A Duke, a Governess, and a Little Lady
"I love you."
Liz kept her eyes closed when Max had said those words.
It was hard to restrain her quick intake of breath. It went through her mind over and over again.
She heard him lay down on his cot. She looked around the room and buried her face in her pillow, she'd have to tell him tomorrow.
****
She woke up to Emily's giggling coming from outside a new maid she hadn't seen before was bustling around the room.
"Bonjour, Mademoiselle." The maid said happily. She was younger, older than Liz but definitely younger than Mrs. Kendall. And she spoke French. That would make Emily very happy.
"Bonjour, Madam?" Liz question.
"Oui. I'm married to the new driver." She answered back in French. Liz learned that when people don't speak English very well and have a French accent, it's easier to speak to them in French.
"What is your name?"
"Clara. She answered. "His Grace said you needed a bath and that I was to have it ready for when you woke up. Are you ready?"
Liz nodded, a bath would be nice.
She bathed quickly, the water soothing to her limbs. She dressed in a morning dress.
There was a knock on the door. The maid answered.
"Mademoiselle." She called. Liz looked up from where she was watching Emily on her young mare. Max had Alador leading her at a slow trot around the yard. Emily was laughing.
"Bonjour, Mademoiselle" The butler greeted. "Lady Guerin is waiting your parlor." He informed her. "I'll escort you there."
Liz smiled thankfully although she wondered when she had gotten her own parlor for callers.
"Beth!" Maria exclaimed when she saw her.
"Lady Guerin." Liz curtsied.
"Beth, what have I told you?" Liz blushed.
"Pardon. Would you like to sit?" She pointed to the nicely furnished room.
"Thank you." They both sat.
"Has Max talk to you at all?" Maria asked softly.
"Yes."
"What about?"
"Just about how I got here." She shrugged.
"Nothing else?"
"Should he have?"
"If he hasn't than no." She shook her head.
"Where is Ellie?"
"Outside with Emily, Max and my husband." Maria smiled. "We just happened to ride over and I was glad so that Ellie could see that other young ladies ride too. Michael has been trying to teach her since he bought her a young mare last year."
"It took some coaxing to get Emily onto that mare. But I guess she enjoys it now."
There was a knock on the door.
"Enter."
"Miss Parker," Clara entered. "His Grace would like you to join him on a ride." She told her. "Would you like to change into your habit?"
Maria smiled a sneaky smile. "I'll keep Emily here." She encouraged.
Liz nodded and followed Clara out of the room.
****
Max was holding her mare steady when Liz exited the house.
"Good morning, Liz." He smiled.
"Good morning, Max." She nodded.
He helped her up to the mare, "steady, Cinder." She had named the horse after her favorite fairytale and her color.
They began at a slow trot around the yard to warm her up. Then headed out.
They went out to where Lake Antar was now frozen. He tied the horses down and pulled two pair of ice skates from the satchel attached to his saddle.
"Are you up for it?" He asked with a smiled.
"I have never ice skated before." She said a little nervous and a little embarrassed.
"Really?" He asked amazed.
She nodded and stared at the ground.
"Come here." He said softly. She went to him. He sat her down on a stump that was clear of snow and tied the skates on top of her tiny slippers. He put his own on and helped her step onto the ice. She clutched tightly to his arm.
"Slippery." She said laughing when she almost lost her balance.
"Extremely." He affirmed. He guided her out farther onto the ice.
"This isn't that difficult." She said more confidently.
Max let go of her hand and she glared at him. He moved away and had her skate to him.
"Max, don't make me." She was unsteady on her feet.
"Come on." He encouraged.
She slid forward and into his arms. He let her go and repeated only further away.
She got it well enough and made their way around the lake.
Liz got faster and more daring. Max kept up with her the entire way.
After a few embarrassing falls Liz, being the fast learner that she was, was almost as good as Max.
Max sat down on the stump and pulled Liz onto his lap breathing hard.
"Max, I'm not supposed to be here." She chided.
"I know."
"Did you bring me out here for a reason?" She asked.
"Yes, actually." His expressions suddenly serious.
"Liz, you know I need a duchess, correct?" He asked.
She nodded. Why was he talking this over with her? She already knew that he loved her, why would he want to tell her this?
"Max, you don't need to discuss this with me. If I need to go away then I need to go away. All that I ask is that Emily is cared for." She started to get up from his lap.
She was upset with him. Max thought. What did he do wrong? He held her tight against him so she couldn't move.
"No, Liz, I do need to discuss this with you."
"No, no you don't, I don't want to hear about your need to get a duchess." Liz spat out. A perfectly good day ruined. Tears started to fall down her face.
"Why are you crying?" He asked worriedly.
"Honestly, Max?"
"Honestly." He assured her.
She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Because it hurts too much. Knowing that you're so close, yet so far. I can never be your duchess, even though I love you and I know you love me, I heard you last night." She cried trying to stand up.
Max's heart soared. She was crying and he could fix it. He raised her chin so she was looking at him.
"Liz, look at me." She averted her eyes. "Please?" He asked softly.
She gave in and looked at him. "I need to discuss this with you because it involves you, very much." He smiled.
She stared at him.
"I want you to be my duchess."
"Me?" She asked astonished.
"Yes you." He smiled.
"I can't, I have no social standing, I've been your governess living in your house for the past few months. Scandal will happen, the Evans name will be slaughtered. And Isabel! What would happen to her and poor Alex."
"He's prince, no one dare say anything." He told her seriously. "If I can guarantee no scandal, will you marry me?" He asked. "Would you have me as your duke?"
"Yes. Yes of course." She hugged him.
"Let's go back, shall we?" He asked.
She nodded. He bent down and unable to stop himself kissed her. It felt more right than anything hand ever felt in his life. He didn't have to worry that what he was doing was wrong because she was his, and his alone.
****
"Max, I can ride Cinder back." She laughed.
"No, Alador will hold both." He assured her. She handed him Cinder's reign's and walked over to the stump. Max lifted her up onto his horse in front of him sitting sidesaddle across his lap.
"What will the people at the house think?" She asked as he guided Alador into a walk Cinder following dutifully behind.
"That I'm carrying their future duchess and they need not say anything." He kissed her and urged the horse in a gallop.
Liz gladly held on tighter and laughed.
"I love you."
Liz kept her eyes closed when Max had said those words.
It was hard to restrain her quick intake of breath. It went through her mind over and over again.
She heard him lay down on his cot. She looked around the room and buried her face in her pillow, she'd have to tell him tomorrow.
****
She woke up to Emily's giggling coming from outside a new maid she hadn't seen before was bustling around the room.
"Bonjour, Mademoiselle." The maid said happily. She was younger, older than Liz but definitely younger than Mrs. Kendall. And she spoke French. That would make Emily very happy.
"Bonjour, Madam?" Liz question.
"Oui. I'm married to the new driver." She answered back in French. Liz learned that when people don't speak English very well and have a French accent, it's easier to speak to them in French.
"What is your name?"
"Clara. She answered. "His Grace said you needed a bath and that I was to have it ready for when you woke up. Are you ready?"
Liz nodded, a bath would be nice.
She bathed quickly, the water soothing to her limbs. She dressed in a morning dress.
There was a knock on the door. The maid answered.
"Mademoiselle." She called. Liz looked up from where she was watching Emily on her young mare. Max had Alador leading her at a slow trot around the yard. Emily was laughing.
"Bonjour, Mademoiselle" The butler greeted. "Lady Guerin is waiting your parlor." He informed her. "I'll escort you there."
Liz smiled thankfully although she wondered when she had gotten her own parlor for callers.
"Beth!" Maria exclaimed when she saw her.
"Lady Guerin." Liz curtsied.
"Beth, what have I told you?" Liz blushed.
"Pardon. Would you like to sit?" She pointed to the nicely furnished room.
"Thank you." They both sat.
"Has Max talk to you at all?" Maria asked softly.
"Yes."
"What about?"
"Just about how I got here." She shrugged.
"Nothing else?"
"Should he have?"
"If he hasn't than no." She shook her head.
"Where is Ellie?"
"Outside with Emily, Max and my husband." Maria smiled. "We just happened to ride over and I was glad so that Ellie could see that other young ladies ride too. Michael has been trying to teach her since he bought her a young mare last year."
"It took some coaxing to get Emily onto that mare. But I guess she enjoys it now."
There was a knock on the door.
"Enter."
"Miss Parker," Clara entered. "His Grace would like you to join him on a ride." She told her. "Would you like to change into your habit?"
Maria smiled a sneaky smile. "I'll keep Emily here." She encouraged.
Liz nodded and followed Clara out of the room.
****
Max was holding her mare steady when Liz exited the house.
"Good morning, Liz." He smiled.
"Good morning, Max." She nodded.
He helped her up to the mare, "steady, Cinder." She had named the horse after her favorite fairytale and her color.
They began at a slow trot around the yard to warm her up. Then headed out.
They went out to where Lake Antar was now frozen. He tied the horses down and pulled two pair of ice skates from the satchel attached to his saddle.
"Are you up for it?" He asked with a smiled.
"I have never ice skated before." She said a little nervous and a little embarrassed.
"Really?" He asked amazed.
She nodded and stared at the ground.
"Come here." He said softly. She went to him. He sat her down on a stump that was clear of snow and tied the skates on top of her tiny slippers. He put his own on and helped her step onto the ice. She clutched tightly to his arm.
"Slippery." She said laughing when she almost lost her balance.
"Extremely." He affirmed. He guided her out farther onto the ice.
"This isn't that difficult." She said more confidently.
Max let go of her hand and she glared at him. He moved away and had her skate to him.
"Max, don't make me." She was unsteady on her feet.
"Come on." He encouraged.
She slid forward and into his arms. He let her go and repeated only further away.
She got it well enough and made their way around the lake.
Liz got faster and more daring. Max kept up with her the entire way.
After a few embarrassing falls Liz, being the fast learner that she was, was almost as good as Max.
Max sat down on the stump and pulled Liz onto his lap breathing hard.
"Max, I'm not supposed to be here." She chided.
"I know."
"Did you bring me out here for a reason?" She asked.
"Yes, actually." His expressions suddenly serious.
"Liz, you know I need a duchess, correct?" He asked.
She nodded. Why was he talking this over with her? She already knew that he loved her, why would he want to tell her this?
"Max, you don't need to discuss this with me. If I need to go away then I need to go away. All that I ask is that Emily is cared for." She started to get up from his lap.
She was upset with him. Max thought. What did he do wrong? He held her tight against him so she couldn't move.
"No, Liz, I do need to discuss this with you."
"No, no you don't, I don't want to hear about your need to get a duchess." Liz spat out. A perfectly good day ruined. Tears started to fall down her face.
"Why are you crying?" He asked worriedly.
"Honestly, Max?"
"Honestly." He assured her.
She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Because it hurts too much. Knowing that you're so close, yet so far. I can never be your duchess, even though I love you and I know you love me, I heard you last night." She cried trying to stand up.
Max's heart soared. She was crying and he could fix it. He raised her chin so she was looking at him.
"Liz, look at me." She averted her eyes. "Please?" He asked softly.
She gave in and looked at him. "I need to discuss this with you because it involves you, very much." He smiled.
She stared at him.
"I want you to be my duchess."
"Me?" She asked astonished.
"Yes you." He smiled.
"I can't, I have no social standing, I've been your governess living in your house for the past few months. Scandal will happen, the Evans name will be slaughtered. And Isabel! What would happen to her and poor Alex."
"He's prince, no one dare say anything." He told her seriously. "If I can guarantee no scandal, will you marry me?" He asked. "Would you have me as your duke?"
"Yes. Yes of course." She hugged him.
"Let's go back, shall we?" He asked.
She nodded. He bent down and unable to stop himself kissed her. It felt more right than anything hand ever felt in his life. He didn't have to worry that what he was doing was wrong because she was his, and his alone.
****
"Max, I can ride Cinder back." She laughed.
"No, Alador will hold both." He assured her. She handed him Cinder's reign's and walked over to the stump. Max lifted her up onto his horse in front of him sitting sidesaddle across his lap.
"What will the people at the house think?" She asked as he guided Alador into a walk Cinder following dutifully behind.
"That I'm carrying their future duchess and they need not say anything." He kissed her and urged the horse in a gallop.
Liz gladly held on tighter and laughed.