A Duke, a Governess, and a Little Lady
A/N: I meant to have this posted earlier but my sister, her husband, and her two kids are moving up to Palmdale. For those of you who don't know that just happens to be fifteen minutes away from Vasquez Rocks, better known as the Pod Chambers. HEHE. We just had to stop! So I got home a lot later than I expected and hence this part didn't get written as quickly. I also quickly had to think of title for Michael, so don't be surprised.
"Emily, settle down." Liz sat her on her lap.
She stopped squirming and gave her full attention to Liz.
"Emily, remember, when I had to go away?" Liz asked seriously.
Emily's eyes widened. "You're not going away again are you?" She asked worriedly.
"No, I'm not going to go away again." Liz pulled her closer. "Do you know why I left?"
"You were married to that man, Mr. Derevko." She said clearly yet quietly.
"Yes. Do you know what it means to be married?"
"Like my other Mama and Papa. You have to live together, that's why you went away." Emily told her.
"Exactly. Now, you know how you asked me if I wanted to be Max's duchess?"
She nodded.
"Well, the only way for that to happen would be for me to marry Max."
"Really?" She squealed.
"Yes, is that ok?"
"Yes, yes, yes. You're going to marry Cousin?" He asked.
"Yes, that's why I live here and Miss Clara is your governess." She told her.
"You're going to be a duchess." Emily whispered. She hugged her tight.
"Not just, any duchess, Uncle Max's." Ellie walked in.
"Hello, Ellie, did you hear?" Emily jumped down.
"Yes. Mama told me before. You wanna come play, Christopher's here." She said excitedly.
"Yes. I'll talk to you later, Mama." Emily waved and was out the door.
"That was easy."
****
Liz stood looking in her mirror. "Martha, does this look ok?" She asked nervously.
Her nerves were on end. She had spent the last week in London in the Guerin Townhouse, away from Emily and Max.
It had been a week of shopping, exposing her slowly to society, tempting young suitors who she of course had no intention of marrying.
"Yes, my lady." The short maid answered.
"Alright." She smoothed her hair down. It was up, unfortunately, she hated it this way.
"Beth, come on." Maria called from the door.
"Coming." She took a deep breath and glanced once more at the mirror.
"You look beautiful." Martha smiled her encouragement and opened the door.
"Thank you." She made her way out the door.
To pass time in the carriage ride, she talked to Maria to calm her nerves. "Will I see Emily tomorrow?"
"Yes. Isabel said she'll be staying there so you can come and visit Isabel, to society, but really to see Emily."
Liz smiled but it quickly faded when she saw all the carriages that were lined up in front of the huge mansion the party was taking place in.
"There are so many people." She said nervously. She played with the folds in her dress. Could she really do this? Would she be able to attend parties year after year as the Duchess of Antar?
"You'll get used to it." Michael stepped down from the carriage. He turned to help first Maria then Liz down. "When you see him, don't act familiar." He reminded her.
"I know, cannot talk with him until you introduce me. " She nodded not liking this. If Max showed too much affection towards her or even danced three times with her, she would be scandalized.
"Ready?" Maria whispered.
"Yes." Liz nodded. Michael took Maria's arm and Liz followed obediently behind.
"The Earl and Countess of Rockford, and the Lady Elizabeth Parker." The butler called.
Liz felt the room turn and stare at her.
She drifted closer to Michael, eyes scanning the room for Max.
"He'll be here." Maria whispered.
Liz nodded and took a deep breath calming herself.
Liz sat patiently by a wall while Michael danced with Maria. Until Michael danced with Liz no other man could.
She felt the dozens of pairs of eyes on her. She kept her eyes trained on the floor.
"Care for a dance?" She looked up and smiled into Michael's warm eyes.
She nodded. She had dreaded this moment forever. Now all those dozens of pairs of eyes were going to wander over and see if she wanted to dance if they could call in the morning. All of this was tedious, but necessary, extremely necessary.
Michael led her back to her place against the wall. Maria moved protectively by her side.
The young men waited patiently for an introduction.
"The Crown Princess of England and the Duke of Antar!" The butler exclaimed. The room went silent.
Everyone turned to the front entryway. Isabel appeared in her shining glory. The room went into one big mass of bowing and curtsying nobility.
They made their way over to Michael and Maria. Max dutifully ignoring Liz, until he was formally introduced.
"Your Grace, I would like you to meet my ward, Lady Elizabeth Parker. Elizabeth, the Duke of Antar."
Liz smiled a small smile up at him.
"My Lady." He nodded respectfully.
"Your Grace." She curtsied.
"May I have the pleasure of dancing with you, my lady?" He asked.
Liz glanced at Maria as if to ask permission.
With a curt nod Liz was on the dance floor with Max.
They kept up a light conversation, neither one mentioning the comfort of having a each other in their arms again.
Max walked Liz back to Michael. "Thank you, my lady."
"It was my pleasure, your Grace." Liz curtsied and turned to talk to Maria and Isabel.
No man dared talk to her now that the Duke of Antar had staked his claim. He stayed possessively by her side and glared at any man that dare come near her.
"Max."
Michael and Maria turned around simultaneously to see who would address Max so informally in public.
Maria stood face to face with Tess.
"Miss Harding, haven't seen you in a while." She said in a two sweet voice.
"Same here, Lady Guerin." Tess acknowledged.
"May I introduce you to my husband's ward, Lady Elizabeth Parker?" She turned to Liz.
Liz's face had gone white at the realization of who was standing there. Her first instinct was to move towards Max and announce that he was hers but secondly, she wanted to hide. This moment would determine everything.
A/N: I meant to have this posted earlier but my sister, her husband, and her two kids are moving up to Palmdale. For those of you who don't know that just happens to be fifteen minutes away from Vasquez Rocks, better known as the Pod Chambers. HEHE. We just had to stop! So I got home a lot later than I expected and hence this part didn't get written as quickly. I also quickly had to think of title for Michael, so don't be surprised.
"Emily, settle down." Liz sat her on her lap.
She stopped squirming and gave her full attention to Liz.
"Emily, remember, when I had to go away?" Liz asked seriously.
Emily's eyes widened. "You're not going away again are you?" She asked worriedly.
"No, I'm not going to go away again." Liz pulled her closer. "Do you know why I left?"
"You were married to that man, Mr. Derevko." She said clearly yet quietly.
"Yes. Do you know what it means to be married?"
"Like my other Mama and Papa. You have to live together, that's why you went away." Emily told her.
"Exactly. Now, you know how you asked me if I wanted to be Max's duchess?"
She nodded.
"Well, the only way for that to happen would be for me to marry Max."
"Really?" She squealed.
"Yes, is that ok?"
"Yes, yes, yes. You're going to marry Cousin?" He asked.
"Yes, that's why I live here and Miss Clara is your governess." She told her.
"You're going to be a duchess." Emily whispered. She hugged her tight.
"Not just, any duchess, Uncle Max's." Ellie walked in.
"Hello, Ellie, did you hear?" Emily jumped down.
"Yes. Mama told me before. You wanna come play, Christopher's here." She said excitedly.
"Yes. I'll talk to you later, Mama." Emily waved and was out the door.
"That was easy."
****
Liz stood looking in her mirror. "Martha, does this look ok?" She asked nervously.
Her nerves were on end. She had spent the last week in London in the Guerin Townhouse, away from Emily and Max.
It had been a week of shopping, exposing her slowly to society, tempting young suitors who she of course had no intention of marrying.
"Yes, my lady." The short maid answered.
"Alright." She smoothed her hair down. It was up, unfortunately, she hated it this way.
"Beth, come on." Maria called from the door.
"Coming." She took a deep breath and glanced once more at the mirror.
"You look beautiful." Martha smiled her encouragement and opened the door.
"Thank you." She made her way out the door.
To pass time in the carriage ride, she talked to Maria to calm her nerves. "Will I see Emily tomorrow?"
"Yes. Isabel said she'll be staying there so you can come and visit Isabel, to society, but really to see Emily."
Liz smiled but it quickly faded when she saw all the carriages that were lined up in front of the huge mansion the party was taking place in.
"There are so many people." She said nervously. She played with the folds in her dress. Could she really do this? Would she be able to attend parties year after year as the Duchess of Antar?
"You'll get used to it." Michael stepped down from the carriage. He turned to help first Maria then Liz down. "When you see him, don't act familiar." He reminded her.
"I know, cannot talk with him until you introduce me. " She nodded not liking this. If Max showed too much affection towards her or even danced three times with her, she would be scandalized.
"Ready?" Maria whispered.
"Yes." Liz nodded. Michael took Maria's arm and Liz followed obediently behind.
"The Earl and Countess of Rockford, and the Lady Elizabeth Parker." The butler called.
Liz felt the room turn and stare at her.
She drifted closer to Michael, eyes scanning the room for Max.
"He'll be here." Maria whispered.
Liz nodded and took a deep breath calming herself.
Liz sat patiently by a wall while Michael danced with Maria. Until Michael danced with Liz no other man could.
She felt the dozens of pairs of eyes on her. She kept her eyes trained on the floor.
"Care for a dance?" She looked up and smiled into Michael's warm eyes.
She nodded. She had dreaded this moment forever. Now all those dozens of pairs of eyes were going to wander over and see if she wanted to dance if they could call in the morning. All of this was tedious, but necessary, extremely necessary.
Michael led her back to her place against the wall. Maria moved protectively by her side.
The young men waited patiently for an introduction.
"The Crown Princess of England and the Duke of Antar!" The butler exclaimed. The room went silent.
Everyone turned to the front entryway. Isabel appeared in her shining glory. The room went into one big mass of bowing and curtsying nobility.
They made their way over to Michael and Maria. Max dutifully ignoring Liz, until he was formally introduced.
"Your Grace, I would like you to meet my ward, Lady Elizabeth Parker. Elizabeth, the Duke of Antar."
Liz smiled a small smile up at him.
"My Lady." He nodded respectfully.
"Your Grace." She curtsied.
"May I have the pleasure of dancing with you, my lady?" He asked.
Liz glanced at Maria as if to ask permission.
With a curt nod Liz was on the dance floor with Max.
They kept up a light conversation, neither one mentioning the comfort of having a each other in their arms again.
Max walked Liz back to Michael. "Thank you, my lady."
"It was my pleasure, your Grace." Liz curtsied and turned to talk to Maria and Isabel.
No man dared talk to her now that the Duke of Antar had staked his claim. He stayed possessively by her side and glared at any man that dare come near her.
"Max."
Michael and Maria turned around simultaneously to see who would address Max so informally in public.
Maria stood face to face with Tess.
"Miss Harding, haven't seen you in a while." She said in a two sweet voice.
"Same here, Lady Guerin." Tess acknowledged.
"May I introduce you to my husband's ward, Lady Elizabeth Parker?" She turned to Liz.
Liz's face had gone white at the realization of who was standing there. Her first instinct was to move towards Max and announce that he was hers but secondly, she wanted to hide. This moment would determine everything.