Part 6
As Max flipped through the pictures again, Liz couldn't help but remember back to when she drew those pictures. Because her parents had basically ignored her, she had a lot of free time. Invariably, her mind wandered back to when her life had changed.
~*~Flashback~*~
She sat down at the table. "Hello, Mother, Father. How are you doing?"
Her father looked at her and said, "Elizabeth. I would like you to meet my friend Mr. Valenti and his son Kyle. You'll be seeing a lot of each other from now on."
"What do you mean, Father?" Liz asked, not liking the tone of her father's voice.
"What I mean is, your mother and I have decided that it is time for you to marry. Mr. Valenti and I have decided that you and Kyle would make an excellent match."
Liz's smile faded and her lips tightened. "Oh, really?" She could feel the anger and indignation rise inside. Her parents, two people she had seen a total of less than a day in the last few years, had made of the most important decisions in her life without even consulting her! They didn't even know her, how could they even possible decide whom she should spend the rest of her life with?!
Oblivious to Liz's reaction, Mr. Parker continued. "Yes. The wedding will be in two months. That should be sufficient time for you and Kyle to become aquainted with each other."
"But, Father, …" Liz began.
"But what?"
"Don't you think you should have at least consulted me in something so important."
"Elizabeth Parker! I will not be spoken to like that. I am your father and I will make decisions for you whenever I please. You are embarrassing me in front of our guests! I demand that you apologize to me and them right away!" Jeffrey Parker roared as he slammed his fist on the table.
"Apologize!" Liz yelled back. "The only apologies that will be spoken in this room should not come from me, but from you!"
"Elizabeth! Sit down! Are you a lady or not?" her mother rebuked.
"I don't know, Mother. Why don't you tell me? Oh, that's right. You don't know. Maybe that's because you and Father haven't seen me in months!" Liz said, trying to calm down.
"Please, please. There's no need to argue," Kyle Valenti said, speaking for the first time. "I know this must be a surprise for you, Miss Parker. However, will you at least please give me a chance? The world is a very scary place and your parents cannot care for you forever. You, as a woman, need someone to take care for you, provide for you. I can do that."
"You can? Oh, thank you, sir," Liz said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "That is so very kind of you to offer, but there's just one thing. I don't need you to take care of me! I can take perfectly good care of myself!"
"With who's money, Elizabeth? Mine! The matter is closed. You are getting married!" Mr. Parker said, no longer yelling. His voice was tight but low.
Liz knew that she would only be wasting her breath so she said nothing more. An idea was already forming in her mind. She knew what she had to do: run away. However, she also realized that she would have to plan her escape carefully, she could not just leave in the heat of the passion sort of way.
In the coming month, Liz feigned repentance at her 'unacceptable' behavior. Her parents readily accepted this and forged ahead with the wedding plans and with the new business deal that Mr. Valenti now provided. As for Kyle, he carefully chose to avoid any mention of that episode all together. Liz found that he was polite enough toward her, but she saw his opinions of others, often belittling and cruel. She knew she had to get away.
Liz carefully saved whatever money she had and could get. She had some jewelry that she discreetly sold for a fair amount. Liz also knew that she could only take a little bit with her when she left. But no matter how hard she tried, her luggage was more than she could handle. She had two valises and her large portfolio. She knew she could not walk down to the carriage station with all this. 'This could be a problem, Liz.'
~*~End of Flashback and now Max's POV~*~
As Max flipped through Liz's portfolio, he kept one eye on her. He wanted to see her face and the thoughts that were going through her head. She had extremely expressive eyes that seemed to reflect the emotions that she was feeling. He saw her eyes cloud over and then the anger that showed through shocked him. Anger and sadness. It seemed to permeate through her face and Max wanted nothing more than to comfort her right there. But he held himself in check.
He finally had to say something to her. "Are you sad, Liz?" His voice surprised her, he could tell by the way she slightly jumped. Her eyes refocused to the room, to him. His heart skipped a beat when her eyes locked onto his for the briefest of moments. "Sad, Mr. Evans?"
"Your paintings. Whenever I look at them, I just have this overwhelming sense of sadness. Did you feel sad when you painted them?"
"Really? I had no idea that you were such an art expert!" Liz spat out, shocking him for a minute. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" she began.
"I'm sure you didn't. Maybe you're right, I don't know much about these things. Here, take your things back," he said, his voice much harsher than he intended. She silently retrieved it, and he was instantly sorry because he could tell she was hurt by his tone. He tried to start again. But he couldn't think of anything. 'Why do I always have to get so tongue-tied! She probably thinks I'm some idiot he can barely speak!'
"Mr. Evans?" her voice broke through to him. He tried to take his time looking up at her. "Yes?"
"Is there anything else you wanted to see me about?"
Max's mind raced as he desperately tried to think of something to say to prolong his time with her.
"I take my breakfast in the study. I like to have it every morning at 6:30," Max blurted out, the only thing he could of. 'Great job, Max. Remind her that she's the housekeeper when you want her to be your equal.'
"I know, sir. Mrs. Fairfax has already shown me how you like your schedule," Liz answered.
"Good. That will be all," Max said, realizing that there was no chance that he was going to be intelligent at all tonight. As Liz walked out the door, he called back to her, "I would like to talk to you again tomorrow night, same time, please."
As Max flipped through the pictures again, Liz couldn't help but remember back to when she drew those pictures. Because her parents had basically ignored her, she had a lot of free time. Invariably, her mind wandered back to when her life had changed.
~*~Flashback~*~
She sat down at the table. "Hello, Mother, Father. How are you doing?"
Her father looked at her and said, "Elizabeth. I would like you to meet my friend Mr. Valenti and his son Kyle. You'll be seeing a lot of each other from now on."
"What do you mean, Father?" Liz asked, not liking the tone of her father's voice.
"What I mean is, your mother and I have decided that it is time for you to marry. Mr. Valenti and I have decided that you and Kyle would make an excellent match."
Liz's smile faded and her lips tightened. "Oh, really?" She could feel the anger and indignation rise inside. Her parents, two people she had seen a total of less than a day in the last few years, had made of the most important decisions in her life without even consulting her! They didn't even know her, how could they even possible decide whom she should spend the rest of her life with?!
Oblivious to Liz's reaction, Mr. Parker continued. "Yes. The wedding will be in two months. That should be sufficient time for you and Kyle to become aquainted with each other."
"But, Father, …" Liz began.
"But what?"
"Don't you think you should have at least consulted me in something so important."
"Elizabeth Parker! I will not be spoken to like that. I am your father and I will make decisions for you whenever I please. You are embarrassing me in front of our guests! I demand that you apologize to me and them right away!" Jeffrey Parker roared as he slammed his fist on the table.
"Apologize!" Liz yelled back. "The only apologies that will be spoken in this room should not come from me, but from you!"
"Elizabeth! Sit down! Are you a lady or not?" her mother rebuked.
"I don't know, Mother. Why don't you tell me? Oh, that's right. You don't know. Maybe that's because you and Father haven't seen me in months!" Liz said, trying to calm down.
"Please, please. There's no need to argue," Kyle Valenti said, speaking for the first time. "I know this must be a surprise for you, Miss Parker. However, will you at least please give me a chance? The world is a very scary place and your parents cannot care for you forever. You, as a woman, need someone to take care for you, provide for you. I can do that."
"You can? Oh, thank you, sir," Liz said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "That is so very kind of you to offer, but there's just one thing. I don't need you to take care of me! I can take perfectly good care of myself!"
"With who's money, Elizabeth? Mine! The matter is closed. You are getting married!" Mr. Parker said, no longer yelling. His voice was tight but low.
Liz knew that she would only be wasting her breath so she said nothing more. An idea was already forming in her mind. She knew what she had to do: run away. However, she also realized that she would have to plan her escape carefully, she could not just leave in the heat of the passion sort of way.
In the coming month, Liz feigned repentance at her 'unacceptable' behavior. Her parents readily accepted this and forged ahead with the wedding plans and with the new business deal that Mr. Valenti now provided. As for Kyle, he carefully chose to avoid any mention of that episode all together. Liz found that he was polite enough toward her, but she saw his opinions of others, often belittling and cruel. She knew she had to get away.
Liz carefully saved whatever money she had and could get. She had some jewelry that she discreetly sold for a fair amount. Liz also knew that she could only take a little bit with her when she left. But no matter how hard she tried, her luggage was more than she could handle. She had two valises and her large portfolio. She knew she could not walk down to the carriage station with all this. 'This could be a problem, Liz.'
~*~End of Flashback and now Max's POV~*~
As Max flipped through Liz's portfolio, he kept one eye on her. He wanted to see her face and the thoughts that were going through her head. She had extremely expressive eyes that seemed to reflect the emotions that she was feeling. He saw her eyes cloud over and then the anger that showed through shocked him. Anger and sadness. It seemed to permeate through her face and Max wanted nothing more than to comfort her right there. But he held himself in check.
He finally had to say something to her. "Are you sad, Liz?" His voice surprised her, he could tell by the way she slightly jumped. Her eyes refocused to the room, to him. His heart skipped a beat when her eyes locked onto his for the briefest of moments. "Sad, Mr. Evans?"
"Your paintings. Whenever I look at them, I just have this overwhelming sense of sadness. Did you feel sad when you painted them?"
"Really? I had no idea that you were such an art expert!" Liz spat out, shocking him for a minute. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" she began.
"I'm sure you didn't. Maybe you're right, I don't know much about these things. Here, take your things back," he said, his voice much harsher than he intended. She silently retrieved it, and he was instantly sorry because he could tell she was hurt by his tone. He tried to start again. But he couldn't think of anything. 'Why do I always have to get so tongue-tied! She probably thinks I'm some idiot he can barely speak!'
"Mr. Evans?" her voice broke through to him. He tried to take his time looking up at her. "Yes?"
"Is there anything else you wanted to see me about?"
Max's mind raced as he desperately tried to think of something to say to prolong his time with her.
"I take my breakfast in the study. I like to have it every morning at 6:30," Max blurted out, the only thing he could of. 'Great job, Max. Remind her that she's the housekeeper when you want her to be your equal.'
"I know, sir. Mrs. Fairfax has already shown me how you like your schedule," Liz answered.
"Good. That will be all," Max said, realizing that there was no chance that he was going to be intelligent at all tonight. As Liz walked out the door, he called back to her, "I would like to talk to you again tomorrow night, same time, please."