Storm and Silence Fanfic

Searching for Dinglefoot

~9 June 1843~

*Rikkard Ambrose's POV*

I have not slept in a week. Not since Lillian vanished. I came home that day, expecting to see her in the kitchen finishing dinner, and see her children running around creating chaos, and the house was dark. I heard crying when I opened the door and two little blobs launched themselves at me and cried all over my pant leg. I wonder if I can charge them for the cleaning bill...

Once they calmed down, I asked the boy where Lillian was. From what I could piece together, he said someone came to the house and took Lillian with them this morning.

Not wanting to waste even a second in trying to find her, I started for the door when the screams resumed.

"No leave, papa. No!"

"I have to go. I have to find her."

"No, no no. Not alone." The little thing looked so frightened.

"Come with me." I told it, and it grabbed the other's hand. They both piled into the chaise, which they thought was fun, because Lillian won't allow them inside. She says it's unsafe, but it's also faster, and I can't waste even a moment.

I dropped them off with Ella. She was the only one I could think who could keep them.

"Where's Lilly?" She asked when she saw me drive up.

The children ran up to her and she dropped onto one knee, gathering both of them in her arms. They cried again, and created such a loud racket. When I tried to scold them, Ella yelled at me.

"Come inside for a moment, and I'll settle the children down, then you'll tell me what's going on." After glaring at me, she led both children inside without even making sure I followed. Figuring the children would explain what happened, I hopped in the chaise and sped away, anxious to begin my search for Lilly.

Since then I've been staying at the office, looking through my waste removal files, trying to figure out who would have taken her. I'm not sure why anyone would want a loudmouth feminist like her, but that's not important. I just need to find her.

Are you sure no one wants a "loudmouth feminist like her"? My inner voice asks but I shut it up.

Why do you need to find her so bad?

It just isn't very helpful lately. All it does is torture me with thoughts and images of my wife when all my efforts need to be focused on finding and retrieving her so I can do what the images keep reminding me of. 

I sift through the pages I took, but I still don't have all of them. There are about four more men who were interested in Lilly last year. I scribble the file numbers on pages and send them to my secretary. I hate all of them. All twelve who have replaced Lilly. They're all too afraid of me to talk back, they don't have an abusive nickname for me, they aren't soft and won't snuggle up to me and...

Mr Laurens rushes into the room and drops the files on my desk in record time. He quickly stuffs himself away in Lilly's off--in his office, hoping I won't yell at him. We had been getting along fine until she left. Now I'm just too angry and take it out on him.

Frustrated, I throw all the files to the floor and walk to the window. I'm wasting time, staring out at the city, but I don't know what else to do. No one I've visited in the past week has her. I threatened all of them, and now I doubt they'll even look at Lilly when she comes back--which is how I like it. She's mine and only mine.

A very hesitant knock sounds on my door.

"What?"

I hear the man outside yelp at bit at the iciness of my tone, but I don't care. I need Lillian. I need to find her, I mean. I don't need anybody.

Mr Stone walks in, trembling slightly. He's worked here for a while, and he's never seen me this mad before. I've never been in this bad of a mood.

"S-sir, there-there is a woman outside, demanding-"

"A woman? Whom? Send her in. Who is it? Is it her? Where is she? What's happened?" I rush past him and burst into the foyer.

Ella stands there gaping at me.

Something happens to my heart, but I don't know what. It felt like someone took it and squeezed it. It was rather unpleasant.

"Oh, it's you."

"Yes, it's me." She smiles sadly at me and reaches out to touch my arm but when I stiffen, she pulls back. "Let's go talk inside, shall we?"

My heart is still being squeezed, and rather than protest that a woman besides my Lillian is ordering me around, I do as she says.

I sit down in my chair behind my desk, and Ella sits in the visitors chair. I see her eyes widen at the papers on the floor, but she doesn't mention the mess.

"Rikkard, where have you been?" She asks. "I've gone to your house every day to find you, to see how it's going, to ask about Lilly. You just left before I could talk to you." She's so soft spoken, not like her sister at all. Lilly has a fire to her, and even the most simple sentences come out like an accusation.

"I've been searching." I say shortly.

"Yes, well I've been worrying." A little bit of Lilly's fire shows up. "You dumped your kids on me and left without a goodbye. They've been a mess, the poor dears. I can barely leave them alone for two seconds before they think I'm going to be gone too."

I don't say anything.

Ella huffs.

"So what's the progress then?" She glances at the paper. "I'm going to assume not well?"

My little finger twitches but other than that, I keep staring at her.

"Talk to me, Rikkard. Maybe I could help. I know Lilly better than anyone, I could-"

"No. You're a woman. Stay home with the children where you belong and allow me to find her." I get up and walk over to the window again. I expect her to walk over here and demand that I allow her to help, to yell at me that I'm being a chauvinist, to press her lips against mine...No, that's Lilly who would do that. This is Ella.

"Fine," I hear her get up and go towards the door. "Then I guess you don't want to know what my other sisters told me this afternoon."

As if I'd like to hear women's gossip.

"It was about Lilly, but since-" She stops when I abruptly turn and appear in front of her. I grab her arm.

"Tell me, woman. Quit playing games.  What about Lilly?"

Carefully removing my hand from her arm, she leads me over to the chairs.

"My sister Maria said she was at an art gallery this morning with one of her friends and she thought she saw Lilly with some man."

"Who? What man?" I gather my papers from the floor and begin sorting through, wondering which one might be interested in art.

"I...I'm not sure. I can't remember his name."

"Think, Ella. This is important." I snap at her.

"She's my sister, I know that." Ignoring her, I continue sorting. "Maybe it was...Dinglefoot? No, not that. Dargeresh? Hmm..."

"Dalgliesh." I hiss.

"That was it, yes! I don't know-" I don't stick around to hear what else she has to say. I rush down the stairs and practically run across the street. I throw the doors to the East India Company headquarters open.

"DALGLIESH!" I shout.

*
Okay, so here's another chapter. I was overwhelmed with support from everyone, thank you so much *brushes away tears* I've got some ideas on how to start wrapping the story, so it will be ending soon. But I'm going to finish it, because you guys want it. The fact that even a couple of you are interested makes me so happy. :D I love you guys.

(Also I got the job, so yay!! My best friend bought me chips to celebrate and we ate the whole bag 😂 #noragrets )

All right have a good day everyone! Hope you enjoy ricks POV.

~Hamilfan123987