Yellow Hello :)

Yaaaaaaaay finally a new chapter! I, for some reason, particularly like this one! It seemed fun to write. Hopefully, I will upload ch.9 tomorrow or tonight, because I've actually been writing a lot this week (And trust me, that chapter is going to be good! ie: Anton tries to have a convo with his totally wasted brother Fredrich, still in the works though) Anyway, enjoy! Now I'm off to watch Big Bang Theory and Howl's Moving Castle!

*jumps away and tries to fly*

*doesn't work*

-Erin :D

The farther they got from the castle, the more my heart began to slow again. Sophia was gone... My eyes were motionless, still staring at the space between the rosebushes where the carriage she was in had disappeared. That was when my mind began to wander again. I wondered if I would ever see Sophia again. Did she want to see me again? What did she think of me? I recalled the many periods of silence we went through in the stain glass room. Lord, she probably thought that I'm too shy... I raised my palm to my forehead, muttering words of ignorance to myself.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid.." Each exclamation was matched with a beat to the forehead.

I was interrupted by a group of obnoxious laughs from around the front of the castle, their owners likely getting in their own carriages to leave the ball. I gasped. Father! He's always requested me to be at the door, saying goodbye to the guests. And if I wasn't present now, he would track me down and chew me out as soon as he got his hands on me. I moved closer to the source of the laughter evenly and calmly. About 10 meters away, I saw father escorting a grey-haired woman to her carriage out front. As I closed in on them, I realized that she was a bit tipsy; no wonder she had such a death-grip on father. One wrong step and she would have fallen head over heels into the gravel below.

"Oh, just one more glass of wine, Archie!" She babbled while gingerly taking a few more steps.

"No no, Mrs. Forrest, I think that you've had quite enough!" Father replied with a laugh under his scruffy moustache. Old Mrs. Forrest was quite drunk, but she was causing no harm. They reached the side door of the carriage, and the chauffeur swiftly swung open the golden doors. I took advantage of father's back being turned by slipping past him and standing in front of the open main doors. I noticed my jacket still in my hands, so I rushed to put it back on before father turned around.

"Now Mrs. Forrest, we've reached your ride home. Do you need any assistance getting in?" Father asked.

"Oh, you're such a gentleman, Archie! But no thank you, I'm sure I can-" she let out a belch, "manage."

Sure enough, Mrs. Forrest got into her carriage safely by herself.

"Well, it was fantastic seeing you this evening, Mrs. Forrest. Go home, and get a good sleep!" Father chimed while the chauffeur closed the door, hopped up into his seat and snapped the reigns. The two well-groomed horses that were strapped to the reigns lurched forward, before keeping a steady pace and disappearing into the forest. Another carriage appeared and took the other's original place.

Father turned on his heel just as a few more guests trickled out from the front doors. I noticed his surprised expression in the corner of my eye before I turned to face the guests. He must have noticed me.

"Goodnight, milady! I trust you had a wonderful time tonight!" I bowed in the direction of the overly-dressed and now blushing woman, who must have been in her late thirties. "Lord Carlisle, it was delightful seeing you. Have a safe ride home!" I nodded in the spiffy-looking man's direction. Honestly, I was astonished that I had even recognized the man. Age has not been all that kind to him...

Father bid farewell to the remainder of the guests as well. We both held our most gentlemanly smiles until the last carriage had left. With only the two of us left, it was then that father advanced towards me, the glare in his eyes not looking very kind. He lifted his arm, pointing his index finger towards the still open door.

"Inside." was all he said to me.

Trying my hardest to look innocent, I obeyed his order. Father followed closely behind me, then slammed the doors shut. I don't think he meant to use that much force. I heard him lock and bolt the door, my back to him again. I looked out over the ballroom. The floor was still golden, but not sparkling as it usually was. My eyes moved down to my feet, where they tipped back and forth, heel to toe. I noticed a few wine stains on the carpet near my blue shoes. Hmm. I will have to notify Nigel of it first thing tomorrow morning.

"Anthony." Father finally spoke, forcefully trying to sound calm.

I cringed. "Yes father?" I turned to face him, hands behind my back. I hated it when he called me that.

"Where, exactly, were you tonight? Because you sure as hell weren't in the ballroom where you were supposed to be." He asked with a little bit more tone in his voice.

"I don't know what you mean, father. Why would I be anywhere else but the ballroom?" He was not going to find out where I actually was, at any cost.

"Oh? Were you now?"

He wasn't believing me for a second.

"Well then why were the lovely Minnie and Mandy dancing with your brother all night? You were supposed to be the one with them."

I laughed a little. "I suppose they were more interested in Fredrich."

"Fredrich is not the subject here, boy. You are!" Father probably attempted to look me dead in the eyes, but I had already turned back towards the ballroom. "Did you at least meet any of the other fine women I invited?" His voice suddenly sounded defeated and tired. Maybe his already apparent lack of sleep was catching up on him.

"One." I responded. He didn't need details right now.

"Which one was she?" He sounded a bit more eager. When I didn't respond, father huffed audibly. "This is not over, son. You are much too old to be playing these childish games."

"Good night, father." I leaped off the landing and down the ruby-coloured steps. I continued my pace across the ballroom floor, my shoes making a soft shuffling noise as I went. Reaching the grand staircase, I climbed up the many steps before turning left, and making my way down the hallway towards the serenity of my bedroom.