29. My Devious Plan

So Mr. Ambrose knew my secret. Guess I was gonna have to continue my amnesia once I got home. As I thought more about it, I felt that the idea was slightly stupid. Who would fall for it? Mr. Ambrose already proved that he knew this little secret of mine. It'd be some time before Lord Dalgliesh, my aunt and sisters will know of this game of forgetfulness.

Maybe Lord Dalgliesh would be the first to recognise the truth and know that I was lying.

I hoped not.

We remained on the ship for the rest of time as it went by. I didn't know how long we were out at sea, only knew was that it was for days. I acted as I normally did, on the ship, but knew as soon as I stepped in London, I would have to forget, or pretend to forget, everyone and everything. At least then I could get out of both the marriage and of being locked up in my room for who knew how long.

Speaking of the dastardly marriage... Where was my ring? Had I even brought it with me? I began searching for it and about half an hour later, I didn't find it. Some part of me told me that I'd either lost it, or left it with the native tribe back in Africa. Well, as long as I didn't have that blasted thing anymore, I'd be fine. Wish I'd just chucked it out into the sea though, but I had a feeling the sea wouldn't want metal to eat. It's unhealthy anyways.

I didn't do much on the ship other than eat and sleep. And pester Mr. Ambrose a bit. Also Karim. I just really wanted to go home already. Maybe I can sleep my way through it! I mean, I have nothing better to do anyways... But first I need to ask how much longer we have until we get to London. Sighing, I made my usual trek to Mr. Ambrose's office. As I was about to knock, I heard voices come from behind it.

"..Dunno why she hasn't stopped. She's been keeping it up for days now sahib." It was Karim. I pressed my ear against the door. They weren't talking about me, were they?

"Not days." Mr Ambrose's cold voice cut through the door. "Weeks. Months. Years really. Almost... Almost since I left eleven years ago." What!? Where did he leave? Who did he leave?

"Ah, yes, but remind me sahib, how she found out where you worked?"

"Someone who knows me must have tipped her off."

"Do you think it could be.. him?"

"No Karim. He knows nothing of my..." Mr. Ambrose stopped talking.

"What is it sahib? You look as if you have realised something worth mentioning."

"Simmons! Him again!" I looked at the door in disbelief. What did he have to do with anything? He was dead!

Karim appeared to have the same thoughts as I did, but he, unlike me, voiced them. "But sahib, I do not understand... Simmons is dead. He was killed, was he not?"

"Yes, Karim he was. But do you remember what he said? He said that... No." I then heard a scraping of a chair and panicked briefly when I heard footsteps... But they weren't coming near me. "Samantha's been sending those letters for a long time, before Simmons left. Simmons may have given Dalgliesh's men the letters, and they in turn may have given those letters to Dalgliesh, but she has been sending them long before so. And Samantha would never go near Dalgliesh. She knows him and what he's after and most of what he's up to. I know her."

"But then how...?"

"Either someone tipped her off, or I told her at one point in my life that I never bothered to remember."

"Or perhaps when the Empire House was being built, it went onto the news. There's the possibility that-"

"One of the newspapers from London reached her! But how? And which newspaper? I must know..." I heard more footsteps. And then they stopped. I waited in bated breath and then heard the footsteps resume... But this time they were coming for me. Quickly, I scooted away from the door and stopped at the window, pretending to look out. When Mr. Ambrose opened the door, I turned around.

"Have you finished talking? My, that must have taken a long time. But then again, I wouldn't know since I do not own a pocket watch. But y-"

"Quiet. Karim, go. You, in." Mr Ambrose said with a short jerk of his granite head. Bowing my head as to not meet his eyes, I entered his office as Karim left it. I went and placed myself quietly in front of his desk. I really wanted to sit in his chair, but I resisted the urge. I can sit later. Not now.

He came, slamming the door shut behind him. Tailcoat flapping as he walked, he looked briefly like a strange overgrown bat. I stuffed my fist into my mouth to keep myself from laughing.

"What's so funny, Mr Linton?" I cleared my throat and removed my fist.

"Nothing sir."

"How much did you hear?"

"Hear what?" I act, playing the innocent card.

"Of what I and Karim were talking. And don't lie."

"Um.. Well I heard some of it. Mostly the end part before you found me but other than that..."

"Have you..." He walked from around the desk and stopped in front of me. Too close! Why did he have to be so close? I took a half step back, shuffling my feet. "Have you opened and read any of those letters Mr Linton?"

"No." I said immediately. I bit my lip though, fearing that he would accuse me of lying. I looked down at my feet. They currently seemed quite interesting...

And then, just the thing I was fearing, happened. He grabbed my shoulders and slammed me against the wall, knocking the breath out of me. "You lie! I can tell you've opened one of the letters she sent me! Tell me which one it was! I know you have opened one of them!"

"N-no! I didn't, I swear!" I said shrilly. "I haven't opened a single one of those pink, perfumed letters! If you must know, I really wanted to open one of them one day, but a part of me said that it would make me lose your trust in me! That you wouldn't trust me with anything anymore, so I didn't open any of them! I swear it! I swear to you on my honour of a fe-" Mr Ambrose cut me off by placing his hand over my mouth. He stared at the door and then I heard another knock.

Dragging me with him, hand still over my mouth, he walked to the door and opened it with his free hand. "What do you want?" While he talked to whoever was outside, I stared down at his hand over my mouth and couldn't help a slight shiver to run down my spine. And then Mr Ambrose shut the door and faced me, hand still on my face. I raised an eyebrow, as if to question him why he didn't remove his hand. But he wasn't looking my way. So I did the next thing that came to my mind.

I bit his hand.

"Argh! What is wrong with you?" 

"Nothing." I said innocently. "So do you believe me?"

"Believe you for what?" I stared.

"That I didn't open a single pink letter!" 

"Did you swear it?"

"Well I was about to before I was rudely interrupted!"

"Are you absolutely sure that you didn't open even one pink letter?" He asked, walked towards me. I looked him dead in the eye.

"I swear to it on the honour of a female who wears trousers that I have not opened a single pink, perfumed letter you've received." I responded. 

"You've only read who sent them?" I nodded.

"I just don't remember her name."

"You don't need to." He walked away from me and I let out a silent breath. His trust in me was still intact, but I knew it'd be a matter of time in which it would break. "By the way, did you have to ask me something?"

"What? Ask you something?"

"Yes. Obviously that's the reason why you came here, to ask me a question and not eavesdrop on a conversation I had."

"I..." I racked my brains. I had come here to ask him something, hadn't I? But what was it? "Grumbling about my room... Lost my ringg- Oh! Yes, right. How much longer until we get to London?"

"Well we've been travelling for five days, three hours and twenty seven minutes." He said pulling out his watching. "We'll reach London either by tomorrow or the day after. And what are you going to tell your aunt?"

"Oh. I suppose that's enough time and... What?" 

"What are you going to tell your aunt about where you've been?"

"I don't actually..." My thoughts then drifted to the lost ring. "Perfect! I know exactly what to do!" I said, clapping my hands together jovially. 

"I do not wish to ask, but I must know. What exactly are you going to do?" I gestured for him to come over and he did so, reluctantly. I gestured again from him to get down, but he didn't. Rolling my eyes, I grabbed his lapel and pulled him towards me and whispered my plan in his ear.

And boy was he surprised.

So surprised that he immediately said no. But I persuaded him and said that it was only just for a little while. No use.

Fine. It seems that I will simply have to do it anyways, even without consent.

____________________________________________________________________________________

HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMFRA IT'S NEARING A MONTH SINCE I LAST UPDATED THIS (March 27th lol)

I AM SO SORRY

REALLY I AM. 

I've just been so busy and stressed out over school and this singing exam I had yesterday that I ended up with a writer's block and I couldn't write anything. Of course, I wrote a little, a couple one shots here and there, but none published. Just hand written and/or typed.

Again, I am so, so, so, so, so super sorry for not updating! I never even notified you guys of what was happening. I feel really bad that I never told you guys anything. ;-;-;-;-;

So what do you think Lilly's little plan is? ;]

By the way, this fanfic will be over in two chapters! Or one.

Yeah, it'll be over next chapter. Sorryyyyyyyy, but in it's place will be one shots! And yes, next chapter I will be expaining what I meant about one shots for YOU beautiful flawloers.

WHO

LOVED

CHAPTER

TWENTY

AND

SCREAMED

BLOODY

MURDER

IN

CHAPTER

NINETEEN

AND

ALSO

CRIED

AND 

SQUEALED

IN

CHAPTER 

TWENTY

AND

LITERALLY

CANNOT

WAIT

UNTIL

CHAPTER

TWENTY

ONE

?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

-raises hand-

hi

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

that was me in ch. 20 btw

well at least by the end of it. 

OMFRA

Okay, well I think that's it.

Oh yeah, I'm getting out of that damned extra class by the end of this week (or next week)!!!!!!!!!111

HUZZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH :D :D :D :D

I guess I'll...

See you later!