Lambrose?

'Till I See You Again

Sorry, no double update like I said last week, but here's a one-shot that many of you guys wanted. The concept was suggested by @aurora_valentina . Thank you!! (^v^)

I couldn't do the actual meeting again scene in Ambrose POV, because it's already done by Sir Rob (IDK if I allowed to say that), so this is my own rendition of it.

ENJOY!!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Lilly Linton

"Ship Found In the English Channel
URANIA: A Ship Sunk 5 Years Ago"

As I read the title of today's daily newspaper, my mind flashes back to the events that happened that day. The rain, the turbulent waves that rocked the ship, the panic that ensued throughout the boat, and- No, I can't think of him anymore. No more.

5 years already passed since that boat sunk- Since I've seen him. Patsy, Eve, and Flora had given up their feminist dreams and married. Ella was still having late night rendezvous with that piano turner's son - Edmund, was it? All my other sisters already latched each of themselves onto a man, hoping for him to ask them to marry him. And me? A jobless, single 24 year old lady whose heart was still with a dead man.

Yes, after countless days of searching, the useless Waterguard could not find him. Though it was gut-wrenching, I accepted that he was here no longer. But, for the days after, I would stand in front of the Empire House, wistfully staring inside. Ella said that it was grief for my loved one. Was it? Did I love him? Probably. It explains why I couldn't stop thinking of him all the time.

So much for not thinking of him anymore.

Sighing, I rose out of the chair and headed toward my room. There was another annoying ball tonight. Aunt Brank kept on piling ball after ball into our schedules, hoping someone would take us out of her care. For each ball, I accepted every dance invite I got, leaving each man with their feet unable to be used after each dance, but Aunt Brank would never get out of my case. Those courageous men, who dared to seek me after I pummeled their feet, would court me for a week or so before they mysteriously disappeared off the face of the Earth. I decided never to question it, as I could care less as long as they stopped going after me and left me alone.

Ella wordlessly combs my hair, after I had put on a blue and gold-accented dress, and clips my hair with a brass flower headpiece. It one day showed up in the mail with a tag that signified it was for me from the Empire House. It couldn't have been from him, as he would never waste his "precious" money on this and he's not here anymore, so I concluded it was from Karim, who sent it as a "retirement" gift (or whatever you would call my leaving from the job). He saw me on first day, when he hired me, so that would explain how Karim knew I was a woman.

Finally, the carriage came and everyone crammed into it. While the others gossiped, I stared out the window, looking at the passing scenery, until we finally arrived at some Duke's house.

It was a masquerade ball, so all of us donned our masks while Aunt Brank lectured us on how we need to properly "catch the men".

Right as we entered, I deviated from everyone else and snuck into a chair behind a large potted plant, hoping no one will notice me. Glancing around, checking that no one was looking this way, I tiptoed towards the buffet table. One plate had a heap full of the solid treat called chocolate. I reached my hand towards it, eagerly awaiting the delicious taste of it in my mouth.