To Be Loved
Inspired by the film, The Nanny Express, Merlin and The Nanny Express don't belong to me.
Arthur Pendragon watched as his nanny helped little Charlie with her homework. It was so good to see how much better Charlie's grades had become since he'd employed Guinevere Benedict.
Arthur's wife Caroline had died two years ago after she had been run off the road by a drunk driver and it had taken Arthur and their two children; Lina who had been nine at the time and Charlie, who had been five, a while to recover. Matters had been made worse by the fact that the Worthingtons, Caroline's parents had tried to take the children away from him. Luckily the courts hadn't been able to deem him an unfit parent and of course Merlin, Caroline's brother and his best friend had been on his side to help him through that dark period.
Now, two years later, Arthur could actually smile and enjoy himself, he had yet to go out on a date, but he was fine and happy and he'd finally got a nanny who hadn't quit after two days.
Arthur knew what his children, especially Lina, were up to. They had more tricks up their sleeves than Jane and Michael Banks. They had locked the nannies outside the house, hidden Charlie's pet hamster in their bags, burnt the food and almost flooded the house many a time. All in all, they were quite a nuisance and he supposed that he should talk to them about it but he couldn't.
So he had resigned himself to looking for a nanny every other week; until Guinevere Benedict.
At first, when he'd set eyes on her, he'd thought that she wouldn't do at all – she was so little, and looked like the slightest wind would blow her away, but he soon discovered that looks were deceiving. Guinevere put up with all the children's pranks – although he'd found her soaking wet twice – and told them what to do and somehow little Charlie was now interested in her school work and even Lina did what she was told, albeit grudgingly.
Arthur couldn't pinpoint the exact moment he'd began noticing Guinevere – he couldn't deny that she was not unattractive, he'd seen that from the beginning, at least his sister Morgana had pointed it out, but he'd been too busy trying to hire a nanny to notice. Of course, she could cook and even packed lunch for him that made the guys at the office envious and Charlie loved her.
He supposed that coming home to find an adult to talk to may have been a factor, Merlin certainly thought so, and Arthur wondered why he'd even told his best friend, but he knew that it was more than that. Guinevere was smart and funny and generally fun to be around. He now looked forward to coming home.
"Dad, you're home," Charlie's voice broke into his reverie. "Guinevere is teaching me how to make those scones you like."
"I can't wait to taste them," Arthur told his daughter. He smiled and nodded at Guinevere and made his way to the study.
000
Arthur walked into the kitchen and couldn't quell the disappointment he felt at finding it empty. He'd hoped that Guinevere was there. He looked around, a bit lost, he'd left work early – they had a function dinner that evening and he was first up in the Bachelor Auction, so Morgana and Merlin had ordered him to go and change.
Guinevere was sitting outside in the gazebo reading – it wasn't yet time to pick up Charlie, she'd finished all her other work and decided to get some work done.
"There you are," Arthur said. He hadn't meant to sound accusatory.
"I'm sorry," Guinevere replied. "I hadn't expected anyone to be back yet." She covered the books.
"I'm home early," Arthur said unnecessarily.
"Do you have a date?" Guinevere could have kicked herself for asking that question. His private life was none of her business.
"Date?" Why would she think he had a date? "Oh," he remembered the tux. "You mean this, it's a work thing."
"Oh?"
"We have this fundraiser," Arthur explained. "I'm part of the auction unfortunately."
"You look great," Guinevere assured and then looked down. She wasn't supposed to tell her employer he looked good even if he did.
"I hope they're not making you do their homework," Arthur said, pointing at the books she'd been reading. He couldn't put it past Lina to try something like that.
"No, no," Guinevere assured him. "I have an examination the day after tomorrow."
"Exam?"
"I'm trying to get my teaching certificate," she told him.
"So you're leaving soon?" Arthur was so disappointed; somehow he'd hoped that she would never leave.
"Don't worry," Guinevere assured him. "I wouldn't leave before getting you a replacement."
Arthur wanted to tell her that he hoped she'd never leave … luckily Lina chose that moment to join them and the conversation ended.
000