<span style="font-weight: bold">Ambrosine</span><br/><br/>“Daddy,” I asked. “What’s going on?” The men were rather burly, and looked kind of rough. Not the sort of person a genteel merchant’s daughter like me should be associating with. He’d escorted them - pretty much. But the air they gave was of people who’d been going to come in anyway…<br/><br/>“You- you need to go with these men now, Ambrosine,” he said, and I startled. I<span style="font-style: italic">what?</span>“They work for Lady Catherine. You- you’ll be staying with her,” he said, coming to me. For some reason, there were tears in his eyes, though I was smiling.<span style="font-style: italic">Lady Catherine!</span>she was<span style="font-style: italic">such</span>an inspiration to me, even though I’d barely met her, and now I was going to<span style="font-style: italic">live</span>with her.<span style="font-style: italic">Yes</span>. Oh yes,<span style="font-style: italic">please</span>. “It- it’ll only be for a little while,” he stammered, “then you’ll be able to come home,” he continued, eyes flickering to the garden. I loved our little garden, though it wasn’t the largest and a substantial portion of it was occupied by the family crypt which was just… well…<span style="font-style: italic">creepy</span>. When I married, I hoped it’d be to a man who loved to garden, and when I died, my children would scatter my ashes…<br/><br/>“Oh,” I said, softly. Lady Catherine had a rather beautiful house,<span style="font-style: italic">and</span>garden. “Well, that’s okay. It’s delightful to be her guest even for a little while,” I exclaimed, “and I know I’m too young to attend her parties.” Lady Catherine’s parties were legendary in the city, even if no-one would tell me<span style="font-style: italic">exactly</span>what went on at them, which only made them seem more exciting, more enticing. “So I’ll be happy to come home whenever,” I said, forcing a smile onto my face.<br/><br/>“In fact,” father continued, “Lady Catherine<span style="font-style: italic">has</span>requested that you…” he paused, eyes closing, and a shadow of pain swept his face. “She has a very special place in mind for you.”<br/><br/>“Wow…” I breathed, eyes glittering, though the burly men laughed. “I- I have to pack!”<br/><br/>“You must come with us right now,” the man said, stepping forward - so improper! - and seizing my arm in a rough grip. I waited for daddy to<span style="font-style: italic">explode</span>... but he just closed his eyes, and turned away. “The Lady will take care of everything,” the man explained as he pulled me away, and I was too<span style="font-style: italic">shocked</span>to say a word.<br/><br/>The ‘coach’ was more of a ‘wagon’, and for the lowest class at that. There were even<span style="font-style: italic">chains</span>- though they didn’t put me in them. “This is hardly appropriate,” I protested, as the men loaded me into it and fastened the door behind me. I had to note that it wouldn’t even open from within. Still… I didn’t protest<span style="font-style: italic">too</span>loudly. The chains were still there to be used, if the men wished. “Lady Catherine will hear of this,” I complained, my trump card - but they only laughed...<br/><br/>OOC: I haven’t continued it beyond here. I don’t know if Lady Catherine would prefer to have Ambrosine in chains immediately, or pamper the girl and keep her ignorant of her fate till the last moment. Either one could be fun for me…