stranger to secret to stranger again
Calling Day: Stop #2: Lydia Ellis ~ongoing~
Corin bit back laughter as he was pulled alongside Lydia out toward the carriages that lined the front entrance of the Ellis estate. Each one had been shined and lacquered, even the horses groomed and polished to show off the luxury each household held.
Corin hesitated when she asked which carriage he would prefer, knowing his own held a strange familiarity and a secret he preferred to keep locked away, especially from her.
Luckily, he did not have to think on it long as Lydia commandeered a nearby carriage, pulling them both inside.
Alone.
The unchaperoned closeness set Corin’s nerves on edge, a mix of excitement and fear.
Lydia Ellis was no longer a girl he had known as a boy, scared and naive, she was a lady. A very powerful, very noble lady.
One that Corin should not be seen with alone under any circumstances, yet he felt himself lean back into the seat of the carriage, his headache dissipating with each moment he spent in her presence. The comfort of an old friend bringing him from the confusion of his own mind.
Corin had spent many days wondering about how Lydia had been. Did she still find ways to fill her days within the pages of books? Had she still loved the smell of fresh beachside air or the taste of fresh berries?
Corin had missed so many chapters of her life, and his mind ached to flip through each page of her past he had skimmed over. His heart still yearning to delve into every untold story that shaped her, just as it had when they were young.
“That’s it!” Lydia’s voice jerked Corin from his thoughts of the past, pulling his attention back to her.
Did she recognize him?
Corin opened his mouth to admit his identity, an awkward smile on his face, yet again, she cut him off.
“I remember you. I saw you at the Queens’ ball.” Her final words seemed to cement Corin’s mouth shut, the understanding that she had no idea who he was preventing him from saying more.
There was an underlying curiosity in navigating the interaction as a stranger, to embrace the opportunity for a fresh interaction. Yet, the shared history that laid dormant just beneath Corin’s tongue stung as he bit it back. The lack of recognition behind her eyes was simultaneously humorous and painful.
Corin glanced at himself in the reflection of the carriage window. His eyes lingered over his defined jaw, his perfectly styled hair, his sharp eyes…if he had not known himself, perhaps he should think his reflection a stranger too.
“Any successes in finding someone?” Lydia asked, turning Corin’s attention yet again.
Corin could not stifle the small laugh that escaped him, his eyes now focused on her despite her disinterest in him.
[color= #0E6251] “Yes, indeed, I believe I have…” [/color] Corin started, the clear and evident smirk spreading wider as he spoke. [color= #0E6251] “A lady I had been hoping to meet again for quite sometime, in fact, she has grown quite beautiful in my absence. However, it seems I am a stranger to her now. Have you known such a relationship in your time, my lady? Someone you longed for who escaped you? It is quite the odd reintroduction, I must confess. How, do you suppose, should I go about approaching this lady? I would be most grateful for some…feminine insight.” [/color] Corin tried to fight his smile, leaning forward slightly for her reply. There was a hint of a knowing tease in his tone, a subtle wit behind his words that escaped meaning to all who did not know who he referred to.
Corin truly had longed for the day he would sit across from Lydia again, to pick up the pieces of all he had left behind with her. He had thought of what to say, every outcome, every memory she had formed in his stead. Perhaps she held her affections on a gentleman she herself had met at the Queen’s ball. How ironic would the sentiment be if she indeed held no affections for him now.
So, Corin remained nameless, faceless, an empty man, in a cramped carriage, sitting across from a lady he only known as a girl, hoping he had not arrived too late.
mentioned:
Lydia (@novella)
I tried lol wrote half of it not entirely sober so
hopefully it makes sense at least