hey, sorry i havent updated in awhile i had camp. but im here now! yay i dont own danny... dont sue me. thanks to yall who reviewed :)

Danny stood under the trellis in the courtyard, clipping the dead branches of the vines. The sun was over head and it was getting hot. Once again, he lost track of time.

Daydreaming about, how one day he would get out of here and never have to carry a bucket again. Within thoughts of leaving, came thoughts of Sam. ’I’m crazy. I’ve only seen her twice there’s no way that…’ Danny stopped and lowered the hedge clippers. ‘If only I could see her again, talk to her. Maybe…’

Danny heard two feet, running behind him. He didn’t give it a second thought until: “Danny! Hey!” Genevieve ran up to the trellis and stopped, before running over the small morning glories, planted yesterday. “Danny I have to talk to you.” She was out of breath. Danny guessed where ever she came from, she ran all the way here.

“Here, sit down and breathe.” Danny cleared the cement bench for them to sit. Genevieve walked around the flowers and took a seat next to Danny.

“Danny, you know Miss. Sam, right?” Danny felt his heart rate go up and he was sure that Genevieve could hear it.

“Well, yeah. Kind of, I just met her yesterday.” He laughed at his choice of words. ‘More like tripped her’

Genevieve caught him smiling to himself, maybe this could work. It looked like Danny had the same, unsure feelings for her that Sam did for him.

“Danny, what would you say if I told you, to be here tonight after dinner, to see her?” Genevieve had a smile on her face the whole time.

Danny’s heart leapt at those words, for reasons unknown to him. If Genevieve couldn’t hear his heart before, he was positive she could now. “W-why would I … I mean, why-“

“Danny, don’t worry. Do you want to see her, or not?”

“Well, yeah. But-“

“Great! Beat the East courtyard at eight, after dinner. I’ll make sure the lights are lit so you two can see. Oh, and don't worry about how you’re going to get here, I've got that covered.”She said with the smile that seemed to be painted on her face. She sat up quickly and ran out of the trellis and back the way she came. Danny had never seen her run so fast.

It all started to sink in. He was going to see Sam tonight! He would have to sneak away from Ms. Smith, but other than that he would get to see Sam again. He sighed and picked up the clippers. But instead of thinking of the work needing to be done, he thought of tonight and the many possibilities tonight would bring.

Sam sat in her Aunts room on an overstuffed, high back chair next to the fire place. Tara sat in the one to the left, drinking what looked like tea. Constantly lecturing her about the importance of knowing your place in the household. Sam was sick of the degrading voice and the notions that she would be taught to be the perfect wife.

Sam had already promised herself that she would make her Aunt’s job as hard as possible. This is why she was staring out the window. The pasture’s grasses moved like a sea and it was very entrancing.

Sam heard the doors to the room open and hit the walls with a bang. She turned to see who was in such a hurry to enter that they hadn’t knocked. Genevieve ran into the room panting for air. Sam stood out of her chair and walked over to her. “What? What is it?” Sam asked before she noticed the smile that didn’t leave Genevieve’s face for a second.

“Miss. Sam, I found Danny out in the courtyard under the trellis and-” Sam’s eye’s got wider.

“You didn’t!” Sam said louder than she meant to. Tara turned her head to see what the two teenagers were talking about. Sam noticed and spoke quieter. “What did you say?”

“Well I asked him if he wanted to meet you after dinner in the courtyard and…” Genevieve took a breath, “He said yes!” A wave of warmth flooded Sam’s body. ‘Yes… he said yes.’ She quickly gave Genevieve a hug and told her to meet in her room before dinner. Genevieve left the room and Sam almost floated back to her seat.

She sat and Tara eyed her suspiciously, noticing the smile that played across Sam’s face. “What was that about?” Tara asked. Sam looked up, she hadn’t expected Tara to question her sudden outburst.

“Well… you see, I have been…” She fingered the ends of her dress as she tried to find an excuse for her change in mood. “Umm… The new books are in from overseas and they are now being sold at the market in town.” She bit her bottom lip, hoping that Tara would fall for the sad excuse for a lie.

"Very well. Now back to our lesson." Sam was surprised it worked.

During the lesson Sam would nod and pretend like she was listen to what Aunt Tara had to say about house keeping. But in reality she was imagining eight o'clock had come. She would ask to be excused and leave for her room, but turn at the last moment for the courtyard in the back of the manor. And meet with Danny.

She was sure to most people it would be weird to have such strong feelings for a boy she had only seen twice, but to her it was perfectly normal. She couldn't wait for tonight.

What would her father say? There was no why he would approve of her interest in Danny. She was a "Lady" and he was a work hand. He wouldn't understand, he was making her marry a complete stranger for heaven's sake! But right now she didn't care.

"- Ok, Samantha. I think I've kept you long enough. You're free to go." Tara said. Sam didn't even realize that she was still talking.

"Oh… what time is it?" Sam asked.

"Well I suppose it's around six thirty. It's hard to tell sometimes when your enjoying yourself, huh?" Tara said, grinning. Sam ignored the cliché and stood up.

"Thank you, Aunt Tara." she said. She gathered the thick, dark green dress skirt and ran out of the room.

(Sam's bedroom)

Sam paced in her room. Genevieve sat at the end of the bed with the note for the caretaker. Saying that Danny needed to do some extra work in the East courtyard after dinner.

"Don't worry so much, you're going to put a hole in the floor." Genevieve told her. Trying to comfort her.

"But what if it doesn't work? What if we get caught, huh? Then what am I supposed to say? That he came out to do work and I came to stargaze?" Sam was nervous beyond belief.

"If it works, then yeah. Don't worry, everything's going to be fine." Genevieve sat up and walked over to Sam. "Now lets fix your hair for dinner,"

They sat in font of the vanity for ten minutes before figuring that Sam's hair would be best kept down. Sam put on a navy blue, evening gown that rested right below her knees. She decided that she looked presentable after a good twenty minutes.

Sam walked down to the Dinning Hall with Genevieve. After half way there Genevieve left for the laundry room, were she knew Ms. Smith would be. Sam walked the rest of the way alone hoping that dinner would be over quickly.

Genevieve walked quickly to the laundry room at the edge of the property. Although it was called a "room" it was more like a small hut and resembled a stone mushroom. She walked in trying to see through all the steam.

"Hello?!... Ms. Smith. I have a letter for you." Genevieve said as sweetly as she could. She didn't care for Ms. Smith to much.

"Who's it from?" The large woman stepped out of the white mist, making Genevieve jump.

"Umm…" she hadn't thought this through. "I-I don't know. Some one laid it on my bed and the note said it was to be given to you." Ms. Smith glared at Genevieve and jerked the note from her hand. She opened it and read it quickly. Then shoved it back to her.

"If that boy is needed in the courtyard then there's nothing I can do about it. But you'll have to get him yourself. He's in the green house." Ms. Smith walked back into the layer of mist, disappearing into nothing. Genevieve wasted no time leaving. This place was giving her the creeps.

She walked calmly away from the laundry room, incase there was a chance that Ms. Smith was watching. As soon as she was around the corner, Genevieve broke into a run. She seemed to be doing more and more running in the past day.

She ran up to the servant dinning room in the basement. She rushed through the open doors and scanned the room of people for the young servant. She weaved in and out of the crowd. She made her way to the back of the room to the table that Danny seemed to have claimed as his own.

Danny looked up from the plate, his mouth full of scrap meat. She knew that he would ask how he was supposed to be "escaping" tonight.

"Don't worry you can go to the courtyard without being questioned. Oh, and if any one asks, your working for the gardener because he's sick with the flu. m'kay?"

"Uhh... Yesh." Danny sad through a mouth full of food.

Genevieve beamed at him and walked back through the crowd, enjoying the fact that she no longer had to run.

At least for now.

(after dinner: Danny)

Danny slipped out of the door of the dinning room to the stair well that lead up to the main hall. He ran up the stairs two at a time, not wanting to be late. He stopped at the top of the stairs and checked the hall to make sure no one was following him, he did not want to be interrupted. Danny turned right and walked down the long, carpeted neighboring hall, almost sprinting.

He turned left to the marble hall with the floor length windows, that lead to the grounds. He was rushing now and made his way through an arch. From there he followed a cobblestone path that would lead him to the East Courtyard.

Danny walked around the brush into the almost hidden courtyard. No one used this place any more so the bushes had grown up around it, so someone couldn't see inside unless you stuck your head in the brush.

Danny had never actually been here he had to ask Tucker were it was. The vines had grown over the marble fountain flowers bloomed between the cracks in the cobblestone. Rosebushes lined the walkway and lilies took up a lot of the ground. It was almost like a stone meadow.

The sky was navy blue, the stars were staring to come out. As Genevieve had promised the black street lanterns were lit and a warm, yellow glow engulfed the courtyard.

Danny wasn’t sure what time it was but he didn't think it would be long until Sam would come.

He sat there for twenty minutes, but to him it didn't seem that long. Thinking about seeing Sam distracted him for the most part, but the sky said differently. It was black and full of stars now. It had to be past eight.

The bushes started to move and the sound of fabric brushing against the leaves could be heard. Suddenly Sam fell out of the brush and onto the flowered ground.

Danny rushed from his seat on the fountain to Sam. He bent down offering his hand to her. Sam looked up at the hand that had been in this same position just yesterday. She looked up to meet Danny's smiling, blue eyes. She took a sharp breath and forgot to let it go.

"Sam? Um I mean ma'am." Danny stuttered. He wasn't sure what to call her.

Sam took his hand and he pulled her up, "Please… Danny. Sam, will do." she said blushing. Sam brushed the dirt from the front of the dress. Fully aware that Danny was staring. She stood up and eyed him back. "Yes?"

"Oh, um. Well." Danny blinked and looked down at her feet, hoping she couldn’t she the blush that had wasted no time to appear. " I was just wondering why you wanted to see me." He said quietly.

"Umm…" It was her turn to be nervous. "I wanted to know more about you. I've never seen you around the manor."

"So you ask all your unknown workers to meet you here? Everyone of them, I guess. Because at one point or another you didn't know who they were." the sarcasm practically pored out of his mouth. "I am sorry for being so… forward. But. What is the reason you wanted to see me?"

Sam didn't know what to say. He was right, and now she just felt like an idiot. "W-well…"

"I mean, if you don’t want to tell me…" He looked up." that's fine too." Sam gasped. Weather Danny knew it or not he was playing with her mind. It scared her that someone who she had just met could pull at her mind like that."Why don't you have a seat?"

a small cliffhanger ending for this chap. review, i luv readin' what people think. i'll try to get the 3rd chap. up in 2 weeks, it would be 1 but im leaving for vacation and i cant take the laptop...*sigh

R&R