A Duke, a Governess, and a Little Lady
"Are you going to go see Mama?" Emily asked watching Max tie his cravat.
"Yes, Emily." He smiled at her.
"I can go too?" She asked leaning on the bed.
"No."
"When?" She asked sadly.
"When you're seventeen, or when your mama decides you're ready." He explained.
"That's a long time." Emily looked at him sadly.
"I know, it'll come faster than you think." He rubbed her hair that was carefully braided so her curls would fall perfect in the morning.
"Tell, Mama I said hello." She said distressed.
"She'll come, tomorrow, I promise." He picked her up and carried her to the front door where Clara was waiting to take her.
"I'll be back later, alright?" He asked.
She nodded. "Tell, Mama I love her." She gave him another hug and went to her governess.
"I will." He kissed her cheek and exited the house.
****
Liz sat on the opposite side of the carriage away from Michael. She wouldn't look him directly in the eye.
"Beth, you won't leave me alone when I have to go into my confinement will you?" Maria asked playfully.
"Of course not!" She said excitedly. She had forgotten about the baby. "When do you have to go?"
"In my seventh month." She said sadly. "I can stay here for a little longer but after that I must be secluded from all social activity." She said.
"It'll be fine, Maria." Michael wrapped his arm around his wife.
At Michael's jump into the conversation, Liz turned away.
"There's so many people here!" Liz observed.
"It's the biggest party of the season. An invitation to this party means you're still in. If you're not invited to this party your invitations to anything begin to slow." Maria explained.
"We were invited?"
"Of course." Maria said as if it were common knowledge.
At the ball Liz danced stiffly with Michael while waiting for Max to arrive.
"The Duke of Antar!" The butler announced.
Michael smiled a secret smile at Max as he passed Liz off to him.
"Good evening, my Lady." Max greeted.
"Good evening ,Your Grace." Liz smiled up at him.
They danced one dance and returned to the sidelines. Another man offered Liz a dance.
Liz glanced at Max and he shrugged.
Liz relented and slid reluctantly into the other man's arms.
He didn't dance as easily or as smoothly as Max. Conversation didn't come easily. Liz kept her eyes and ears open at things around her.
She felt everyone in the room stir. She turned them around enough to where she could see what was going on.
"What is that Miss Harding doing here? I heard Lady Wellington didn't invite her." The young man asked. Liz couldn't remember his name a Lord Brockhurst or something odd like that, she didn't particularly care either.
"I have no idea." The dance completed and he escorted her back to Maria's protective side.
"Where's Isabel?" Liz asked nervously.
"Christopher struck ill suddenly." Maria explained hurriedly. "She said she'd be running late."
Tess made her way over to the small party. "Your Grace, Lord and Lady Guerin." She greeted.
They nodded her presence.
"Miss Parker." She greeted Liz.
Liz stiffened hoping no one else had caught the title.
"Miss Harding." She said just as coldly.
Lady Wellington made her way over. "Miss Harding. How surprising to see you here." She sneered, politely, if you could call it that.
"Lady Wellington!"
Liz studied the young duchess. She had expected her to be older yet she was a young woman perhaps not much older than Isabel.
"Lady Parker, I apologize for my guest's rude behavior." She turned to Liz.
"Having problems, Amy?" Liz heard Isabel's voice. She sighed in relief.
"No, everything's fine." She turned.
Liz wondered why they were on first name basis.
"Have you been introduced?" Isabel asked Liz.
"No." She shook her head.
"Well, this is Amy Wellington, my best friend since childhood. Our family's country homes border each other."
"Nice to see you, I trust Christopher's well?"
"Better." Isabel affirmed before turning to Tess.
"I thought we cut back the list Amy." She asked.
"We did." Amy said annoyed.
Everyone in the room got the hint and backed away from Tess.
"Good Evening, Lady Wellington, your highness." Tess curtsied and fled the room.
Max just stared after her and guided Liz once more to the dance floor.
"Why are you so sad?" Max asked concerned. "You don't have to deal with Tess anymore."
"Max, he said no." She said sadly.
"I know." He said non concerned.
"It doesn't bother you?"
"No?" He shook his head and smiled at her.
"Why?"
"This is why." He slowed their dancing to a stop causing the rest of the dancing couples on the floor to stop as well. The music stopped wondering why the dance floor had gone still.
"Max, you're causing everyone to stop." She looked around dancing. And this is the biggest party of the season!
He got down on one knee. Everyone turned to stare at the young couple.
Liz was blushing furiously. "Max." She said firmly trying to pull him up.
"No, Lady Parker. I've known you for nothing but three short days, yet already you carry my heart. With your consent I want to give you mine. Will you take it? Will you be my wife?" He asked.
Liz looked about. All the married women were fanning themselves. Angry mamas were storming from the room. The rich duke of Antar had been snagged! Old women whispering, men watched in envy.
She nodded her head slowly at first, and then finally found the words to blurt, "YES!" She smiled.
He stood up and kissed her publicly sealing the deal.
The crowd broke into applause. Max slid the most gorgeous diamond ring on her finger and held her tightly to him.
Maria, Michael, and Isabel made their way over to them. "Well done, Maxwell." Michael congratulated.
"You knew!" Maria stepped back.
"Yes." He said sheepishly. Maria knocked him over the head with her fan and sent him a glare.
Isabel just smiled and moved out of the way so the two could continue where they had left off dancing.
"Are you going to go see Mama?" Emily asked watching Max tie his cravat.
"Yes, Emily." He smiled at her.
"I can go too?" She asked leaning on the bed.
"No."
"When?" She asked sadly.
"When you're seventeen, or when your mama decides you're ready." He explained.
"That's a long time." Emily looked at him sadly.
"I know, it'll come faster than you think." He rubbed her hair that was carefully braided so her curls would fall perfect in the morning.
"Tell, Mama I said hello." She said distressed.
"She'll come, tomorrow, I promise." He picked her up and carried her to the front door where Clara was waiting to take her.
"I'll be back later, alright?" He asked.
She nodded. "Tell, Mama I love her." She gave him another hug and went to her governess.
"I will." He kissed her cheek and exited the house.
****
Liz sat on the opposite side of the carriage away from Michael. She wouldn't look him directly in the eye.
"Beth, you won't leave me alone when I have to go into my confinement will you?" Maria asked playfully.
"Of course not!" She said excitedly. She had forgotten about the baby. "When do you have to go?"
"In my seventh month." She said sadly. "I can stay here for a little longer but after that I must be secluded from all social activity." She said.
"It'll be fine, Maria." Michael wrapped his arm around his wife.
At Michael's jump into the conversation, Liz turned away.
"There's so many people here!" Liz observed.
"It's the biggest party of the season. An invitation to this party means you're still in. If you're not invited to this party your invitations to anything begin to slow." Maria explained.
"We were invited?"
"Of course." Maria said as if it were common knowledge.
At the ball Liz danced stiffly with Michael while waiting for Max to arrive.
"The Duke of Antar!" The butler announced.
Michael smiled a secret smile at Max as he passed Liz off to him.
"Good evening, my Lady." Max greeted.
"Good evening ,Your Grace." Liz smiled up at him.
They danced one dance and returned to the sidelines. Another man offered Liz a dance.
Liz glanced at Max and he shrugged.
Liz relented and slid reluctantly into the other man's arms.
He didn't dance as easily or as smoothly as Max. Conversation didn't come easily. Liz kept her eyes and ears open at things around her.
She felt everyone in the room stir. She turned them around enough to where she could see what was going on.
"What is that Miss Harding doing here? I heard Lady Wellington didn't invite her." The young man asked. Liz couldn't remember his name a Lord Brockhurst or something odd like that, she didn't particularly care either.
"I have no idea." The dance completed and he escorted her back to Maria's protective side.
"Where's Isabel?" Liz asked nervously.
"Christopher struck ill suddenly." Maria explained hurriedly. "She said she'd be running late."
Tess made her way over to the small party. "Your Grace, Lord and Lady Guerin." She greeted.
They nodded her presence.
"Miss Parker." She greeted Liz.
Liz stiffened hoping no one else had caught the title.
"Miss Harding." She said just as coldly.
Lady Wellington made her way over. "Miss Harding. How surprising to see you here." She sneered, politely, if you could call it that.
"Lady Wellington!"
Liz studied the young duchess. She had expected her to be older yet she was a young woman perhaps not much older than Isabel.
"Lady Parker, I apologize for my guest's rude behavior." She turned to Liz.
"Having problems, Amy?" Liz heard Isabel's voice. She sighed in relief.
"No, everything's fine." She turned.
Liz wondered why they were on first name basis.
"Have you been introduced?" Isabel asked Liz.
"No." She shook her head.
"Well, this is Amy Wellington, my best friend since childhood. Our family's country homes border each other."
"Nice to see you, I trust Christopher's well?"
"Better." Isabel affirmed before turning to Tess.
"I thought we cut back the list Amy." She asked.
"We did." Amy said annoyed.
Everyone in the room got the hint and backed away from Tess.
"Good Evening, Lady Wellington, your highness." Tess curtsied and fled the room.
Max just stared after her and guided Liz once more to the dance floor.
"Why are you so sad?" Max asked concerned. "You don't have to deal with Tess anymore."
"Max, he said no." She said sadly.
"I know." He said non concerned.
"It doesn't bother you?"
"No?" He shook his head and smiled at her.
"Why?"
"This is why." He slowed their dancing to a stop causing the rest of the dancing couples on the floor to stop as well. The music stopped wondering why the dance floor had gone still.
"Max, you're causing everyone to stop." She looked around dancing. And this is the biggest party of the season!
He got down on one knee. Everyone turned to stare at the young couple.
Liz was blushing furiously. "Max." She said firmly trying to pull him up.
"No, Lady Parker. I've known you for nothing but three short days, yet already you carry my heart. With your consent I want to give you mine. Will you take it? Will you be my wife?" He asked.
Liz looked about. All the married women were fanning themselves. Angry mamas were storming from the room. The rich duke of Antar had been snagged! Old women whispering, men watched in envy.
She nodded her head slowly at first, and then finally found the words to blurt, "YES!" She smiled.
He stood up and kissed her publicly sealing the deal.
The crowd broke into applause. Max slid the most gorgeous diamond ring on her finger and held her tightly to him.
Maria, Michael, and Isabel made their way over to them. "Well done, Maxwell." Michael congratulated.
"You knew!" Maria stepped back.
"Yes." He said sheepishly. Maria knocked him over the head with her fan and sent him a glare.
Isabel just smiled and moved out of the way so the two could continue where they had left off dancing.