The Fiery Ifrit And The Stone-Cold Iceberg

The Ball Part 3

Lilly's POV

Mr Ambrose pulled me into his broad, hard chest and we started to dance. His closeness and the heat emanating from his body was making me lightheaded. We danced the quadrille all around the room throughout 4 dances. After the 4th dance, he took my arm and guided me to the garden behind the mansion. As we rounded the corner to the garden we both caught sight of Captain Carter. Mr Ambrose stiffened beside me, standing as straight and rigid as an iron pole. I heard James ask Mr Ambrose to leave indistinctly and felt him stiffen beyond the limits of the human body. Nonetheless, Mr Ambrose left and James led me deeper into the garden and sat me down on a bench next to an exquisite fountain.  

James knelt before me with a velvet box and said, " Lillian Linton I love you. I love your fire and your passion. I love that you're so different from other ladies. I adore your smi-"

An ice-cold voice was suddenly heard. "Am I interrupting something?"

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Mr Ambrose's POV

The ice returned to my mind and body instantly when I heard what was happening between the Captain and Lillian. I walked up to Miss Linton and took her arm. I led her even deeper into the garden, ignoring her yelling. 

After we were deep enough for my liking I turned to her. "I heard and saw what was happening between you and that man." She looked at me with the fires of hell in her chocolate brown eyes and yelled, "Why did you just pull me away from James! We were in the middle of something! You blasted chauvi-" I cut her off with a bruising hard kiss. "You are mine. Do you understand? You are my ifrit. No one else's. Mine."

My ifrit leaned up and closed the distance between our mouths. After what could have been an hour or a thousand years we parted.

I knelt before her on one knee and removed the ring box I had carried with me constantly since our adventure in South America. Her mouth was open as she stared at the velvet box. " Lillian..... I am not one to express emotion. But you have changed me. You have thawed out my frozen interior with your fire. Your storm. I have carried my love for you for too long without telling you. I love you, Lillian Linton. Your wit, fire, loyalty, bravery have all captured me. I feel so much for you that it is frightening. Lillian, will you do me the honour of marrying me?"

Tears had started to pool in her eyes. " Yes. Yes! I will marry you, you miserly arrogant bastard. I love you too, Rikkard Ambrose." she replied.

In that moment my blood pumping organ felt like it could burst out of my chest from happiness. I cupped her face and brought it to my mouth in a loving gentle kiss not before I placed the diamond ring I had purchased for 96 pounds and 2 shillings on her finger. For her, spending that amount of money was bearable.

Narrator's POV

Meanwhile, James Carter sat on the bench, with his ring buried deep in the soil, knowing that he would never be able to wed the lady he loved. He stood up and walked back into the mansion, heartbroken and downcast.

Lilly's POV

I was elated as we walked back into the ballroom. I noticed my aunt staring at me as I entered on the arm of Rikkard Ambrose. "Where is your aunt?" Mr Ambrose asked me. "Over there, by that table." He started walking towards my aunt and soon enough we were in front of her. I could actually see pound signs in her eyes. "Mrs Brank, I am to wed your niece, the lovely Lillian Linton." My aunt replied, "Of course, Mr Ambrose". She looked so jovial it was unnerving. As we walked away I noticed Anne and Maria turn a poisonous green with envy. I sent them a sickly sweet smile and revelled in the fact that I was marrying the man I loved. "Wait, Mr Ambrose, what should I call you, now that we are engaged?". "You will call me Rikkard, or Rick."

"What about Dick?" I asked him, giggling. "You may not call me Dick.". "Of course, Dick, darling"

I felt him sigh next to me. "You are utterly exasperating, Miss Linton."