A nice evening!

"Thank you" Fran finally manages to stammer out.

"My pleasure Miss...?"

"Fine, Fran Fine"

"Pleased to meet you! Maxwell Sheffield."

Maxwell notices that Fran doesn't show any great reaction to his name. Usually girls start to gasps right away when they hear is name, since the name 'Sheffield' stands for wealth and prosperity. Apparently she is new around here. Maxwell gets even more excited to get to know her. He smiles broadly.

"Excuse me but I never saw you around here before. Are you related to the Kents?" Fran shakes her head.

"No, I'm the Au pair girl."

"Ah that's why you were entertaining the children earlier. I think yours was the most joful table in the whole round." Fran blushes and smiles sheepishly. Then she asks him out of the blue.

"It seems to me you don't care very much about going to parties and soirees?"

"To be honest no not really and you?"

"Well this is all rather new to me. I've never been to such elegant parties before."

At that moment the music starts to play again and Maxwell asks Fran to dance. Fran has little experience with standard dances but Maxwell is a skilled dancer and leads them smoothly around the dance floor. Many people cast at them with admiring glances. Only one pair of eyes scrutinies them critically. Elizabeth Sheffield stares with a more disparaging glance at the girl her son is dancing with. She is not familiar with her, so she couldn't be a daughter of her circles. She adresses the hostess.

"A wonderful evening my dear. By the way tell me, who is this young girl Maxwell is dancing with?" Mrs. Kent looks towards the dance floor.

F"That's Fran Fine, our Au pair girl. A real jewel. Hardworking, reliable and the girls adore her."

"Mhhh and where is she from?"

"From New York." Elizabeth Sheffield's eyes darkens even more. An Au pair girl. They don't usually come from wealthy families.

Meanwhile Fran and Maxwell are tired and thirsty from all the dancing and they decide to take a break. They head together to the bar.

"What would you like to drink, Miss Fine?"

"Preferably water. My head is buzzing already. If I have a drink now I'll fall asleep and you'll have to carry me up to my bed."

Immediately Fran bites her lips at the same moment and turns bright red. Embarrassed she hides her face. But Maxwell just laughs at her remark and mentions with a grin.

"We should better not risk that."

He fetches a water for Fran and a glass of wine for himself. The two go out on the patio to get some fresh air. Fran is still deeply mortified by her slip. Why does she always have to open her mouth so wide? How could she get off talking to a gentleman like Maxwell as if she were at home? Maxwell however found Fran's statement rather charming. Sure, it wasn't entirely appropriate. But he likes Fran's easy-going manner. She isn't as stiff and silent as the others. Curious, he asks.

"Is your name really Fran? I just mean I've never heard that name before."

"Actually Francine, but that's only what my mother calls me when she's angry. No one else has ever called me that."

"Too bad, I think it's a very pretty name! May I call you Francine even if I'm not mad at you right now?"

Fran nods . She suddenly feels this heat again. When her mother calles her that, the name has something rather threatening about it. But in the gentle way Maxwell pronounces it, she likes the name.

For the next few hours they chat about everything and become more and more familiar with each other. Maxwell talks about the boarding schools he had visited and about college. Fran talks about how she got the job at the Kent's and the great fun she has with Susan and Meredith. Soon they feel like they had known each other for years. They sit there for a long time until they notice more and more guests seem to leave. Maxwell stands up.

"I'm afraid I should check on my people. Otherwise they'll forget about me and leave me here. Not that this would be the worst"

Maxwell thus set off in search of his family. Fran helps the rest of the staff with the cleaning up. She looses sight of Maxwell. At the last moment she detects him and his family when they are about to say goodbye. His family is the last one to leave. Fran rushes to the group to also say goodbye. Maxwell extends his hand to her in a very formal way.

"Goodbye Miss Fine!" Fran tries not show her astonishment.

"Good night Mr. Sheffield!"

Apparently he doesn't want his family to notice their familiarity. Fran feels how he slips a small note into her hand. Fast she tuckes it into her hand to hide it. She waits until she is in her room. There she unfolds the note.

~Tomorrow at 9AM Café Paris! Greetings Maxwell!~

Fran would have love to cheer out loud. He was asking her out on a date. He wants to see her again. That's why he asked her when she is free. Elated, she climbs into her bed. But she also feels a little insecure. Maxwell is a worldly-wise, highly educated young man from a rich family and she? That couldn't really work out. But on the other hand he invited her and she is eager to see him again. With all the anticipation she has a hart time to fall asleep.

Maxwell lies also in his bed and ponders. Was he too rash to just ask her out? What if she feels blindsided now? But he really wants to see her again and sometimes you have to to take a risk in life. He stays awake for a long time and hopes fervently that she will come.