Ice and Flames

2. the ball

*Lillian's POV*

*the day of the ball*

Mr. Linton,

Get changed into your costume. We will leave in approximately 20 minutes and 44 seconds.

Rikkard Ambrose

The butterflies that had fluttered their wings when he let me pick out a ballgown a few days ago had not ceased since. I was going to a ball with the Rikkard Ambrose on my arm.

I wrote my last reply of the work day and sent it back to him.

Mr. Ambrose,

It is not called a costume, however I can see why you would want to believe so.

Sincerely yours,

Miss Lilly Linton

I turned to my gown which was hanging on a coat rack by the door. Mr. Stone had given me the strangest look when he walked into my office and saw it. "It's a surprise for my sister." I had explained, hoping to mollify him. He hadn't questioned it.

The dress was sapphire blue, had delicate golden roses with stems trailing up the fabric and lace sleeves at the shoulder accompanied by a matching thin lace collar.

It was the fanciest dress I had ever worn in my entire life.

And it was the third cheapest dress Mr. Ambrose had ever bought in his entire life.

A win-win situation in my books, if anybody asked.

I sent my response back to Mr. Ambrose and hopped up. I needed as much time as I could get my hands on because putting this dress on all by myself was going to be a nightmare.

By the time I got across the room I had already flung my trousers and shoes off, and my shirt was halfway unbuttoned. You're probably wondering why I would undress without locking the doors, or why I would so hastily undress in the first place. Well, if you remember, at the beginning of this week I made a deal with Mr. Ambrose that I would work late hours with him if he took us to the ball.

So... I had been doing just that.

Working late... for no extra pay.

Smart Lilly, right?

No, I was foolish. Foolish to believe working late would somehow entail less work than during the day.

I worked more tirelessly once all the other employees left, contrary to my naive belief.

So, since every other employee had vacated the building, I was basically free to roam the halls naked unless Mr. Ambrose stopped me.

I shivered at the thought... or maybe it was just the cold air hitting my exposed skin. I took the dress off the hook and began to pull it over my head. It slipped over my body easily, thanks to the marvelous effort of the tailor at Flemming's. Once it was snug against my corset I picked up the crinoline petticoat and stepped into it, fluffing the skirt of the dress over it so that it laid smoothly. The easy part was over. Now, it was time to lace the dress.

My hands went to my back and grabbed at the fabric, hoping to find the infernal lace. To no avail.

I tried again. My hands wrapped around my back this time like I was crossing my arms and I found the lace blindly. "Aha!" I exclaimed. I grunted and heaved as I began to maneuver it up through the eyelets. "Erghh, you've got this Lilly, do not give up!" I encouraged myself. Slowly, slowly the laces were tying together. I knew that I was probably doing a very poor job because the material felt slack against my back and not at all tight like it was supposed to. Blast. I wanted to hit whoever came up with the infernal design of a dress with a parasol.