Chapter 9

Burke's POV

(~BURKE~)

He didn't how or why, but since Emma had arrived, he had slowly felt himself changing. It scared him, but also excited him. It scared scared him because it was unknown territory. He was used to things being the way they were and now everything was changing. It excited him because, for the first time since he was a child, he had a chance to change for the better.

 

Why had he hugged her instead of punishing her? He didn't rightly know. Why had he taken off his mask before apologizing? Because it felt right. He had always followed his hunches and he wasn't going to stop now.Why wasn't he mad at her for setting him straight? Because no one ever did that. No one had ever put him in his place and he liked that she had the courage to do it even being afraid he would hurt her. Oh, he knew she had been afraid. And then shocked when he hugged her. And, even if he wasn't sure it was true, he liked what she had said about respect.

 

Burke decided that he better face it. He liked everything about her. Her loyalty, her stubbornness, her strength, her thoughts, her compassion. Everything. It was a humbling discovery.

 

He was in his chambers about to go down for dinner. At the last minute, he swiped the mask off his face and left the room before he had time to reconsider.

 

On the way to dining room he saw several servants stop and stare. The only people in this house that had ever seen him without his mask were Gwen and Emma.

 

As he entered the dining room Gwen dropped the silverware and then grinned the grin he had loved all his life. He smiled back. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he could smile. Emma came through the doors to the kitchen and stopped in her tracks. Slowly, her wonderful smile formed on her face.

 

Burke decided that it was time to set everything straight with Emma. After dinner he would clean the slate.

 

At dinner he joined in the friendly banter that went on nightly. Everyone stopped and stared, some with food halfway to their mouths.

 

He could understand their shock. He had never spoken at dinner but to give orders.

Burke saw Gwen smiling at him from across the table, and he could guess what she was thinking.

 

 

<~<~<

 

 

Burke was knocking on Emma's door. It was time to set things straight.

 

"Come in," Came Emma's soft voice. He stepped inside and saw her sitting on her bed combing her long dark brown hair with a wooden comb. Her hair was so long, it probably went past her butt when she was standing. He had never seen her hair down before because she had always kept it in a prim little bun.

 

"Emma."

 

"My Lord." She looked up from her task and smiled at him. Why he deserved a smile, he didn't know.

 

When she said 'My Lord,' he felt a little twinge of guilt. He decided that was the first thing to set straight. "Emma, you don't have to call me 'My Lord,' anymore." He was afraid, she would ask why, and he would have to explain, but instead she just nodded her head and said okay.

 

"And I wont hurt you anymore," He plowed ahead. "And I'll take you back t your father if you want me to. I wont hold you here anymore. All you have to say is yes."

The comb fell from her fingers in her surprise.

 

"What...did you say?"

 

"You don't have to be my maid anymore. I'll take you home to your father, if you want to go." He was trying to do the right thing, but he secretly hoped she would say no. It may have been selfish of him, but he wanted to keep her here, with him, if for no other reason than to make him feel human, like he hadn't for so many years.

 

"I-I don't know." Emma said softly, as if in shock, "I have to think about it."

 

"You can give me an answer whenever you like." He was still secretly hoping for her to say no.

 

She nodded, "Okay." She looked at him with wide eyes, "I would like to sleep now." and she laid down.

 

He left the room, quietly as he could.

 

That night he lay in bed, wishing, hoping, praying that he was doing the right thing, but in the back of his mind, what he was praying for, was that she would stay.

Reviews

[a]

aww damn. Another great chapter.