Winter Getaway - A Storm and Silence Fanfiction

chapter twentyone

Lilly's POV

"Aunt Brank, what's this?"

It was Thursday morning and I had just made it down the stairs for breakfast. My mind was still reeling from my weekend adventures and Mr. Ambrose's words from a few days ago. However, instead of breakfast, I could see the back of a young man standing with my Aunt. I was very disappointed.

"Lilly!" She spun around enthusiastically once she heard my voice.

A rare occurrence, if I might add.

The man standing next to her turned around too and I recognized him immediately.

"Captain Carter? What are you doing here?"

"Lilly," my Aunt interrupted just as his mouth had opened to say something, "the Captain here met you at the ball a few weeks ago, do you remember?"

"Yes, I do remember, Aunt."

He had politely asked me not to assassinate his irksome friend, Sir Philip.

He opened his mouth as if to once again say something but my Aunt was much too quick. "He requested to have a stroll in the park with you, so hurry now dear, one of the servants will come along."

"And if I don't want to go on a stroll with him?" I questioned my Aunt, eyebrows raised.

Aunt Brank, being the dramatic person she is, acted as if everything in the world had stopped and I had just asked the most shocking question she'd ever heard in her life.

"Lilly, " she started slowly.

Captain Carter chuckled next to her, clearly enjoying this little exchange.

"I would not be offended one bit, if the lady declined my invitation," he finally managed to get out without her interruption.

"She won't." Aunt Brank quipped, "She won't be declining your invitation."

"Miss Linton, if you please, I have a carriage waiting in the front," he bowed slightly.

"I would be delighted to, Captain Carter."

I knew that was my voice talking, but it didn't sound like me at all. I would normally spit at the thought of having to spend unnecessary time with a man. But instead, I found myself readily agreeing. I guess this past weekend had changed me a little bit. Or maybe it was the anger that I had for Ambrose that had developed since he told me nothing would change between us.

I hadn't wanted to be angry with him, I had even told myself that I should not expect much from a man like him. However, when I got home that day, his words would not stop churning through my mind.

"So I am your employer and you are my employee. Nothing more, nothing less."

That's what he had said he wanted. Yet, I was still angry. He has admitted things over the weekend, things that would have been absolutely unnecessary for him to admit if he had planned on keeping our relationship the same all along. I confess, I did coerce him into telling me how he truly felt, but I had slightly expected him to do something about it.

Now here I was, accepting an invitation to stroll through the park with Captain Carter. For what? To spite Ambrose?

"No, Lilly, you like the Captain! He was charming and different from other men when you met him."

That's right. I liked the Captain.

I repeated that phrase over through my mind through the entire carriage ride to Hyde Park. He had tried to strike up conversation with me a few times but I had only given him short responses.