Thanks for all the wonderful comments! I'm glad that everyone is liking this.

I know I'm probably getting a little ahead of myself right now because further down the line there is bound to be a lull in postings but I'm on a high right now. I just got the acceptance letter from the college that I've wanted to go to since I was in eighth grade. I'm so happy right now, so I figured I'd do something good with that energy!

For some reason the page breaks aren't working so I'm sorry that it all seems to run together!

Chapter 4

"Come on, Cassidy, time to get up." Liz whispered. She tried not to wake Serena or Kyle.

"Aunt Liz?" Cassidy asked.

"Yes, put your clothes on and your shoes, we've got to leave." She said. "Hurry up, I let you sleep in as long as I could, love. We'll have to hurry."

Cassidy got dressed quickly and was waiting by the door when Liz got there with everything they needed.

"No lunch?"

"No." Liz said. "Mrs. Higgins makes us lunch."

"Alright." Cassidy said, her excitement showing despite the early hour.

"Be a good girl, Cassie." Kyle called from the bedroom doorway. "Or you can't go with Aunt Liz again."

"I will, Daddy." Cassidy said excitedly.

"Alright, let's go." Kyle said.

"Where are you going, Kyle, you don't need to leave for another hour?" Liz asked.

"I'll walk you out of the neighborhood." He said.

"Alright." Liz got the message. He wouldn't stop worrying about her if he didn't see her out of the neighborhood himself.

"Hello, Miss Cassidy." Mrs. Higgins greeted them when they reached the house.

"Hello, Ma'am." Cassidy said delighted at the huge house.

"Come in, Cassidy. There is some hot chocolate and toast for you at the table." She said.

"Thank you, Mrs. Higgins." Liz said. "You'll have her bending to your every whim now." Liz smiled.

"Good. We have a lot of work to do today." Mrs. Higgins said.

"Come, Cassidy, and be quiet." Liz whispered as she entered the master suite.

"Set that down there." Liz whispered. Cassidy gladly put the heavy pot down. "Now move."

Cassidy backed up so Liz could poor the heated water into it. "Now come along, don't slam the door."

Cassidy scurried after her, always remaining three steps behind her.

A few hours later she returned to the master suite, Cassidy holding a tray of biscuits steadily.

She followed Liz into the room and waited for further direction.

"Put it here." Liz said.

"Good morning, Miss Parker." Mrs. Evans greeted. "And who might this be?" She looked down at the little girl.

"Good morning, Mrs. Evans. This is my niece Cassidy. Mrs. Higgins gave me permission to bring her along today. She has a new brother as of yesterday."

"Cassidy." Mrs. Evans' eyes shined. "You're a good little helper."

"Thank you, ma'am." Cassidy said shyly.

"Come here." Mrs. Evans took a fascination in the young girl.

Cassidy obediently walked closer.

"Closer."

Mrs. Evans reached out a hand to her hair. "How old are you?"

"I'll be five on the eleventh." She said.

"Wow, that's a nice age, are you going to go to school?"

Liz started at the question.

"Yes." Cassidy nodded.

"Very good. What school?"

"Washington ma'am." Liz answered for her.

"A good school." Mrs. Evans nodded.

"Yes." Liz said. It was public, it wouldn't be the best. "If you would excuse us, Mrs. Evans, we have things to get done."

"Of course." Mrs. Evans gave them leave and they both scurried out of the room.

Cassidy followed Liz dutifully around the house stopping only when Liz did at noon to lunch and then move along in her day.

Later in the evening when Cassidy was resting in a kitchen chair Mrs. Higgins bustled in. "Miss Parker, the missus wishes to speak to you."

"Alright." Liz looked up from the board she was scrubbing. She wiped her hands clean on her apron before removing it. Cassidy moved to get up.

"No, love. Stay there." Liz told her.

She yawned and nodded.

Liz made her way into the front sitting room.

"You wished to speak with me?" Liz asked.

"About your niece." Mrs. Evans started. "Is she a bright girl?"

"Yes, ma'am. She already writes her letters and can read fairly well."

"Very good. What are your ambitions for her?"

"Anything, as long as she doesn't have to work in a factory at her tender age or ever, or serve some rich family." Liz looked down blushing. She had let her words run. "I apologize, Mrs. Evans."

"No, it's alright, I understand." She smiled. "Well not really, but, well I'll get to the point. I like that little girl."

"Mrs. Evans, you don't even know her." Liz said.

"I know her enough that I don't want to see her grow up as another maid or factory worker." Mrs. Evans pressed. "She will go to school, a private school. Understood?"

"Mrs. Evans, I-we would love to send Cassidy to a private school but there is no way we're able to afford it." Liz looked down. Her accent grew heavy as she became more stubborn and embarrassed.

"Exactly. I want to take the girl in under my care."

"Mrs. Evans." Liz grew bolder. "We may not live in the best conditions and Cassidy might not attend the best schools but she will live with her mother and father, and she is perfectly happy that way." Her eyes flamed and her accent was back full force.

"I know." Mrs. Evans told her. "Miss Cassidy will live with her family. She will come to work with you every morning until she starts school. I will pay her one penny everyday she comes. That penny will go towards anything she wants. I will pay her schooling, dresses, and anything other thing pertaining to her schooling."

"Mrs. Evans, you cannot." Liz shook her head. "What will happen when she comes of age? She cannot just show up in society like she belongs there, who would marry her?"

"And why not?" Mrs. Evans. "You agreed with me, you want what is best for her, correct?"

"Yes." Liz nodded. "But Mrs. Evans. That is too much."

"Nonsense. My husband has more money than he can ever hope to spend. Doing this will help a child."

"And when she's seventeen? Where will that leave her, Mrs. Evans, she has the education of an upper crust girl but the funds of the lowest in the city." Liz asked again defiantly.

"She'll have her come out, of course." Mrs. Evans stated slowly, as if talking to down to her.

"Who will marry her?" She bit out angrily. "Who will accept the poor daughter of Irish immigrants? Who will allow their sons to marry her, their daughters to be her friends?"

"Everyone, Mr. Evans has a large influence, my dear."

"Not so large as to change who Cassidy Parker is." Liz said more quietly.

"You'd be surprised." Mrs. Evans had a strong respect for the way the young girl was talking to her.

"You're only sixteen, Miss Parker?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Think about it; talk it over with her parents." Mrs. Evans directed.

"I'll discuss it with her parents." Liz told her. "It's a wonderful opportunity."

"Yes it is." Diane Evans said.

"Thank you, Mrs. Evans. This is very nice of you." Liz said. "I'm willing to work more hours, if need be."

"Nonsense. If you worked more hours you couldn't go to nursing school."

"How did you know?"

"Max told me. He's very concerned about you." Mrs. Evans said.

"Why?" Liz asked suspicious.

"I don't know." Mrs. Evans shook her head. "Well, I'm sure you have duties to attend to. We'll discuss the details of schooling later. Go on."

"Thank you very much, Mrs. Evans." Liz said.

"You're an admirable young lady, Miss Parker." Mrs. Evans smiled at the girl as she dismissed her.

"I'm not a lady, Mrs. Evans." She curtsied and exited the room.

"You'd be surprised, my dear." Mrs. Evans said to the closed door.

"What did her parents think of it, Miss Parker?" Mrs. Evans asked the next morning.

"Her father was a little nervous, prideful, but his wife convinced him it would be for the best." Liz said wearily. They had stayed up late into the night convincing Kyle the good of it. "But he said if there was anything you wanted. If you ever need anything repaired, painted, destroyed, he will do it, if he can, if he can't he'll find the cheapest person."

"That is very kind of him."

"He's full of pride. Cassidy and Logan are the center of their world." Liz said.

"Send the girl to me please."

Liz did and she didn't see Cassidy again till she was getting ready to leave.

"Mrs. Evans says I'm going to go to a private school!" Cassidy was bouncing with excitement. "Wait until I tell Mummy and Daddy."

"They already know." Liz said.

"Oh. Mrs. Evans says she's going to buy me new dresses and pretty things." Cassidy relayed as they wiped their feet on the mat inside their apartment. "And she even said I can grow my hair out not short like the factory girls."

"Is that what she told you?" Serena asked walking into the kitchen.

"You're up Mummy!" She hugged her.

"Yes." Serena smiled at her. "I see you're going to go to school."

"Yes!" Cassidy shrieked.

Later that night, when Cassidy was asleep, Kyle, Serena, Liz and Nancy Parker sat around the table, as usual they didn't know where Jeff Parker was.

"I'm sorry, Kyle. I know it's hard for you to accept, but I didn't want to offend Mrs. Evans."

"I know." Kyle looked over at his daughter. "She's smart. She'll do well in a private school. I just feel funny using somebody else's kindness, and for such a long period of time."

"She'll be well taken care of, and she'll get a good education." Serena tried to justify. "I just wish we could do it." She leaned her head on Kyle.

Liz's heart yearned for that kind of connection, and her mind began to drift towards Max. Her cheeks flushed when she thought of him and she looked down.

"It still seems kind of odd to me." Kyle stated looking at his little sister. "What exactly did you say to the young Mr. Evans?"

"Nothing." Liz shook her head insistently.

"Liz?" Nancy studied her only daughter. "Did something happen between you and Mr. Evans?"

"No, nothing." Liz said again and stood. "If you'll excuse me?"

"Sit, Liz." Nancy said sternly. "Kyle, why would you ask about Mr. Evans?" Nancy's heart was racing when she looked at her daughter.

"No reason, Mama." Liz stammered desperately hoping her brother wouldn't tattle.

"Kyle." Nancy said more adamantly.

Throwing an apologetic look at his sister, he launched into his story of when he had caught Liz and Max behind the Evans home three months earlier.

"Elizabeth, is this true?" Nancy asked her heart was pounding. Not her daughter, this couldn't be happening to her, not again.

"Yes, Mama, but nothing happened." She said quietly not looking at anybody.

"Have you had any contact with him since them?"

"Yes, Mama," she said truthfully.

"Has he done anything inappropriate?"

"No." Liz said, she hated lying, but if she told them that he had kissed her who knew what would happen.

"See that it doesn't, Elizabeth." Nancy stood up and went to the door, grabbing her coat. "Maybe it would be best if we refused Mrs. Evans' offer and Liz will get employment elsewhere."

"We can't refuse." Kyle stood as well. It was well past dark and he didn't want his mother going out. "Where are you going?"

"Out, Kyle, stay here and take care of your family. Elizabeth…" She started to say something but shook her head and closed the door behind her.

Kyle followed her out only to see that she got out of the building.

"Oh, Liz." Serena said, once they were alone, she reached across the table and took her hand in hers.

Liz removed her hand and went to her bed. She pulled the cover over her head and laid there, hoping for sleep. It wasn't to be, she was still awake when the grandfather clock struck five for her to wake up. Her mother still wasn't home.

Nancy Parker strode out on the sidewalk and went the opposite direction of where she wanted, needed to be. Kyle was watching and she had to go the other way to catch the last tram. If she didn't hurry she'd miss the eleven o'clock out of the city and she'd have to walk the whole way.

Pulling out the extra money he had given her to visit him, she paid her fare and took a seat. Her mind was racing, not Liz, not her baby Elizabeth.

She stepped off the tram despite the looks she got from the passengers about where she was.

Nancy pulled her coat tighter around her as she neared the house. The row of carriages were evidence of a party. She cursed and went around back to the servant's entrance. She crept up the back steps and pushed the door open. The room was dark. It was only past midnight, he wouldn't be up for another hour or two.

Pulling off her coat, she sat on the wing backed chair and waited.

TBC