Lilly's POV
I could tell it was almost afternoon, yet I hadn't heard anything from Mr. Ambrose. I had eaten in the morning and even escorted to a small outhouse to relieve myself. Yet now I was just pacing in my "room" waiting for him to pop in again, as he had yesterday.
But he didn't.
Soon, what was afternoon, turned into evening, and I could hear my stomach grumbling from the lack of food. The sun was starting to set and I hadn't heard a word from him. Despite the "stay calm Lilly" I repeated to myself, my mind was starting to panic.
What if they had done something to him?
Which, of course, was ridiculous since they needed him for their whole plan. But maybe they had hurt him in some way. The very thought made my stomach churn.
Suddenly I heard a female voice outside, screeching at the guards.
Croonie.
"You're both relieved from duty for the moment! I'll watch the girl myself."
After a few grunts and what sounded like hesitation, I heard the crunching of their footsteps on the ground as they retreated away.
"Why would she ask them to leave? Is she going to stay with you all night?"
My inner voice was starting to panic too, even though I knew that all I needed to do was remain calm. The door then swung open and Croonie waltzed in looking as smug as ever.
"Are you here to bring me food?" I blurted out. "I'm starving."
"Shut up, girl."
"So you're not here to bring me food..."
"I'm here to help you escape."
My eyes practically bulged out of my head. Yesterday she was angry with me, and today she was trying to rescue me?
"What are you talking about?" I asked incredulously. "Why would you want to rescue me?"
"Well, I realized that Mr. Ambrose actually doesn't fancy you, and he's willing to help me personally leave these awful men behind."
My brows furrowed, "Wait, you talked to him?"
"Oh, we did more than talk," A warm blush spread across her pale cheeks.
What?
"Croonie, what on earth are you talking about?"
"We kissed! He kissed me! Pulled me towards him and pressed his lips onto mine!"
My head started to swirl. Part of me understood, but part of me didn't. I knew Mr. Ambrose was smart, so this had to be his way of convincing her to help us escape. But did he have to do it this way? And did he have to kiss her? The thought of him in an embraced with the witch standing across from me made me shudder. How did he kiss her? Was it a deep kiss? Was it a small peck?
I shook these thoughts and questions out of my mind, "So he's going to help you now?"
"He's going to make me his!" Croonie squealed excitedly.
Now this was the part of the plan I did not understand. Croonie could help us escape but then what was Mr. Ambrose planning on doing with her after that? Send her straight to prison? I could hardly believe she would be so naive.
"Mr. Ambrose does tend to have that effect on women."
"Then what's the plan?"
"Nightfall has has just now came, so we have planned to leave in the dead of night. In about four hours."
"Do I get food sometime in those four hours?"
"Shut up!"
"Okay," I murmured, pressing my hand to my grumbling stomach.
"When that time comes, I will escort you to the outhouse. When you get there, wait for about ten minutes. In that time, I will get Rikkard and then meet you at the thin fern trees fifty paces directly behind and parallel to the outhouse."
"Rikkard?" I asked, my jaw slightly ajar.
"Yes, that is Mr. Ambrose's first name, did you not know?"
"Yes of course I knew that, but why are you calling him that?"
"He said I could," Croonie flipped her hair over her shoulder.
My eyes narrowed, "I highly doubt that."
"What does it matter?!"
I forced a small smile at her, "You're right it absolutely does not matter in the slightest way."
"Excellent, sweet cakes, be ready when I come back to get you. The guards will be coming back now."
"I'm always ready."
author's note: just a short, filler chapter since the story is wrapping up. just a few more chapters and it'll be done! is Lilly gonna fight Ambrose about that kiss?