"You think what?" The ice in Mr Ambrose's voice was cold enough to freeze the Caribbean.
"We, um, think Adaira might want to go after Captain Carter more, um...directly. So we think she might use her male disguise to join the British Army to be shipped to India and—"
The rest of my sentence was cut off by Mr Rikkard holding up one finger. Apprehensively, I watched as he whirled around and stalked out of the hotel room where he, Berty and I were staying. There was a crash from the next room, as if someone had punched a hole into the nearest wall. A moment later, Mr Ambrose stalked back into view.
From his crib, Berty had been watching the whole process with great interest. When my husband noticed, he reached out and gently, almost tenderly, placed his hand against his son's cheek. Berty responded to this by grabbing his thumb and nibbling on it. The sight put a smile on my face. It only lasted for a moment, though. When the moment passed, he stepped back, and his face was serene and peaceful. But the look in his eyes... It was anything but.
"I am calm now."
And you're a good father, I wanted to say. But I knew that right now wasn't the time.
"Good." I nodded. "Then let's get back to the subject."
"Adaira." A certain muscle in his cheek twitched. "Dressed as a male. Entering the military." He didn't say "We have to do something—right now!" It didn't really need to be said.
"Well..." Deep in thought, I tapped my lower lip. "This might not be a bad thing."
"Indeed?" It was quite impressive how he could still surprise me with how chilly his voice could get. "Please, do explain how my little sister being in the front lines of a foreign battlefield is a good thing. I am all ears."
"No! No, that's not what I mean! I...fiddlesticks!" Taking a deep breath, I started again. "What I mean is that we found where Captain Carter was shipped to by asking at the army headquarters, right? So, now that Adaira has joined the army as well—"
Mr Ambrose's eyes went wide. "—we just have to find out where she was sent!"
"Exactly! That's what I—"
Those were the only words I got out before I found myself enveloped in a vice-tight hug and my mouth was sealed by a pair of fervent lips. He bent me backwards and held me like that for...how long? A moment? An hour? It felt like an eternity and yet, far, far too short for my taste. When he finally broke the kiss, I found myself gasping for breath.
"You," Mr Rikkard Ambrose told me, "are amazing."
Oh my. Maybe I should encourage Adaira to run away more often.
From the side, Berty clapped his pudgy hands and made happy baby noises, clearly agreeing with my brilliant idea.
"So...the place where Adaira was shipped to." Thoughtfully, he stroked his chin. "Where could we find out something like that?"
"Oh..." I smiled. "I think I have an idea."
Five minutes later, we were standing in front of a familiar building with a red-golden flag of a crowned lion atop a crown. And, underneath that flag, stood a red-coated figure with a pelt hat who was even more familiar, even though, last time we met, he didn't have his arm in a sling. The moment the poor guard noticed our approach, he gave a startled squeak and turned to run away—only to stop abruptly as he remembered that he was supposed to be standing guard here. For a moment, he stood frozen like that, his survival instincts and the sacred duty to his queen warring in his eyes.
That moment spelled his doom.
"Karim?" spoke Mr Ambrose.
"Yes, Sahib?"
"Catch him."
Karim strode forward.
The guard gave a yelp, and decided that the sacred duty to his queen wasn't so important after all. Whirling around, he dashed off into the courtyard behind him. However, he had only been able to take a couple of steps before a large, dark hand closed around his neck.
"Now, now...not so fast. Let's talk, shall we? We are looking for someone."
***
Earlier that day, at the same army building...
"Pardon me. Is this the recruitment office of the British Army?"
"Yes, yes! Now get in here and don't waste my time."
Taking a deep breath, Adaira stepped into the office, her very best confident smile plastered onto her face. Behind a desk at the other side of the room, a portly man with a handlebar moustache and enough medals on his chest for a whole battalion was studying some documents. Immediately, she performed her most manly bow.
"Good day, Sir."
"Hm. That remains to be seen." Without looking up, the portly man gestured. "Well? What are you waiting for? Introduce yourself."
"Sir, yes, Sir! My name is George Adair, at your service, Sir. I have come in the hope to offer my strength to the British Army and serve Her Majesty the Queen with all my heart. Ever since I became a man, I've dreamed of fulfilling my patriotic duty. Please, give me a chance!"
With a last stroke of the quill, the military man finished his paperwork—then looked up. "Ever since you became a man, eh? Tell me...do you think I'm a fool?"
Adaira felt as if someone had emptied a bucket of ice water over her head. "P-pardon, Sir?"
The officer narrowed his eyes. "Don't you 'sir' me, you! Your disguise is blatantly obvious! Do you really think a trained military man like myself wouldn't spot it right off the bat?"
At those words, Adaira felt all the colour drain from her face. How? How had he seen through her brilliant disguise? She had bound her girly bits! For heaven's sake, she had even bought a fake mousta—
"And take that bloody ridiculous false moustache off! It's askew!"
"Oh. Um...of course, Sir."
Pulling the moustache off her face, she threw it aside—or at least she tried to. The darn thing stuck to her fingers!
Bloody hell! How had things gone so wrong? Adaira had been sure that, if Lilly could pull it off, so could she! Was it so hard to pull off a male disguise? Or was she simply so full of female charm that she would always be recognized as a lady?
Adaira had to admit, she liked the latter explanation better.
"So, ehem, Sir..." Adaira cleared her throat. "I'm very sorry. I truly am. But, how did you...?"
"...see through your disguise?"
"Yes, Sir."
"It's pretty obvious, lad."
Adaira blinked. Did he just say...lad? As in boy? What the—
"Don't worry." Pushing himself to his feet, the portly officer strode over and patted her on the back. "It's not like you're the first to try something like this."
"I, um...am not?"
The older man gave a snort. "Of course not! You're the twenty-third this month alone."
Adaira felt her jaw drop. That was something she had not expected. Was cannon fodder such a fascinating occupation for England's young ladies? Did they run to the recruitment office in droves?
"Is...is that so?"
"What, you think you're the only beardless young lad to try and join for gold and glory before being of age?"
Wait, what?
"Of course, most others are a tad more convincing. Goodness, lad, you're as lanky as a stick! It basically shouts 'adolescent boy'!"
Adaira felt her eyebrows twitch. "It does, does it?"
"Aye! I mean, you couldn't have made it more obvious if your face were covered in pimples. Or..." The officer scrutinised her more closely. "...were you hiding your pimples underneath that fake moustache of yours?"
Calm down, Adaira. Calm down. Clocking your superior officer is not the best way to join the military!
"No, Sir. Most certainly not, Sir!" Taking a deep breath, she put on a pitiful expression, while doing her best to seem strong and manly at the same time. It was not an easy feat. "Are you sure you can't let me enter the army, Sir? I am filled with such fervour to serve Queen and Country!"
...especially if it can get me away from said country, and my father who lives there.
With a sigh, the officer shook his head. "I'd like to help you, young man, I really would. But your disguise would be seen through the moment you step on the ship. It's painfully obvious that you're just a young boy. I mean, just look at you!" Reaching up, he encircled her arm with his massive paw. "Look at those noodle arms! Look at those stick legs! And there!" He gestured at her chest. "There's absolutely nothing there!"
Adaira's eyebrows twitched again. "Indeed?"
"Indeed! No muscles at all. Young man, you really have to take better care of yourself—or at least learn to dress up better if you want to fool an old fox like me."
Adaira hung her head. Mostly so the older man wouldn't see the expression on her face. "Old fox...right, Sir."
Like the lame old fox caught at my father's last fox hunt, maybe.
Not that she minded boosting the old fellow's ego a bit. She would have gladly buttered him up all he wanted—if only he would send her to India! That, however, seemed quite unlikely now.
"Don't you worry, my boy." The good-natured officer patted her on the shoulder once more. "You'll have plenty of opportunity to join the army later on. Just wait till you grow some hair on your chest."
"Thank you," Adaira told him, using her expertise at restraining herself built up during years of dealing with her brother to not strangle the man. "Thank you so much. You can't imagine how helpful your advice will be for me."
"Ha! No, problem, lad!" Throwing an arm around Adaira's shoulder, the old officer started steering her towards the door. "Work hard, become a big, strong man, and then I promise you, you'll succeed in anything you set your mind on."
In that moment, a sudden mental image of a buff version of herself kneeling in front of Captain Carter in proposal position with an engagement ring in her hand flashed past Adaira's inner eye.
"Err...somehow, I doubt that."
"Now, now. None of that, lad. You must have confidence in yourself! If you put your all into it, you'll soon be a proper man."
And, with these encouraging words, the old officer gave her a last pat on the back and pushed her out of his office. Adaira didn't even register anyone she passed as she made her way out of the recruitment building. Instead, all her thoughts were focused on her disguise. Why the heck hadn't it worked as planned? Lilly had made it look so easy! Just stick a pair of socks in your trousers, put on a vest and tailcoat, and bingo, you're set!
Why is it that everyone takes her seriously, but I'm mistaken for a bloody boy? She stamped her feet angrily as she stepped out onto the street. I'm not that flat, dammit! Am I really going to fail?
Just then, a voice came from right behind me. "Oy there, sweety. Ye look a little down. How about I help ye out?"
***
"What the...!" Frowning, I rifled through the documents in the folder. "There's no one fitting the description among the new recruits here. Not a single one!"
"That's what I've been saying!" came the voice of the subdued guard, who was sitting meekly in a corner of the room. "I've—"
"You." Stabbing a finger at the soldier, Mr Ambrose fixed him with his icy stare. "Be quiet."
"Yes, Sir! Right away, Sir!"
A corner of my mouth twitched. "Are you sure you don't want to enter the army, Mr Ambrose? You seem to have a knack for it."
"Too little salary," was his curt reply. "Now, what on earth do you mean there is no record of anyone fitting her description?"
"I mean exactly what I said." Confused, I stared down at the documents. "She should have come to the recruitment office. She must have come to the recruitment office. It's the only thing that makes sense, and it's what I would have done in her place!"
Abruptly, I felt a chilly gaze on my neck. "Oh? You would have joined the army to run after a certain captain, would you?"
I looked up at where he towered over me like a granite monument, his face a beautiful, emotionless mask, his eyes full of storms. Oh my...if that was how he got when he was jealous, I might have to do it more often.
"No," I told him as I cupped his face. "I would have done whatever was necessary to get the man I loved." And, pushing myself up just far enough, I let my lips brush against his. "Now, shall we continue?"
His face softened ever so slightly. "Agreed."
"Although I don't know what else to do, honestly." My shoulders sagged, and I pointed at the papers. "Here, every recruit's general information is recorded to keep track of them, including their descriptions. But no one resembling Adaira is to be found anywhere!"
"Pardon, Sahiba...but what if she didn't come to London? She might have gone to a recruitment office in another city."
I shook my head. "Don't you remember? This is the place where all recruits are shipped from, which means that all their records are stored here as well. Even if she went to another recruitment office to join the army, her records would be here."
"Ehem..."
At the sound of someone clearing his throat, my head swivelled around to stare at the soldier in the corner. Mr Rikkard Ambrose followed suit and speared the poor man with that icy glare of his.
"What?"
"Um, I...I just wanted to ask...it's a woman you're looking for, right?"
"Yes? And?" My brow furrowed. "Do you have something to say?"
"I, well..." The man cleared his throat. "I just thought I should point out, there are always lots of women who 'join the army' as..."
"As what?"
The man swallowed. Somehow, he seemed to get an inkling that his helpful advice might not be as welcome as he imagined. Still, being a soldier, he soldiered on. "As...loose women?"
For a long moment, absolute silence reigned over the room. Then...
"Mrs Ambrose?
"Yes, Mr Ambrose, Sir?"
"Do me a favour and leave for a moment. This gentleman and I need to have a private discussion about manners when talking about a lady. Particularly when that lady is my sister."
"Why, of course, Sir!"
With swift steps, I retreated from the room. The last thing I saw before the door closed behind me was the face of the guard who seemed to be wishing really hard that he'd kept his mouth shut.
When, a few minutes later, Mr Rikkard Ambrose stepped out of the room, I took one look at his face, walked over to him and wordlessly enveloped him in a hug.
An almost imperceptible tremor went through his body.
"Lillian...Lillian, I..."
He trailed off, and I instinctively tightened my embrace.
"Do...do you think what he said could be—"
"No!" I cut him off, my voice filled with absolute certainty. "Definitely not! Adaira would never do something like that!"
"Something like that?" Looking down at me, his eyes suddenly narrowed infinitesimally. "Something like three of your best friends, you mean?"
"Um..." Suddenly wishing I had not come rushing over to him so quickly, I cleared my throat. "Let's not talk about this, shall we? Anyway, Adaira's virtue is beyond reproach. I'm sure she's nowhere near any ladies of the night."
***
Adaira turned and found herself face-to-face with a rather scantily-dressed woman with a generous cleavage. Not what she had expected, but...could it be that this woman could actually help her join the army?
"Help?" she demanded eagerly. "How could you help me?"
Could it be that she...
"Ain't it obvious, sweety?" The woman smiled. "I 'eard some of what 'appened in there, and I know just what ye gotta do now..."
---------------------------------------------------
My dear Readers,
Mwahaha! ;-) What do you think of the result of Adaira's crosdressing attempt?
By the way, for those of you who haven't heard it yet: the publication date of "New Storm Rising", volume 7 of the "Storm and Silence" series is swiftly appraoching, and the book will be oficially released as an ebook and paperback on December 5, with SIX EXTRA CHAPTERS from MR AMBROSE'S POV!
Links to some of these are now available in the top post on my Wattpad message board. Thanks to anyone who decides to support me by purchasing it, and if you have time, please leave me a review! :-)
Yours Truly
Sir Rob