continue, but Ashley's little head did not reappear.

"Ashley, what are you doing?" she asked

"Nothing Mommy," Ashley replied, her voice muffled.

"Is Angelica being a naughty girl again,? Annette asked, as she put her papers away. The phone rang before Ashley responded.

"Not as naughty as I am," she whispered to herself.

While her mother talked on the phone, Ashley watched rug ratAngelica sneak past her mother and get into the cookie jar. Ashley leaned forward on the sofa as Angelica climbed up onto the counter and placed her hand into the jar. Th naughty rug rat had a cookie halfway out of the jar when her mother walked into the kitchen. Ashley fell off of the couch and landed with a solid thud onto the floor.

"Ashley," called her mother. "Are you okay?"

"Yes Mommy," she answered as she quickly jumped back onto
     the couch.

"She's ok," Annette said to her friend. "She just gets carried away when she is watching tv. I am a little worried about her, though. She's been really quiet the last couple days. I don't know if she is not feeling well or if something is wrong. I haven't been able to get her to talk to me about it."

While she chatted with her friend, Annette went into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of lemonade. She walked into the living room and sat down in the big overstuffed chair. While continuing her conversation, she watched her daughter fidget. Ashley was rarely still, but now she was a blur of activity. She went from sitting, to lying on her tummy to hanging over the side of the sofa and back to sitting again. She glanced at her mother and quickly away, changing positions again.

"Well," Annette said to her friend, "besides trying to get my paperwork done, I spent some more time searching the house for my pearl necklace. I don't know what I did with it. I just can't believe it's gone. I've always been so careful with it. It's the only piece of jewelry that means
anything to me. It was my grandmother's you know, so it really can't be replaced."

Ashley jumped at her mother's mention of her necklace. She picked at the hem of her shirt while she listened to her mother talk.

"Yes I know, and I always put it back in its place but it just isn't there. The last thing I want to do is tell my mother that I lost her mother's pearls. I simply can't face it," Annette said holding back tears.

Ashley could not swallow away the lump in her throat. Mommy's going to be in trouble with grandma and it isn't even her fault, she thought.


"It is very special, It was passed down to me and when Ashley is 16, it was to have been given to her. I cannot accept that it's gone," Annette said her voice nearly breaking.

Ashley burst into tears. Annette looked over at her sobbing child. "I have to go. Something's wrong with Ashley. I'll call you later."

Annette quickly moved over to the sofa and scooped her daughter into her arms, holding her tightly.

"Ohhhh, Sweetie, what's the matter?" Annette asked, as she gently rocked her little girl. "Did you and Katie have an argument?"

"I took your pearls Mommy, she blurted out as tears ran down her face.

"You did what? Annette asked in shock pulling away slightly to look at her child.

"I took them and I broke them," Ashley confessed as she buried her face into her mothers chest and wept.

Annette held Ashley close to her and began rocking her again.

"Ohhhh, Ashley," Annette sighed, at once relieved and disappointed. "You know that you are not allowed to touch anything that belongs to me, don't you?"

Ashley nodded, unable to speak through her sobs.

"I'm sorry, Mommy," Ashley wailed. "I didn't mean to break them."

"I know it was an accident, Sweetie, but I want you to think about something," Annette began. "Do you remember the first time I showed the necklace to you?"

"Yes," Ashley answered quietly.

"I told you that it had belonged to my grandmother, didn't I?" Annette asked. Ashley nodded. "And she has the same name as you."

"That's right. I was named after her," Annette agreed. "I also told you that the pearls were very important to me because they were given to me by someone I loved very much. And that she left them for me when she went to Heaven," Annette explained gently. "Do you remember that?"

"Yes," Ashley admitted.

"I also told you that you must never touch them unless I am right there with you and I give you my permission. Isn't that right?" Annette asked.

"Hmm mmmm," Ashley murmured.

"There have been lots of times that I've let you try them on. I know how much you like them," Annette said understanding her daughter's fascination. "My grandmother used to let me try them on, too. She would have liked knowing that you got to try them on, also," Annette assured
her little girl. "But, just taking them was wrong. You knew you were not supposed to touch them. You deliberately disobeyed me," Annette scolded.

Ashley nodded and burst into fresh tears.

"And now the necklace is broken," Annette continued.

"I didn't mean to break it, Mommy. I just wanted to wear it. I tried to take it off and it just broke," Ashley sobbed.

"I know, Sweetie, but you should not have had the necklace to begin with. You can't disobey Mommy just because you want something. We had a talk about that just a couple of days ago, didn't we?"

"Yes," Ashley admitted, her little heart beginning to pound.

"I explained to you that you must obey Mommy even if it means that you can't have what you want. Do you remember that?" Annette asked.

Ashley snuggled against her mother and nodded.

"I always give you a chance, too, don't I? I listen to what you have to say and if I can tell you didn't think you had broken a rule, then we just talk about it. I just explain it to you again, isn't that right?" Annette asked.

"Yes," Ashley agreed.

"We talked about the necklace. We talked about it more than once. You understood that you were not allowed to touch it," Annette said, "and yet you took it anyway. Do you have something to say about that?"

"I'm sorry," Ashley whispered.

"Well, Sweetie, I'm afraid that 'sorry' isn't enough. You need a spanking."

"Nooooo, Mommyyyy! I'm sorryyyyy! I'll never do it agaiiiiin!" Ashley pleaded, holding on to her mother as tightly as she could.

Annette firmly but gently took her daughter's arms from around her waist. She quickly and easily turned her over her knee, while Ashley cried. She flipped up her little girl's dress.

"Noooooo!" Ashley wailed, already kicking her legs.

Annette held Ashley firmly at her waist while she pulled her white cotton panties down.

"I am very disappointed in your behavior, Ashley," Annette said as she began spanking over the slender division of her little girl's bare bottom. Annette spanked until Ashley's flesh was pink, then moved on to a pale section and spanked there.

"We had a talk a couple of days ago about not always being able to do what you want to do, just because you want to do it," Annette scolded, spanking one bare chub with sharp smacks.

"Owwww! Mommyyyyy!"

"And today it seems we're having the same discussion," Annette said, turning to the other cheek and spanking it pink.

"Uhhhhhh!" Ashley shrieked.

"There is also another problem, isn't there?" Annette asked, spanking down to her daughter's sit spot. "You didn't just disobey Mommy. What else did you do?"

"Yuhhhhhh!" Ashley wailed. "I don't knoooooow!"

Annette spanked sharply back and forth across the tops of her daughter's thighs, where her little bottom curved under and me the tops of her thighs. Ashley kicked her legs and bounced on her Mommy's lap.

"Owwwwww! Mommyyyyy! Nooooooo!"

"You told Mommy a lie, didn't you? I asked if you had seen my necklace and you said no," Annette chided, spanking back up her daughter's bottom to its fleshy arch.

"Ooooooh!" Ashley wailed.

"Even then, I gave you a chance. I said it might have mistakenly been put somewhere else. You could have told me then that you took it," Annette reproached while she spanked. "I would have scolded you, but I would not have spanked you. Instead, you lied to Mommy and now your bare bottom is red hot, isn't it?"

"Yesssss! Ohhhhhh! I'm sorryyyyyy!" Ashley cried, I won't do it agaiiiin!" she promised.

Annette spanked back and forth across the plump chubs, increasing their sharpness, decreasing the speed, pausing for seconds between each smack.

"Uhhhhohhhhhnoooooo!" Ashley sobbed.

"You will not disobey," Annette commanded, punctuating her order with a spank. "You will not lie," she directed with another biting smack. "And you will not (spank!) ever    (spank!) touch (spank!) Mommy's (spank!) things (spank! without (spank!) my (spank!) permission (spank!) again!" (spank!)

"Nooooooo! I woooooon't!" Ashley wailed her promise. Her legs tired from kicking, she went limp over her mother's lap and sobbed.

Annette picked her daughter up and sat the little girl on her lap. Ashley snuggled closely, burying her head in her Mommy's chest. Annette hugged her daughter even while pulling up the little girl's panties.

"Are you going to be Mommy's good little girl again?"Annette asked softly?

Ashley nodded. "Yes," she whispered.

"Do you understand that even when you want something very badly that you can't always have it? Even when it's really hard not to have it?"

"Hmm mmm," Ashley murmured. "I don't take your things ever again. And I won't lie to you any more," she promised, her tears subsiding.

"That's my good girl," Annette said, giving her daughter a hug. "Sweetie, what did you do with the pearls when the necklace broke?"

"I put them in a tea cup in my dollhouse," Ashley explained.

"So, you still have them?"

"Yes." Ashley started to cry again. "But they are broken."

"Maybe if we take the pearls to a jeweler, they can be fixed. Maybe the jeweler can put them on a new string,"Annette suggested.

Ashley looked up at her mother, tears still on her face. "He can?" she asked hopefully.

"Maybe," Annette smiled. "Shall we take the pearls to the jewelry store?"

"Yes!" Ashley cried, jumping off her mother's lap. "Let's do it now! I want to go now!" she said, pulling her mother's hand.

Annette looked at her daughter and shook her head. "No,Sweetie. Not tonight. I know you want to go, but It's too late," she explained. "We'll go tomorrow after I pick you up from school. Okay?" she asked, her gentle voice firm.

Ashley pulled on her mother's hand again. "No! Oh," she quickly amended. "Yes," she agreed sitting on her mother's lap again, her bottom still tingling. She snuggled close.

"Tomorrow after school."

Annette wrapped her arms around her little girl and smiled.

                                                             Posted Replies

Thank you so much for sending me the second installment of Little Miss Mischief, it was so good, I especially loved the storyline of the pearl necklace. Take good care and I can't wait to read more Barrington Hall at some point, I realize you're very busy now, but one can hope! :))

Warm hugs, Linda :)

I wanted you both to know how much I really liked this story. It was so cute.

:) Sam

Thank you for sending me Little Miss Mischief, it's a really, truly,
wonderfully sweet story.

Haron

Hi, Susan,

This is a real cute story. Ashley does seem like Little Miss Mischief--she's sweet and wants to be good, but she also wants to do what she wants to do when she wants to do it!

Thanks for sending this to me.

Best,
DJ