"Dada!" Little Roberta shrieked once she saw her father enter the nursery. She quickly and clumsily pulled her self down from the top high chair, she had sat, while her governess read a book for her and her brother. She jumped into her fathers waiting arms, and he lifted her up, almost covering her small frame in his hug.
"How is the most beautiful princess in my world doing today?" Lord Mayfair asked whilst covering her adorable little face with kisses.
"Lemme ayone" she giggled trying in vain to free herself from her fathers kisses.
She was obviously her fathers favorite Ann thought.
"Halo mother, father, Aunt Anna and Ara" George greeted once he joined them. He had his eye patch covering one eye.
" come give aunty a hug Georgy" Ara said embracing him.
" how was your ride" Anna asked after giving him a hug.
" although it was quite lengthy and Bobby kept whining, I took it as an interesting adventure" George replied.
" Well that is very like you then" Anna said.
George turned so his one eye could see Ann. "Halo Miss..." He paused obviously wondering what to address her with.
"Meet my good friend Miss Ann Liverbert, she offered to accompany you for the evening, as your governess must be very exhausted from the carriage ride" Daphne explained.
" thank you Miss Ann for offering to watch them, I sure am quite sore from the bumpy ride" the governess said.
" I am happy to help" Ann replied.
" I am Mrs Hopkins their governess, introduces yourselves children" Mrs Hopkins urged.
" Heyo miss Yann, My name is Bobby" Roberta said.
"She is Roberta, but we all call her Bobby and I am Master George Mayfair" he said with all the air of importance a six year old had, smiling with his four missing front teeth.
"Nice to meet you beautiful miss Bobby and handsome master George" Ann greeted with a warm smile.
"Permit me to say, you are very beautiful miss Ann" George said with a shy grin.
"Well thank you George" Ann smiled.
"I believe you said I was the most beautiful the last time we met" Ara laughed.
" I changed my mind, miss Ann is now the most beautiful" He replied shrugging his shoulders.
" it appears that miss Ann has managed to gain the affection of every Arnold bachelor" Daphned laughed.
Once Bobby finally got down from her fathers arms, she ran to her chair, and dragged what appeared to be the pink pony Ara had made for her some months ago, and handed it to Ann.
" you can pyay with Persephone" Bobby grinned pushing it in her hand.
"And the love of the younger crowd" Anna added.
" thank you Bobby" Ann grinned giving her a kiss on her small head.
" I will make sure to take good care of Persephone" she added.
"Okay children, now don't forget to thank your aunties for the gifts" Mrs Hopkins reminded.
"Thank you aunty Annie, thank you aunty Aya, for giving me Persephone, I love her so veyi much" Bobby said.
"Me too, now I can sail the world with my ship and eye patch" George said grinning.
"You are very welcome darlings" Ara cooed.
" I too enjoyed making them dear" Anna added.
"I believe we should be on our way now, come over and give mommy a hug children" Daphne said bending to give Kiss them goodbye.
The children hugged their parent one after the other and waved them away.
"Are you twins not coming along?" Daphne asked from the door.
"We want to enjoy their lovely company for a while" Anna said.
"You can do exactly that after dinner, or even tomorrow, there is just enough time to grab your dose of their daily migrains" Daphne replied.
"You mean loveliness" Lord Mayfair said giving George a kiss on his small head.
" I have something of great importance to tell you" Daphne said with a smirk.
"If it is really interesting, then I'm surely tagging along" Anna said.
"Wait I am coming with you" Ara said. "I hope you don't mind us leaving early" Anna asked Ann, guilt all over her features.
"Of cause not " Ann smiled.
"We promise to return as quickly as possible after dinner" Ara said.
"As you wish" Anna replied.
"Good night then" Daphne said.
"Good night" Anna replied, as Daphne pulled her sisters out of the room in a hurry.
"Yes pyay high 'n' sea" Bobby said once they left. She was pulling on Ann's skirt determined to gain her attention.
"Yes let's play hide and seek" George corrected.
"Okay who will be hiding?" Ann asked.
"Me! Me! I'll do! I'll do!" Bobby chanted jumping excitedly.
"Alright Bobby I am going to count to ten, and I'll open my eyes" George announced.
"Yayy! No peeking Georgy, and you too miss Annie" she shouted with glee.
" One, two, three, four, five... What the penalty for been caught?" George asked .
"Six, seven, eight, nine, ten" He continued counting while a giggling Bobby went in search of a hide out.
"Anyone who is caught will be tickle to oblivion" Ann announced.
She could hear Bobby giggling behind the big cushion chair at her left.
"Where is everyone?" Richard asked the first maid he met, once he entered the kitchen.
"They went up to the nusery to visit the children" she replied.
"What about miss Ann?" He asked again.
"She volunteered to watch the children for the evening" she replied.
Before she finished talking, Richard was already on his way to the nursery.
He had not gone far when he spotted his sisters with Lord Mayfair, and it did not take a second look to note miss Ann's absence.
"Richy" Anna shrieked.
"Hello sister" Richard drawled.
"I believed you where very busy with paper work this evening " Daphne said.
"I decided to pay my adorable niece and nephew a visit" Richard shrugged.
"Well that is very wonderful" Anna said.
"They will be delighted to see you" Daphne grinned.
"I believed that is where you are coming from" Richard asked.
" We checked how well they had taken the long ride" Lord Mayfair entered.
"Well, we better be on our way I have some important buisness with the twins" Daphne said pulling her sisters hands as she hurried away.
"I have no idea what they are about" Lord Mayfair said, once Richard gave him a questioning look.
"You never know what goes on ina females head" Richard said looking at her sisters hurry away.
Richard could hear giggling and laughter as he neared the room's door, no one heard when he entered, so he just stood watching them.
"I caught you" miss Ann laughed.
"Here comes the penalty" George announced, coming after his sister.
"Sayv mee! auntiee!" Bobby shrieked running into Ann's arm, and wraping hee arms around Ann's neck as her brother tickled under her feet.
"You can escape my wrath Bobby" George said from below.
"I'm sorry Bobby , there Is hardly anything I can do when you go caught" Ann laughed.
She looked so happy, and he could notice that she was a naturale with children. Her smile was so affecting he could not help but smile while watching them.
"Don't worry princess, uncle Richard will save you" Richard said effectively gaining the attention of the whole room.
"Uncle Lichyy!" Bobby shrieked almost jumping down from Ann's body in her hasteto get to her uncle.
Before she had gotten to her uncle, her brother was already sitting on his arm, so he picked her up on the other arm.
"How was your day?" He asked.
"It was wunnerful" Bobby grinned, throwing her hand about while explaining in details.
"We were playing hide and seek, and Bobby got caught for the second time" George said.
"Uncle Lichy, play high 'n' sea" Bobby suggested.
"Yes uncle, you can be the next to hide, since Bobby is so bad at it" Richard said.
"Miss Annie found me" Bobby complained.
"That is because, you keep hiding behind the chair" George drawled.
"Miss Ann" Richard said.
" yes, have I told you miss Ann is now the most beautiful?" George asked as he got down from his uncle's arms.
"She indeed is" Richard said watching her pick some fallen books from the floor.
"Miss Ann, uncle Richard says he will hide while we seek" George said, once he got to Ann's side.
" Oh thank you" Ann replied a bit surprised to hear him behind her.
She had watched him dote his niece and nephew, and somehow manage to looked even more attractive with them on his arms, no matter all odds, he was a good person and will be a wonderful father.
He got Bobbies permission to use her hiding spot and George counted and they started searching.
Ann walked pass their bedchamber and saw Richard's coat.
" I found hmm..." Ann paused as he closed her mouth with is palm.
"What are you doing?" Ann asked, sitting beside him.
"Uncle Lichy!..." Bobby called.
" I'm not sure either" Richard answered.
" well whatever it is, it is quite annoying" Ann said.
"My appologies" Richard said.
"Excuse me" Ann made to get up but immediately shot back, once she saw George.
"What are you doing" He asked.
"I have no idea" she answered
"I almost got caught by George..." Ann swallowed she had not realized he was so close, she could feel his hot breath on her face. She looked at his eyes and the usual sparkly gray had turned dark. She knew he would kiss her, but she was not sure if she could resist him, or if she wanted to resist him.
She was suddenly so irresistible, actually she has never been resistible since Richard met her. But this time he could hardly control his desires. And just when he had managed to make an honourable decision, she bit her lower lip.
Richard knew it was an habit of hers whenever she was nervous, but he could not help himself and he knew if someone was sure to regret it later it would be him, because he knew it could ruin the little trust he had gained as her friend.
"Uncle Lichy!" Bobby shrieked excitedly.
"Miss Annie are you tickling uncle Lichy?" She asked again.
"Umm...no...yes" Ann starmered.
She stood up flustered, Richard was quite happy his niece had saved him from making a big mistake.
"Georgy miss Ann found uncle Lichy again" Bobby said to her brother.
" I think she is very good at hide and seek" George said.
"Me too" Bobby said.
"Excuse me" Ann said practically running out of the nusery.