Page 38 of Storm of Bells
More silence. Silence so arctic I lookedaround for a snowdrift in the corridor. Finally, one word came,falling like an executioner’s axe. ‘No.’
‘Thank you, Rick! I’m so glad to knowyou!’
I had to admit, I was quite impressed at mylittle sister’s selective deafness. It was a useful skill I shouldtry and emulate.
‘What’s this mayhem?’ came a voice fromanother room. ‘I heard—oh holy moly! He’s here, isn’t he? He’sheeeeere!’
Another female cannonball came shooting outof the drawing room and crashed into Ella and Mr Ambrose, whostayed infuriatingly upright.
‘OhmyGodohmyGodohmyGod! I can’t believe Ifinally get to meet the man who stole my best friend’s heart! Come,come, we have to introduce you to everyone! But then again, tointroduce you, I’d first have to know your name myself…’
She let the sentence trail off suggestively,waiting for his response. Unfortunately, Mr Rikkard Ambrose wascompletely immune to suggestive trail-offs.
Silence.
‘Well, anyway, I’m Eve! I’m Lilly’s very bestfriend! Well, maybe not the very best, but the best that wouldn’tstab you with a parasol on sight. If you ever see a big girl comingtowards you, about this tall, with a face like a bulldog and fistslike a professional boxer, run for your life.’
More silence. A very poignant silence.Cocking his head, Mr Ambrose gazed at her, a wordless challenge inhis dark eyes. Eve swallowed.
‘Err…Or maybe don’t.’
Mr Ambrose nodded.
‘Hm. It might be interesting to see who comesout alive.’ Suddenly, she frowned, cocking her head. ‘Your facelooks familiar, somehow. Have we met before?’
I quickly snatched up a nearby newspaper andhid behind its pages. They hadn’t met before. Not officially. Notunless you counted Eve and my other friends trying to stage asuffragette demo in Hyde Park, and being summarily shot down by MrRikkard Ambrose.
Please, Eve!I prayed.Please be asflighty, easily distracted and forgetful as always!
Mr Ambrose regarded her from cool heights.‘No.’
‘Are you sure? I could swear we have beenintroduced somewhere…’
‘No.’
‘Oh, forget it, Eve!’ Ella clapped her handsexcitedly. ‘It doesn’t matter now, does it? Not now that we’re soonto become family! What’s your name again? Lilly told me, but Iforgot. It was something funny, like Richard Fenrose, or EckardAmuse, or…’
I dived into my sleeve to stifle a snort. MrAmbrose fixed her with a glare that should, by all the laws ofphysics, have turned her into the world’s prettiest icicle. A glarethat was intended to shrivel her where she stood. ‘My name,’ hetold her, snowflakes dripping from every word, ‘is RikkardAmbrose.’
‘Oh, how wonderful!’ Once again, she threwher arms around him and gave him a warm, welcoming, sisterly hug. Icould hardly keep myself from bursting out laughing at the look ofagonized constipation that Mr Ambrose just about managed to keepfrom his face. ‘I’m so happy we’re going to be family! But I saidthat already, didn’t I?’
‘Indeed. Multiple times.’
‘There you go, that just goes to show howhappy I am!’ She beamed up at him. ‘I’m overjoyed my sister hasfound someone who loves her as much as I do. You do love her, don’tyou, Mr Ambrose?’
Silence.
A very, very long moment of silence—finallybroken by the clearing of the Ambrosian throat.
‘I do feel…certain feelings that approachamorous affection towards your sibling, yes.’
‘Oh!’ Eve cooed in the corner. ‘Isn’t hecute?’
I nearly choked. And, to judge by thedeath-stare in Mr Ambrose’s eyes, that’s what he wished wouldhappen to Eve, too.
‘I have not come to exchange banter,’ hestated, coolly surveying the two of them. ‘I am here to discusscertain matters of importance pertaining to the approachingmarriage to be contracted between me and Miss Lillian Linton.’
‘Don’t you just love the way he talks?’ Evewhispered to Ella behind her hand at a perfectly audible level.
