Arranged

11

Cosette

I got up late, torn from my endless internal lifetimes with William to find a text from him.

I apologize for the interruption last night. Can I somehow make it up to you?

Well, you already did if I do indeed remember everything correctly.

Genuinely trembling, I picked up my phone and staggered out a reply: I'd love to, though time may not permit for the next few weeks. It is Royal wedding season, you know. Press coverage and all of that. I'll let you know if something opens up?

I hoped that he could sense the regret in my tone, though I was amply worried about him taking it the wrong way. I wanted to see him more than anything, but could absolutely not call out sick at a time like this. The Times needed a respectable, dependable head that was not so newsworthy in the slightest. I suppose, in the end, that I could only fulfill the former two obligations.

A week went by without any communication with William. The only notable event was two days after the kiss, when Avery called on me to ask if everything was alright. We took tea steadily in the back corner of my usual boulangerie. Somehow, it seemed, she knew everything already.

"So I heard that things got a bit heated the other night at your flat."

"Is that intuition, or do you happen to know for a fact that things got heated?"

"Well, by the way you're blushing, I'm considering it more of a fact."

We both laughed naturally. I had missed Avery since the Marouge Ball, and was glad that she was there pestering me about my practically nonexistent love life.

"Avery, I'm quite worried that William took what I said the wrong way. I would hate to have him blame everything on spirits alone."

She seemed to know what I was talking about with the messages as well.

"Did you know that William has literally been tormenting himself in waiting for you to call? Seriously, Jasper says that he's even been a bit distracted at work, which has never happened with him before."

"I really wish I could meet with him, but I just can't with all of the press releases coming out in the Times. Especially with you Royals--" we cut off to giggle-- "I must be there to dissuade any legal damages if the occasion arises."

"But what about the other co-owner? Certainly you can take turns holding down the fort?"

"The other co-owner is Robert's father, who makes face twice a month but otherwise has instructed me to run things independent of his participation. I could truly be in a bind of a bind if I was ditching on both my work and his son."

After a bit of a pause, Avery gave me a cunning smile.

"I have an idea, but you'll have to wait on the surprise. Alright?"

I got a sinking feeling in my stomach, but nodded anyway. Though I knew that Avery only had a general idea of my situation, strangely I trusted her with everything. I again got the distinct feeling of having known her for a long time, contrary to the fact that we had met just shy over a month ago.

---

William

I reviewed the criminal file on this bloke Nicholas Celver for what I hoped would be the last time in ages. He specialized in drawing up plans to have Royals kidnapped, but was only ever successful in getting to the scene of the kidnapping each time. In other words, he had nothing to speak of in the ways of kidnapping.

What struck me about his file is what he was planning on doing after each kidnapping. Indeed, each case was similar with the most minute variations. I won't expound upon what happened to be in the file this time, but I was rightly disgusted at the things he wanted to do. The worst of it was that we'd have to expect him praying on another victim in a few short months, as he could not be put in a mental institution nor locked up for more than a year due to his resources and legal counsel.

After thoroughly looking over his charges and various plans, I closed the file and sighed. I couldn't concentrate on anything for long, given this newly insatiable desire to see Cosette. It was a need, not a want. I needed to see her, if only for a few moments.

It was torture, really. I would be taking a sip of coffee, eating dinner, chatting with old pals, and suddenly I would be overwhelmed with the way I felt when I kissed her. She had responded automatically, pulling me in further like a magnet that had suddenly remembered to attract its opposite. I couldn't explain it better than the fact that we just fit together.

Since kissing her I had forgotten completely about Danica and about Russia, because it seemed that those things didn't and couldn't matter anymore.

The only person that I confided in on the issue was Jasper, but mostly because I was hoping that news would catch to Avery and then to Cosette herself if I acted swiftly enough.

---

Cosette

Two weeks passed without consequence and I was literally itching to see him. My whole being resonated with the fact that I needed him. I had never felt this way before--it was like I was suddenly an addict or something.

Then, I was sitting in my office at the Times when I had a strange phone call from my Secretary in the opposite room.

"Ms. Winters, a covert Royal vehicle is requesting entry into the building. There is a client there that would like to speak with you."

"Covert as in there is no identity to the person inside?"

"Yes indeed, though our lads down at the gate have identified that there is a genuine Royal car there, driven by a Royal chauffeur."

"Send them in. Thank you."

I nervously waited for the person to knock on my office door, dreading the fact that my meeting with said person would be documented almost in real time if it was important enough. I watched the clock. Five minutes had passed in silence.

Then, suddenly, there was a gentle yet urgent knock on the door. I got up, smoothed out my dress, and went to open it.

—-
Smooth like silk, the story is finally moving!! Love you all!
-Alice