The Secret in East End [Agents of the Crown #1]

Chapter 4

And today, as the door knocked on her room and the lady's maid assigned to her traipsed in with the three new day dresses that Fabian had ordered to be made a few days earlier, it was even more unnerving as she found herself completely at home slipping into the soft cotton of the emerald green day dress. With a flounced sleeve that accentuated the curve of her neck, the deep green was trimmed with gold edges around the ends. Her feet slipped perfectly into the earthy toned slipper that Madame Moreau had ordered as a gift for the Duke's companion, and as she stared into the mirror, Elle couldn't help but gape.

Who was this lady that she saw in the mirror? And why did her chest hurt as she noticed how different she looked from the mousy Elliot she played on a day to day basis in the East End?

Not even noticing the knock on her door, Elle only turned when she saw the maid bow respectfully, watching as Fabian strode in and paused mid-stride, taking in the difference in the woman. While her hair was still short, the lady's maid had curled it up, the volume it added bringing out the sharpness of her cheeks, the flush in them. The green on her shone, making her brown eyes seem almost the color of sunrise, and Fabian had to remind himself to speak. "You look... amazing, Miss Elle."

"Th-thank you, Lord... Fabian?" she tried, and laughed when Fabian gave a rueful smile. "Your Grace. But I guess you can call me Fabian when we're alone."

"Fabian. I... you really didn't have to get me dresses. I'm going to return home to the East End once my help is done, innit?"

"Well..." he trailed off. Truthfully, Fabian wasn't too sure if he wanted to allow Elle to return to the East End. Something about the past five days he's spent with her in residence had made him even more curious regarding who she is. While he didn't have much clues and merely his instinct to go on, Fabian had done a few enquiries of his own despite the wet weather over the past few days. Calling in a few favors, he now awaited news from a few footpads. But unwilling to share the fact that he was possibly breaching her privacy, he instead tried a different tack, pasting a smile on his face. "While we use your help, you probably don't want to appear as Elliot, and walking around there with your pants and shirts would be too obvious. Besides, I only commissioned three for you. That'd last my sisters all of one day before they declare tis too little for them."

Elle laughed, conceding his point with a nod, as her eyes returned to study herself in the mirror. Moving to stand by her, Fabian noted to himself how easily she got used to the lady's garbs of skirts and corsets, another tidbit for him to use as fodder for his investigation. "I came here to ask you if you'd like to come on a ride with me? The rain seems to be letting up."

Upon his announcement, Elle looked out of her window, realizing she had been so absorbed in getting dress that she had not realized the clearing of the rain. The smile that broke across her face when she noticed the light drizzle the rain had been reduced to was dazzling, a sight that Fabian found hard to tear his eyes away from.

"Are you riding anywhere in particular?"

The question grounded him back, and he managed to cover up his momentary loss of reality by pasting a smooth smile as he retorted, "Do I need a reason to be riding somewhere?"

A little caught off guard by his response, Elle blinked at him in surprise. In East End, everything was done for a reason or excuse. There was no time to waste, no energy to be unspent, and no extra days to lose. It was an everyday fight for survival that Elle was so used to. The fact that he suggested jaunt for fun was something that she couldn't seem to comprehend, a fact that she's guessing looked quite obvious the way Fabian raised a brow at her, and then looked out at the sunset decorated with the dredges of the falling raindrops.

"Well, it's Sunday, which means the tenants usually gather in the middle of our square to trade stories and advises for the weak, etcetra. I join them when I can, so I can catch up with them and see if they are well. I was just wondering if you'd like to join me tonight."