A/N: Welcome, everyone! I didn't think I'd be back so soon, but here we are again! If you haven't already read Cold Nights, you might want to go back and give that a read first. It's definitely not necessary, but some things mentioned might be a little confusing at times. For the most part, though, I wanted to keep this as separated from Cold Nights as possible, since it's a spin-off as opposed to a sequel. I also wanted to add that I did adjust the timeline slightly. This begins in January, 1912, and prior to the events of the Cold Nights Epilogue, which took place September, 1910. Sorry for any confusion that might cause, and enjoy the show.
"Ophelia, darling?"
She looked up from her book, her glasses dangling precariously off her nose. She hadn't heard her father come up, but she never heard his movements, for that matter. She closed the book and pulled the round frames from her face. "You can come in, papa."
The handle turned and he stepped into the room. He stood halfway in shadow, not surprising to her. The room was mostly dark, except for the light coming in the window she was sitting beside. Even though they've seen each other her entire life, and she had seen what was underneath countless times, he kept his mask directed away from her as often as possible. "I've just gotten off the phone with Adelaide."
"Oh! I didn't even hear the phone ring. What did Addie say?"
"She was inviting you to come stay with her in London for a few months, since it's her first season. She seemed very excited. She wanted to know if you would like to debut with her, since you wont be able to be presented to court."
She blushed slightly, taken back at the notion. The idea of white gowns, difficult curtseys, and being handed off to as many eligible bachelors as possible made her more than nervous. Addie had gushed about it her entire life, but she was never interested. It seemed like an awful lot of trouble for no reason. She rolled her eyes with a heavy sigh. "Do you really…"
"Yes, I do. I think you should do it, Ophelia. You know enough about being in…polite society. You're old enough to be eligible, in my own opinion, you're a grown woman, you know. Your mother was only a few years older than you are now when she met me." His lips twitched, and his expression changed slightly. Any time he spoke of her mother his voice seemed to get quieter, sadder. "I know I can't give you much, but for whatever it's worth, you still come from your mother's family. Even if you don't have her title because of me, you have their blood… It must be worth something. Adelaide wouldn't have invited you to London if she didn't think you deserved this too. Besides that, I want you to find someone who can take of you, after I'm gone."
"Oh goodness, papa." She sighed, a mix of sympathy and exasperation. "I've told you I don't care about having a title. I don't need a title. And I don't want to pretend I'm not your daughter, either. I like caring for you."
"I still want you to go, Ophelia. Even just for fun. Make some connections, find some new books, try out new foods, just enjoy yourself. Go. Even if it's just to visit your cousins. I want you to see outside of this apartment for once."
She shifted in her seat, slightly. She did want to see Addie, she was the closest thing she had to a best friend. And she did feel restless, she was tired of wandering the same Parisian streets over and over again. Finally she let out a sigh. "I suppose I'll go… I'll call Addie in the morning."
"Don't bother, I've already told her yes." He smiled with a sharp wink, and stood. "Now. Dinner will be ready soon, so I suppose you should get dressed."
The sky was still dim when she finally crawled out of bed, dawn barely stretching it's fingers into the sky. Eva, her lady's maid, had helped her toss her messy bedhead into a semblance of a style, and helped her get dressed in her usual traveling clothes. There wasn't much left to do, really. Most of her things had been brought down stairs, but there were a few bits and bobs waiting to be carried down.
Once the chauffeur came, she and Eva carried the last two hat boxes down to the street and put them with the rest of he things. The street was quiet, save for only few people walking from place to place, minding their own business. The chauffeur offered his hand to help her into the car, but her father cleared his throat behind her.
"Were you going to leave without even saying goodbye?"
She turned and smiled, letting go of the chauffeur's hand. "Of course not, papa. Your bedroom door was closed, I didn't want to wake you up."
"You couldn't have woken me up if I wasn't asleep. I've been worrying all night."
"Worrying? It's only England, papa, it's not like it's America."
"You're still leaving me, I'll miss you."
"I'll come back to visit, of course, I wont be gone forever. I'll miss you too, papa."
The chauffeur cleared his throat behind her then, his watch in his hand. "We really must get going, mademoiselle. We don't want to be late."
"Yes, of course." She turned to look at her father, and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, kissing him on the cheek. "I'll be sure to telephone. Make sure to take care of yourself."
He hugged her back tightly, and finally pulled away. "I love you, darling. Enjoy yourself."
"I love you too, papa." The chauffeur helped her into the car, and she leaned out the open window, after the door was shut. She kissed him on the cheek one more time and smiled, as the car began to pull away. She waved and he watched as the car drove further away. "I'll see you soon!"
She finally sat back in her seat, after the car had finally turned the corner. She turned to look at Eva. She looked rather uncomfortable, her hands folded in her lap, her thumbs fidgeting with a loose string on her gloves.
"Have you ever been to London, Eva?"
"No, mademoiselle, I've never left Paris before."
"We'll England will be a great adventure for you. For the both of us." She smiled and laid her hand on top of Eva's, hoping to calm her nervousness. "I promise you'll love London. We'll be in the countryside quite often, as well. It will be nice to get some fresh air."