Ooo! I updated late! Yes my mind sneaked away with me… and I forgot. Anyways, it’s here now! Hehe! Nothing much to say about this chappy really, but I quite like it! Hehe! Anyways, no more needs to be said, so I’ll leave you to read! Thank you so much for still reading and reviewing this everyone! Means lots! Luv Hay xxx

Chapter 12

Retiring to her room that evening after dinner had immediately finished, the false coughing and polite sneezing could now be banished as the configuration created this morning had reached its final lap. Now the rest was up to her, and as she closed the door behind her she couldn’t help but feel the buzz earlier, return. Tonight she would be free, and tonight she would be with Mark.

Hauling at her wardrobe door as time was slowly ticking on, she brushed aside the clothes she was forced to buy and targeted the section she liked. Pushing various colours aside, she reached for a pair of black trousers and threw them onto the bed before going back in search for something else. The bottom half was easily sorted but as she came to looking for a top, that proved difficult, as it had to be right. It had to harmonise the trousers. It had to harmonise with her.

Hearing a knock at the door, she stopped, cold in her tracks looking towards it, in hope that something would reveal who was standing behind it. Calling nervously in case the plan she had designed began to fall to pieces, she soon sighed with relief when Christie entered.

"Lou, I thought you were ill. What are you up to?" Christie asked, somewhat intrigued yet baffled at the same time as she stood by the door.

"Close the door," Louise whispered, "I’m not ill."

Doing as Louise said, Christie soon looked concerned yet followed instructions and soon walked over, sitting on her bed.

"What’s wrong Lou? What do you mean you’re ‘not ill?’"

"You can’t say anything to anyone… no one at all." Louise warned.

"Of course not… you’re not in any trouble are you?"

"What? No!" Louise chuckled. "I’m going out with Mark tonight." She grinned.

"What?!" Christie cried. "You can’t do that! How? Anton will know! He’ll find out…"

"No he won’t. Not if you don’t tell him." Louise said. "He thinks I’m ill, and so," she began, walking around the room before sitting on the bed, "I am restricted to my room all evening. I told him that myself… it’s all sorted."

"But how are you going to get out?" Christie questioned.

"Ooo, I dunno. I haven’t thought that bit through yet…" Louise laughed. "I’ll… I’ll climb out the window!"

"No! No you can’t do that. You might hurt yourself…"

"Well I haven’t got any other choice. Don’t worry! I’ll be fine…"

"No. No… I’ll help!" She smiled.

"What? How?"

"I’ll sneak you out…" Christie revealed. "If Anton is having friends over, then he’ll be in the dining room with Abigail so I’ll be able to get you to the door. It’ll be easy."

"Oh Christie! That’s so great!" Louise beamed, hugging her. "Thank you so much!"

"Don’t worry about thanking me," Christie smiled. "What are you going to wear?"

"Ooo I’m glad you asked that cos I need your help." Louise told. "The thing is I have these black trous…"

As another knock was heard at the door, alarm bells started to ring in both their heads, as it could only have been one person. Panicking, Louise looked to Christie in the hope that she would throw her a lifeline, and as Christie panicked too, she picked up the black trousers and whispered loudly.

"Quick! Get in bed! I’ll… I’ll make something up!"

Crawling under the covers, Louise wrapped them around her tightly as Christie stood up and headed to the door with the trousers in her hand.

"Oh… Christie… what are you doing in here?" Anton asked as the door was opened.

"Well… I erm… I came to see if Louise was ok and I erm… well I brought up these trousers because I have erm… just pressed them. Yes pressed them…" Christie informed as Louise cowered under the covers in fear.

Her plan couldn’t be rumbled now, not after everything had been sorted. More importantly, she had to see Mark. She’d been waiting for this all day and after her piano lesson this morning, she knew something was there, something there that she wanted to find out.

"Well I just wanted to see if she was ok myself and tell her that my gathering is starting very soon, so I will not be able to see her." Anton told.

"Oh, you could sir…" Christie said, coating Louise in more panic. "But she has just this second fallen asleep…" She lied before Louise quickly shut her eyes tight.

"I suppose I shall see her tomorrow morning then. Make sure you are not much longer in there. If my Louise has the flu I do not want it passed on to you too. You maids already slack in your work as it is…" Anton told as he headed off down the corridor, towards the stairs.

Closing the door behind her, relaxing once more, Louise jumped out from bed and smiled.

"Thank you so much Christie! That was a close one…" Louise thanked.

"Yeah… I know…" She gasped, grinning.

"You were great though! I really thought he was gonna come in…"

"Oh no Louise. Not with you ‘sleeping’ and his associates piling in soon…" Christie laughed. "Come on, I’ll help you find a top that can go with these lovely, pressed trousers." She giggled.

Forty minutes, or so later, Louise was now ready and with Christie’s help, Louise felt confident that the night was going to go fine. Dressed in the black trousers picked, along with a red, semi-low cut top, Louise slipped her black leather jacket on over the top, before flicking her brown locks out at the back.

"Ooo no nooo. Don’t do that yet." Christie told as Louise reached for her black boots. "Wait ‘til you’re downstairs that way you won’t make as much noise…"

"Have you done this before?" Louise laughed, holding her boots in her hand rather then putting them on.

"There’s a lot you don’t know about me…" Christie chuckled. "Anyway, enough about that. You best get moving otherwise you’ll never meet Mark."

"Christie…" Louise started as they both shuffled towards the door. "Do you think it’s bad what I’m doing?"

"Bad? What as in sneaking out or…"

"Or as in fancying Mark, yeah?" Louise finished, a little worried in awaiting Christie’s answer.

"Honestly, if I were you…" Christie began before taking a deep breath. "If I were you I’d probably do the same…"

"Seriously, you would?" Louise questioned, startled.

"Yeah, yeah I would. I don’t like it here anymore then you do, and it’s for similar reasons too…" Christie revealed. "But let’s not go on about stuff like that. Get out there Lou and go see Mark!" She grinned.

Turning and opening the door, Louise slowly crept out before stopping to face Christie again.

"Thanks." She smiled.

"No worries, now come on. Move, otherwise we’ll both get caught and we don’t want that."

Sneaking quietly, making sure each footfall was as soft as mice, they slowly prowled along the silent corridor before reaching the stairs. Stopping, so they could each run quietly down together, Louise took a deep breath and then glided down in dread of what might face her if she didn’t do this right. Skipping almost as the door was now in her sights, things below were deserted, giving her the perfect escape. Approaching the bottom, Louise placed her boots on the floor ready to put on before Christie pushed her lightly in the back, shaking her head.

"Not yet Lou. You haven’t got enough time. Do it outside." She whispered, helpfully.

Nodding as she silently picked up her boots, they both made a desperate dash towards the door in which Christie quietly opened, where a gush of cold air rushed in.

"Will you be alright?" Christie asked, handing her a small black bag as she stood in the doorway.

"I’ll be fine." Louise assured, smiling. "Thanks Christie…" She said once more before giving her a hug.

"Christie! Why on earth is that door open?" Anton called as he headed up the hallway.

Slamming the door shut, pushing Louise somewhat out, she leant back against it before making up some excuse.

"Well I erm… I thought I heard a knock. I though some more of your guests were arriving and I was going to erm… take their coats and bring them through." She lied. "But no one was there…"

"Well stop opening the door for no reason and letting the heat out. I may be made of money but that does not mean you have the reason to waste it!" He told, turning back round after collecting the address book on the small table.

Smiling weakly, Christie, wandered upstairs, in hope that Louise would be ok, and in hope that she wouldn’t get caught when she returned.

Picking herself up off the floor, brushing off the dust that lay on her trousers, she winced as she looked at her hand that was slightly grazed. Ignoring it, thankful that she was finally out, she quickly zipped up her boots and ran hastily out of the gates, heading towards town. Mark would be waiting, just like she had been all day…