"No," Vivian spluttered. "You can't do that"
"I rather have you become an indentured servant than work in an industrial factory," she quipped.
She gazed up at her mother and gawked. "It's better than giving up on your own children. I want to stay with you mother. Please don't give me up. If it's about that fight last night, I'm sorry."
"It's not about the argument we had last night, It's for your own safety," she said, raising her head pridefully. Her mother couldn't fight the tears that sprung from her eyes as she turned tail and walked over to the fire place. She went through her pockets before taking the letter and throwing it in the fire place.
"I can't believe you'd do that," Vivian raise her voice in the distance. "Father needs that letter."
"He already knows he's been cheated out of a job, he doesn't need another reminder of it."
Vivian had a puzzled look on her face. Her mother stared into the crackling flames when a wave of panic came over her. Tears swelled in her eyes. Gretchen clamped her hand over mouth and suddenly started to break down into a series short sobs. Vivian looked at her mother wide eyed. Gretchen was rarely one to cry that way. It terrified her. "Mother," she croaked softly. "Mother it's alright."
Gretchen shook her head. "no my dear, it is not. It will never be"
Vivian continued rubbing her mothers shoulders to sooth her. If only she had an older brother that was able to obtain the family estate and save the family. But that seemed pretty much impossible.
All of a sudden she gasped, the mental light bulb over her head exploding with brilliancy.
"What is it," Gretchen hiccuped. Man was she a worse crier than Vivian. Her eyes were swollen now as she struggled to breathe through her mouth. Whenever she sniffled it seemed to echo into the other room.
"I can be your son," she said.
"Don't be ridiculous," Gretchen sobbed.
"No, I mean I could pretend to be one." Vivian put emphasis on the word 'pretend'.
Gretchen paused, before sobbing louder.
Vivian frowned. "What?"
"You're a cross dresser!" she cried. "I knew it, no wonder why you didn't want to get married," Gretchen hiccuped mid sentence. "This day just keeps crashing down on me, over and over and over again, my small body cannot take it anymore!"
Vivian rolled her eyes, "mom I'm not a cross dresser. It was just a suggestion to save the family. I figure if I become a man I can work and make some money."
Gretchen froze and looked up at her with weary eyes. She grabbed Vivian's arm in an instant and leaned closer to her. "Don't be silly, you can't make money. I don't want you to give up everything I taught you. It's pretty much impossible in this day of age sweetheart."
Both women herd footsteps down the stars, and their heads whipped to see Vivian's father, Sebastian, yawning, curling the tips of his mustache back up gently. He slept in his suit from last night. His hair parted in the middle messily. Clearly he has a night of catastrophe. "What's going on Gretchen?" he asked softly. "I thought I herd you crying downstairs"
Gretchen wiped her ears and embraced him warmly. Vivian leaned back and smiled for a moment. For marrying someone they only meet within a week it, and so young. She was amazed how much they still managed to stay in love this whole time.
"Our daughter wants to be a cross dresser," she pulled back whispering in his ear.
Her father's bold brows scrunched together in confusion.
"I want to help in any way I can," Vivian said. "I can imitate a man easily and get work downtown. There's an opening and they need an extra worker at the chocolate shop down the street, you know, selling things."
Vivian's father studied her for a moment.
"I was hoping-"
"This is not time for jokes Vivian," he said dully, taking out his puffer from the cabinet besides him. "Besides, it's too much for a woman like you. Someone of your stature deserves to be married with children. You're far too old to be fraternizing in some habits that are too big for your own well being."
"Listen to your father," Gretchen insisted.
Vivian gaped. She couldn't believe her ears. "But you're giving us up to servitude! we can't get married anymore if you do that. It doesn't make sense of any sort."
Sebastian shot a glance at Gretchen, who gulp and looked away in dismay.
"I will get a job and take care of my daughters. Mark my word. I'm a decent business man with a bunch of connections, you must not worry about me. Especially you mother"
"You have to prepare for the worst Sebastian," she insisted.
He shook it head. "You're scaring the girls, Gretchen, leave it to me to get this under control again."
"And what if you can't?" she pressed. "Are you just going to fail the family again with false hopes and promises?"
Vivian's father snapped and walked out. "That's it, I'm going out for a long walk to clear my thoughts of this!"
Her mother huffed. "Now just wait one minute while I follow. As your lovely wife you should know that if I'm not at rest, than neither are you!"
As her parents quarreled outside she rushed back up to her bedroom. Ruby was barely getting up now, yawning with her arm stretched out in the air. "Wake up for gods sake," Vivian shoved the clock in her face to show her the time, "it's past eleven am already what's wrong with you!"
Ruby discarded her sister with a wave of a hand and rolled off the bed. "Excuse you, but I was crying the whole night," she mumbled before scratching her butt and trudging into the bathroom. Vivian watched with disdain as she slammed the door in her face. Heart pounding in her chest Vivian rushed into her parents room and grabbed a dark blazer, pants, and a pair of shiny black shoes that were much too big for her. Not that it mattered at this point.
"Blazes! what are you doing with all of father's clothes," Ruby shrieked when she saw Vivian lay them on the bed.
"Close the door, and whatever you do, don't let mother and father see me like this. I'm going to grab a pair of scissors."
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A/N - Thanks for reading! please show your support by voting on these chapters, it brings me joy to hear from you guys (:
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Hiding from Mr. Billionaire
Romantizm"You cannot fool me, I know who you really are." His hot breath fanned Vivian's lips as she stared into his hooded grey eyes. "And if you don't reveal yourself to me, I shall do it by force" It is the mid-19th century. Despite society's efforts to t...
