Disclaimer: I don't own any part of The Nanny…yet.

A/N: Just another idea I couldn't let go of…N/CC and M/S…later M/F LOL Let me know what you think. - D

First Impressions

Chapter 11

For the next six days Max, Sara, Niles and Chastity were rarely apart. They spent every possible moment together before the inevitable day when Sara and Chastity would have to leave England. The four were having lunch with Nana Lauren and Grampy James when the unexpected occurred. BB Babcock walked into the dining room.

"Hello everyone!" BB swept into the dining room like she owned the place.

CC nearly leapt up from her place next to Niles at her grandparents table. "Mother?"

"Hello, Chastity, darling…" BB oozed in her fakest society voice. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your little friends?"

"Hello, Barbara…" Lauren stood at the head of the table opposite her husband. "We thought Chastity was traveling home alone."

BB flashed her best smile. "I'm sorry I didn't call, Mother, but it was such a last minute decision. I just missed my Chastity so much I jumped on the first flight I could to get here."

Chastity stood in dead shock and what Sara, Max and Niles could only read as absolute terror. "Uhm…I'm not packed or anything yet Mother, and there's the big dance at Max's father's club tonight we were all going to go."

"Oh, well you may still attend the dance, darling…our flight isn't until tomorrow morning. You have plenty of time." BB leaned down and kissed her father's cheek. "Hello Daddy."

"Barbara, why don't you join us for lunch?" James offered.

Niles stood and removed his plate and stepped away. "Yes, Mrs. Babcock, please…take my seat."

"Why how absolutely sweet of you?" BB looked at him. "Max is it?"

"No, Mother…this is Niles." Chastity offered. "That is Maxwell and this is Sara."

BB Babcock gave a nod and a false smile to each of them. "Well it's very nice to meet you all. Chastity, dear, why don't you go about your day and I'll chat for a bit with Nana and Grampy."

"Yes, Mother." Chastity removed her plate and took it into the kitchen followed closely by Niles, Sara and Max.

"Well, they all seem like perfectly lovely children." BB Babcock dripped more politely than sincerely.

Lauren Harris had a stern look about her. "They're hardly children. Barbara, what's this little visit all about. Chastity managed to fly all the way here on her own and she was more than prepared to fly all the way back in three days, on her own."

"Mother, you know very well that Chastity is a terrible liar. I've known for some time she was seeing someone, so I decided to come see just who that might be."

Chastity barely made it to the back patio before her tears fell. "She'll ruin everything."

Niles took her in his arms. "Don't worry, Chastity. She said we can still go to the dance. At least we'll still have our big night out."

"I hope you're right, Niles." Chastity rested her head on his shoulder. "Let's take a walk. I don't want to be here right now."

Max and Sara exchanged a glance. Sara took his hand and they followed their friends.

That night Niles drove Grampy Harris' sedan to the Sheffield's club. He and Max were well decked out in their tuxedos and Sara and Chastity wore lovely floor length dresses. Sara wore a pale green and Chastity was in pale blue. When the foursome walked in they were a sight to behold. There were many 'young people' there as Eliot Sheffield has explained there would be. It was a perfectly romantic night. They dined and danced like they were all the highest of society. In truth, three of the four were…Niles was the only one truly 'out of his element'. No one knew and if they did, no one cared. He held Chastity in his arms on the dance floor and the only thing the other young men there were thinking was how much they envied the broadly built sandy blonde who danced like he was born to it with the most beautiful girl there.

"Chastity…people are staring at us." Niles whispered.

Chastity looked up into his eyes. "Well, the girls are all looking at you. So I imagine the boys are all jealous that their dates are obsessed with the handsome young mystery man."

"Chastity Claire…they're staring at you." Niles leaned in and kissed her lightly.

She just grinned at him. "Well, they can just keep on staring…cause I've got my partner and my dance card is full."

"What about for me?" Max stood next to them with Sara.

"Well," Chastity tilted her head. "I guess I can risk just one…as long as Sara dances with Niles so no other girl steals him away."

Niles smiled at her. "No other girl stands a chance, Love."

They had a wonderful evening and Niles drove them back to the Harris'. Max took Sara into the house while Niles and Chastity pulled the car around to the garage in the back of the house. "Niles…" Chastity started. "Could we go for a little walk?"

"Chastity…you're in a party dress and I'm wearing my tux." Niles offered.

"Please…" Chastity cooed at him. "I'm not ready to go in yet…I don't want to say good bye."

Niles knew he couldn't refuse her. "It won't be good bye, Chastity. It could never be good bye, not for us."

"She's in there, Niles." Chastity took his hand and pulled him into the gardens that lined the back of her grandparent's house. "She's taking me away tomorrow. I wish she'd just leave me here with Nana and Grampy."

"Chastity…" Niles turned her to face him. "I love you. No one will ever change that, not even your mother. You're the only person who could ever turn me away."

"I'd never do that, Niles. I love you." Chastity kissed him warmly as her hands locked behind his neck and toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck. His arms pulled her tightly to him and they deepened their kiss…unaware of the eyes looking at them from an upstairs window.

Niles and Chastity joined Max and Sara in the dining room over a slice of Nana Lauren's cheesecake. "Well," BB tossed out casually as she strolled into the dining room. "How was your little dance?" The boys both stood when BB entered the room. "Please…boys…sit down." BB forked a bite of Chastity's cheese cake past her still crimson lips.

"It was lovely Mother. It was a lot like the cotillions I attended last year." Chastity answered. BB joined them at the table.

"Now…tell me a little about yourselves." BB feigned interest is Chastity's friends.

Chastity looked at Sara with confusion. "I already introduced you Mother. This is Maxwell Sheffield, his parents live in London and it was his father's club that we went to this evening. Sara's last name is Westerly. Her parents live in Connecticut and she will be going home in a couple of days. Her parents rent a place in the city every summer. She's been staying here at Nana and Grampy's with me. We've been…" Chastity paused knowing that the riding lessons were still a sore spot with her mother.

"Yes, yes, Chastity, the riding lessons, what have you accomplished?" BB asked flippantly.

Chastity again shot a look at Sara. "Well, I think I'm a rather good rider now and I've learned a great deal about the different styles…wouldn't you say, Niles?"

"Absolutely." Niles swallowed the lump in his throat. He hated BB Babcock for all he'd heard about her. Now though she seemed almost normal. But there was just something he couldn't put his finger on that drove him not to trust her. "Chastity has learned quite a bit in a relatively short time. She's practically mastered the dressage…that's not easy."

"Yes, well…I'm not sure she'll get much time to ride at home." BB responded. "Now Niles…tell me you aren't Niles Brightmore are you, Joseph and Marie's boy?" The foursome tried desperately not to flinch when BB mentioned Joseph and Marie.

"Uhm…yes, actually I am." Niles waited for the backlash, none came.

BB shook her head and smiled. "The last time I saw you, you were barely a year old. The stories I could tell you about your parents, Niles. Did they tell you we practically grew up together…well, mostly your father and me, but I knew Marie as well."

"I think they did mention that when we visited them a few weeks ago." Niles answered cautiously.

BB sighed lightly. "Are they still with the Sheffield's?" BB asked easily.

"Uhm…yes…yes, they are." Niles glanced between Max and Chastity.

"I suppose that's how you and Maxwell became friends. You probably grew up together, right?" BB continued to chat politely and eat her cheesecake.

"Oh, yes, Mrs. Babcock." Max chimed in hoping to help take the pressure off Niles. "Niles practically raised me. He got me through Eton. And he's coming with me to Oxford as well."

"Well, it's wonderful that the two of you are so very close. I know what it can be like to be an only child. It's good to have a companion, a friend." BB tossed out casually. "I was thrilled when Chastity told me she'd made such good friends here. I was concerned at first with her staying out here in the country with my parents that there wouldn't be any other young people around."

Max and Sara couldn't help but wonder why Chastity painted such a dreadful picture of her mother. From what they've seen, BB Babcock is perfectly lovely. Niles, while a bit confused by the kind and seemingly genuine nature of this BB Babcock, trusted his parents, his grandparents and above all Chastity with regards to the real BB Babcock.

"Well, Chastity. You and Sara should get up to bed and the boys should probably start for the Brightmore's. It's getting late and we'll have to get a pretty early start tomorrow if we're going to make our flight. I assume you will all be here to see us off in the morning?" BB stood from the table and the boys quickly followed suit.

"Yes, thank you, Mrs. Babcock." Max nearly blurted.

BB smiled. "Well, then I'll leave you to say good night. I'll see you in the morning."

The four stood in dead silence at watched as BB Babcock made her way casually back up the stairs.