A Duke, a Governess, and a Little Lady
Rating: PG-13 at most
Disclaimer: If I owned Roswell, we'd still have a show to watch.
Summary: Elizabeth Parker is a governess for Emily Burming in the early 1800s but when tragedy strikes they move 3000 miles away, to live with a cousin Emily's never met and a Duke Elizabeth might not be able to handle!
"Why does that concern you, my lord?"
"Because you're three and twenty, or so you say." He stood up from his chair and began to pace.
"What's that supposed to mean, Max?" She asked staring at him wide-eyed.
"It means that I don't believe you when you say you're three and twenty. My sister is one and twenty and there is no way that you can be older than she." He said shaking his head.
"Well I am, Max." She drew out his name to emphasize it.
"Why didn't you marry in America?" He asked.
"Aren't these questions a little personal?" Liz asked appalled that a "gentleman" such as the person pacing in front of her would ask such questions.
He stopped and put his hands behind his back. "You are to be married."
"Excuse me?" She said.
Max studied her, here she was threatened with the prospect of marriage and she was perfectly composed. Isabel would've been out the blocks by now. Her back was perfectly straight, ankles crossed and hands folded neatly in her lap.
"You will marry." He stated once again.
"Pardon me, but this may sound a little rude, but a situation like this calls for it." She said in a deadly calm voice. Max swore he saw ice in her eyes. "I accept and will assist you in anything you want to do with Emily. I know you are her guardian and I am just her governess. But, in matters concerning my life, I and only I, will make those decisions. I do not like people meddling in my life."
He looked at her taken aback.
"Why, then did you come to England?"
"I came because of Emily." She didn't want to state the other reason as well.
"You came across the Atlantic Ocean because of a little girl. There are tons of people needing governesses in America, why didn't you stay there?"
"I didn't want to abandon her when she was orphaned to go to a distant country, to live with people she doesn't know."
"Alright." He nodded. "Liz, you will get married, you have to."
She silently stood and walked towards the door. "I cannot, and will not get married, my lord." She opened the door.
"You can and you will."
"No, my lord, good night."
They held each other's glares for a minute or two before she turned and walked up the stairs.
Liz changed into her night clothes before going to retrieve Emily from the dreaded "pink room".
She left the door open a crack because she couldn't stand to leave her door closed. She sat in the window seat and pulled out her journal, it wasn't until then that she let herself cry.
Wednesday, September 21, 1816, Dear Journal, Today we arrived in England. At first I thought it would be quite nice here. The marquess is really quite sweet and the weather splendid. When we were shown Emily's room I almost fainted. It was pure pink, everything. Emily won't even sleep with a pink blanket let alone a pink room. She's asleep in my bed. She'll fit in just fine here. I don't know as if the same will be for me. I thought the Marquess was nice but he told me I must marry. From the first time Papa told me I must be married, I swore I would only be married on my time, no one else's. I don't care what he says, I'll marry if and when I'm ready.
****
"Bonjour, Mademoiselle." Emily said waking up Liz. It was Thursday, they spoke French on Thursdays.
"Bonjour." Liz said, opening her eyes. She hadn't been able to sleep as usual but liked to pretend for Emily's sake. "You ready for you day?" She asked cheerfully.
"Oui!" Emily replied snuggling closer.
"We'll get up in a minute. What time is it?" Lessons started right away.
It took Emily a while to look at the time and be able to figure it out. "6 o'clock." She answered.
Liz leaned up on her elbows to check. "Good job, sweet." She said.
Liz had just started to get up and out of bed when Mrs. Kendall waddled in.
"Morning." She said cheerfully. Emily looked at Liz and rolled her eyes.
"It's Thursday, why is she speaking English?" Emily asked questioning.
"Because only we speak French on Thursdays." Liz explained washing down in the freezing cold water.
"Why?"
"So you'll learn it."
"Does monsieur know?" She asked wandering over to her.
"Yes. Now come here." Liz finished pulling on her dress and tying it back. They walked through the doors.
Emily washed down quickly in the slightly warmer water. "I'm hungry." She said.
"Hungry?" Usually Emily had to be forced to eat.
"Yes." She said.
"Mrs. Kendall." Liz called into the adjoining door.
"Yes, Miss Parker." She waddled into the room with fresh linens in her hands.
"Where do we take breakfast?"
"My lord wants you two to join him downstairs, this morning." She said as if she remembered something. "Oh, and he wants you down there at 7:00, every morning."
Liz straightened and looked at the clock. 6:50. "Emily come here and let me finish your hair."
She quickly swept her blonde curls into a half ponytail as directed by Mrs. Kendall.
"Let's go. Do you want to take Katarine?" Liz asked picking up the doll.
"Yes." She held out her hands. She tucked Katarine safely under arm. "Up?" She asked holding her hands up.
"Come on." Liz picked her up and Emily wrapped one arm around her neck.
"Let's go."
Emily chatted happily, yet quietly, on the way down the stairs.
Liz had to remind herself to keep walking when she saw Martin holding open the door to the dining room.
"Good Morning, Miss Parker, Lady Emily." He smiled. Liz was still very uncomfortable under Martin's scrutinizing gaze.
"Bonjour." Emily whispered blushing furiously. She tucked her head in Liz's neck.
"Morning, Martin." Liz nodded her head in acknowledgement but kept walking.
"Nice of you to join us." Max said standing up from his seat at the table.
Liz glanced at the clock. 7:02. "Sorry we're late, my lord." She answered back in French
"Bonjour." Emily said sliding down in the booster seat that was there.
They had a quiet breakfast. Emily chatted quietly with Liz in French. Liz talked only to Max when he addressed her. It seemed to pretty much annoy him. She kept it up.
"May we go for a walk?" Emily asked as she hopped down from the seat and waited for Liz to join her.
"My lord?" She asked, knowing that Emily's education was up to him.
"Why don't you take morning lessons outside?"
"Outside?" Emily asked clinging to Liz.
"Yes. It's nice weather. It won't be here much longer, enjoy it while you can." He smiled and held the door open for them.
"Liz, I'd like to speak with you." He whispered in Latin.
Emily looked curiously up at them.
"Can it wait?" She asked not looking at him.
"No." He crossed his arms. "Send her with Mrs. Kendall for the morning. It's important."
"She naps in the afternoon."
"No, now." He said.
When was he going to learn that she did things her own way at her own time?
She'd show him now.
"Alright. Let me take her to Mrs. Kendall, I'll be back as soon as possible." Liz took Emily's hand and led her upstairs.
Liz eyed Martin warily at the way his eyes were studying her. She'd have to talk to Max about that.
TBC
A/N: I know that wasn't that great but it needed a transition. Every once in a while I'll post these sort of boring ones, but they need to be here so, sorry! I'll make them short and far between.
Rating: PG-13 at most
Disclaimer: If I owned Roswell, we'd still have a show to watch.
Summary: Elizabeth Parker is a governess for Emily Burming in the early 1800s but when tragedy strikes they move 3000 miles away, to live with a cousin Emily's never met and a Duke Elizabeth might not be able to handle!
"Why does that concern you, my lord?"
"Because you're three and twenty, or so you say." He stood up from his chair and began to pace.
"What's that supposed to mean, Max?" She asked staring at him wide-eyed.
"It means that I don't believe you when you say you're three and twenty. My sister is one and twenty and there is no way that you can be older than she." He said shaking his head.
"Well I am, Max." She drew out his name to emphasize it.
"Why didn't you marry in America?" He asked.
"Aren't these questions a little personal?" Liz asked appalled that a "gentleman" such as the person pacing in front of her would ask such questions.
He stopped and put his hands behind his back. "You are to be married."
"Excuse me?" She said.
Max studied her, here she was threatened with the prospect of marriage and she was perfectly composed. Isabel would've been out the blocks by now. Her back was perfectly straight, ankles crossed and hands folded neatly in her lap.
"You will marry." He stated once again.
"Pardon me, but this may sound a little rude, but a situation like this calls for it." She said in a deadly calm voice. Max swore he saw ice in her eyes. "I accept and will assist you in anything you want to do with Emily. I know you are her guardian and I am just her governess. But, in matters concerning my life, I and only I, will make those decisions. I do not like people meddling in my life."
He looked at her taken aback.
"Why, then did you come to England?"
"I came because of Emily." She didn't want to state the other reason as well.
"You came across the Atlantic Ocean because of a little girl. There are tons of people needing governesses in America, why didn't you stay there?"
"I didn't want to abandon her when she was orphaned to go to a distant country, to live with people she doesn't know."
"Alright." He nodded. "Liz, you will get married, you have to."
She silently stood and walked towards the door. "I cannot, and will not get married, my lord." She opened the door.
"You can and you will."
"No, my lord, good night."
They held each other's glares for a minute or two before she turned and walked up the stairs.
Liz changed into her night clothes before going to retrieve Emily from the dreaded "pink room".
She left the door open a crack because she couldn't stand to leave her door closed. She sat in the window seat and pulled out her journal, it wasn't until then that she let herself cry.
Wednesday, September 21, 1816, Dear Journal, Today we arrived in England. At first I thought it would be quite nice here. The marquess is really quite sweet and the weather splendid. When we were shown Emily's room I almost fainted. It was pure pink, everything. Emily won't even sleep with a pink blanket let alone a pink room. She's asleep in my bed. She'll fit in just fine here. I don't know as if the same will be for me. I thought the Marquess was nice but he told me I must marry. From the first time Papa told me I must be married, I swore I would only be married on my time, no one else's. I don't care what he says, I'll marry if and when I'm ready.
****
"Bonjour, Mademoiselle." Emily said waking up Liz. It was Thursday, they spoke French on Thursdays.
"Bonjour." Liz said, opening her eyes. She hadn't been able to sleep as usual but liked to pretend for Emily's sake. "You ready for you day?" She asked cheerfully.
"Oui!" Emily replied snuggling closer.
"We'll get up in a minute. What time is it?" Lessons started right away.
It took Emily a while to look at the time and be able to figure it out. "6 o'clock." She answered.
Liz leaned up on her elbows to check. "Good job, sweet." She said.
Liz had just started to get up and out of bed when Mrs. Kendall waddled in.
"Morning." She said cheerfully. Emily looked at Liz and rolled her eyes.
"It's Thursday, why is she speaking English?" Emily asked questioning.
"Because only we speak French on Thursdays." Liz explained washing down in the freezing cold water.
"Why?"
"So you'll learn it."
"Does monsieur know?" She asked wandering over to her.
"Yes. Now come here." Liz finished pulling on her dress and tying it back. They walked through the doors.
Emily washed down quickly in the slightly warmer water. "I'm hungry." She said.
"Hungry?" Usually Emily had to be forced to eat.
"Yes." She said.
"Mrs. Kendall." Liz called into the adjoining door.
"Yes, Miss Parker." She waddled into the room with fresh linens in her hands.
"Where do we take breakfast?"
"My lord wants you two to join him downstairs, this morning." She said as if she remembered something. "Oh, and he wants you down there at 7:00, every morning."
Liz straightened and looked at the clock. 6:50. "Emily come here and let me finish your hair."
She quickly swept her blonde curls into a half ponytail as directed by Mrs. Kendall.
"Let's go. Do you want to take Katarine?" Liz asked picking up the doll.
"Yes." She held out her hands. She tucked Katarine safely under arm. "Up?" She asked holding her hands up.
"Come on." Liz picked her up and Emily wrapped one arm around her neck.
"Let's go."
Emily chatted happily, yet quietly, on the way down the stairs.
Liz had to remind herself to keep walking when she saw Martin holding open the door to the dining room.
"Good Morning, Miss Parker, Lady Emily." He smiled. Liz was still very uncomfortable under Martin's scrutinizing gaze.
"Bonjour." Emily whispered blushing furiously. She tucked her head in Liz's neck.
"Morning, Martin." Liz nodded her head in acknowledgement but kept walking.
"Nice of you to join us." Max said standing up from his seat at the table.
Liz glanced at the clock. 7:02. "Sorry we're late, my lord." She answered back in French
"Bonjour." Emily said sliding down in the booster seat that was there.
They had a quiet breakfast. Emily chatted quietly with Liz in French. Liz talked only to Max when he addressed her. It seemed to pretty much annoy him. She kept it up.
"May we go for a walk?" Emily asked as she hopped down from the seat and waited for Liz to join her.
"My lord?" She asked, knowing that Emily's education was up to him.
"Why don't you take morning lessons outside?"
"Outside?" Emily asked clinging to Liz.
"Yes. It's nice weather. It won't be here much longer, enjoy it while you can." He smiled and held the door open for them.
"Liz, I'd like to speak with you." He whispered in Latin.
Emily looked curiously up at them.
"Can it wait?" She asked not looking at him.
"No." He crossed his arms. "Send her with Mrs. Kendall for the morning. It's important."
"She naps in the afternoon."
"No, now." He said.
When was he going to learn that she did things her own way at her own time?
She'd show him now.
"Alright. Let me take her to Mrs. Kendall, I'll be back as soon as possible." Liz took Emily's hand and led her upstairs.
Liz eyed Martin warily at the way his eyes were studying her. She'd have to talk to Max about that.
TBC
A/N: I know that wasn't that great but it needed a transition. Every once in a while I'll post these sort of boring ones, but they need to be here so, sorry! I'll make them short and far between.