a Lady's Trial

Meanwhile, the sisters pulled out two sheets from the bag they brought and covered the grass with them, giving the group a place to relax without risking damage to their dresses. Her sister, as she usually did, felt a hunger for mischief. “You know, the older gents aren’t here to reprimand us, and we are alone amongst friends. How often does that occur? I suggest we take advantage of it.”

Catherine’s eyes narrowed, and she cautiously approached, laying down on the sheet next to Alice. “I’m afraid to ask… please tell me it’s not something dangerous.”

The young girl giggled, “No — no, not dangerous.”

The older girl was relieved, but a worry remained in her mind. “Then, for goodness’ sake, speak up your mind.”

Alice enthusiastically followed, sitting beside her in a teasing tone. “Yes, please share what you have in your wicked mind, Phoebe.” She reached for Catherine’s hand and interlaced her fingers with hers, almost forcefully.

Catherine’s head turned away, avoiding Alice. Yet now she faced Grace, who noted the soft pinkish hue appearing on Catherine’s cheeks. “How peculiar,” she thought.

“To ease your worries, the game I’m about to suggest is quite old. A tradition, a rite of passage, known under many names. Yet today, I shall refer to it as A Lady’s Trial.”

The girls clapped along in unison, an inside joke that implied the name was overly dramatic. It made Phoebe giggle. She cleared her throat and continued, “The trial is as follows. We shall each take turns.You will be given a question and a dare, and you must choose one of them. Before we begin, you must vow to answer truthfully. If you wish to refuse, you must do the dare instead.”

Grace winced. She played this game with her sister before. She knew her to be a cruel game master, yet she couldn’t help but feel thrilled at the idea of tricking her friends into participating. A mischievous smile crept on her lips as she raised her hand, “I vow to tell the truth, or fulfil the dare!”