A Duke, a Governess, and a Little Lady
A/N: Hey everybody. Thank you so much for all the reviews. There's so many, I'm amazed when I go to check on it and it says 65 reviews! I'm sorry it took so long to update, had to think of the direction I wanted to go and just plain writer's block. And my computer was evil and wouldn't let me on to update anything so sorry! It's winter break now, and I have no homework except for, that's right you guessed it, History! Surprise there. But oh well just have to read my book and I'm good to go. Harder than it sounds. Also, I am an Alias fan so the name Derevko came from there if any one noticed. Here's the next part!
The next two weeks was filled with avoiding husbands, half sisters, and finding a new situation for Emily.
Liz sat quietly in a chair correcting Emily's work while Emily was in her dance lesson.
She heard Emily scamper over to her as soon as the musicians stopped playing.
"Are you done?" She asks her.
She smiled sheepishly. "Emily." She said. Emily curled up into her lap.
"Madame, wants to speak to you." She says. She's starting to pick up the English accent, now when she speaks she sounds just like any English born noble's daughter.
"Miss Parker, that student of yours refuses to learn any of the waltzes I teach her." A red-faced dance instructor stopped in front of her.
"Emily, is this true?" Liz looked down at the girl hanging from her neck. She nodded quickly.
"Show me, Miss Beth." Emily pleaded.
"No, she'll teach you." She sat her down on the floor.
"No, please Miss Beth?" Emily begged.
Liz reluctantly got up from her seat and made her way to the ballroom. "Max."
Liz bumped right into him when she stepped inside.
"Good Afternoon, Liz, have you seen my dance partner, short blonde curls, blue eyes, about five years of age." He smiled.
"She's supposed to dance with you?" She asked.
"Yes, but she ran off somewhere." He said.
"Emily, come here." Liz called. Emily came out shyly from behind the flower fixture.
"Why don't you want to dance with, Max?" She bent down to her.
"Show me." She pleaded and pushed her towards Max.
"Alright." Liz gave in. She looked at Max. "Are you ok with this?"
"Fine by me."
The exasperated instructor signaled to the musicians to start playing.
They began the slow waltz. Liz was amazed she remembered anything at all from when she was a little girl. She studied Max's eyes noting the detachment. She wondered briefly at the reason but thought nothing of it. He had been distracted in the last few weeks with a wedding to plan and a way to find her marriage illegal.
Max looked down at Liz to find her studying him. They looking into her eyes the world ceased to exist anywhere past here eyes. He heard the instructor say something about posture to which they both immediately straightened but that was about it.
Thinking about the earlier meeting with the lawyer. He felt as if he had failed her but he was going to do everything in his power to stop it. His hold tightened on her. They kept dancing until they felt a short tug at Liz's skirt. Pulling herself from the daze they were caught in, Liz looked down at Emily.
"Who's that?" Emily pointed to the doorway.
Max looked up from Liz to see Rafael standing in the doorway and a very upset Tess standing next to him.
They pulled away from each other.
"That is Mr. Derevko." Liz introduced.
Emily looked at him warily not liking him. "Hello, Mr. Derevko." She said politely as she had been taught.
"What are you doing Max?" Tess asked airily.
"Nothing, Tess." Max said stepping away from Liz. "Just showing Emily how to dance a waltz."
"Can you come here for a minute please?" She asked sweetly. Liz looked at her and wanted to claw her eyes out.
"I'm coming." He dropped Liz's hand before he excused himself from the room.
With that the dance instructor gave up any hope of teaching Emily anything and dismissed her with a defeated sigh.
Emily walked over to Liz. "Up." She asked.
"No, Emily." She took her by the hand and exited the ballroom on the other side away from Rafael.
"Nap time?" She asked looking at her while trying to keep up.
"Yes, sweet." Liz nodded.
"But I'm not tired." She stopped in her tracks.
Liz tried to get Emily to move, she didn't like this part of the house because it was open territory and Rafael could come here when he felt like it.
"Emily let's go up to the nursery." Liz pulled on her hand.
"No nap." Emily had never fought a nap and now of all times.
"Fine, Emily, let's go." She tugged.
"No."
"Emily." Liz said desperately.
"You seem to be in a hurry, Elizabeth."
"Mr. Derevko." Liz nodded acknowledging his presence.
"No need to be formal, Elizabeth." He came up next to her. He ran his hand up her arm.
She pulled away. "Pardon me." She glared. "Emily let's go, now, else you will take a nap." She said annoyed and frightened at the same time.
Seeing the look on Liz's face Emily decided it was time to return to the nursery rooms. "Uppies." She said, Liz looked at her knowing that was her acquiescence.
"Excuse me, Mr. Derevko." Liz stepped around him thankful for Emily's final cooperation.
"I'd like to speak with you tonight." He told her.
"No." She kept walking.
"Yes, and you have to." Liz's back straightened as she disappeared into the double door leading to the nursery.
"Miss Beth?" Emily whispered waking up from her nap.
"Yes." She set her journal down and walked over to the bed.
"When are you going to leave me?" She asked sadly.
"Leave you?" Out of all the things she thought she would have asked, she wasn't expecting that one.
"Yes, you're going to leave me and go with Mr. Derevko, I know." She looked at her with tears in her eyes.
"Oh, love." Liz picked her up in her arms. "Max is trying really hard not to make me go away."
Emily started crying and buried her head in her shoulder. "But Miss Harding told me that there's no way and that even if it worked I have to go to boarding school. She said she doesn't want a little chit like me running around."
"She said that?" Liz was asked not at all shocked by her half sister's words.
"Yes. She said that Cousin doesn't like me, that he thinks I get in the way." She said through a sob.
"Emily don't believe a word of that. You know Max loves you else he wouldn't have taken you in. You know Grandmother Burming didn't give him any specific order to let you stay here." She ran a hair through her soft curls.
"I know." She held on tight to her skirt.
Liz looked up when she heard a knock on the door. "Enter." She told them.
"Liz." Max took a step inside the door.
"Max?" She wiped her eyes and wiped Emily's eyes with a hankie inside her skirt.
"I was wondering, well it's been two days since the last snow and all the horse paths are clear, I was wondering if you and Emily would like to join us on a ride."
"When?" She asked standing up.
"Right now?"
"Alright." She said. She got up to change clothes in her room. She returned to Emily's chamber to find Max and Emily deep in conversation.
They stopped abruptly when she entered the room. "Emily put this on." Max turned his back when Emily shimmied out of her dress and put on her tiny, custom made, riding outfit.
"Let's go." She said happily at Max and Liz.
****
Walking out of the house towards the stable brought back memories for Liz. She had to keep blinking to hold back the tears knowing that she might have to leave all of this depending on how things went tonight. That was when Max's lawyer would tell them what rights Liz, if any, had.
"Emily, don't you dare step into that puddle." Liz shouted.
"Why not?" She stopped and looked at Liz.
"You'll get sick." Max explained.
"No." She crossed her arms.
Max didn't give her a chance to argue when he came up behind her and tossed her over his shoulder. She let out a high squeal.
"Down, Cousin." She pounded on his back. He laughed and she giggled.
Liz smiled and received her horse from the stable boy. "Thank you, Allen." She said politely.
"Welcome, Miss Parker." He blushed and ran back into the stables to prepare Emily's.
"I wanna ride with Miss Beth." She wiggled her way down to the ground.
"No, you're too big for her now." He approached Liz on Philly, which is what she chose to name here mare, after her native city.
"Please?" She pleaded.
"She's really not too heavy." Liz says.
"Alright. If she gets too heavy give her to me." Max got Emily situated on her lap.
"Allen just get Alador, leave Lady Emily's in her stall." He called.
He heard a muffled, "Yes, your grace" Come from within.
Max was waiting for his horse when Tess and Rafael came out of the house towards the stables.
"Sorry it took so long, my lord." Tess apologized.
"Hurry up." He said curtly.
Liz did a quick trot around the yard so that she could adjust herself on the saddle with Emily perched on her lap.
Pretty soon all the horses were ready and they set off.
Two hours later four horses made their way up the path to the stables, Emily riding securely and sleeping in Max lap.
****
Liz paced Emily's nursery knowing of the conversation that was going on downstairs.
Emily was sleeping fitfully she had sensed the tension between the group during the ride.
On the way back, Liz's back was hurting from stress, supporting Emily, and just plain riding after not riding for so long, so she transferred Emily to Max.
It had taken a reading of the whole William Blake copy and halfway though in Latin to get Emily to fall asleep.
Liz answered the knock at the door.
Mrs. Kendall stood at the door.
"Miss Parker, his Grace would like to see you."
A/N: Hey everybody. Thank you so much for all the reviews. There's so many, I'm amazed when I go to check on it and it says 65 reviews! I'm sorry it took so long to update, had to think of the direction I wanted to go and just plain writer's block. And my computer was evil and wouldn't let me on to update anything so sorry! It's winter break now, and I have no homework except for, that's right you guessed it, History! Surprise there. But oh well just have to read my book and I'm good to go. Harder than it sounds. Also, I am an Alias fan so the name Derevko came from there if any one noticed. Here's the next part!
The next two weeks was filled with avoiding husbands, half sisters, and finding a new situation for Emily.
Liz sat quietly in a chair correcting Emily's work while Emily was in her dance lesson.
She heard Emily scamper over to her as soon as the musicians stopped playing.
"Are you done?" She asks her.
She smiled sheepishly. "Emily." She said. Emily curled up into her lap.
"Madame, wants to speak to you." She says. She's starting to pick up the English accent, now when she speaks she sounds just like any English born noble's daughter.
"Miss Parker, that student of yours refuses to learn any of the waltzes I teach her." A red-faced dance instructor stopped in front of her.
"Emily, is this true?" Liz looked down at the girl hanging from her neck. She nodded quickly.
"Show me, Miss Beth." Emily pleaded.
"No, she'll teach you." She sat her down on the floor.
"No, please Miss Beth?" Emily begged.
Liz reluctantly got up from her seat and made her way to the ballroom. "Max."
Liz bumped right into him when she stepped inside.
"Good Afternoon, Liz, have you seen my dance partner, short blonde curls, blue eyes, about five years of age." He smiled.
"She's supposed to dance with you?" She asked.
"Yes, but she ran off somewhere." He said.
"Emily, come here." Liz called. Emily came out shyly from behind the flower fixture.
"Why don't you want to dance with, Max?" She bent down to her.
"Show me." She pleaded and pushed her towards Max.
"Alright." Liz gave in. She looked at Max. "Are you ok with this?"
"Fine by me."
The exasperated instructor signaled to the musicians to start playing.
They began the slow waltz. Liz was amazed she remembered anything at all from when she was a little girl. She studied Max's eyes noting the detachment. She wondered briefly at the reason but thought nothing of it. He had been distracted in the last few weeks with a wedding to plan and a way to find her marriage illegal.
Max looked down at Liz to find her studying him. They looking into her eyes the world ceased to exist anywhere past here eyes. He heard the instructor say something about posture to which they both immediately straightened but that was about it.
Thinking about the earlier meeting with the lawyer. He felt as if he had failed her but he was going to do everything in his power to stop it. His hold tightened on her. They kept dancing until they felt a short tug at Liz's skirt. Pulling herself from the daze they were caught in, Liz looked down at Emily.
"Who's that?" Emily pointed to the doorway.
Max looked up from Liz to see Rafael standing in the doorway and a very upset Tess standing next to him.
They pulled away from each other.
"That is Mr. Derevko." Liz introduced.
Emily looked at him warily not liking him. "Hello, Mr. Derevko." She said politely as she had been taught.
"What are you doing Max?" Tess asked airily.
"Nothing, Tess." Max said stepping away from Liz. "Just showing Emily how to dance a waltz."
"Can you come here for a minute please?" She asked sweetly. Liz looked at her and wanted to claw her eyes out.
"I'm coming." He dropped Liz's hand before he excused himself from the room.
With that the dance instructor gave up any hope of teaching Emily anything and dismissed her with a defeated sigh.
Emily walked over to Liz. "Up." She asked.
"No, Emily." She took her by the hand and exited the ballroom on the other side away from Rafael.
"Nap time?" She asked looking at her while trying to keep up.
"Yes, sweet." Liz nodded.
"But I'm not tired." She stopped in her tracks.
Liz tried to get Emily to move, she didn't like this part of the house because it was open territory and Rafael could come here when he felt like it.
"Emily let's go up to the nursery." Liz pulled on her hand.
"No nap." Emily had never fought a nap and now of all times.
"Fine, Emily, let's go." She tugged.
"No."
"Emily." Liz said desperately.
"You seem to be in a hurry, Elizabeth."
"Mr. Derevko." Liz nodded acknowledging his presence.
"No need to be formal, Elizabeth." He came up next to her. He ran his hand up her arm.
She pulled away. "Pardon me." She glared. "Emily let's go, now, else you will take a nap." She said annoyed and frightened at the same time.
Seeing the look on Liz's face Emily decided it was time to return to the nursery rooms. "Uppies." She said, Liz looked at her knowing that was her acquiescence.
"Excuse me, Mr. Derevko." Liz stepped around him thankful for Emily's final cooperation.
"I'd like to speak with you tonight." He told her.
"No." She kept walking.
"Yes, and you have to." Liz's back straightened as she disappeared into the double door leading to the nursery.
"Miss Beth?" Emily whispered waking up from her nap.
"Yes." She set her journal down and walked over to the bed.
"When are you going to leave me?" She asked sadly.
"Leave you?" Out of all the things she thought she would have asked, she wasn't expecting that one.
"Yes, you're going to leave me and go with Mr. Derevko, I know." She looked at her with tears in her eyes.
"Oh, love." Liz picked her up in her arms. "Max is trying really hard not to make me go away."
Emily started crying and buried her head in her shoulder. "But Miss Harding told me that there's no way and that even if it worked I have to go to boarding school. She said she doesn't want a little chit like me running around."
"She said that?" Liz was asked not at all shocked by her half sister's words.
"Yes. She said that Cousin doesn't like me, that he thinks I get in the way." She said through a sob.
"Emily don't believe a word of that. You know Max loves you else he wouldn't have taken you in. You know Grandmother Burming didn't give him any specific order to let you stay here." She ran a hair through her soft curls.
"I know." She held on tight to her skirt.
Liz looked up when she heard a knock on the door. "Enter." She told them.
"Liz." Max took a step inside the door.
"Max?" She wiped her eyes and wiped Emily's eyes with a hankie inside her skirt.
"I was wondering, well it's been two days since the last snow and all the horse paths are clear, I was wondering if you and Emily would like to join us on a ride."
"When?" She asked standing up.
"Right now?"
"Alright." She said. She got up to change clothes in her room. She returned to Emily's chamber to find Max and Emily deep in conversation.
They stopped abruptly when she entered the room. "Emily put this on." Max turned his back when Emily shimmied out of her dress and put on her tiny, custom made, riding outfit.
"Let's go." She said happily at Max and Liz.
****
Walking out of the house towards the stable brought back memories for Liz. She had to keep blinking to hold back the tears knowing that she might have to leave all of this depending on how things went tonight. That was when Max's lawyer would tell them what rights Liz, if any, had.
"Emily, don't you dare step into that puddle." Liz shouted.
"Why not?" She stopped and looked at Liz.
"You'll get sick." Max explained.
"No." She crossed her arms.
Max didn't give her a chance to argue when he came up behind her and tossed her over his shoulder. She let out a high squeal.
"Down, Cousin." She pounded on his back. He laughed and she giggled.
Liz smiled and received her horse from the stable boy. "Thank you, Allen." She said politely.
"Welcome, Miss Parker." He blushed and ran back into the stables to prepare Emily's.
"I wanna ride with Miss Beth." She wiggled her way down to the ground.
"No, you're too big for her now." He approached Liz on Philly, which is what she chose to name here mare, after her native city.
"Please?" She pleaded.
"She's really not too heavy." Liz says.
"Alright. If she gets too heavy give her to me." Max got Emily situated on her lap.
"Allen just get Alador, leave Lady Emily's in her stall." He called.
He heard a muffled, "Yes, your grace" Come from within.
Max was waiting for his horse when Tess and Rafael came out of the house towards the stables.
"Sorry it took so long, my lord." Tess apologized.
"Hurry up." He said curtly.
Liz did a quick trot around the yard so that she could adjust herself on the saddle with Emily perched on her lap.
Pretty soon all the horses were ready and they set off.
Two hours later four horses made their way up the path to the stables, Emily riding securely and sleeping in Max lap.
****
Liz paced Emily's nursery knowing of the conversation that was going on downstairs.
Emily was sleeping fitfully she had sensed the tension between the group during the ride.
On the way back, Liz's back was hurting from stress, supporting Emily, and just plain riding after not riding for so long, so she transferred Emily to Max.
It had taken a reading of the whole William Blake copy and halfway though in Latin to get Emily to fall asleep.
Liz answered the knock at the door.
Mrs. Kendall stood at the door.
"Miss Parker, his Grace would like to see you."