Chapter 6

Max paced outside the back door a few days following the kitchen incident. He was going to go in there right now, he was going to tell Liz exactly what he felt, exactly what he had meant by everything he'd said.

He had seen Liz and Cassidy, wrapped in warm clothes scurry into the house a little earlier. With a confidence he didn't feel, he stepped through the door.

"Liz, we have to talk." He began instantly.

Serena Parker looked up when she heard the young man's voice.

"I'm sure Liz would like to talk to you if she were here." She said with a smile. So this must be Max Evans. Liz had come home upset the other day. Serena had insisted she go lie down before Nancy Parker returned. Liz hadn't told her anything, but she knew it had to do with Max Evans.

"Oh, where is she?" Max asked, turning red.

"Aunt Liz is ill." Cassidy answered for her mother. "Her face was all red and hot this morning, so Mama sent Mummy with' me today."

"Really?" He asked, his face draining of color, "Does she have a proper physician? I'm sure my mother would hers over."

"No, no, she's in very capable hands." Serena tied off the final bow in her daughter's hair. "off you go, my sweet pea."

"Bye, Mummy. I love you." She hugged her mother and grabbed her lunch pail before turning to Max with a hint of mischief in her eyes. "I hope Aunt Liz gets better, she looked right bad when we left his morning."

Serena smiled as her daughter left the kitchen. "That was my five year old's attempt to get you to worry." Her face turned serious. "Liz needs you to stay away no matter what you may of or what happens to her. You cannot interfere with her life. Please, for both your sakes stay away from her."

"I can't do that, Mrs. Parker, excuse me." He turned and followed Cassidy out the back door.

"Miss Cassidy, wait." He called to her up the street.

She turned, her eyes were bright when she looked up at him. "I knew you'd follow me, Mr. Evans, this is our address." She handed him an envelope. "Mummy wrote it down in case I ever get lost. I've got to go, I'm going to be late now."

"Alright, hurry." Max called and turned back to the house. He ordered the carriage brought around and handed the driver the address.

"Sir, are you sure you're wanting to go here?" The driver asked, with a look of wonder. "This isn't a nice part of town, you know."

"I understand, Norton." He told the driver. "I just need you to take me there, not give your opinion."

"Sorry, sir, didn't mean to get ahead of myself." He clicked to the horses and was on his way.

The stench in the hallway had Max gagging. He didn't want to believe that Liz lived here, in these conditions. He heard coughing all the way up the staircases and up the halls. Could one of those be Liz?

He got to the door that Cassidy had written down and knocked. It took a moment, but soon the door creaked open.

"Who is it?" A male voice answered.

"Umm, is this where Elizabeth Parker lives?" He asked trying to see past the man.

"Yep, it's my daughter you're wanting. She's not here." Jeff Parker opened the door.

"Where is she?"

"Her mother took her to someone, won't tell none of us where. Girl sure did look sick today." He said. "Haven't seen anyone like that since, well…" he paused, "since my ma died, when iw as thirteen."

"She looks that bad?"

"Yeah, it's a wonder where my wife took her. Mighty cold out now. Looks like we're going to have a white Christmas."

"Yeah." Max was sick inside.

"Look, boy if you don't believe me, you can come in and have a look about yourself."

Curious about where she lived, Max stepped inside the apartment.

The quarters were cramped and with seven people living there it had to be crowded. There was a small cradle in the corner next to the bed, piled high with blankets.

The place was surprisingly clean. The stench that had been in the hall had disappeared as soon as the door was closed behind them. Liz's apron was hanging on a peg beside the stove. He went to run his hand over it.

"Lizzie did that while we were on our way over. She sat up on deck with it, she got sick below deck."

"You're Jeff Parker?"

"Yes." He said.

Liz didn't seem to open about her father, but what he had picked from Cassidy was that he was a broken down drunk, who never did anything good.

Max had the urge to hit the man. Instead he walked over to the cradle.

"They took the babe with them. There's an epidemic going through the neighborhood. Nancy said she'd take him where he would be well." He scoffed. "She always says these things, that's my Nancy 'I know what's best for our kids, Jeff." He raised his voice, mocking his wife.

"I'll be on my way." He didn't want to be anywhere near this man. He needed to get out.

"Who should I tell them stopped by?"

"No one." Max shook his head. "Thank you."

He turned and fled the neighborhood, wondering where Liz could have gone.

"How is she?" Nancy paced outside her daughter's room.

"The doctor said he's going to give her a little more medicine, and then we just have to wait."

"I don't want to wait Jim." Nancy said taking his hand. "She has always been so healthy."

"I know, the doctor said that will help. She's a fighter, our little girl can fight."

Nancy nodded. When Serena had left with Cassidy and Liz's fever had risen, she explained to Kyle where they could find help. He didn't understand why Nancy's employer would, but he had dutifully helped transport his sister to the house. There had been a lot of questions swirling in the man's eyes, but he hadn't asked, and for that she had been thankful.

Logan started to fuss in Nancy's arms, missing his mummy. "I better get him down the kitchen's, Serena said she'll be here around noon to feed him. Thank you, Jim, for keeping my family safe."

"You're welcome, and it's our family." He told her and stroked a stray hair from her eye.

"Nancy, Max Evans leaves for the west in three weeks."

"I know." Nancy said relieved.

"It won't be enough."

"I know." She said quietly. "Three thousand miles wasn't enough to keep up apart, was it Jim?"

"No." He looked at her, his eyes full of worry. "Join me tonight, there's a Christmas party. Come with me."

"No." She said firmly.

"I need to you to do this, Max Evans will be there, I need to you to go with me, we won't directly tell him who you are, but he's a bright boy and he'll figure it out. He won't tell."

"You're sure." She asked uncertainty had her shuffling the baby against her.

"Yes."

"Alright, for our daughter." She agreed and turned back down the stairs.

Max waited at the corner of the school for Cassidy. Maybe she would know where Liz would be taken. Surely Cassidy had been sick and Nancy Parker had taken her to wherever she had taken her daughter.

Walking a little further, he was anxious to find out what was taking her so long. Usually she was home by this time. The days were getting shorter so it wasn't long before dark. He was starting to worry about her and knew Serena would be too.

Then he saw her. Could it really be her? Her neat bow was lopsided, there was a tear in both her stocking and her face was tear streaked. He saw a group of girls standing behind her laughing. A young boy was helping her up, probably from the boys' school across the street.

She was limping and keeping her head high. She took her books from the boy and must have thanked him.

The boy turned and said something to the girls and then helped Cassidy along. Max immediately recognized him as the youngest of the Brightons. He was born twelve years after the last child, making him quite a scandal. But he looked exactly like the four other Brighton children to stop tongues from wagging too much.

"Cassidy." He called, dropping the formal and proper 'miss.'

She looked up at his voice. The look, even from where he could see, was one of desperation.

She dropped her books and shot for his outstretched arms. He enclosed them around her as she hit him full speed. She looked up at him, her tears now fully streaming. "Mr. Evans." She sobbed against him.

"Oh, Cassidy, darling, what happened?" He asked rubbing her back.

She didn't answer just hugged him tighter and let her tears come. She held on tight, and let her grief, and pain be let out.

"Mr. Evans." The boy stepped up to them, softly. "I don't mean to be a snitch." He looked embarrassed, his older brothers told him only little girls were snitches.

"It's alright, Jeremy." He said. "Now is a good time to be a snitch."

"Those girls, they said some mean things about Cassidy." He reached out to touch her back as well.

"Like what?" Max said.

"I got mad and started shouting at them." Cassidy said. "They were being so mean, Mr. Evans, not to me, but to Edwina. They were making fun of her, of her name because it sounds funny."

"She was just trying to help, Mr. Evans." He had seen Edwina run at Cassidy's instructions and the girls turn their hatred towards the young girl. He could still hear their voices in his head. He didn't think he could forget Cassidy yelp of pain when the first one tugged on her hair. "But she shouted in a funny language, it's one that Daddy's grooms use. Daddy says it's Gaelic."

"Oh, Cassidy." Max closed his eyes. They were going to tear her apart for being Irish.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Evans, I just got so mad, it wasn't fair, it wasn't right."

"I'm not mad at you, Cassidy." He said. "I'm happy that you stood up for her, but we're going to have to talk to my Mother."

"I know." Cassidy knew she wasn't supposed to speak Gaelic, never, not even at home.

"Thank you, Jeremy." Max stood with Cassidy firmly in his arms.

"I…I would like to go home with you, just to see that she makes it okay." He said puffing.

"I'll make sure, thank you, Jeremy." Max said with amusement. "I'm sure you're family will worry."

"No." He shook his head. "I'm seven now, I'm big enough. I would feel better if I took her home with you, Mr. Evans."

Max smiled at the boys assertiveness. "Alright, it will help if you held her books."

"Got it." He smiled and held up the books.

"Thank you."

"That was Max Evans!" Carla Delaney said appalled.

"I know!" Patricia Troy turned red faced. "Pam, my sister, wants to marry him, says he's worth a few million a year."

"Oh, bother, we just messed it up, didn't we?"

"Not if he doesn't know who we are." Pam said.

"Like that little girl will keep her mouth shut." Carla said watching them.

"If she does, Jeremy Brighton won't. He was giving us all death glares."

"Blast!" Carla said. The girls watched them disappear around the corner.

"Cassidy!" Serena saw her daughter. "What happened, oh my baby." She took her from Max's arms.

"Mummy." Cassidy went to her. "Oh, Mummy."

"Jeremy, what you see in this house, you cannot repeat, you understand?" Max said.

Jeremy nodded, he had no problem protecting Cassidy.

"What happened?" Serena turned worried eyes to Max as he explained.

"I knew this would happen, I just knew it. Kyle and I had doubts." She set her daughter on the counter and began to gather the necessary tools to clean the wounds.

"Can I help?" Jeremy asked.

"No, Jeremy." Max said quietly. "Why don't you go on home now?"

"Not yet." He settled his worried gaze on Cassidy's tear stained face.

Max knew then that the boy had a crush on Cassidy. He wouldn't go anywhere until he made sure Cassidy was alright.

"Sit down, Jeremy." Max said with reluctant admiration.

He sat and watched Cassidy intently as Serena cleaned her wounds and washed her face. She took her in her arms once she was done. "Do you want to go lay down? Daddy's going to be here soon, we're staying here. Mama came to say that it's not safe to go home."

"Aunt Liz is here?" Cassidy asked looking at Max.

"No, Mama won't say where she is, but Mama's going to stay with her." Serena explained.

"I'm going to talk to Jeremy for a little, Mummy." She said and strode to the table. "Can he stay here for dinner?"

"He'll have to ask his parents." Serena said, she didn't like this new friendship her daughter was forming.

"It'll be ok, my family's going to the party this evening." He piped up and his eyes glowed when Cassidy sat next to him.

"We'll send a maid anyway, Cassidy go change first." Serena said and turned back to her work.

"I'll be right back." Cassidy ran upstairs.

"Mr. Evans, shouldn't you be getting ready for the party tonight?"

"Yes." He stared hard at Serena's back. She looked like a grown-up version of Cassidy and from Jeremy's entranced stare, he thought so too. "You don't know where Elizabeth is?"

"No, but this time I'm not asking you." Serena looked at Max. "I'm telling you to stay away."

Max raised his chin not liking her tone. He wanted to tell her, but Jeremy was watching them in earnest and so he turned and walked out the door.

TBC