This chapter is in Colleen's POV, if you like her POV let me know and I will try to work it in more often. Emmet is also introduced in this chapter.

If you read it and like it please please let me know! I would really love the feed back

This story has also been accepted at Twilighted

A/n I do NOT own Twilight or it's characters. I DO own Colleen.

CPOV

As I felt the soft skin of Edward's palm, I wondered at how he could even stand to feel the roughness of my own. We were so different, yet here we were, hidden among the clean sheets, stealing embraces.

Edward had a woman he was set to marry, it was not me, I was unintended. I was his unintended.

That should have made me feel shameful, but it didn't. I should have been confessing to my Priest, not planning on taking him home to meet my family.

"Dress down," I said, my hand on his chest, "you will be much too conspicuous in your fine clothes. Do you even have any normal clothes?"

His brows furrowed, only slightly, as though he was considering what I had just told him.

"I suppose you are right," he spoke softly, "I can borrow something from our gardener, he's my age and we have been friends since we were very small children and his father was the gardener."

"Oh, you mean Emmett, his family lives in the same neighborhood as mine. The McCarty's are lovely people," I rambled.

What if Emmett saw him there.

"Why don't you bring Emmett," I said, knowing how badly it could go, hoping to stop him, "He would love to meet my sisters."

"That would take the element of surprised out of it, if he already knows at least we wouldn't be surprised if he told someone," he was nodding in agreement, to my dismay.

"I'll invite him then," I breathed out, "You should just keep up appearances for the day. I'll also ask about a set of clothes, he is much bigger than you, but, the bagginess won't be noticeable where we are going. I'll place them in your room when I have them."

My head began to ache from the utter absurdity of this plan.

"When Emmett and I are free to go for the day, you should be changed and just follow Emmett, he knows where I live," I reached up and stroked his cheek.

"I will be ready," he whispered, leaning down to me, his lips pressing gently to mine.

When Edward had gone back into the house, his scent lingering on my clothes, I began to finish hanging the linen. It was my job after all, doing his family's laundry. I sighed. I didn't see how this affair could end well for me.

Maybe it was selfish to worry about how it would end for me,perhaps I should have been more worried about Bella, his wife to be. She was innocent in all of this and such a nice girl. I didn't want to cause her pain, she did not deserve it.

Placing the last sheet one the line, I ventured off to find Emmett. I started with the tool shed, sometimes he would take his break in the small wood-framed building, eating an apple and reading. My mother had taught his father to read, his father had taught him. Sometimes, I was jealous that he had benefited from my mother's love and I had not even known her, but it was hard to feel any kind of ill will towards Emmett. I wished I had taken the time to get to know him before I started working for the Masens.

My Irish luck held and I found Emmett, reading, in the shed. He was a tall man, his dark hair poking out from under his cap in ringlets. His blue eyes reminded me of ice, his smile always brightening a room.

"Colleen," he stood and crushed me in a bear hug.

"Em, you're crushing me," I laughed, "Who will do the Masen's laundry if you hug me to death?"

He chuckled, "Can't have dirty rich people. What brings ya to the shed?"

I felt the heat rise in my face, I was pretty certain I could trust Emmet, but what if I couldn't? My job, my family's well being, my reputation, all these things were at risk here. I took a deep cleansing breath and let it go as he watched, one eyebrow raised.

"Edward would like to borrow a set of your clothes," I said, my eyes downcast.

"What? Why?" Emmett looked very confused.

"Emmett, I'm about to trust you with something that could ruin me, please don't let me down," I took a breath, "Edward and I, well, we have been enjoying each others company.....thoroughly."

At first, no spark of recognition lighted his blue eyes, but, after about two seconds, it was there, bright as a fire.

"Colleen, what are you thinking? What if you get caught? You would be disowned and shamed. You would never find a job in Chicago as a maid again," Em spoke impossibly fast, his large hands engulfing mine, "what are you both thinking?"

His words struck me as effectively as one of his hands, what were we thinking? At the very least, what was I thinking? I was the one who stood to lose everything, if Edward was caught he would get a slap on the wrist. He was a boy, rich, it was expected of them to do this kind of thing. Despite all of this, I wanted to continue.

"We're not Em, not thinking at all. We are just doing it, allowing it to unfold. Haven't you ever felt that strongly about something that you would scoff at the negatives to get it?" I explained, hoping he would understand.

I watched his face, a small sad smile took hold of his features, "Yes, I know that feeling," he walked towards the back of the shed and picked up a small parcel, "here are my extra clothes, take them, just be careful."

"One more thing Em," I said, taking the parcel, "We want you to come with us."

"Of course," his bright smile lit up the space between us, "Will your sisters be there?"

"Yea, Em, they do live there you know," I smiled at him, maybe would could do each other a favor.

We discussed the plan, then said our goodbyes. Taking the clothes to Edward's room, I began to list the things I still needed to accomplish for the day: bringing in the linens, dusting the house, and being sure all the bedrooms were tidy. I could get all those done relatively quickly and Emmett would be free to go in two hours, then our plan would be put into action.

Walking into Edward's room, I suddenly broke into a cold sweat, but I wasn't backing down. We would do this and he would see why he should stay away from me. I wasn't on his level, despite my educated appearance.

As I gently laid the parcel on his bed, I decided I would kill two birds with one stone and tidy his room while I was in it. I smoothed out his already made bed, wondering where he was this afternoon. Maybe on a walk with his mother. I breathed in deeply, his scent my reward. Edward smelled so good, sweet, like fresh cut grass, yet earthy.

I fought the urge to roll in his sheets so I could carry his scent with me, I barely won over that simple urge. All these emotions for this boy were driving me insane.

I couldn't have him!!

The need to slap myself was sudden and harsh, why was I playing around with my own heart in such a manner? I wanted to scream.

Then I got a hold on myself and continued my chores. I sang, talked to the other workers, whatever I needed to do to not think about Edward and what we would be doing when I left for the day. When I finally put the last piece of linen in the closet, I was about to bust with excitement and dread.

I walked out the back door, the one meant for servants, and made my way to the back gate. When I saw Edward, dressed in an Irish gardeners clothes, my heart leaped, why couldn't that be true? I could imagine us, walking hand in hand, to and form the Masen's to do our jobs and go home to our small brood of children.

I shook the fantasy out of my mind, because I needed to be rooted in reality and imagining our green eyes babes wouldn't help that.

Looking back at Em and Edward, I nodded slightly and walked off toward home.