Betrothed

Chapter 15: Nikki

I am mopping the floors in the foyer absentmindedly as I ponder my situation. Lord Wembley has continued to make advances towards me and each time it is still disgusting. I am considering quitting my job here after Allie moves out and gets married. I will not before then though because I would not be able to see my friends as often. I cannot stay after she leaves though because I am sure that the actions made by Lord Wembley would become worse. I am jolted out of my thoughts when I hear the chime of the big bell that indicates that someone is at the front door. As I jump from the sudden loud noise I realize that I had stopped mopping all together and a big puddle of water is pooling around my mop. I go and open the front door, after setting my mop and bucket aside, to find an expensively dressed man and woman with four children younger than me and a slew of royal guards surrounding them. I curtsy very low because if there are royal guards then these people must be royalty or very close to.

"Hello," I say. "Welcome to the Wembley Manor. How may we be of assistance to you today?"

"We are here to speak to Lord Wembley about a young lady in his household. Is he occupied right now?" The man at the door asked.

"No My Lord he should not be right now. Please follow me to the sitting room and I will let Lord Wembley know that you are here." I quietly showed them to the sitting room. "May I have your name to let Lord Wembley know who wants to speak with him?"

"Of course." replied the woman, "My name is Princess Caroline Jernigan, the Princess Royal, and this is my husband Lord Brandon Jernigan, the Duke of Gordon."

"Well please make yourselves comfortable Your Highnesses. I will make Lord Wembley aware of your presence."

***

"Enter." I hear Lord Wembley say after I knock on his study door. He looks up as I walk in. "What is it Nicole?" He says exasperated, “Can you not see that I am busy."

"My apologies for bothering you My Lord." I say with a curtsy even though it pains me to do so. "You have visitors down the hall in the sitting room who wish to speak with you. I believe they said that their names were Lord Jernigan and Princess Caroline." Lord Wembley perked up at this.

"Then I will go there at once, they are one of the most prestigious families in London, it would be uncivil to leave them waiting. Nicole, get tea and cookies and bring them to the sitting room."

"Of course My Lord." I say as he exits the room and I follow him out.

After he leaves I do not go to the kitchen though, instead I run up to Allie's room to tell her about the strange visitors. As soon as I reach her door I burst in without knocking or thinking. As I enter though I see her jump in surprise and instantly feel bad for scarring her.

"Sorry Allie, it is just me." I say to calm her nerves.

"Uh, Nikki do not do that! I thought that you were my father for a moment there." She replies.

"Sorry again. I just thought that you would like to know that your father has visitors; Lord Jernigan and Princess Caroline and their four children." I tell her this excitedly because I know how much she loves children and wishes that she had a younger sibling.

"Really! Hmm, I wonder what they could want." She ponders aloud.

"Who cares about that right now, you should go down and introduce yourself, they are in the sitting room."

"Okay then, I will."

"Good, now I have got to go get tea and cookies." I say and leave before I become suspiciously late.

***

I knock on the door to the sitting room a few minutes later with piping hot tea and fresh cookies. As always I wait until I hear Lord Wembley tell me to come in before I enter. Right as I step in the room I notice that the three children here earlier are gone. They must have gone with Allie. I walk over and set the tray on the center table before turning to face Lord Wembley. I curtsy as I turn to him.

"Thank you Nicole. That will be all." He tells me with a slight glance at the tray. As I start to walk towards the door the man, Lord Jernigan, speaks.

"Wait!" He commands and I turn around to face him.

"Yes Lord Jernigan?" I say a little cautiously.

"You are Nicole. Nicole Milburn?" He asks. Lord Wembley cuts in before I can answer and I am glad because I am too shocked by the fact that he knows who I am to respond.

"Yes Lord Brandon. She is my servant Nicole Milburn. Why do you ask? Has she done to you some wrongdoing in the past? I can assure you that there will consequences if she has." He tells Lord Jernigan and I flinch at the consequences part. Unfortunately, Princess Caroline saw my flinch.

"No Sir." She spoke up, "This girl has done us no wrong; she is though what we came to speak to you about. Nicole come sit down here." She told Lord Wembley and then me as she pointed to a place next to her. I comply and go to sit down. Once I sat she turned to me and clasped her hands in mine. At this point I am very confused. Who were these people? And why do they want to talk about me?

"Well please enlighten me. What do you have to say about my girl?" Lord Wembley asked, intrigued.

"Lord Maxwell, I do not know how to put this to either you or Nicole so I will just say it." Lord Jernigan started and he took a deep breath to steady himself before continuing. "Nicole here is our daughter and she is coming home with us." I stare at him in shock; my parents are the late Jonas and Evelyn Milburn, not these noble people. I am even more shocked when Lord Wembley starts laughing. Laughing for crying out loud! At a time, such as this it seems highly inappropriate.

"That is very funny Lord Brandon however I think that you are mistaken." Lord Wembley barely gets out between his laughs.

"No I assure you it is true Sir." Said Princess Caroline or I guess my supposed mother.

"Here is our proof." Said her husband, handing my employer a rather large file, overflowing with papers.

"It is all there, everything to prove that she is our daughter. You see Lord Maxwell, my father took her from us when she was born and we have been trying to find her ever since. So now you can let our daughter come with us peacefully and respectfully or we can have the guards arrest you and then she can come with us." Princess Caroline tells Lord Wembley. Lord Wembley just looks at me with hate in his eyes.

"Well you heard her!" He yells at me. "Go get your things you little wretch and then leave my house and do not come back!"

"DO NOT! Speak to my daughter in that manor! You are testing my patience Lord Maxwell. Remember that we are in close with his Highness Prince Joseph and we can have you arrested at any time for stealing our daughter." My father, I guess, yelled back at him. He then turns to me, "Nicole dear please go collect your things, we will be leaving at once. And if you know where Lady Alyssa's bedroom is can you get you brothers and sisters, they are in there."

I nod and leave the room. I go downstairs to my bedroom numbly. I am leaving Wembley Manor. My parents are a Lord and a Princess. I am a Lady and technically a princess, however far down in the line of succession. Still though I am a Lady, like Allie and Maddie. This is all too much to take on at once. Once I get to my bedroom I dig out the small bag that I brought my stuff in when I first came to live here. I do not pack much; I do not have much to pack. Just some clothes, what little money I have, and a diamond necklace that Maddie and Allie had gotten me for my thirteenth birthday.

After that I go up to Allie's bedroom to get the children who I guess are my younger brothers and sisters. I remember to knock on the door this time so as to scare Allie out of her skin. I enter after knocking and everyone looks up as I do.

"Oh. Hi Nikki." Says Allie.

"Hello Allie." I say in reply. "Can I talk to you for a second?" As I ask though I can see the littler of the two girls reach up and whisper something into Allie's ear and then I see Allie nod her head yes. Before I knew it the little girl barreled into me and pulled me into a big hug.

"My name is Avery! You are my elder sister!" She said with the cutest little smile on her face.

"Avery! Stop that, I am sure that Nicole does not want you squeezing her to death." Exclaims the older boy as he walks over to us. "I am sorry about her Nicole. I am Grayson, that it Willow, and that is Tobias." He says, pointing to the other little girl and the very small boy sitting on the floor.

"Great! It is a pleasure to meet you, please call me Nikki." I reply to him. "Allie I do not know if you heard..." I start but then do not get to finish.

"Yes I heard. Your siblings told me. You are a Lady! And not just a Lady but a distant Princess!" Allie exclaims and then she comes and gives me a big hug as well. "I am so happy for you! Just promise to take a break from big London life to come and visit Maddie and me alright?"

"Of course I will visit, I do not know what to think of this whole thing to be honest and I will need some of your brilliant advice. Do me a favor and tell Maddie and Quentin please. Let them know that I am sorry that I could not tell them myself and that I will visit them soon." I ask her.

"Of course I will Nikki." She tells me.

"Um, excuse me for interrupting this heartfelt moment but I was just wondering. Are you two...friends?" Grayson asks. "Because I thought that you were a Lady Miss Alyssa and that you were a servant here Nico- I mean Nikki."

"Yes we are friends and have been for a very long time. Please do not tell anyone, especially my father!" Allie asks him pleadingly.

"Do not worry your secret is safe with us!" Willow replied for him.

"Now Allie I really have to go. Take care." I say as I give her a farewell hug.

"You too Nikki. Goodbye children!"

"Goodbye Miss Alyssa!" Comes the chorus of replies. With that I walk downstairs carrying Tobias with Grayson, Willow, and Avery trailing behind. Once down there we are joined by our mother and father and load up into a massive carriage. As we drive away from the castle that has been my home for the past five years my thoughts start to wander. How did my life change so drastically in a day?