Abigail

---11---

My head hurts. I thought to myself, rolling over and trying to fall back to sleep, I pulled the covers up and tucked them under my chin, still half asleep with no intention to open my eyes. My breathing settled again, slowing and allowing me the opportunity to slowly slip back into sleep.

There was a knock on the door and I groaned in response, the person clearly took that as a yes because I heard their shoes click across the floor.

"Morning Lady Abigial!" She sung, the shrill voice making my ears ache, I sat up a little to see a very smiley Ruth holding a tray of food. She put the tray on the dark wooden end table and made her way to the curtains, yanking them open and blinding me with the sunlight that rushed into the room. I groaned again, covering my eyes with my hand in an attempt to block out the sun.

"It's almost midday Lady Abigail." She stated, as if it would make me jump out of bed, but  of course it didn't. I slumped back against the mattress, watching her as she made her way around the room.

"I've made you quite a small breakfast so you aren't too full to join everyone for lunch."

I'd forgotten the social etiquette of Victorian life, and up until that moment, I'd forgotten everything that happened last night, my heart sunk again when I remembered Mary Ann, I had barely known her but I felt responsible for what happened. 

Ruth handed me a small bowl porridge with a few strawberries in it. When she wasn't looking I lifted a spoonful of it and plopped it back into the bowl, porridge was never something I found appetising, but I began to eat it anyway. Ruth smiled at me and turned to leave, her hand rested on the doorknob but she didn't open the door, instead she turned to look at me.

"Mr Ridley has been pacing outside your door since breakfast, would you like me to let him in?" She asked nicely, a smile on her face. 

"Tell him to wait until I'm dressed please."  She nodded, turning back to the door.

"oh and Ruth."  Ruth turned back to look at me.

She seemed okay, but I wanted to make sure that both of them were. 

"How's the um..." I gestured to my tummy, not wanted to say the word out loud. 

"We're good, thank you." She smiled before leaving. I set the still full porridge bowl on the bedside table and got up, taking off the ripped nightgown and leaving it on the floor. I had been too tired to change it last night, I opened the wardrobe, putting on the first dress saw, I began running my fingers through the length of my hair before opening the door for Mr Ridley.

He was pacing, his fore finger tapping against his lips as he moved back and forth. He looked up and stopped when he saw me, his hand joining the other one behind his back, I smiled politely, still trying to fix my messy hair with my fingers.

"Would you like to come in?" I asked him, not really wanting to hear what he had to say in public, in case it had anything to do with last night.

"Are you sure? People might assume -" He trailed off, nodding before entering my room, almost like he realised that we needed privacy for this conversation too. He walked in, and started looking around. 

"It looks the same." He stated bluntly.

"Well why would it look any different?" I asked, I knew it used to be his room before mine. 

"I just thought it would look more feminine, because of all your things." He waved his hand a bit, gesturing it in the direction of the wardrobe that was now occupied with dresses instead of suits. 

 I nodded, "How long until you can go home?" 

"You asked me that less than a week ago, there's still 2 more weeks of work to do I think, maybe longer."

"Sorry I was trying to make conversation." I said quietly, he nodded.

"About last night.."

"I can't get the image out of my mind." I interrupted. I looked down and fiddled with my fingers. He sighed, but kept is composure, I could tell it had tortured him last night too, his eyes were tired and dark circles had formed under them, his skin was a little dull too. He was tired and tormented by everything that had happened the night before, just like me.

"I was also talking about what I said, to you."  He looked at me, his confidence was strange, it was normal for a person to be embarrassed, but it was almost as if he refused to be. I wasn't sure if his arrogance was good or bad in this instance. 

"What about it?" I asked my heart speeding up in my chest, I hoped he'd elaborate, was he thinking about how much he hated me? How annoying I was? Did I even dare to hope he was thinking positive things? I did, and I hoped I wouldn't regret it.  

"Do you have anything you'd like to say? He asked, his eyes flicked over my face, he was nervous, he was just incredibly good at hiding it. He had needed to know my response so badly that he had to come to me and ask, but I didn't even know what he meant by it. 

"Well what did you mean by it?" I asked him, very curious as to how he would respond. He looked taken aback, almost as if he expected me to know what he meant, he then looked at the floor in silence. When his eyes landed on me again, his face was harsher and his jaw was tighter.

"Nothing, I meant nothing." He pursed his lips, I raised an eyebrow, giving him a questioning look. This man was a confusing one, I couldn't deny that.  He looked at me once more before making his way to the door.

"Mr Ridley..." 

He turned almost immediately.

"What did you really mean?" I asked him again.

He scoffed. "Nothing, Lady Abigail, as I said. You irritate me is all." He looked down and kicked the edge of the rug with his shoe.

"Then I will continue to keep my distance from you." For some reason I till believed he didn't hate me, I wasn't sure how he did feel but he was acting shifty, his composure slowly slipping away.

His lips parted, almost like he was about to say something, but then he shut it abruptly and nodded, opening the door and walking out.  

A/n:

word count: 1110

Woah... wait what? Lucy updated on time? no way! 

Hope you enjoy!!

-Lucy :)