The Duchess in the Dorm [Published - Sample Only]

Chapter 8 - Off the Grid (part 1)

Just over two hours later at 4:15 AM Annie's phone alarm chimed.

Beep – Beep – Beep

Lizzie half woke up, cursed under her breath, and tried to remember where she was.

Beep – Beep – Beep

Next, to Lizzie, Annie groaned and finally regained the use of enough brain cells to realize that the alarm on her phone was the offending cacophony. She tapped it off and reached over to the naked girl next to her. She caught another whiff of the hair dye and shook Lizzie gently. "Lizzie, wake up. We have to go."

Lizzie groaned; she had been in a complete REM sleep state and was reliving the previous night's events for the ten or twenty millionth time...or so it seemed. She felt Annie's warm touch on her shoulder and shook out the cobwebs. "Right then, I'm good. Just give me a second."

Annie got out of bed first went into the washroom and used the toilet, quickly brushed her teeth, and silently went into the adjoining dressing room to put on the clothes she had set aside. Lizzie took another minute more to fully wake and then got up and took her turn. After finishing in the bathroom, Lizzie put on faded jeans which were two sizes too big, a plaid shirt, and a plain gray hoodie which was also way too large for her slim frame. She then laced up black Converse high tops and capped off her ensemble with a very hipster-like knit hat. The final touch was a pair of thick-rimmed glasses with clear lenses. Lizzie was admiring her disguise in an ornate full-length mirror when Annie came in from the dressing room.

"How do I look A?"

Annie laughed and covered her mouth with her hand. "Who are you and what have you done with my lovely blonde friend?"

Lizzie turned in a slow 360. "So you think that this will work?"

Annie nodded. "L, I have known you for ten years and would not recognize you from halfway across the room. You look more like a vagrant uni student than a Duchess. From up close your eyes are a bit of a giveaway, that shade of blue is one of your most striking features."

Lizzie gestured to her backpack and nodded. "Right, I have some brown contact lenses to disguise them, but it is too bloody early in the morning for that!"

At exactly 4:30 AM in accordance with the plan, the two young women quietly took the old servant's stairs to the back of the house and walked through the still driving rain to the carriage house. Annie was carrying Lizzie's backpack and Lizzie lugged her overstuffed Army surplus duffel bag. "We'll take the Ford, Liz."

Lizzie nodded and the two of them got into the late model two-door compact. Annie started up the car and drove down the gravel drive and into the village.

Annie and Lizzie rode in silence for the first few miles to the train station. They passed through the small village and then Annie took the turn off of the roundabout which led to the larger nearby town. Finally, Lizzie spoke in a low voice. "Anne, thank you for all of this, I know that it might not make sense, but in time it will."

Annie kept her eyes on the dark road ahead. "Yes, I don't understand your plan but you are my oldest and dearest friend and if you say it must be done this way then I will support you to the end."

Lizzie gently touched Annie's thigh. "Thanks. I'll let you know all the details someday."

After a moment Annie spoke again. "You saw the rough cut of the video on my camcorder. I'll do a few edits and post a video of your performance if that's what you still want."

Lizzie nodded in the dark from the passenger seat. "Yes, I think that this disguise will work best if they are looking for a haughty blonde heiress. Lizzie Wilson should be unremarkable and hopefully go unnoticed."

Annie smiled to herself. "Okay then, I'll post it on Boxing Day. I think that in addition to the whole thing, a short clip of you handing the crown jewels to your mum and letting down your formerly long blonde hair should go viral. That was quite a well-played scene."

The two old friends were silent for a few more minutes until Annie turned into the outskirts of the town. The train station was only a few minutes away when Lizzie spoke again. "I'll be, um, on the road for several days. Please don't worry, I'll call when I get settled. I'm taking my iPhone for emergencies, but it will be powered off for the duration; too easy to track you know. I'll get a new number and I'll call you soon as I can. I know that you don't pick up unknown numbers so I'll leave a voicemail and you'll know it's me."

Annie nodded silently. "Okay, got it. Unknown Caller sometime next week."

"Yes, that indeed will be me. And I'm so sorry to miss your engagement party. Please make my apologies to Sam; I really do think that you and he are well-suited. I'm very happy for you."

Annie smiled again and stared out into the predawn darkness. "Liz, I hope that you find your way and someday find love."

"Me too."

Two minutes later, Annie pulled the Ford into the nearly empty parking lot of the train station. She shut down the motor and pulled her phone out of her jacket pocket and looked at the time. "You'd best be on your way, my dear."

Lizzie nodded, reached over and squeezed Annie's hand and kissed her gently on the cheek. She was unsuccessful at avoiding the tears and managed to croak. "I'll call as soon as I can."

Annie was too choked up to respond. Lizzie unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the door, and put on her backpack over her left shoulder. Annie got out, opened the boot, and handed Lizzie the OD green duffel. A light rain had begun again as Lizzie silently walked up the brick stairs to the railway station.