Note:
In the last chapter, Eva is celebrating her birthday with her cousin Victoria. As a surprise gift from her, she's taken to a fancy dress shop. While browsing through the elegant dresses, she bumps into a curious boy (literally).
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ii: want
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It was supposed to have been a simple day, one without troubling thoughts or person but I suppose that was too much to ask from fate on this particular day – that of my birthday.
"Is that Matthew?" I asked Violet as we stepped out from a sweet shop. I signaled with a nod towards the direction of a man that walked behind an old couple. "It is..." I answered dejectedly once I realized it was the same man she had married.
"Oh, I told him not for another hour..." Violet whispered under breath and though I was sure she meant to be unheard, I got her message loud and clear.
I should had known I was borrowing her from Matthew and while I was sure she wanted to spend the day with me, it all came down to whether he allowed it or not. Clearly he had, but her time was restricted. I should had known better. Still, it would not hurt to know what was the reason this time.
I turned to look at her, "I thought you said you had the whole day with me."
Her emerald eyes shone bright under the warm sun. "Of course I do. I jus- why don't you go ahead and I'll catch up, hm?" she urged me to move on as an apologetic smile formed upon her lips. Without another word from me, I turned and walked away in time to hear Matthew calling out Violet's name.
.+.+.+.
Not wanting to linger about in the streets, I entered the first shop whose merchandise I found interesting and that so happened to be a toyshop.
I was pleasantly surprised at the assortment of toys this shop had to offer. There was so much to see – from train sets to doll houses, there was everything a child could possibly want. Drawn to the soft, stuffed animals, I searched through the shelves until I found a cute, medium-sized rabbit with a big bow around its neck. It was remarkably similar to a previous stuffed rabbit I once owned.
Moving to London had required me to leave behind all of my belongings minus my clothing and Mr. Riddle – the only two things Grandfather allowed me to bring. The rest were left behind, likely given away. Amongst them included the porcelain dolls my father had given me and the plush animals my mother had given me herself. Though I was no longer a young child to own such childish fixtures, I had a soft spot for them.
I hugged the soft toy lovingly, admiring and taking note of the soft texture and its huggable body. I glanced at the price tag and my face fell. I had been given a little of my own spending money – the allowance my grandfather kept for me –, but I did not have enough left over to buy it. With an audible sigh, I replaced the rabbit on the shelf only to have it removed immediately after by a pair of hands. Turning to see who had picked it up, I was surprised to see it was the blonde haired boy I met earlier at the dress shop.
"It's very cute, isn't it?" He smiled as he gestured to the rabbit in his hands.
"Yes, quite." I smiled sheepishly. I was not accustomed to speaking with boys so freely, at least not without being first introduced. It was common etiquette amongst my class but... "Had it not been so expensive, it would surely had been my purchase. Oh well!" I giggled a bit as I tried to ease myself.
"Well, that won't do!" the blonde's smile turned to an adorable pout before he walked to the counter with the rabbit.
Well, that was just...
A look of confusion crossed my face. "Strange," I muttered under my breath. Naturally, it was not a custom to leave a lady in mid-conversation but seeing as the boy himself looked a bit out of place from the beginning, I suppose it was to be expected. Seeing as there was no reason for me to stay around, I decided to leave the shop.
.+.+.+.
I was quite surprised to see Violet sitting in the carriage outside the shop and alone at that!
So he had a heart after all... I thought of Matthew as I headed towards her carriage. Just as I was about to board the four-wheel transport with the help of the driver, a voice called out to me. "Eva, wait a minute!"
I turned around, wondering who it could be calling me out only to see the blonde haired boy once again. I quickly shot up a glance at Violet who looked quite curious herself, if not confused as I was, once the boy caught up to us. He smiled broadly and handed me the same stuffed rabbit from minutes ago.
"I wasn't expecting you to leave like that! It's a gift!"
"A...gift?" I accepted the rabbit, completely baffled by the action. The boy knew my name, but I assumed he must have heard Violet say it while in the dress shop. It still did not explain why he had bought the rabbit for me, though.
"Mhm, a gift," he responded as he gave me that strange smile – the very same one he had given me at the dress shop.
I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks.
"Eva, you're finally he- oh, who is this young gentleman?" I heard Matthew asked as he approached us, seeming to come out of nowhere. As he got closer, his eyes widened a bit and he smiled. "Oh my, Lord Trancy! I never would have expected to get the chance to make your acquaintance!"
Lord Trancy?
The boy smiled at him though it seemed a bit strained. "Yes, well, I was simply passing through. I would imagine my coachman should be a bit antsy with waiting, so I shall have to cut this meeting short." Turning to me, he took my free hand in his and gently kissed top of it before he smiled up at me. "We should meet again, hopefully." He winked at me before leaving us behind.
Once the three of us – Matthew was now on-board with us – began the journey homeward, Matthew rambled on about Lord Trancy and how he thought the boy had taken a liking to me. 'What a lucky star you had been born under, Eva.' He eloquently stated. It did not take much to figure out he liked the idea, considering how ambitious he was – but, that was the least of my worries as a thought kept crossing my mind.
I could had sworn this Lord Trancy had licked the top of my hand when he had kissed it...
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