Silence Breaking (Storm and Silence 4)

Oh really? Would that be her peacock vest, tailcoat or bowler hat?

‘-and I would always respect her and give her the freedom she desires.’

You would, would you? Be careful what you promise…

‘If you permit, I will begin to court your sister here, at Battlewood, and after a suitable period I shall make my intentions known.’

‘And…’ I cleared my throat to dislodge the hedgehog who had apparently taken up residence there. ‘Just out of curiosity…what if I don’t permit it?’

The captain stared at me. He seemed too taken aback to be angry or even annoyed. ‘Is there any reason why you would? Anything you find objectionable about me as a suitor for your sister?’

I gave him a quick once-over.

Please! Please let there be some good excuse!

My eyes roamed across the tall figure of the officer in his immaculate red coat, staying for a moment on his strong face, roguish, intelligent eyes, long mahogany hair and broad, chiselled chest.

‘Err…you have a speck of dirt about three inches below the knee on your left trouser leg?’ I offered.

The captain stared at me, probably trying to figure out whether I was being serious or making a joke. To be honest, I was trying to figure out the very same thing. This whole situation was a bad joke! For a moment, I considered simply switching alter egos and shouting ‘Surprise, Surprise!’ Should I? Did I dare trust Captain Carter with that part of myself?

Better question, Lilly: what would it change? You know him. Do you really think that the fact you occasionally dress up as a man is going to deter him?

Even better question: did I want him to be deterred?

Swallowing, I opened my mouth. ‘Captain Carter, I…’

The door behind me swung open. Without even glancing back, I knew who it was. I could feel him.

‘Mr Linton? Am I interrupting something?’

‘No!’ Damn! Why did my voice sound like a squeaky hamster. ‘No, not at all!’

‘Actually, you are.’ Before I could I could stop him, Captain Carter, the dear suicidal fool, stepped past me to block Mr Ambrose’s path. ‘Your secretary and I have some private business to discuss.’

‘Indeed?’

Never in my life had I heard such an ice-cold death-threat vibrating in one single little harmless word. Mr Ambrose locked eyes with Captain Carter, and the air between them crackled with tension. Cautiously, I took a step back, my eyes flicking from one to the other.

Technically, Mr Ambrose should have been the one shirking from a confrontation. Captain Carter was a soldier, a trained fighter armed with a military sabre. But there was something in Mr Ambrose’s eyes that told anyone it would be unwise to bet against him. I had no idea what kinds of things he’d done in his years in the colonies, but I knew what kind of world it was out there. A world ruled by the principle ‘might makes right’. A world where he’d fought his way to the very top with tooth and claw. ‘Come here,’ his eyes seemed to say as they bored into the captain. ‘Come at me, and I’ll shred you to pieces.’

Almost involuntarily, Captain Carter took a step back.

‘Your “private business” is at an end,’ Mr Ambrose announced in the same tone a god would use to proclaim his commandments. ‘Mr Linton and I have matters of importance to attend to.’

‘Very well. We were finished anyway.’

We were?

Apparently so. The captain turned towards me with a resolute expression on his face. ‘I’m sorry to hear that you disapprove, Mr Linton. I would have preferred to have your blessing, but in the end, it will not change my mind. Even if it did, it’s not my mind I have to listen to. In this case, I have to follow my heart.’

‘Your heart?’ The words came from Mr Ambrose in a low whisper. Too low for Captain Carter to hear, probably, because he completely ignored them.

‘If you wish, Mr Linton, you are free to try and prevent me from courting Miss Linton. But whatever you choose to do or say, I shall not be deterred. I shall be declaring my intentions to your sister very soon. Goodbye.’

And with a curt nod, he left the room.

There was moment of very, very silent silence.