Hugo led them to a shop where displayed out in big white letters above the door spelled: Jantzen's Swimwear.

Hugo smiled as he held open the door to the shop for the girls. Inside it was dark and bleak. Swimwear hung on clothing racks all over the small store in color-coordinated sections. Two changing rooms, hidden by curtains, sat in one of the back corners.

"Mummy! I'm here!" Hugo walked over to a stairwell in the back of the shop, opposite the changing rooms. The girls could hear the clacking of high heels on the floor above them.

Clickety-clack, Clickety-clack.

At the top of the narrow staircase stood a middle-aged woman, her blonde hair in a tight bun with stray hairs sticking out. She wore a high-waisted violet dress that reached just above her ankle. She stormed down the staircase, clutching her dress so she wouldn't fall.

"Hugo! Where in the world were you! Paul told me he saw you go off with two girls-" she stopped as she saw the sisters standing behind her son.

"Mummy, these are my friends. Maria and Anastasia. The duchesses!"

The girls smiled awkwardly. The woman wiped the sweat off her face with her sleeve.

"I believe we haven't had a formal meeting. Rosie Bell." Rosie held out her hand. The girls shook hers in return.

"We're very sorry for worrying you. As you see, we were on our way to find a chocolate shop. We saw a bunch of schoolboys. Well, your son. We just wanted to ask for directions." Maria explained.

"I didn't mean to go with them. I wanted chocolate too, so we all went together. I had lots of fun!

"These girls are strangers. You don't even know them!"

"I'm sorry." he frowned. Rosie forced a smile.

"Well, the funny thing is," Anastasia started. "Even though we've brought your son home, we are also planning on buying swimming dresses."

Rosie led the girls to a back shelf when she saw Hugo standing on the stairwell.

"Go up to your room! Start your homework!"

"The girls said they would help me with my French!"

"They'll help you another day."

Hugo hunched over and walked sadly up the stairs, disappearing from view.

"Now, back to your swimming dresses!"

The girls tried on numerous dresses with Rosie's help until they finally settled on two. As they were leaving the shop, the girls heard a voice call out to them. It was Hugo, peering out of a second-story window.

"Can you meet me at the bench tomorrow at four? I promise I'll be there!" he called out to them.

"Bien sûr, Hugo!" Maria yelled happily in French.

He waved one last time before shutting the window. The girls walked out of town and continued alongside the road until they made it back to Sandringham's front gates.

"I can't believe we've done it!" Anastasia cheered.

"I know!" Maria's smile faded. "But now we need to go back tomorrow!"

"Why!?"

"Didn't you hear? We're going to help Hugo with his French."

"Maria! You should have never said anything!" Anastasia scoffed.

"I know but I think we should help him. His Mama seemed very stressed with him. It will take some time off of her hands to deal with him. Besides, Hugo is a very nice boy."

"He's like eleven, Maria."

"I never said anything about his age!" Maria laughed. "We'll go once more!"

"Fine, Mashka," Anastasia grouched as she started to climb the gates. Against the brick wall in the distance, Maria spotted a rock pile that she could use to easily climb over the wall surrounding the house.

Without telling her sister, Maria ran over to the rocks and scaled the wall in no time. Maria walked over to the gate, where Anastasia was at the top, unsure of where to step.

"Oh, Shvibzik!" Maria sang to her. Anastasia looked down at her sister, flabbergasted to see her.

"Maria!" Anastasia screamed in frustration while Maria stood in place, unable to stop laughing.

-

The girls promised each other that they would never tell anyone about their sneak out except Oliver, who already knew.

"Where are you ladies headed off to?" Oliver asked the next day as the sister walked out of the front door.

"Into town." Anastasia awkwardly whispered to him.

"Again?" he whispered back.

"Yes. Just for today." Maria chimed in.

"Would you mind covering for us for about an hour?" Anastasia sheepishly grinned.

Oliver wore an unsure look on his face.

"Just for today?" Maria quivered her lips together.

"Yes, girls. Today only!" he declared.

He watched as the girls walked on the driveway before they disappeared behind bushes. He then went inside to see Liesel carrying a basket of clothes up the stairs. Hearing him, Liesel turned around.

"Have you seen Maria or Anastasia anywhere? I need to give them their laundry."

Oliver stood in place, rocking back and forth on his heels. He could either tell her where they really were or make something up.

"I'm sorry, Liesel. I'm afraid I haven't seen them anywhere either. I think they may be running around outside."

"Oh, alright, Oliver. I'll just have to go look for them outside." Liesel descended the steps.

"No, wait!"

Liesel stopped.

"The grounds are huge! You'll never find them! Here, I'll take the basket to them."

"Oh, thank you," Liesel handed the basket to him. Oliver waited until she walked down the hallway to run up the stairs. He never knew how much people had asked for the girls. It was hard, but he knew he would have to keep on lying for them for just an hour.

To him, it felt like the longest hour of his life.

-

When in town, Maria and Anastasia walked to the bench where they had first met Hugo the day before. Like he had promised, Hugo was there, a massive grin on his face.

"I knew you'd come! Come on! Let's go to the park so we can work in peace." Hugo grabbed his school bag.

"Does your mother know you're with us?" Maria sternly asked.

Hugo went silent. Maria placed her hands on her hips.

"No."

"Hugo! You must tell her things! You can't just sneak out!"

Anastasia stifled her laughter, seeing how she and Maria had just snuck out.

"I wasn't sneaking out. I walked from school. I've waited here for you."

"Well, won't she be worried if you don't come home on time?" Maria asked.

"She'll be much too busy to even notice. Please. Anastasia, Maria. Just this once? Then you won't have to ever do this again."

Maria looked at Anastasia. Her sister nodded.

"Come on, Hugo," Maria took his hand.

The three walked to the park and Hugo took out his French worksheets. The sisters began tutoring the young boy as did so many years ago by Pierre Gillard when he taught Russia's young duchesses.

The sisters helped with his pronunciation and spelling, having him write from memory or speech. Whenever Hugo was incorrect, his tutors were never angry and helped him figure it out, unlike his French teacher at school, where she would slap the student's hands with a ruler if wrong.

"I'll miss you guys!" Hugo exclaimed outside of the swimwear shop door.

"We'll miss you too!" the girls hugged the young boy.

"Say you'll visit?"

"Of course!" Maria gave Hugo one last hug.

As they walked back to Sandringham, Anastasia put her hand around her sister's waist and held her close.

"Mashka?"

"Yes?"

"You're so good with children,"

Maria smiled. "I'm practicing for when I have children of my own."

"You'll be such an amazing mother."

"You'll be too, Shvibzik."

Anastasia bit her lip. She didn't think as much about becoming a mother as Maria had. Like before, Maria always said she'd marry a soldier and have many children. She had been saying that since she was a toddler. It was always her sort of destiny. Was it Anastasia's destiny? Settle down? Raise a family?

'I'm not even mother material!' Anastasia thought.'Throw all of my childhood away! No fun anymore!'

Now that was something she couldn't bear.

"Mashka, am I." Anastasia paused. "Mother material?"

"Well, I mean I-I-"

"You don't have to answer."

"No, Shvibzik. I-" Maria stopped. She didn't want to upset her little sister.

Maria had never thought Anastasia would have wanted to become a mother.

'She's too foolish and immature!' she thought.

Maria had always been the one to look after young children during royal family meets. She had ever had a way with children. It was just natural! Anastasia, on the other hand, would torment them as she had always done.

But, if her sister wanted to become a mother, Maria would be nothing but happy for her.