Storm and Silence

46. Secret Plans and Politics

"I mean it's excellent you have admitted it to yourself. You normally don't do that. It's the first step to problem-solving."

"Err... and the next one is?"

I waved my hand dismissively. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Just at the moment, you look like you need something to restore your nerves."

"To be absolutely honest... I think that's true."

"Well then, my dear little sister." I put an arm around her and steered her from behind the potted plant. I already felt better. It had always been that way for me. When I was busy solving Ella's problems, my own suddenly didn't seem as important any more. "I have just the thing for you. It's called solid chocolate. Let's see how you like it, shall we?"

*~*~**~*~*

Ella accompanied me willingly. We were about half the way towards the refreshment tables, when somebody roughly grabbed me by the arm and whirled me around. When I saw who it was, I gasped in surprise.

"There you are, strange lady!"

"Patsy!" I exclaimed, and then was swept up in a vice-like hug, ten times more forceful than my aunt's had been. With complete disregard for our hoop-skirts, which should have kept us at a respectful distance, Patsy crushed me to her, and from the region of my legs, I heard whalebones groan and crunch.

"Patsy," I gasped again, pushing her back and looking at her solid figure, her broad, gruff, oh so reliable face. For the moment, all dark thought about Mr Ambrose were forgotten. "Is it really you? What are you doing here? How did you manage to get invited? I thought old Lady Metcalf can't stand you and your modern ways!"

Patsy grinned.

"Well, she can't, actually, but she is an old friend of my mother's and has to pretend to like me. More to the point, what are you doing here?"

"Well you know how my aunt is, she always drags me to balls..."

"Not here at the ball, silly! I mean what are you doing here in London, here in England even? I thought you had emigrated to Timbuktu or something! I haven't seen you in ages! And don't tell me you've been driving around the park presenting yourself to the eyes of eligible bachelors. I know that's what you've told your aunt, because I came by your house to visit when you were out. But I and the other girls have been in the park often enough and haven't seen hide nor hair of you! What are you up to?"

I bit my lip.

Hell's Whiskers, what to tell her?

I couldn't tell her that I was working for a living, could I? Not that Patsy would have anything against it. On the contrary. I was certain she would wholeheartedly approve. But if I told her about my work, I would also have to tell her about Mr Ambrose. And for some reason I didn't want to do that. I didn't want to do that at all.

I opened my mouth, not knowing what I was going to say. Maybe a clever explanation would have come to me at the last moment. Yet before I could say anything, the decision was taken out of my hand by a very simple, very common event:

Beside me, Ella blushed.

"Aha!"

Patsy pounced on her.

"You know something, don't you? Out with it, Ella! Go on!"

Ella's eyes flickered from side to side like those of a frightened deer. I sighed. Ella was no liar, and under the unconquerable force that was Patsy Cusack, only one result could ensue.

"Lilly, um... Lilly is..."

"Yes...?" Patsy encouraged.

"Lilly is seeing somebody. But don't tell anybody. It's supposed to be a secret."

"Yes, a secret," I confirmed throwing a dirty look at her. "That's why I asked you to keep it secret, by which I meant not tell it to anybody."

With those adorable blue damsel-in-distress eyes of hers she threw me an apologetic glance. "I'm... I'm sorry Lilly, I just can't... can't lie about...."

My anger was snuffed out like a candle flame under a wet towel. Nobody could stay angry at Ella. Not even the chief of avenging angels.

"All right," I grumbled with a shrug. It was to be expected. And it wasn't like it had been the truth in the first place.

Turning my attention away from my little sister, I scrutinized Patsy. She hadn't yet said a word to Ella's disclosure. Her mouth stood slightly open, her lips were moving without producing any sound, and her eyes were unfocused. She looked like she had tried solving a complex mathematical equation and had ended up with 1009 = 0.

"Seeing somebody?" she echoed. "As in... a member of the opposite sex? A man?"

"No, a hippopotamus," I snapped. "Yes, a man! What did you think?"

"Frankly, I would have thought a hippopotamus would have been more likely!"

My fingers flexed. "Do you want me to clobber you with my fan?"

"No need to get violent. I'm just shocked." She shook her head, dazed. "A man. Fancy that. Lilly Linton going over to the enemy."

Reflexively, my chin shot out. "I'm 'not going over to the enemy'!"

"Really? Hasn't your sweetheart asked you to shed your extremist political views about voting, working women yet? It'll happen, just you wait. And next you'll get all silly and soppy and start knitting and sowing and saying that a lady's proper place is inside the home."

She shook her head in mock disgust, smirking.

"And I had such a promising future in the movement planned for you. You could have gone far, my young friend. Too bad you throw it all away for a simple life of marital bliss."

I knew that she was joking, of course – but in a way, she wasn't. She really thought I was straying from the path and sacrificing my ideals.

Well, I'd show her!

With no work tomorrow, I would have plenty of time. Leaning towards her, so that nobody else could hear me, I whispered: "Meet me with the other girls at 10 am in Green Park tomorrow, and I'll tell you what I think a lady should be doing."

She looked at me, a smile slowly spreading over her broad face, mingled suspicion and interest twinkling in her eyes.

"What have you got planned?"

"My secret for now." I winked. "Suffice it to say that I have overheard something which might be of interest to our little group of suffragists. We have work to do!"

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My dear Lords, Ladies & Gentlemen,

During the last few days, I've received an increasing number of messages from readers who, for some reason, were unable to get to the newest installment posted here on Wattpad. In case something like this should happen to you, I thought I'd provide a list of (hopefully helpful) things which should be helpful in overcoming the problem:

1. Try signing out of Wattpad and then signing back in. This will often refresh the Wattpad app and the new chapter should appear.

2. If you still have no access to the latest chapter, try taking the the book from your library and putting it back in once more.

3. In case the latest chapter still isn't visible to you, I would advice that that you contact the Wattpad support team. You'll find the contact form at http://support.wattpad.com. I myself, as a humble writer, have very limited control over glitches that might prevent you from reading the latest installments. You shall have to contact the technical experts from Wattpad find a real solution for such a stubborn problem.

I hope my advise will turn out to be helpful :)

Your Victorian Writer

Sir Rob

P.S: In case anybody is wondering what whalebones are doing in Lilly's attire – that is what hoop skirts were often made of ;-)