His Cinderella Governess Bonus Scene

"Mother," called Elizabeth in her high-pitched little voice.
"Yes, dear?" Lydia replied, running after the sound of her seven-year-old.
"Miss Tabitha told me I had to ask you something about a dress," the child insisted.
"A dress? What dress?" Lydia asked.
They were going to a garden party the next day, and she thought that most likely, Tabitha had taken something to be mended for Elizabeth. But Lydia could not think of anything that needed care. In fact, she realised at that moment that she had been so busy with the new baby, she hadn't even picked out what Elizabeth would wear for the event.
It seemed there were always garden tea parties these days. For young women who were not yet ready for balls, this seemed to be the best way of refining them. To Lydia, it was terribly boring.
But for Elizabeth, it had been an exciting reason to dress up and try to look beautiful. Additionally, she had managed to make a few friends at these parties. And that was rather important to Lydia. She did not wish for her daughter to be lonely.
Still, she realised she would have to find something for Elizabeth to wear, or she could check with Tabitha if they had already picked something out.
"Something about a mask and a silver dress," Elizabeth replied. "Tabitha said you had a wonderful story to share, and that I would love it."
Lydia smiled knowingly. Elizabeth always wanted a story. And if she was suddenly coming to her mother, asking about this story in particular, there had to be a reason behind it. Lydia could guess exactly what it was.
"Were you trying to get Tabitha to tell you a story?" Lydia asked, tilting her head to the side and eyeing her daughter suspiciously.
"Yes," she replied sheepishly. Elizabeth's neck seemed to retract into her shoulders a little bit, aware she had just confessed to having annoyed the housekeeper. That had been a pattern, one that her parents were trying to break.
"And was Miss Tabitha busy?" she asked, only causing Elizabeth to look even more guilty.
The child looked away, her eyes darting about the room in an attempt not to get into trouble. As if looking away could hide her from her mother's gaze.
"So, she told you to come and ask me about the silver dress and the mask?" Lydia confirmed, always knowing that a day would come in which she would share this story with her children.
The baby in her arms cooed, and Lydia looked down. Another daughter. Another blessing. She wondered if there would be more.
"Well..." Elizabeth trailed off.
"Alright. You must come with me upstairs. If I'm to tell you the story, you have to see the gown. And once you see this gown, I promise you that you shall be enthralled by the story," Lydia said, trying to engage her daughter's interest even further.
Elizabeth appeared excited beyond compare.
"Walter, could you watch Emily for me?" she asked, handing the baby to her brother, now a young man in his own right, nearly ready to take control of his inheritance.
He had a book in front of him, as usual, these days. But he put it aside immediately and reached out.
"Certainly," he replied, delighted to hold the little one.
Lydia led Elizabeth up the stairs and into a room where she kept only a few special items. It was her old bedroom. The one where she had been held as a prisoner. It was now a wonderful place to visit when she wanted to remember other times. Not the days when the Countess was present, but the days when special things happened, and she had memories to save.
It would be difficult to have to move all of these things once she and her husband moved into his estate. But Walter was soon to come into his own and would have the whole of the house to rule.
Of course, he had hoped they might stay a little bit longer. Lydia said they would think about it, but it was very important for him to make a name for himself as the Earl of Canwick. He would have to take a wife of his own.
And when that happened, she would gather all of these things that meant so much to her, and she would take them to her new home.
"Now, before we go into this room, you must promise me that you will be very careful," Lydia instructed.
"Yes, Mother. I promise. I won't do anything wrong," she guaranteed.
Slowly, with great care, Lydia opened the door to reveal the room to Elizabeth.
"You must never come in here without asking me first," Lydia added.
"I didn't know about this room," Elizabeth said, her fingers brushing a silver tiara.
"I wore that on the day I married your father," she said.
Lydia thought back to that day. It had been beautiful in every way.
"You did?" Elizabeth asked.
"Indeed," Lydia replied. "And your Aunt Arabella and Uncle Arthur married on the same day. We shared a wedding ceremony with them because we love them so much."
"You did? You shared your wedding with them?"
"We did. And it was wonderful. We were able to enjoy the time together and then depart separately to live as husband and wife on our own. Your father and I came to live here with your Uncle Walter, and they moved to Uncle Arthur's home," she explained.
Twice each month, the two families came together and enjoyed a dinner and all sorts of games and festivities. It had meant that Eleanor and Elizabeth could be friends with one another.
"Is Eleanor going to the party tomorrow?" Elizabeth asked, having the thought at the same moment Lydia did.
"I believe so. It shall be wonderful that you have a friend to spend time with."
"I like seeing Eleanor. She is my dearest friend. And my cousin," Elizabeth said, repeating the words of introduction that she had heard so many times.
"Yes, I know that," Lydia laughed.
She looked around the room at all the items that meant something to her.
There was a shell from the time she and Henry had gone to Brighton for their honeymoon. He had picked it up for her and said that it was the most perfect one he had found.
Then there was a glass bead set that had been passed down from his grandmother to his mother and now to her.
She had never worn the jewellery, and it was far too delicate now. But it was something she would save forever and then give to Elizabeth when she had a family of her own. Poor Emily would not get something so precious, but it had always been passed to the first daughter in the family.
As Henry had no sisters, that had meant it went to Lydia. Something she was honoured to accept.
And then there was the blanket that had been made by Lady Lambton for them. Doilies sewn together, it really would have provided no warmth. But it had been a wedding gift from a woman who had never been forced to learn a craft. And it meant a great deal to them as Lady Lambton had been a crucial part of her rescue.
"Oh, and what is this painting? She looks funny," Elizabeth laughed in her girlish way.
Lydia laughed with her.
"That is meant to be me," she chuckled.
"You? But Mother, you're so pretty. This painting isn't very pretty," she said, pulling at the frame and bringing it towards herself.
"No, but it is special. Your father and I have been married for a number of years, and there was a time when he wanted to try his hand at art to see if he could enjoy it. That painting was the result of it. Terrible, yes, but it makes me happy," Lydia said.
She thought back to the day he had finally given up and said it was finished. She had managed to hold back her laughter, but he knew she was lying about her compliments.
"Now, back here, is where the silver dress is," Lydia said.
"I want to see it!" Elizabeth exclaimed.
"Yes, I know you do. But you must be very careful. Do you understand? It is quite an old gown. It belonged to my mother many years before I was born. And then it came to me," she said.
"It came to you? How? Did your mother give it to you?"
Elizabeth was always a bundle of questions. It was a good sign, although it was often exhausting. Lydia wondered what the future held for such a clever girl in a world that did not appreciate clever women.
"No. It was Miss Tabitha who found it. She was the one who gave it to me," Lydia said, reaching into the trunk where the gown was waiting.
She pulled it out and watched the awe spread upon Elizabeth's face when she saw that it was so reflective.
Even now, after all this time, Lydia was amazed by it. She had forgotten the beauty of it. And seeing it again brought everything back. It took her back to that night when she had been so happy and then had gone through something so difficult.
It took her back to the evidence that the gown had provided and the fact that without it, she might never have been free.
Yes, the gown was incredibly important to her. It had been a precious aspect of her life. And it was a delight to share it now with her daughter.
"Mother, it is amazing," she said.
"Indeed," Lydia replied.
"So, what is the story?" she asked.
"Well, I once was in a very difficult situation. A very mean lady was trying to take everything I had. And one night, I wore this gown to a ball. It was a very fancy ball. You know Lady Lambton? You remember her?" Lydia asked.
"Yes!" she said.
"Well, Lady Lambton and her late husband threw this ball. And it was wonderful in every way. So, I decided to go even though I knew the mean lady would be there. I wore this mask to hide," she said, revealing the winged mask.
Once more, Elizabeth gasped at the beauty of it.
Her astonishment was palpable, and Lydia was glad to have been able to present it in such a magnificent way.
"You like it?"
"It is like a butterfly," Elizabeth said.
Lydia was tempted to tell her how much that resonated with her, but it was a story for another day, she figured. After all, this day was about the masquerade. And having a child who loved stories so dearly, she could hardly waste them all at once.
There had to be some excitement to share in the future.
"But I was not so fortunate. The mean lady figured out that it was me. She threatened me and made me run away from there. And do you know who came to save me that night?" Lydia asked.
"Who?" Elizabeth wondered. "Was it a prince?"
"Of sorts," Lydia said.
"Really? Was it the king? Or a knight? I have heard some wonderful stories with knights in them," she said.
"He was all of those things and more. Do you want to know who it was?" she prolonged, building suspense.
"Yes!" Elizabeth demanded.
"Your father! He knew I was being treated badly, so he gathered some of his friends, and they all came to our home the next day. That mean lady tried everything to keep them away from me. Everything. But she failed. They rescued me. And it was all thanks to your father," Lydia reiterated.
"Papa did that?" Elizabeth asked.
It was wonderful for Lydia to see how her daughter admired her father at that moment. It was exactly the sort of reaction she always hoped her children would have when thinking of him.
She wanted to raise them to respect and honour him, to appreciate who he was and all that he had done for them. Henry was a wonderful man, a wonderful husband. It was important to her that they saw and noted that.
"He did. That, and so much more. Elizabeth, my dear, your father is a hero. He has saved me so many times. From horses and rivers and terribly mean ladies. And that was all when we just began to know one another. You cannot imagine how many times he has rescued me ever since," Lydia said with a sigh.
He had done it again and again throughout their marriage. In difficult times, and in seasons when it seemed as though things might fall apart.
Even the difficulty of having newborn twins was a time when she needed his strength. And Henry had been there for her. He had reminded her of her own strength and how well she had done in delivering them. How amazing she had been to carry them through all of the nausea and back pains.
He had supported her. And she would support him always. That was a very small thing Lydia had determined long ago. It was something she could do with ease and ensure she made an effort each day to remind the children of something that made their father unique and wonderful in her eyes.
"He is a hero?" Elizabeth asked for confirmation.
"A true hero. The sort that any young woman might hope to marry," Lydia said.
It was clear that Elizabeth was enthralled. Not only by the story but by the gown. "Will I go to balls like that someday?" she asked.
Lydia nodded. "Yes. One day, you will. But that is not yet. For now, you shall have tea with other young ladies like yourself. I think you are going to be the youngest there tomorrow, but that is all you need to worry about. And we have a dress for you to wear to that. I simply need to decide which one..." Lydia said, her thoughts trailing away.
"But I want to wear this one!" Elizabeth said, grasping at the silver fabric.
"I think it is a bit large for you, my dear," Lydia laughed.
"Yes, maybe so. But one day? When I am big like you, and I can go to balls and wear masks? Can I wear it then?"
Lydia looked up into the doorway and saw her husband watching them. He had just come in from a ride. Walter hadn't wanted to go because he wanted to work on his studies.
Henry was flushed, and he looked rugged in the most handsome of ways. It made Lydia's heart pound for a moment, and she lost all thought of what had been asked of her.
"Mother?" Elizabeth prodded.
"Oh. Yes, well, you shall have to ask your father. He is the head of the household, and he is the one who makes such important decisions," Lydia said, nudging her towards him.
Elizabeth looked up at Henry and had a pleading look in her eyes. Then, without waiting for him to answer, she stood up and ran to him, throwing her arms around his leg.
"Please, Papa? Might I be allowed to wear the gown one day?" she begged.
Henry laughed.
"Certainly. One day, you shall have your very own story that ends happily," he promised.
"No. I don't want the story," Elizabeth said.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, the story is nice and all, but that's not what I want. I just want the gown. And a ball."
Elizabeth amused them both, but they tried not to laugh at her innocence, even if it was precious to them.
"No. That is wrong," she began to correct herself.
"Oh? Then what would you prefer?" Henry asked.
"I should like to attend many balls. With many pretty dresses," she said.
Henry nodded as if considering her demand.
"Well, hmm. That is quite a grand desire you have, my dear. But I suppose you may have as many balls as you would like. And you may attend many others. But only on one condition. There is a promise you must make to me," he said.
"What is it?" she asked, wide-eyed.
"You must only marry whom I say you may marry."
Elizabeth's face shone with horror.
"No! I shall choose," she insisted, causing Lydia to laugh from where she still sat on the floor behind her daughter.
Lydia and Henry smiled at one another. They were raising a rather demanding child, but one who was precocious and determined.
Still, in this situation, they both knew what the answer would be.
"All right then," Henry said and, crouching in front of her, kissed her forehead. "When the time comes, you will choose... and your own fairy tale shall begin."
