Storm and Silence(87)

‘Why? Are you busy?’

No, I’m standing around in women’s underwear, which, apart from being pretty indecent, makes it more or less obvious that I’m a girl!

‘Um… yes, that’s it. Very busy. Very, very, very busy in fact.’

‘I see. Well then, I won’t disturb you any further. I just wanted to ask if you found the keys all right?’

‘Yes, I did.’

Yes I did, thank God, or else my office door wouldn’t be locked right now, and you’d be staring at me in my drawers!

‘Very well. I understand you’re leaving now, Mr Linton?’

‘Yes.’

‘And Mr Ambrose?’

‘He’s very, very busy, too, Mr Stone.’

‘I see. Well, I’ll leave you alone then. Till tomorrow.’

‘Yes, goodbye, Mr Stone.’

I heard him moving away and let out the breath I had been holding. I’m not sure what Mr Ambrose’s reaction would be to someone discovering my true gender, but he wouldn’t be jumping up and down with joy, that much I could tell. Maybe he would be jumping up and down on me instead, wearing iron-shod boots.

Though he probably would shrink from such a display of emotion. He would get Karim to do it. The big fellow would be excellently suited for the task and all too happy to oblige. For some reason, the thought brought a smile to my face.

Grabbing Uncle Bufford’s trousers, I dressed in my unusually usual outfit again and left the office, locking the door behind me. Not that I thought somebody might steal my fountain pen, it just was a good feeling. My space. My door. My key. Stuffing the keys securely into my deepest pocket, I began the long descent down to street level.

I didn’t call a cab. Luxuries like that would have to wait until I actually received my first pay cheque. Instead I walked home slowly, enjoying for the first time in my life the feeling I had done something useful. No sitting around trying to knit or sew, no silly whirling around in a ballroom full of overdressed nitwits. I had been out there in the real, rough world. And I would return there soon.

My exultation lasted all the way home. As I went in through the garden door and into the shed to change, slowly my feelings of joy waned and I suppressed a yawn. God, my legs hurt from all that running over roofs. The real world was pretty tiring.

As I approached the front door, another concentrated wave of tiredness hit me. Mr Ambrose had been right, today had been exhausting. I needed some rest, and I needed it quick. Fortunately, nothing was likely to get in the way of that. My aunt was sure to be too busy with my other sisters to care if I was lazy and slept through the afternoon.

That was when I first heard the excited chatter from inside the house. Strange… It sounded like we had a visitor. But who would come to visit us? I had to be mistaken.

The moment I stepped into the house, though, the door to the salon flew open and my aunt appeared in the doorway. ‘There she is!’ She exclaimed, a triumphant smile on her face. ‘And just in time. Lilly, my dear, I have a wonderful surprise for you!’

Oh-oh. That didn’t sound good.

‘What surprise?’ I yawned, and blinked furiously to keep my eyes open.

‘Look who has come to visit you,’ my aunt replied smiling, and waved invitingly to somebody in the room. Footsteps could be heard, and then, directly beside my aunt’s triumphant visage, appeared the arrogantly smiling face of Lieutenant Ellingham.

He bowed.

‘Miss Linton. How delighted I am to see you again.’

I straightened, and my eyes narrowed. His arrogant smile widened.

Delighted, eh? We’ll see whether you still feel like that in five minutes, Mister…

*~*~**~*~*

‘… killed every last one of the savages with my own hands. They were fearsome enemies, but my superior fighting skills struck fear into their hearts which they could not overcome.’

Lieutenant Ellingham thumped his chest theatrically.

‘At last, only the big grey beast was left, and so I charged forward and stuck my sabre right into its belly! It collapsed dead on the spot!’

The lieutenant finished his narration with a flourish of the arm, simulating a sabre thrust.

‘Marvellous! Simply marvellous!’ My aunt, Maria, Anne and Lisbeth applauded enthusiastically, and even Ella moved her hands together a bit, though by no means so forcefully that it could actually be heard.

‘What an impeccable display of courage,’ Anne proclaimed, fluttering her eyelashes at the lieutenant. ‘To think that you all alone went up against a raiding party of twenty-one savages, and charged such a terrifying monster as an elephant! This is the kind of bravery that made the British Empire what it is today!’

‘Yes, really amazing,’ I yawned.