Dedicated to AnnaBear_4

Damn! Heknowsheknowsheknows!

Calm down! Don't panic! Deep breaths!

Okay, okay, okay....

Blast, blast and double blast and all fireworks! He bloody knows!

Deep breath...fine...

I looked at him, or to be precise gave him this creepy, eerily calm smile, putting on a calm facade for now. He returned it, victory and amusement sparkling in his steel blue eyes.

The most important question now was: accept it or deny it?

Think, Lilly, think...

Finally I settled on the Ambrosian kind of answer. None. Wasn't silence the best answer?

Both of us stood there silently glaring at each other, his eyes glinting dangerously, while I refused to look away, challenging him to dare spread word about Mr. Ambrose hiring a female. Finally, Captain Carter approached us and put his hand on my arm, but I did not turn my eyes away from the blond haired individual in front of me.

"It is quite late, my Lord, and I and Ms. Linton here would like to take your leave now." Even though his words were respectful enough, his manner of speaking made it clear enough that he held no respect for him.

Dalgliesh finally looked at Captain Carter, and I did a victory dance in my head, my glare turning into a grin directed at the Captain.

"Of course, Captain." Turning to me, he gave his fake smile, which he must have excelled over the years of hate for Mr. Ambrose and pretending he was a gentleman, while he tried to kill Mr. Ambrose and me. "Ms. Linton, do tell your brother that we shall meet soon. With the file."

Huh? Didn't he already have the file? Just how many files was Mr. Ambrose hiding from me? That...that chauvinist piece of useless granite! He'd better start digging his own grave! Once I'll get my hands on him, I'll...I'll...

Kiss him senseless?

Ye-No!

"Oh, I'll tell him, no doubt, but I don't think he will want to meet you anytime soon."

"Leave that to me, Ms. Linton. Goodnight. Captain." Smiling threateningly at me, he turned to one of his guests who had been approaching him, and I scowled at his retreating figure.

"Let's go, Ms. Linton." I turned and followed the Captain out of the ball room, and to the gate in silence, fuming at the blond Lord, who had the audacity to threaten me, twice! The nerve of that man!

I was praising myself for the ability to not slap him in public or perforate him with my sharp parasol when my hands had been absolutely itching to, so I did not notice that Captain Carter had stopped walking and bumped right into him, nearly losing my balance.

He turned towards me, looking deep in thought. "You know Lord Dalgliesh?"

"Unfortunately. He's an old aquaintance." And my biggest enemy.

Actually, not yours. Your employer's.

Yes, I know, but its the same thing.

Really? And why is your employer's enemy your own enemy? Because you consider him as your...friend, perhaps?

Of course not. That semi human machine did not have any friends at all. The words Ambrose and friend did not even fit together in the same sentence.

"One who has been foolish enough to invoke your disapproval. I'm surprised he is still standing on his two feet, and nursing wounds made by a sharpened parasol." Captain Carter gave his cheerful smile, but that did not erase the curiosity about the tense atmosphere between I and Lord Dalgliesh.

Well, well, it was time to bring back the old Captain.

I gave a gasp and parted my lips in mock horror. "You think that I am a violent person, and go on sudden sprees impaling chauvinists with my parasol and heels? Is that what you think of me?" I gave him my most innocent look and batted my eyelashes at him. "I am the most honorable, demure and innocent lady you will ever meet, and you doubt me?"

"Now that, Ms. Linton, is a questionable statement in itself. Why don't we verify it from some of your previous victims?"

We both burst into light hearted laughter, and some of the tension between us about my acquiantance with Dalgliesh relaxed.

When our laughter faded away into the cool night air, he tried to get all the seriousness he could muster, but being Captain Carter, after all, it wasn't much. A small grin remained on his face as he tried to enquire furthur about Lord Dalgliesh.

"But seriously, though, Ms. Linton, how do you know him? He seems to have gotten on your nerves quite easily."

Nothing much to worry about, he just has made several attempts to kill me and Mr. Ambrose, and you know, he tends to get on my nerves only because he knows about my alter ego and non existent brother, working for his biggest business rival, whom he hates with every cell of his, and now he might use that information in anyway he wants, and crumble his empire to dust in a single moment.

See, nothing at all. Dalgliesh did not get on my nerves. Not at all. Just that if I would get a chance to choose between killing him, and having solid chocolate, there was a 67. 53 percent chance that I would choose the former.

"A mutual acquiantance introduced us." Ah, the difference between what I wanted to say and what I had to say. It was a pity I could not share my secret with him. It would be fun to have someone you can complain about my stingy, cold and chauvinist black of granite of an employer to.

"Ah." We stood together in silence, which was awkward, because I was going to have to consider his earnest proposal for marriage, the last thing I really wanted to do, but it was also not awkward, because after all, it was Captain Carter. Most things tended to be not awkward in his company.

"So....I'll get going. My aunt will be waiting for me to return." So that she can hound me about that exact words spoken by Captain, and whether they involved the 'l' word by any chance.

Sigh. The things a lady had to go through.

"Well, then. Goodnight, Ms. Linton. I hope we can meet soon." His gaze pierced mine with such an intensity that I felt the need to look away. "With an answer, too, hopefully."

"Goodnight, Captain Carter." I quickly stepped onto the nearly deserted road. My house was not that far away, just three lanes down the street, and a right turn, and I would be home.The cool wind nipped at my face and the considerably low backline of my dress, and a shiver went through me.

Wishing for my much more sensible tailcoat and pants, I rubbed my hands together in an attempt to retain some warmth in them, all the while thinking about the eventful evening I had. Plenty of things to think about, and yet every few moments my thoughts would somehow end up at him.

Well, if he didn't want to tell me about the file, then he could go to hell! Even the devil will be bored with his serious, 'Knowledge is power is time is money', stingy self! The only thing he was good for was to rile up! And who better than me to annoy him to death?

I smirked at the wisdom in my words, satisfied with my decision, and was about to reach the right turn, when a pair of strong and firm hands etched themselves on my mouth and waist, and I instinctively kicked the person, trying to wrench away his hands from my mouth.

Kicking and flailing, I was pushed over to the side of the deserted road before I could scream bloody murder, and out of the light of the street lamps. Fear clenched at my heart as I cursed myself for not being more alert about stalkers and kidnappers like this fellow here, and I looked for a way to escape from the attacker's death grip.

Blast! If only I had paid more attention! I would have been at home alre-

"Calm down, Mr. Linton. There is no need to chew off my hand, is there?"

There was only one cheeky son of a bastard I knew who would dare to call me 'Mister' while I was in a dress, pressed tightly against him.

"Mr. Ambrose?"

---------------------------------------------------

Dear ladies and gentlemen,

If you are still reading this book, I would like to give you a big big hug, and lots of love from me. Thank you sooo much for bearing with me!

I know I am the laziest author ever, and I could probably write another book about the excuses I have, but I admit I am too lazy to even do that. And the confusion I had about the furthur plot only added to the list. I would like to thank Royalwoods441, for listening patiently to my whole story and clearing the idea in my head. You are the best best friend I could ever find!

Anyways, back to the topic, our favourite miser is back! Hooray! I missed him so much, but the plot didn't allow me to bring him in earlier. Sooo....prepare yourself for another round of bickering between our suffragist queen and the iceberg king in the next chapter!

Vote, comment and suggest any ideas for the futhur plot! I would love any feedback from you guys!

Have a nice day, and see you soon!

Yours truly,
Ifrit5789.

P. S. I am still freaking out over the number of reads and votes! Yipee! Thanks once again!