Chained Down

02

I usually used Sunday mornings as a way to relax or talk about feminism and chocolate with my best friends - Eve, Patsy and Flora.

This was not the case today.

Early in the morning, while I was still recovering from going through the hell that most people call 'dancing' and waiting for the breakfast to come, a bouquet of flowers with a note arrived on the doorstep.

Poor old Leadfield tried to balance the bouquet and the food with both hands. Wheezing, he approached the table and laid down the food first.

Anne and Maria both stared at the bouquet expectantly, as if knowing that they were the only people on the house worthy of flowers.

Please be right. Please be right. Please be right.

I chanted in my head as I watched with painful anticipation while Leadfield wheezed and groaned, placing the bouquet on the table.

"Flowers for Miss Lillian Linton, from Major Jones." Leadfield said in his dry cracked voice.

I felt the whole world crash around me. Flowers for me? What did I do to deserve this? I thought I'd catch a break after all of that torture last night.

Anne and Maria whipped their heads around, their mouths silently mouthing the word 'Major'.

My aunt beamed at me, a calculating glitter reserved for possible marriage for nieces in her eyes.

"Lillian, dear! Isn't this wonderful? A major!" her eyes glazed over with happiness. "Such a good catch!"

Anne and Maria's delicate faces soured like milk left out in the sun for too long. Trying not to laugh, I focused on my aunt's words.

Wait.

Good catch?

Wonderful?

Major?

Suddenly hardening, she glanced at me. "And don't think what happened with Lieutenant Elingham will happen again! I'll don't know how you scared him away, but I'll make sure it doesn't repeat this time."

With that ominous statement, she returned to gazing at the beautiful flowers. A collection of roses, buttercups and lilies. They looked surprisingly ugly together. I don't know who the major was, but stylish he definitely would never be.

"How thoughtful!" my aunt mumbled under her breath, still looking at the lilies.

I speared a potato with my fork, pretending it to be his head. The last thing I needed right now was a suitor! Especially one like the dear Major, who was still stuck deep in that delusional chauvinistic world.

I still remembered his silly compliments and that odd look in his eyes.

A cold shiver ran down my spine. What could a man like that be capable of?

I finished up my cold potatoes and stood up to leave. I needed to distract myself, and talk about feminism was exactly what I needed at the moment.

My aunt glanced up, seeing me leave.

"Where are you going, Lillian? If he sent flowers, he is sure to arrive sometime soon." she glared, and I sighed, sinking back into my seat.

Even though I fervently wished the opposite, my aunt turned out to be right. After only 15 minutes of waiting, the dreaded suitor knocked on the door.

Leadfield shuffled over to the door, pulling back the bolt. I watched with a mix of disgust and exasperation as the suitor walked in, an arrogant expression on his ugly mug.