Abigail

---5---

I'd decided to dress myself today. I figured I should know how to, I'd been here for almost a week now. Margret found it quite shocking when I had told her that I didn't need her to dress me today.

I was pinning my hair into its usual low bun, when the door swung open, I turned my head abruptly, only to smile when I saw that it was Lady Catherine.

"I have marvellous news Lady Abigail!" She grinned, walking towards me and sitting on the bed.

"What is it?"

"The Queen has ordered that we all leave the palace for the day so that the servants can prepare the place for Prince Albert's birthday ball." 

"So we have the day off? That is marvellous!" She looked at me, a puzzled look etched across her face.

"Well we have to go the Kensington with everybody else, but the Princess has relieved us of our duties today, so we can do whatever we want today." She smiled.

"What can we do?" I turned to her, still trying to pin my hair up.

"Well I hadn't thought that far ahead." She giggled, picking up the book off the bedside table and examining it before putting it back down again.

"We could explore the gardens, or watch... birds?" I recovered it, there aren't any TVs here, I made a mental note."

"Watch birds?" She giggled.

"Okay well, there's painting and re-" I was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come In."

In walked Mr Ridley, I stood up abruptly and knocked over the stool as I did so. I blushed at the sound of Catherine's giggles, picking up the stool.

"I apologise Lady Abigail, I didn't mean to startle you." He seemed sincere but then I looked up to see a smirk on his face and a glint of amusement in his eye. He was mocking me.

"What do you want Mr Ridley?" He coughed awkwardly and became stern again.

"Some of the other gentlemen wanted to know if you wanted to play croquet at Kensington." I folded my arms over my chest.

"If the other gentlemen want us to come then why are you asking?" He looked me dead in the eye.

"I lost the bet, if you don't want to come, I can assure you that it won't ruin my day."

"We will come." Lady Catherine answered him, I gave her a stern look.

"Fine." He nodded sharply before walking out and closing the door behind him.

"It'll be good fun, if you make sure you aren't in a pair with him, you won't have to be around him."

"I'm doing this for you." I sighed taking one last look in the mirror before following Catherine out the room.

+

I sat awkwardly in the carriage with Mr Ridley, silently cursing myself for not checking the carriage before I got in it. I sighed loudly, folding my arms over my chest.

"If my presences irritates you so much then why did you decide to come?" He questioned impatiently.

"Lady Catherine wanted to come, I don't even know how to play croquet." He looked at me, green eyes trailing over my face,

"You don't?" I shook my head, he played with his lip before leaning his head against the back of his seat.

"How interesting, I suppose I'd better teach you. I shook my head again.

"I'm not playing with you."

"Fine, play with someone else and embarrass yourself...again." He smirked, making a point of how often I embarrassed myself. I groaned. He gave me a strange look and I then realised that women didn't groan in 1888. I blushed and sat up straight.

"There you go again Lady Abigail, embarrassing yourself."

"Fine I'll play with you, I'm too much of an embarrassment to play with anyone else." His smirk faltered slightly, almost as if he felt bad for me. I thought nothing of it and spent the rest of the ride staring out of the window.

+

I was getting the hang of croquet, by that I mean that I understand the rules, my aim was yet to improve, I missed again, beginning to get frustrated. Lady Catherine took her turn after me and i watched as she hit it through the hoop, she clapped her hands excitedly. The other players took their turns and it was back round to me again. I stared at the ball, trying to figure out how to aim it through a hoop.

"Do this." Mr Ridley came up behind me, leaning over me and holding my mallet. "If you don't mind, Lady Abigail."

"Go ahead." I whispered. He took control of the mallet and hit the ball, it slipped through the hoop and I gasped in surprise.

"Do you see now, Lady Abigail."

"yes, thank you Mr Ridley." He nodded abruptly and walked away, ready for when it was his turn. I looked up to see Lady Catherine grinning suggestively at me, but I shook my head, never in a million years.

Mr Ridley took his turn, he was swift in his movement and the ball shot through the hoop with impeccable accuracy.

It was then  the turn of Catherine's partner, I didn't know who he was, I hadn't seen him before. He ran his fingers through his black hair before hitting the ball, it sailed through his hoop and  I was beginning to wonder if croquet was the only game these people ever played.

It came back around to me again and i could feel his eyes concentrating on me, I too the shot and it went through the hoop. I jumped up and down slightly, excited about my success, I looked over at Mr Ridley, not expecting the smile etched across his face, and not expecting the eruption of butterflies in my stomach at the sight of it.

  A/N

Word count: 948

Sorry! I didn't know where to go with the chapter but here it is! Hope you enjoy! Unedited again because I'm really tired and basically don't want to lol. I promise I'll do it soon though.

-Lucy :)