Mr. Ambrose didn't tell anyone, but ever since the day he'd spent in the park with his secretary- celebrating his birthday and eating hamburgers- he'd secretly planned this day.That night when he'd asked her when her birthday was, Lilly had looked down at the greasy table cloth, with a blush spreading across her delicate features. Eventually, she looked up again and met his eyes. November 21.

Now, the day had come, and though Lilly had forgotten ever mentioning it to him, Mr. Ambrose remembered- and most certainly cared. He'd even gotten up an hour earlier than usual, not to do work, but to prepare his surprise. The package he'd bought for her was wrapped neatly in parchment, and if one looked closely enough, they'd see the script written neatly across it. Yes, Mr. Ambrose had been too cheap to actually buy wrapping paper. He figured Lillian wouldn't care about the wrapping after she saw the package.

Karim knocked on the door, and Mr. Ambrose let him in. "What did he say?" Mr. Ambrose asked, already knowing the answer. Nobody could resist him, powerful as he was.

"The first appointment's at 10." Mr. Ambrose nodded. That was good, very good.

"And what did Mr. Bridges say?"

"The discount is eligible still," Karim said with a straight face.

"Adequate." After sending Karim away, Mr. Ambrose spent a half-hour working through the stack on his desk. He figured he might as well get some work in before he went gallivanting off somewhere. Working also calmed him down, and right now, Mr. Ambrose definitely needed some calming.

At precisely 8:00 in the morning, Mr. Linton breezed into his office, a bright smile on her face.

"Good morning Sir!" He said enthusiastically, waving a bit. "Isn't it a beautiful day?!"

He waved outside to the thick morning fog that covered London's streets at the moment. Lilly was quite happy indeed, seeing as she had just turned 21, and could legally drink alcohol. Plus, she wasn't yet married.

"Ah, yes. Indeed, Mr. Linton. Perfect for a day of meetings with my associates. The first one is at ten. Until then, get me Box IXV46, XX321, and XV67." Mr. Linton's face fell, and she looked so dejected Mr. Ambrose almost felt bad. Almost.

Lilly cursed loudly in several different languages, a foul mood coming over her. Mr. Ambrose managed to make her euphoria dissipate faster than a cheetah could run. She stomped into her office, banging the door shut behind her with enough force to shake spiders off the ceiling. For the next two hours, she labored, carrying huge stacks of files in her arms. Damn him! How could he do this? I was so nice to him on his birthday, why couldn't he do the same? He doesn't actually care you know. He's probably already forgotten. Could he have? I mean... it was his first celebration in 18 years. He definitely forgot, Lilly. Ugh...

At 9:45, Mr. Ambrose called her into his office. His cane was in hand, and his top hat in the other. "Let's go, Mr. Linton. I've got some very important people I need to impress today that would be very beneficial to my business, and we don't want to be late." Mr. Ambrose started to the door before turning back around with a barely audible sigh. His eyes roved up and down, starting at the untucked tailcoat and sweat stained shirt to the sticky, red face of he- his. "And clean yourself up, will you? I don't want my personal secretary sweating and stinking up the office."

"Why, you callous,mean, frozen, chauvinistic bastard!" Lillian yelled at his retreating back. Mr. Ambrose didn't flinch. She ran after him, panting heavily. "Get back here! I'm going to-"

Lilly ran all the way down the stairs. Even at full tilt, Mr. Ambrose still managed to march down the stairs faster than she. Lilly finally arrived at the rickety old chaise with the grey horse two minutes after Mr. Ambrose, who regarded her impatiently with those icy eyes of his. Out of breath, she didn't even try to complain as Mr. Ambrose rebuked her silently as she staggered onto the chaise, completely winded. Her panted threats were forgotten as she settled back onto the stiff wooden seat, trying her best to catch her breath. Karim got in as well, and set the horse clopping at a brisk canter down the street.

Shouldn't have eaten those chocolates Patsy, Flora, and Eve got you. They were so good though...

Mr. Ambrose watched as Lilly started dozing on the seat, her head swaying side to side with the motion of the chaise. A strand of her hair fluttered in the wake of her breath, and he brushed it aside, away from her luscious lips. He let her sleep, even when her head fell heavily upon his shoulder. The ride lasted only twenty minutes, and as the stallion slowed, he woke Mr. Linton.

"Wake up, Mr. Linton. And stop drooling on my tailcoat." Lilly jerked up, irises wide.

"I don't drool! I never do-" Mr. Ambrose's brow twitched slightly, and Lilly looked down, suddenly quiet. Indeed, there was a dark spot of drool trailing down his shoulder.

"Let's go," Mr. Ambrose ordered, stepping off the 3 foot high chaise as if it were only just a step in a staircase. Lilly leaped out after him, looking about her. They were in a richer area of London Mr. Ambrose hardly ever visited, full of shops saying, 'Waste money here!' As if any money he spent would make a dent in his endless caches of sovereigns, shillings, and pounds!

Mr. Ambrose headed straight for a large bookshop just off the main road. From the gold trimmed name, brightly painted walls, and the abundance of books displayed in the window case, Lilly knew that this was an extremely expensive establishment. One Mr. Ambrose certainly wouldn't be interested in buying from.

The bell rang as Mr. Ambrose pushed the door open, and the old shopkeeper poked his head out from a huge stack of books at the counter. "Ah, Mr. Ambrose, I've been expecting you. The books you wanted are over here..." Mr. Ambrose nodded, and accompanied the shopkeeper to a backroom. Since Mr. Ambrose showed no inclination that he needed her, Lilly decided to give in to her wonderment and explore. She had never before been in a room with such a wide selection of books.

The small shop was filled to the brim with thick old tomes, hardbacks with their cover's still stiff and unbroken, and thick sheafs of pamphlets and quotes. It was absolutely amazing the number of books this tiny shop could hold! And most amazing was the smell. The parchment and ink was omnipresent, and to Lilly, it smelled like all the knowledge contained by the books were wafting through the very air around her. She ran her fingers down the soft spines, sniffing all the while. Her eyes raced around the shop, reading one title after another. Soon, she was lost in the labyrinthine like passages, but she hardly cared.

Mr. Ambrose watched fondly as Lilly disappeared almost instantaneously into the shelves, her nose shoved in a book. The shopkeeper had gone to the very back to retrieve the book he'd been looking for, so he was taking the time to observe her. She looked so captivated by all the books around her.

"Sir?" Monsieur Bernard asked tentatively. "I have the book you were looking for." Mr. Ambrose nodded his thanks, and looked the man straight in the watery hazel eyes.

"And what about our deal, Monsieur? I assume all is in order?"

"Oui," Bernard replied. "10 crowns for your book and two for the other man, if I'm not mistaken."

"Indeed, but do not let him know I gave them to him. He must not know, do you understand?" Bernard nodded, and went to attend to his newest customer. Mr. Ambrose hoped Lilly was pleased with the books the Monsieur would choose for her.

Lilly was flipping rapidly through the pages of The Declaration of Sentiments, reading the words other feminists in the Colonies had written. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the faces for Woman's Suffrage, and to be reading the words she and the other women had written during the first Women's Rights Conventions... Oh, it was a dream come true!

"We hold these truths to be self-evident; that both men and women are created equal..."

"Excuse me Sir? Can I help you with finding any books that interest you?" The old man from before snapped Lilly's giddy reverie. His words were distinctly laced with a heavy French accent.

"What? Oh, no thank you mister. I'm not buying anything today. Or any day, actually. Just here with my boss..." Lilly trailed off awkwardly, remembering that she was indeed here with Mr. Ambrose. Where was he, anyway?

"Ah," the old man chuckled. "That man right there? He informed me that he was going to use a favor I owe him. He's already chosen his book, and since you're his amie, he's giving you a choice of two books." Lilly laughed outright, not understanding the man's french.

"That man over there? In the black tailcoat? He wouldn't do that! Right Mr. Ambrose? This gentleman here must be mistaken." Mr. Ambrose turned from where he'd been perusing Aristotle's works.

"Monsieur Bernard is very much correct, Mr. Linton. Hurry up, or we'll be late." Lilly gaped at her boss, who had turned back to his book already. Mr. Ambrose was actually letting her have the choice of two books?

"Oh, Monsieur, I apologize. I'd like to take this book right here." To Lilly's surprise, Monsieur Bernard didn't look scandalized at her choice of reading materials.

"Ah, an excellent choice, mon cher ," Monsieur Bernard replied amicably with a wink. "Anything else?"

Though Lilly didn't know very much French, there had been that French hussy in Egypt with Mr. Ambrose. And if she wasn't mistaken, the man had just called her 'my dear.'

"What do you mean, 'my dear?'" Lilly demanded, racing after the spry old man, who was currently making his way to the front register. Bernard didn't answer, which infuriated Lilly.

"If you've got no books in mind, cherie, I've got the perfect one. This way, this way.

"You're mistaken, Bernard. Check who you're speaking too, I am an honorable gentleman! How dare you call me such-" Bernard had a surprisingly strong grip for such an old man. He brought her down to his level, which wasn't too hard, as she was almost as short as he. Lilly was so close she could almost touch his curling white mustache.

"My wife loved Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and fought for women's rights to the very end. You may know her." Lilly racked her brains for French feminists in the last decade or so. Bernard continued, "She died last year." Lilly gasped, and Bernard released her. He had been married to the Hubertinne Aucler*?!

Lilly left Collinge and Clarke with The Declaration of Sentiments and The Throne of Glass. Bernard had assured her that the latter had a strong female protagonist she would love. Mr. Ambrose was already in the chaise, his heavy book under his arm. "What took you so long, Mr. Linton?" He demanded. "Get up here."

Lilly scrambled quickly onto the seat, taking care not to fold any of her new books. Flora, Eve, and Patsy would be so excited when they saw the Declaration! Lilly had found that it even had a preface written by Elizabeth herself that encouraged others to fight for the cause! Plus, she couldn't wait to tell them about Monsieur Bernard, and that he'd been married to the legendary Hubertinne Aucler!

Mr. Ambrose watched as Lilly ran gentle fingers over the covers of her new books. She looked ecstatic; her cheeks glowed with warmth, her eyes shone even more than usual, and her mouth was stretched in the widest smile he'd seen from her in a while.

"Thank you Mr. Ambrose!" She exclaimed, turning to him. "You really didn't have to." He merely regarded her cooly.

"What do you mean, Mr. Linton? I would not have bought those books for you if that man hadn't owed me a debt. If I brought with me books that I would not read or use, that would be a waste of the time I took to come here and cash that debt in. Do not think too highly of yourself." Lilly sighed, but still smiled. Whatever he might say, he had given her these two books as a gift for her birthday. He had remembered, then. And that was enough.

HA.

"So is that it, then? You have nowhere else to go?"

"No, of course not. We'll be inspecting a factory that I might purchase." Mr. Ambrose offered no other information, and Lilly didn't waste time and started to read. She first read the Throne of Glass book because she wanted to read the Declaration with her friends. Celaena seemed like a strong, powerful woman who could take care of herself, and Lilly respected her already.

Karim once again slowed the horse, calling for the beast to halt. The chaise slowed, and Mr. Ambrose looked up from watching Lilly read. The factory before them was painted a dark blue, reminiscent of his own stormy irises. The air around them began to thicken with the sweet aroma of melting-

"Chocolate?! I can smell chocolate! Where are we?" And... Lilly had noticed. Her head was raised, and her nostrils were flaring. She sighed, "Mmm... So good!"

"Hurry up, Mr. Linton. I'll be late for my meeting," Mr. Ambrose ordered her as he stepped off the vehicle and strode towards the doors of the factory. After seeing how much Lilly (and other women) loved the solid chocolate delicacies, Mr. Ambrose had decided to invest in them. Purely for the profit, of course.

Lilly practically ran after him, leaving Karim to protect her precious books. She even yelled a warning not to lose them as she sprinted after her boss. She couldn't believe Mr. Ambrose was actually considering to buy a chocolate factory!

As they neared the doors, a man rushed out to greet them, bowing low to Mr. Ambrose. "Mr. Ambrose, what a pleasure, what a pleasure!" He had a rather thin, weedy voice that had already begun to grate on Lilly.

"Indeed, Mr. Cadbury. This is my secretary, Mr. Victor Linton."

"Good day, Mr. Linton. Have you tried our products before?"

"Oh yes, sir! I lov- my sister loves them very much. She'll be so jealous when she finds out I met the Mr. Cadbury!" Lilly smiled a very charming smile at the man. Really, she was only looking to have some chocolates to devour.

"I'll have a basket made for your sister, Mr. Linton! Come this way, gents." When Mr. Cadbury uttered those words, Lilly's irritation with him quickly vanished. She hurried inside after him.

For two blissful hours, Lilly toured the Cadbury Chocolate Factory with Mr. Cadbury himself and Mr. Ambrose. Mostly, Mr. Ambrose hung back and watched as Lilly gorged herself on chocolates. Though her behind was getting rather generous, he happened to like Lilly the way she was, and nothing would ever change that for him. Lilly on the other hand, enjoyed those two hours immensely and wished fervently they'd had more time. Mr. Cadbury had even served them lunch! Steak and potatoes, and chocolate pie for dessert. The pie had been heavenly. She loved how it still had the same chocolatey taste she loved, but condensed into a slice of creamy goodness.

Mr. Ambrose signed the deal with Mr. Cadbury, officially sealing the negotiations. Mr. Linton was given his Chocolate basket for his 'sister.'

As they walked out from the factory, Lilly placed a gentle hand on Mr. Ambrose's arm. "Thank you, sir. This was absolutely amazing. I loved it." He looked down into the eyes that were so much like the chocolate she loved to consume, fully intending to deny everything. His resolve melted like chocolate does under the warmth of the sun.

"Of course, Lilly. But we're not done yet." Lilly's eyes brightened, and a grin spread over her face.

"Where to next?"

"Close your eyes." Lilly raised her brows, but complied with his request. Mr. Ambrose gripped her wrist and guided her back onto the chaise. "Don't open them till I tell you to." She nodded in understanding. Sometime during the half hour ride, her hand made its way into the embrace of Mr. Ambrose's larger one. And he didn't let her go.

A half hour later, Lilly felt the wheels below her slow. The smoothness of London's roads had faded minutes ago, so she knew they were no longer in city. The fresher, clearer air also indicated that they were in a wide open space, most likely with hills and fields for horses to graze, judging by the few knickers she heard. Mr. Ambrose tightened his grip on her hand, tugging her off the chaise. She stepped down blindly, trusting Mr. Ambrose to catch her.

He didn't.

Lilly snagged a toe on the way down the step, and fell into open air. She yelped, her eyes flying open. Bright sunlight flooded her eyes, and she caught only a glimpse of green grass and cerulean skies before Mr. Ambrose's arm was around her once again. He set her upright, holding her close still.

"Stop falling off things, Mr. Linton," He whispered into her ear, sending a delicious shiver down her spine. Then he released her from his embrace and stepped away. Lilly followed his gaze to the hilltop in front of them. Odd man shaped dummies were scattered about, with red and white targets on their chests, shoulders, and heads.

"What is this?"

"I would have thought you were sharp enough to understand even this Mr. Linton. It's a shooting range." Lilly's eyes widened.

"You're going to teach me how to shoot?!"

"I can't have my secretary unprotected when we venture into unfamiliar territory, can I?" Laughing, Lilly excitedly followed her employer onto the apex of the hill. Karim was waiting there at the top, his beard twitching slightly.

"Do I get my own rifle? Please, I want a rifle! Or a pistol!" Mr. Ambrose removed his tailcoat, carefully setting it on a chair. He exchanged his coat for the two guns that sat on the seat, quickly putting the safety up, lest the ifrit misfired.

"You're borrowing my pistol. Hold this carefully and touch nothing unless I tell you to." Lilly nodded eagerly, watching as he demonstrated the proper way of holding and reloading the weapon, adding gunpowder, and shooting. He had her practice the proper form first, having her spread her legs shoulder width apart in a steady stance. "Mr. Linton, listen carefully. You have only this box of old bullets to use. If you run out, that's it. The bullets may be old, but can still be used."

"And you don't want to waste them, of course," Lilly said, rolling her eyes.

"Exactly. Now point at that dummy right there, aim at his stomach, and shoot." Lilly did as she was told, stiffening her hands around the gun in anticipation of the recoil.

BANG!

A burst of smoke and gunpowder exploded from the muzzle, flying toward the dummy. It missed completely, blowing a chunk out of a nearby bush. Birds nearby swept upward in a flurry of wings, and the horses below them nickered in worry. A disappointed frown twisted her lips, and Mr. Ambrose, almost consolingly, said,

"97.72% of first time shooters miss the target."

"Not when the target's that big!" Karim chortled from behind them. Lilly glared at him.

"Just wait until I really learn how, Karim, then you're in trouble!" Karim paled slightly.

"Straighten your arms and square your shoulders," Mr. Ambrose ordered. She did as she was bid and prepared to fire again.

BAM!

The recoil jolted her arms up, but the bullet clipped the side of the dummy's arm, spraying sand everywhere. "I did it!!" Lilly exclaimed, leaping up, the gun still in her hand-

As she jumped, her finger hit the trigger, sending another bullet straight at an unsuspecting Karim. Lilly's eyes widened as the mountain of a man fell, the ground shaking slightly at the impact.

"NO!" Mr. Ambrose yelled.

-And grabbed the gun from her hand before Lilly jumped into the air. (Missed you guys too ^-^)

"Mr. Linton! Be careful, this is a loaded weapon!" Mr. Ambrose's raised voice alerted Lilly to the catastrophe that could have occurred.

"Sorry! I won't do it again," she replied sheepishly.

"It had better not," Karim rumbled. "You could have shot me."

Mr. Ambrose continued to teach Lilly how to shoot a gun, until she was proficient enough at it to reload it quickly and nail a guy in the head. Lilly couldn't believe this day was actually happening! First, Mr. Ambrose had given her two books for free, taken her on a tour of the Cadbury Chocolate Factory, then given her lessons on how to shoot a gun. Most definitely, Mr. Ambrose remembered his own birthday, and was now thanking her for it.

As the sun was sinking below the horizon, Lilly stayed and watched. Karim was repacking the equipment, and Mr. Ambrose was... A warm hand enveloped her own, entwining their fingers. Lilly leaned against the warmth of his shoulder, thanking him silently.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Lilly nodded toward the sun, sinking below the horizon.

"It is," Mr. Ambrose replied, looking down at her. "I still haven't given you your gift, you know." Lilly looked up in surprise.

"This whole day wasn't your gift? My gift was nothing, you didn't have to do this..."

Quietly, Mr. Ambrose told her, "That day meant everything to me. It wasn't nothing." He bent down and kissed her forehead fleetingly. He backed up, and produced a wooden box from within the folds of his tailcoat. He handed it to her, and Lilly opened it. And gasped.

A pistol the color of chrome winked up at her in the dying rays of the sun. It had its own leather holster, and the butt of it was carved ivory. But Lilly wasn't looking at the gleaming gun. She was looking at the ring lying on the red velvet lining. It was a simple gold color, but Lilly recognized it immediately. The ring from their 'marriage' in Egypt.

Mr. Ambrose started to speak, his voice oddly devoid of all emotion. However, it was his eyes that held the truth.

"Lilly, ever since you've come into my life, my whole world has turned on its head. I believed, with all my heart, that no one could ever truly love me. They would see only my looks, or my money, or my status, and I hated all women for it. They didn't see, or appreciate, how hard I worked for each and every penny I have amassed over the years. They were scandalized when they realized I did not lavish myself with useless things. But you... You saw everything. Even when I was horrible to you, you saw me. Thank you. I know you never wanted to be married. That you despise the thought of being tied to a man all the rest of your life. And even if you do marry me, it will be dangerous. There's still Dalgliesh, and I know that you'll need to use that gun once in awhile. I won't stop working, and I hope you understand that. It's your choice, Lillian. If you refuse, you may still stay as Mr. Victor Linton."

Tears started to drip from Lilly's eyes as she cried. Everything around her blurred through her tears, but she saw only Mr. Ambrose's face. She didn't deign to reply, laying the box on the ground carefully a few feet away. She turned around, her head hung low, and walked away from Mr. Ambrose. He didn't call after her, and watched as she made her way down the hill.

When finally he spoke, his voice was oddly thick. "I expect you back at work on Monday-" Lilly sprinted back up the hill, arms outstretched, and clung herself into Mr. Ambrose's arms. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him long and hard, pushing her way into his mouth. Their tongues battled for dominance as Mr. Ambrose ran his fingers through her unruly brown hair. Lilly wrapped her legs around his waist, kissing him deeply still.

"The answer's a yes, you bloody son of a bachelor! Yes!"

Ughhhh.... This is so sappy and completely OOC. Again. I've lost my touch while I've been a way, but I'll try to fix it! I'm sorry, I would have updated sooner but I had this Mousetrap car project and it was soooo stressful! I hope you liked my little surprises... He he. I missed you all so much, and I'm so glad to be back! Looking forward to reading your comments!

*Hubertinne Aucler is based on a real life French feminist, Hubertine Auclert. I just used her to fill in the plot about why Monsieur Bernard knew Lilly was a woman because he recognized her passion for feminism from his own wife. Also I know that Throne of Glass is a very modern book. I just really really love that series. ELORCAAAAN!!