A Duke, A Governess, and a Little Lady
The hand moved down and gave her room to breathe. "You have to promise to keep quiet else my hand goes right back up."
"Max!" She whispered.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He kissed her forehead.
"Well you did." She said defiantly. "Why are you here? If Rafael found you here he'd kill you."
She got up and shut the door to Emily's room.
"Are you cold?" Max asked.
Liz looked at him oddly. "I don't get cold, Max, I've told you that multiple times."
"It's my house. Liz, you have to leave."
"I can't." She said quietly.
"You have to, I can't stop you from going with Rafael, I-I can't stand you having to go and live with him." He hugged her.
"Max, if I run away, and he finds me, he'll kill me. He has every right to, he's my," she paused and took a breath, "he's my husband."
Max grimaced. "I know, please run away, I'll get you a pardon from the king, Isabel has that power."
"The king can't save me now, I'm not an English Subject." She explained.
Max nodded. "For Emily?"
"I wouldn't be able to see her again, Max." She said.
He pulled her into his arms. "What are we going to do?"
"Tomorrow, at noon, I'm going to leave here, with Rafael. That's what's going to happen. It's the only thing that can happen." She held him tighter.
He didn't want her to leave. He needed her here. "You can't try to stay?" He pleaded.
"No, I-" He interrupted her.
"For me?" The brokenness in his voice cut her heart in two.
"No." Tears started falling. "Not even for you, Max."
"Can I just sit here for a while?" He asked.
"Yes." She nodded and curled up in her arms.
"Liz." He stroked her hair.
"Yes?" She asked.
"Remember, back at the townhouse?" He said quietly.
"Yes." She nodded.
"I remember it like yesterday. That day I decided I wanted you as my duchess." He started. Liz didn't want to interrupt him and kept quiet. "I wanted you to have my children, to live with me forever. When you were in my arms, I wanted you to stay there forever." Liz couldn't take it anymore.
"Max, stop, you can't do this to us right now, it will only make it all the more painful."
"No, please, Liz, I have to get it out." He pulled her closer. "I wanted to keep you, Tess be damned, my parents, I didn't care what they thought. I would have taken Emily as mine, if you would take her as yours also. I had so many big plans. After you told me, what you told me at that townhouse. Then Christmas Eve, dressed so pretty, I swear the floor dropped from beneath my feet. I wanted you to be mine to protect, to cherish, to-"
He never got to finish that statement.
"What is going on here?" Rafael stood in the doorway. Martin was standing behind him, quietly, with a smirk on his face.
Max stood up quickly. He covered Liz with a robe now that the room was bathed in light.
"What are you doing in the nursery?" Max stood full length. To Liz's shock and relief Max was taller than Rafael, when he stood full height.
"I was informed that you were in here with my wife." Rafael said furiously. He pulled Liz roughly toward him. "You little-"
"Finish that statement and you will be kicked out of my house." Max's eyes glowed with anger.
"She is my wife, we're leaving tomorrow, seven in the morning, not a moment sooner nor later. We'll breakfast on the road. I knew there was something between you two, but I denied it." He said, hands clenching at his side.
"Miss Beth?" Emily squeaked.
Liz went to get her, but was restrained by Rafael. She let out a small scream when she felt his nails dig into her flesh.
"Stay here." He growled.
"But-"
"Say nothing, wife."
She looked at him. She stomped her foot and angrily wiped a tear from her eye. She looked at Max.
"Move out of my way, Rafael." He said in a low voice that meant business.
"Miss Beth!" Emily was now screaming. "Cousin!" Liz could hear the tears and fear in her voice.
She heard Max comforting the crying girl.
"Sit, wife." She sat. She kept her head up the whole time.
"What was going on in here?" He asked.
"Nothing." She looked him in the eye.
"Nothing? I don't recall him professing his undying love for you nothing."
Her breath caught in her throat. "He did nothing of the sort." She said told him.
"He might as well have. Pack you bags."
"Now?" She looked at him.
"Yes."
"Why now?"
"We're leaving early. I will not leave this room until your bags are packed, now get to it."
She stood on trembling legs. She turned her back so that he would not see her crying. She packed her things hurriedly. She returned to the bed and sat down.
"Leave." She said in a calm voice.
He nodded and left.
She went the door.
Max looked up at her, holding a sleeping Emily. "Liz you better go back, you're going to get in trouble."
"I'm already in trouble." She cried. He laid Emily down and she went to him. "Max I'm scared, I don't want to go." She shook her head violently. Her body shaking with sobs.
"Stay with me, Liz." He told her, holding her tightly against him.
"I can't, Max, I want to but I can't."
"Stay with me, Miss Beth, just tonight?" Emily whispered.
"Yes." She pulled out of Max's arms.
"Goodnight, Liz." Max kissed her forehead. "I'll be right outside your door tonight."
"Thank you." She laid down next to Emily. "Goodnight, Max." She whispered. ****
Max walked out of the room and right into Martin.
"What are you doing here, Martin?" He asked.
"He's my informer." Rafael said.
"You?" Max looked at him.
"He was paid handsomely for his services."
"Martin, leave." Max said through rage.
"Your Grace." Martin stuttered.
"Out!" He shouted.
Liz opened the door and watched the scene unfold before her eyes.
"Your Grace, he's so young, have mercy on him, please?" Mrs. Kendall shouted.
"No, Mrs. Kendall, not now and keep your voices down, all of you."
"If you toss him out then, then, I'll leave too." She pulled to full height.
"Fine."
"That means me as well." Kendall came forward.
"Then out with all of you. Out I say. Rafael you aren't allowed in these quarters, now leave, before I call the magistrate." Max was blinded with anger.
They turned to leave. "Martin, what other damage did you do?"
"I took the letters to port, if that's what you mean, Your Grace." He smiled.
"What letters?" He asked, becoming annoyed.
"The ones that Miss Harding sent to Mr. Derevko." He clarified. "She told me at once that she knew, Miss Parker, er, Mrs. Derevko. I was upset at you, you had promised me that I could marry her but you decided to like her yourself. So, I did what she asked, tracked her down, even delivered the letters on the right day."
"What do you mean?"
"Mr. Derevko wanted the letters given on specific days. So I delivered them."
Max had it. "Out! All of you. Kendalls, don't come back. Rafael, you will be out the door at seven o'clock sharp. Not a moment later, now, leave these quarters now!" Max said in a deathly calm voice.
"Good evening, your Grace."
Max didn't respond, he just sat down in a chair and rested his head in his hands.
Liz closed the door with a soft click.
Max looked up and swore.
The hand moved down and gave her room to breathe. "You have to promise to keep quiet else my hand goes right back up."
"Max!" She whispered.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He kissed her forehead.
"Well you did." She said defiantly. "Why are you here? If Rafael found you here he'd kill you."
She got up and shut the door to Emily's room.
"Are you cold?" Max asked.
Liz looked at him oddly. "I don't get cold, Max, I've told you that multiple times."
"It's my house. Liz, you have to leave."
"I can't." She said quietly.
"You have to, I can't stop you from going with Rafael, I-I can't stand you having to go and live with him." He hugged her.
"Max, if I run away, and he finds me, he'll kill me. He has every right to, he's my," she paused and took a breath, "he's my husband."
Max grimaced. "I know, please run away, I'll get you a pardon from the king, Isabel has that power."
"The king can't save me now, I'm not an English Subject." She explained.
Max nodded. "For Emily?"
"I wouldn't be able to see her again, Max." She said.
He pulled her into his arms. "What are we going to do?"
"Tomorrow, at noon, I'm going to leave here, with Rafael. That's what's going to happen. It's the only thing that can happen." She held him tighter.
He didn't want her to leave. He needed her here. "You can't try to stay?" He pleaded.
"No, I-" He interrupted her.
"For me?" The brokenness in his voice cut her heart in two.
"No." Tears started falling. "Not even for you, Max."
"Can I just sit here for a while?" He asked.
"Yes." She nodded and curled up in her arms.
"Liz." He stroked her hair.
"Yes?" She asked.
"Remember, back at the townhouse?" He said quietly.
"Yes." She nodded.
"I remember it like yesterday. That day I decided I wanted you as my duchess." He started. Liz didn't want to interrupt him and kept quiet. "I wanted you to have my children, to live with me forever. When you were in my arms, I wanted you to stay there forever." Liz couldn't take it anymore.
"Max, stop, you can't do this to us right now, it will only make it all the more painful."
"No, please, Liz, I have to get it out." He pulled her closer. "I wanted to keep you, Tess be damned, my parents, I didn't care what they thought. I would have taken Emily as mine, if you would take her as yours also. I had so many big plans. After you told me, what you told me at that townhouse. Then Christmas Eve, dressed so pretty, I swear the floor dropped from beneath my feet. I wanted you to be mine to protect, to cherish, to-"
He never got to finish that statement.
"What is going on here?" Rafael stood in the doorway. Martin was standing behind him, quietly, with a smirk on his face.
Max stood up quickly. He covered Liz with a robe now that the room was bathed in light.
"What are you doing in the nursery?" Max stood full length. To Liz's shock and relief Max was taller than Rafael, when he stood full height.
"I was informed that you were in here with my wife." Rafael said furiously. He pulled Liz roughly toward him. "You little-"
"Finish that statement and you will be kicked out of my house." Max's eyes glowed with anger.
"She is my wife, we're leaving tomorrow, seven in the morning, not a moment sooner nor later. We'll breakfast on the road. I knew there was something between you two, but I denied it." He said, hands clenching at his side.
"Miss Beth?" Emily squeaked.
Liz went to get her, but was restrained by Rafael. She let out a small scream when she felt his nails dig into her flesh.
"Stay here." He growled.
"But-"
"Say nothing, wife."
She looked at him. She stomped her foot and angrily wiped a tear from her eye. She looked at Max.
"Move out of my way, Rafael." He said in a low voice that meant business.
"Miss Beth!" Emily was now screaming. "Cousin!" Liz could hear the tears and fear in her voice.
She heard Max comforting the crying girl.
"Sit, wife." She sat. She kept her head up the whole time.
"What was going on in here?" He asked.
"Nothing." She looked him in the eye.
"Nothing? I don't recall him professing his undying love for you nothing."
Her breath caught in her throat. "He did nothing of the sort." She said told him.
"He might as well have. Pack you bags."
"Now?" She looked at him.
"Yes."
"Why now?"
"We're leaving early. I will not leave this room until your bags are packed, now get to it."
She stood on trembling legs. She turned her back so that he would not see her crying. She packed her things hurriedly. She returned to the bed and sat down.
"Leave." She said in a calm voice.
He nodded and left.
She went the door.
Max looked up at her, holding a sleeping Emily. "Liz you better go back, you're going to get in trouble."
"I'm already in trouble." She cried. He laid Emily down and she went to him. "Max I'm scared, I don't want to go." She shook her head violently. Her body shaking with sobs.
"Stay with me, Liz." He told her, holding her tightly against him.
"I can't, Max, I want to but I can't."
"Stay with me, Miss Beth, just tonight?" Emily whispered.
"Yes." She pulled out of Max's arms.
"Goodnight, Liz." Max kissed her forehead. "I'll be right outside your door tonight."
"Thank you." She laid down next to Emily. "Goodnight, Max." She whispered. ****
Max walked out of the room and right into Martin.
"What are you doing here, Martin?" He asked.
"He's my informer." Rafael said.
"You?" Max looked at him.
"He was paid handsomely for his services."
"Martin, leave." Max said through rage.
"Your Grace." Martin stuttered.
"Out!" He shouted.
Liz opened the door and watched the scene unfold before her eyes.
"Your Grace, he's so young, have mercy on him, please?" Mrs. Kendall shouted.
"No, Mrs. Kendall, not now and keep your voices down, all of you."
"If you toss him out then, then, I'll leave too." She pulled to full height.
"Fine."
"That means me as well." Kendall came forward.
"Then out with all of you. Out I say. Rafael you aren't allowed in these quarters, now leave, before I call the magistrate." Max was blinded with anger.
They turned to leave. "Martin, what other damage did you do?"
"I took the letters to port, if that's what you mean, Your Grace." He smiled.
"What letters?" He asked, becoming annoyed.
"The ones that Miss Harding sent to Mr. Derevko." He clarified. "She told me at once that she knew, Miss Parker, er, Mrs. Derevko. I was upset at you, you had promised me that I could marry her but you decided to like her yourself. So, I did what she asked, tracked her down, even delivered the letters on the right day."
"What do you mean?"
"Mr. Derevko wanted the letters given on specific days. So I delivered them."
Max had it. "Out! All of you. Kendalls, don't come back. Rafael, you will be out the door at seven o'clock sharp. Not a moment later, now, leave these quarters now!" Max said in a deathly calm voice.
"Good evening, your Grace."
Max didn't respond, he just sat down in a chair and rested his head in his hands.
Liz closed the door with a soft click.
Max looked up and swore.