Darkness(A Storm and Silence Fanfiction)

Waiting in Limbo

Authors Note: Here's a chapter from Captain Carter's pov cuz I'm still working on Ambrose's pov lol. I'll post it tomorrow. 

Three words kept running through Captain James Carter's head over and over again; I need time. Had he pushed her too far and too soon? Did she truly not harbor any romantic interest in himself? Was he not good, handsome, or wealthy for her? No Lilly was not the type to be swayed by something as trivial as wealth, there must something more powerful playing in the background. 

Waiting in this sort of limbo for hours drove the Captain crazy though. What did her answer mean? Yes or no? Was she reluctant to turn him down because they were friends? Was she simply hesitant in accepting a request for her hand from a member of the male sex? Though his mind was puzzling over the doubt and longing in her deep, swirling, Chocolate brown eyes, there was no doubt in his heart that he actually did love Miss Lillian Linton. 

He had meant every word of his impassioned speech. She really did make his life more worth living. From the moment he first saw her at the fateful ball when she was deviously plotting to get rid of Ol' Flip to effectively rescue her sister from a miserable plight, he knew that this woman was someone different, someone unique, and someone worth getting to know; and he wanted to be the one that knew her best one day. 

He loved the way her eyes lit up with a hidden fire whenever she talked about the causes she was passionate about; namely feminism. He loved her intelligence and wit and the fact that she was unafraid to tell him off even though he was a respected male. He loved how during balls she would lift her gowns higher and higher until he caught strangely alluring glimpses of her dainty ankles. He loved how she deliberately flouted traditions just to scandalize the conservative and close minded elders in the room. He even loved the look of her cheeks filled with her own ambrosia(see what I did there?😏), Chocolate and the way her eyes closed in ecstasy as she sighed in the bliss of consuming her favorite food. 

Even her attributes that some may consider peculiar or unsightly such as her short brown hair, borderline pudginess, extreme self confidence, and short stature, he found immensely attractive. Why? Because they were a part of her. And he loved every inch of her no matter what the others thought. 

That night in Egypt when he saw her strolling out of Dark Nights of Delight like it was something she did every day was he realized how much he actually did love her. This was not some borderline friendly crush of convenience; this was the real and enduring love that the stories always seemed to idolize. That night he felt immense panic and frustration. What if he had not been there at the time? Would Lilly have been kidnapped? Tortured? Or even worse....killed? Though he knew she could hold her own against anyone, his heart still sped up at the thought of her in that kind of danger ever again. 

And then he saw her standing in a dark cavern with the bloody corpses of the bandits laying around her. She had never looked more like an avenging angel of death before. Yes, she was dangerous. Yes, she had secrets that she was not willing to tell him at the time. Yet he took her back with him, keeping her close, and managed to keep her by his side throughout the voyage by sea. 

Now that he thought back to the trip back, her gaze always seemed on something far away, something unrelentingly drawing her attention the way she always drew his. Even though she participated in enthusiastic conversations, she seemed withdrawn and distant. Her eyes didn't hold the hidden fire he had come to admire so much. What was she missing? Had she left something behind in Egypt?

Nevertheless, he understood and accepted all that and more. He loved her just the way she was and could give her the freedom and support to pursue her dreams of fighting for women's rights and social equality. She would open up to him in time as their relationship progressed. He had full confidence in that much. 

But now...now she seemed preoccupied. Had she already given her heart to a man? Impossible. Where would a young woman like her meet other eligible men like himself other than in a ball? And he had been with her at almost every ball she attended as of recent times. 

He loved her completely....and thought she felt the same back to him. Now he was in between places, stuck in limbo; he had no answer...not a yes, not a no....simply a shaky maybe. 

What would Lilly choose? Was there another choice he was unaware of that was distracting her? Captain Carter knew what he wanted, and he wanted Lillian Linton. He would not be put off or concede easily if there truly was another suitor fighting for her hand. 

He was in the military after all...how could some ordinary man compete with him?

Author's Note: This was Captain Carter's pov. Tell me what you think of it...we can continue with solely Mr Ambrose's point of view or throw an occasional Captain Carter chapter in there. Just to explore how the two characters see Lilly's inner turmoil from their own view...As always, thank you so much for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day👋