The Inheritance ~ Part 1 Title: The Inheritance
Author: Lisa
Email: LWo1783@aol.com
Category: Max and Liz
Rating: PG to PG-13
Disclaimer: Based on both the book The Inheritance by Louisa May Alcott and the telemovie by CBS of the same title. Max and Liz are characters which belong to the show Roswell of UPN (yay!).
Summary: An abandoned orphan is taken in by a loving family but is raised in a society which shuns her. A rich aristocrat who no longer believes there is hope for love for him. Can they overcome the obstacles to somehow find happiness together?
Author's Notes: If you have read any of my other fics, you'll know that I always ALWAYS have happiness insurance on my fics. This means that Max and Liz will always end up together, if only to make me happy! BTW, I really don't know when this takes place but let's just call it a historical romance. Early 1900's perhaps.
Distribution: If you like this enough, thank you and yes! I would like a link back though.

Part 1
Liz Parker was careful not to make any noise as she headed out of the manor. She didn't want anyone to see her, especially the maids. It might be difficult to explain why she was up so early, much less why she was wearing pants. Her long, brown hair was neatly piled under a cap and she was wearing a pea coat. From a distance, no one would be able to tell that she was a woman.

She left through the back kitchen door and headed down the path to the stables. Every morning Liz would steal away to ride. When she entered the stables, the horses there pricked their ears and eagerly reached their heads out to greet her. Liz smiled at each one of them and spoke gently to them. She reached her favorite horse and saddled him. Salim was about 2 years old and was very spirited. However, Liz had learned how to control him and was training him slowly.

As they galloped across the fields and pastures, Liz felt all the troubles of the everyday world slip away. All she felt was freedom. Fences and low stone walls appeared as they rode, but Liz would always guide Salim over them easily.

As they neared the small brook, Liz's heart raced a little faster. Salim had never been able to jump the water. Perhaps today would be the day. She leaned forward and spoke in his ear, encouraging him. However, apparently, Salim was not in a mood to cooperate today. Just short of the water, he abruptly stopped and Liz was thrown over him.

For a minute Liz just lay on the ground, the wind knocked out of her. Luckily, she had been prepared for this, having been thrown before. She got on her feet and groaned slightly. Brushing the dirt away from her face, she walked over to Salim who was munching on the grass as if he didn't have a care in the world.

She smiled and gently rubbed his mane. "It's okay, Salim. One day you'll fly over the water like it's nothing, I promise." She got back in the saddle and decided to treat herself to another ride around the estate.

Evenswood was where she had grown up and what she considered her home. Although she was born in Italy, she remembered very little of it. When she was five, both her parents had died and she was placed in an orphanage there. That was where Henry DeLuca had found her.

Henry had been in Italy to find his estranged brother. By the time that he had tracked Jeffrey's last known whereabouts, he was too late. He learned from various people that his older brother had died from influenza. Grief-stricken, he was about to return home back to England when he passed by the orphanage. There, a little girl was singing a song in English.

Henry stopped to listen to it and realized the song was a lullaby that his mother had sang to both him and Jeffrey. Taking it as a sign, he talked to the little girl. Amazingly, she spoke both English and Italian. Henry learned that her name was Liz and was five. He was immediately taken by her sweetness and intelligence, even at such a young age.

He had a daughter who had just been born at home, Maria, and decided to take this little girl as a companion for Maria. After all the papers were arranged to be the legal guardian of Liz, he took her back to England. Amy was a little shocked by her husband's decision and was about to say something when something caught her attention.

Maria had been laying in the crib and was fussing when Liz walked over. Liz began to sing the same lullaby Henry had heard before and Maria immediately settled down. Liz soothed Maria until she fell asleep and even then, Liz continued to sing to her. Amy was touched by this scene before her and consented to allow Liz to stay.

As they grew up, Liz continued to watch over Maria almost as an older sister. Because Liz was older, she began taking lessons in piano, art, archery, and various other things as she went to a local school. When Maria became older, Liz patiently watched over her lessons and guided her. They became best friends and acted as if they were sisters.

However, when Maria was off at her private school during the day, there was little for Liz to do. Since she was considered only to be a companion to Amy, society ignored her. Henry and Amy did their best to keep her entertained but they were busy with their own engagements.

Soon, Liz made friends with various other servants around the house. But still, she was lonely.

~*~*~
Smiling sheepishly, Liz held out her plate to Cora the cook. With an amazed look on her face, Cora asked, "More? I don't know how you fit it all down and still look like you're starving." Even as she was saying this, Cora added another stack of pancakes on Liz's plate along with several more pieces of sausage. The kitchen was bustling with servants and maids heading in and out. Liz had changed out of her riding clothes and was back in her full dress along with bustle.

As Liz sat back down at the table, Alex, a house boy, tried to steal a link of sausage from her plate. Liz playfully slapped his hand away and laughed. "Get your own."

"Haven't you ever heard of sharing, Lizzie?" Alex pretended to be hurt.

"No," Liz replied airily, taking a large bite out of the sausage. She then laughed and handed Alex a piece.

"Why do you need so much food anyway?" Alex asked. "You don't want to get fat do you?"

"Hush now," Cora interrupted as she sat down with them. "We all know that she will never be able to get fat even if she tried, and it certainly appears that she is trying."

Liz blushed a little. Her morning run had taken a lot of energy and she was extremely hungry this morning. Still, she laughed along with them good-naturedly.

"You were late this morning," Cora pointed out. "Did you sleep in?"

Liz's hand froze for a minute as she was lifting her fork up to her mouth. Thinking quickly, she shook her head. "No. No, I was, uhh... taking a walk this morning."

Pam, one of the new maids, had walked in and heard the latter part of the conversation. Ever since she arrived, she had acted snidely to Liz, trying to provoke her in any way. However, no matter what she said or did, Liz kept her patience and was the bigger of the two. Pam opened her mouth and said, "A walk? My...ain't we getting more like a DeLuca everyday?"

Alex was immediately there to defend his friend. "Shut your mouth, Pam."

Pam knew that she wouldn't be able to get away at doing something to Liz, at least not in front of Alex. Liz smiled at her friend, grateful he was there. "So, Lizzie, are you going to finish that food?" he asked.

Liz laughed. "I've only had two bites!"

He looked at her plate and said dryly, "Well, either you've forgotten how to count or you take very large mouthfuls of food." Liz looked down and saw that nearly half the plate was cleared. Sheepishly, she looked back up at Alex who was grinning at her.

"Why don't you just ask Cora to make more food for you?"

"Because his limit is three plates," Cora answered.

"I'm a growing boy," Alex protested and all three friends laughed. This was what Liz enjoyed, just having someone to talk to, laugh with. However, it was to be short lived this morning when Pam interrupted. "Oh, I forgot. Liz, Mrs. DeLuca wanted to see you this morning."

Liz jumped up. Of course it would take Pam several minutes to tell her that. As she started to pick up her plate to clean off, Alex took it out of her hands and said, "I'll just take care of that for you."

Shaking her head with a smile, Liz started walking out of the kitchen when she heard Pam's voice. "I wonder what it'll be today. Lawn tennis followed by an hour of poetry reading?" The sarcasm in her voice seemed to scream across the room but Liz just ignored it.

As soon as Liz walked out of the door, Cora asked, "Why are you so mean to the girl all the time?"

Pam shot her a glare as she answered, "Oh it is so hard to be the companion to a rich girl. She pretends like she's one of us when she barely works at all."

"Shut up," was all Alex had to say. "She's one of us."

~*~*~*
As Liz walked into the large living room, Amy DeLuca was sitting at her desk finishing a letter. "Ah, hello, Liz. How are you this morning?" she asked warmly with a smile.

Liz stood by the desk and answered, "Very well, Mrs. DeLuca. You are doing well also, I hope."

Amy gave a content smile as she answered happily, "Yes, quite well, thank you, Liz." She put her letter in the envelope and asked while sealing the wax, "And what are your plans for Maria today?"

"I actually haven't had a chance to see her yet this morning."

"Ah. Well try to get her to go outside, will you, Liz? She's been finished with school for nearly a week now and she still refuses to take her head out of those books!"

Liz gave a small chuckle. "She's reading Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet'," Liz explained. "She's quite enthralled in it."

Pausing for a moment, Amy smiled as she recalled a memory. "The first time I ever heard of that story was when Mr. DeLuca read it to me. It was the sweetest afternoon," she said. Liz couldn't help but feel a slight pang of jealousy. Henry and Amy DeLuca's love always showed, even when they were apart. Secretly, she longed for someone to love her and adore her as much as Henry loved and adored Amy.

Amy got up from the table and started walking over to the tea tray set out. She handed Liz a cup and poured her some tea. Liz, knowing that Mrs. DeLuca sometimes had a tendency to be a bit forgetful about some things, gently asked, "Did you want to see me this morning?"

Amy gasped as she said, "Yes! My goodness, I completely forgot. My distant cousin Tess Harding is coming to visit today. She has been staying with some ancient old aunts of mine and has asked if she may come here. Of course I couldn't be rude so I agreed. The truth is, she is looking for a husband. She's about six years older than you, I think, so she is getting rather old for being unmarried. And she has no property, which does not help."

Liz nodded. She understood the rules of this society too well. Beauty and wealth were the only things necessary besides a good name that were required. However, since this Tess Harding was related to the DeLuca's, a prominent name in society, she had cleared the largest hurdle.

Amy began to speak again as she filled her own cup with tea. "However, Tess couldn't have come at a more perfect time. The Green's Cup is coming and we will have two very eligible bachelors practically right under our noses. Mr. Max Evans will be staying here with us and Mr. Kyle Valenti will be staying with his uncle, Mr. Valenti.

"I want you to help Tess settle in here, Liz. I know you have a way with people once you get over your shyness. I also know that if you make it your personal mission, Tess would feel at home here in no time."

Liz nodded and smiled. "Of course, Mrs. DeLuca. I would be delighted."

"Good," Amy said, pleased. "Why don't you come join us for tea then?"

"Tea?"

~*~*~*
"Come on, Maria. I promised your mother that we would go outside today," Liz repeated.

"But, Liz, we're at the most exciting part!" Maria protested. "Romeo's under her balcony and he's saying, 'Hark! What light through yonder window -' Hey! Liz!"

Liz smiled as she snatched the book out of Maria's hands. Shaking her head firmly, "No. You're not getting this back until we go outside for some exercise."

Maria started to pout but Liz remained unmoved. "The sooner we go the sooner we can come back to this," Liz teased as she waved the book out of Maria's reach.

"Fine!" Maria gave up. "What do you want to do?"

"How about a little archery? I all ready had Alex set up the targets just for us."

"Okay, let's go," Maria feigned glumness, hoping to persuade Liz to stay inside. However, she had no such luck.

For those of you who enjoyed my first fic "A Romance to Remember" should like this fic also. I'm not sure which one I like better, but I feel this one is a little bit better written now that I kind of am getting the hang of this fan fiction writing. This is my fourth fic so I think I'm getting a little experience. However, I think you should tell me how I'm doing. How? By leaving feedback of course! You guys are the only reason I keep on writing Roswell fanfics. Digame! Talk to me!