Silence is Golden

11. The Bliss of Love

Zero.

Minus one.

Minus two.

Minus three.

Hey! I was counting negative numbers, and still walking! That meant they hadn't jumped out to grab me! Yay! I was alive and free to rail against the injustice of patriarchy for another day! Huzzah!

Out of the corner of my eye, I had just caught a glimpse of them behind the curtain in passing: Dalgliesh's golden hair, and the face of the other man, angular and darkened by sunlight. Obviously, they had not caught me looking. By now, I was nearly at the front door, and the curtain behind me did not rustle. No footsteps announced any unwelcome pursuers.

Except for two, that is.

'Where can she have gone?'

'I have no idea, Mrs Brank! One moment, she was there, right beside me, as happy as could be, and the next one she was gone!'

Oh, no, no, no! Please, God, not those two!

As usual, God had his ears stuffed with beeswax. The voices of my aunt and fiancé approached from behind at the speed of two galloping horses.

'Oh, Mr Fitzgerald! I am so sorry! I should have known something like this was going to happen. Lilly has always been such a wilful child!'

'Surely, Mrs Brank, you do not think she left by choice? I just announced our engagement, and she was clearly bursting with joy! Why would she wish to leave?'

Just then, the two of them brushed past me. I could see the expression on my aunt's face. No matter her faults, my aunt knew me well. In answer to Mr Fitzgerald's words, she gave only a tactful silence.

The exit wasn't far ahead now. Only a few steps. I started counting positive numbers again.

Ten steps.

Nine.

Eight.

My aunt and Mr Fitzgerald reached the exit. I ached to catch up to them, to go faster, to run like the wind – but I knew that I couldn't. I could still feel the steely gazes from behind the curtain on my neck and knew that the moment I started to move faster than average, they would see through my disguise, and grab me.

Nice and slow, Lilly. Nice and slow.

Seven steps.

Six.

Five.

Four.

It would be over soon. I just had to hold out a little longer. A tiny little bit longer. Outside, I could hear my aunt and my fiancé discussing my mysterious disappearance. In an effort to keep myself from breaking into a run, I focused on their voices.

'I can't believe she went out on her own, Mrs Brank – not considering the way I know she feels about me! Something must have happened, someone must have taken her! I should never have left her alone. As her betrothed, her safety is my responsibility!'

'Um...yes.' There was hesitation in my aunt's voice. I could see she probably found the idea of my having to be forcibly dragged from Morty's side because of my mad, passionate love for him not quite convincing, but thought it impolitic to point this out to him. 'You are probably right. Maybe you should look for her.'

Three.

Two.

One.

'You are right, Mrs Brank. I will!'