Passing Ships in the night (2)

Arabella shrugged off her cloak with a heavy sigh upon entering the doors to the manor, stretching with a grunt of satisfaction as she handed off the article to Aubrey. The daily bumpy carriage rides were taking their toll now, as evident by the ache in her spine. It was only the two of them in the foyer, having reached home just in time before the sun had fully set. Her day had been the most productive one yet, so she owed it to herself to take a break. For the next two days, she could move on, but all she wanted now was to relax.

The sound of heels clicking on the marble floor brought Arabella's gaze towards the large steps where she spotted Olivia making her way towards her with a curious look, "You're back! Did you go shopping...?" Olivia's blue eyes travelled to Aubrey, noting the lack of bags or boxes before humming in realisation. "..Or not. Did you go into town?"

"Yes. I just needed a change of scenery." Arabella responded briefly, not pausing her attempts to return to her room. She avoided eye contact, painfully reminded of the fact that she burst into tears like a child the last time they spoke to each other. Though Olivia didn't seem to pay mind to the fact her sister was not in the mood for conversation.

"It's not often that you leave the estate and so frequently, " Olivia finished her descent from the stairs with a large smile and a slight skip in her step. "It's good that you've had a change of heart. Getting fresh air and stretching your legs is medicine for the soul. Especially when you have good company... This manor can be so stifling at times."

Arabella watched her sister's smile for a long while in silence, until Olivia began to laugh nervously under the pressure of her lingering gaze. Finally, she squinted, "...What do you want? Out with it."

Olivia relented, laughing slightly at her own expense having been caught, "...Alright. I did come here with a motive." Arabella raised her brow once more, in a signal to continue and Olivia obliged with a warm smile. "I was hoping you would want to join me tomorrow on a trip into the square."

Olivia looked hopeful, eyes widening the slightest bit as Arabella held back a frown. This wasn't something they had ever done before. And she had told promised herself she would rest. But Olivia seemed so eager... This was outside of Arabella's comfort zone. She was used to everyone going their own ways, but perhaps things had gone this way because her exposing her tears appealed to Olivia's motherly side. What was the point of returning to the past if she wouldn't take the opportunity to change things? It wasn't like she was happy, being so distant with her siblings. That's just the way things had always been.

Taking a deep breath, Arabella smiled slightly, "...I don't mind." Olivia tried to hide her enthusiastic surprise to no avail. "After all, I was planning on buying new pieces to learn anyway."

With a pleased grin, Olivia clapped her hands together in excitement, "Perfect! You'll have fun, I promise."

With that she pranced away to her next objective, Arabella stared as she did so before sighing. it looked like her days of relaxation would have to wait.

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Olivia sat tight in her seat, all smiles, "Isn't this nice?"

Arabella hadn't expected the carriage ride into town to be for three people rather than two. The current makeup being Olivia seated next to a preoccupied Layton who had his eyes glued to the window and arms firmly crossed over his chest. He was either very preoccupied with the outside scenery or avoiding them. Specifically his youngest sister. Olivia was always the easiest to interact with, but Arabella and Layton were almost too similar to actually get along. They clashed too much. Though, even if he was silent she couldn't deny she felt happy to see him again.

As she sat in silence, she thought to herself almost stunned. Was this really how it was between her and Layton? She knew they never got along, and hardly spoke but she didn't think he would straight up ignore her. Or rather this was the status quo, wasn't it? She just had whiplash from how she remembered his passionate defence of her honour.

Sensing the dimming atmosphere Olivia spoke up smiling awkwardly, "....Layton, are you sure you can't join us?"

"I already agreed to travel here with you, didn't I?" He answered in a straightforward tone, that if they didn't know him well enough, would have come off as rude. "I'm here on business, and it would be inconvenient to tire out 2 horses when we're making the same journey."

"But..." Olivia withheld a frown and forced herself to perk up. "Can't you delay for a while? I just thought that if we're all here together, we could maybe spend some time-"

"If there is work to be done, we should let him be. It's clearly important." Arabella shrugged, feeling a little awkward for speaking up after so long.

Olivia's brows furrowed slightly, though Layton seemed to relax a little at Arabella's defence, if not the slightest bit surprised that she spoke up at all. Olivia sighed, not one to make her grievances known and sat back slightly with a slight pout, "Then I suppose we'll just have to keep ourselves busy then, won't we..." She shook away whatever she was thinking before returning to her usual expression and turning to Layton. "Be sure to treat the stowaway with some compassion then, brother. I overheard that he was young."

Arabella sat up slightly at that mention. A stowaway? On a Lockhart Ship? Bizarre but very bold. Anyone would know one of their ships by appearance alone, if it were her she would attempt to do so with a much less prominent ship. Knowing her brother though, there would be no use in talking your way out of that situation.

"I'm not in the mood for compassion, let alone for a boy I do not know," Layton spoke bluntly but earnestly. "The law is the law. Breaking the law makes you a criminal. What example would I be setting, letting him go?"

At his words, Arabella suddenly found herself reminiscing back to her brother defending her when there was no evidence at all to prove her innocent. He insisted she was not a criminal. For someone so hellbent on following the rules and needing proof, it seems even his judgment can be clouded.

She huffed but smiled in amusement. That poor stowaway would not receive the same benefit of the doubt.

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"How about this one?"

"I've already learnt it."

"And this piece?"

"I have it practically memorised."

Surrounded by all kinds of sheet music in the store, both girls tilted their heads in unison with their eyes fixed on the shelves. Arabella had failed to realise that going back in time would consequently amount to a plethora of unwritten compositions that would be out of her reach for years to come. And even if she had their music memorised to muscle memory, she had no intention of stealing the work of such brilliant artists to call her own should someone overhear her.

With a resigned sigh, Arabella placed the music back on the shelf. At the gesture, Olivia followed suit and did the same with the songbook she was perusing, opting instead to turn to her younger sister with a curious smile, "I often hear you practice in the parlour, but I did not know you were so... thorough with your studies, Arabella." She tapped her finger absentmindedly on the shelf. "I remember my governess badgering me to learn the violin."

Arabella scoffed lightly, "Yes, I remember you did scare her away when you finally succumbed to her requests..."

Arabella quickly bit her tongue. Was that comment too harsh? Things had been going fairly well until then and... It would be a shame to ruin it like she always did. But Olivia's snort of amusement relieved her worries and she allowed herself to join in, covering her mouth to disguise her quiet chuckle.

Olivia beamed wide from ear to ear, "I was terrible, wasn't I? You were the only one to admit it right to my face. I threw such a fit after that." She shook her head at the memory. "Father and Layton were too scared of hurting my feelings, but I needed to hear it. If not I wouldn't have discovered my talent for painting instead."

Arabella winced slightly, averting her gaze, "...I could have been kinder about it..." Sucking up her pride, she sighed and finally turned to her sister. "I've decided to at least try that approach from now on. I doubt it is working, though."

Olivia laughed softly, a smile resting on her lips. Arabella nearly jumped when she felt a comforting hand rest on her shoulder. Her older sister grinned but said nothing and somehow her silent encouragement was more embarrassing than any words that could have been uttered. Arabella could almost forget that right now Olivia was only 16. She so often made their 2-year age gap feel more like 10.

A silence settled between the two of them, much to Arabella's confusion which was only amplified when she noticed Olivia's expression dampen. Olivia sighed deeply before spinning her body fully to face Arabella, "Sister... Swear that you won't let Layton know I've told you this. For that matter, he should not know that I know of this at all."

Arabella blinked owlishly but finally squinted in confusion after a moment of comprehension, "...Uh, yes. Of course..."

With her stare remaining unblinking, Olivia reached into the pocket of her cloak and pulled out an envelope. Arabella let her eyes scan the writing and squinted upon spotting its address, "It's a letter to the academy." It came out more matter-of-fact than she had intended. She raised a brow at Olivia who seemed deathly serious.

"Yes. From Layton," Olivia gently placed the letter back into her cloak and frowned deeply. "He has yet to send it. I found it in fa- Layton's study. What else could he possibly be writing to them about with this timing but to drop out of his final year?"

That did happen if Arabella remembered correctly. It was a given after all, how else would he act as Earl if he was away in the capital for extended periods of time? Therefore, she had not thought much of it at the time. Had Olivia not come to the same conclusion? "...Well, I thought that was inevitable, wasn't it..."

" But..." Olivia choked on her words, with an uneasy grimace. She sighed in frustration and took out the letter once more to frown at it. "I... can't allow that. How is this fair?" She thought hard for a moment before finally speaking up with knitted brows. "This is because I expressed my own interest to attend the academy. If I weren't in the middle of my first year then someone would be home to take care of affairs... He would have gone."

Despite herself, Arabella placed a hand atop her sister's and furrowed her own brows, "You don't know that. How do you even know that this isn't what Layton wants?"

"Because he would have sent it by now if that's what he truly wanted..." Her eyebrows lowered. "So, I thought that I would confront him and... threaten to drop out myself if he fails to be reasonable."

Now, this didn't happen before. Arabella squinted, "...I think you are the one who is failing to be reasonable."

"I know, I know..." Olivia's wall of bravado crumbled in an instant and she pressed a fist to her forehead, biting her lip. "I know I don't dare to do such a thing. He wouldn't listen to me anyway, you know how he is."

"It is just like you to pass up an opportunity to the benefit of someone else, it is ridiculous..." As much as things seemed as though they would change it seemed inevitable, the outcome would remain the same. Though Olivia's empathy was welcome as much as it was baffling. "Please do not throw yours away so recklessly." She paused before squinting. "And make sure to return that letter before he finds out."

Olivia huffed but couldn't prevent an uneasy smile, "...Of course."

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It was noisy down by docks, with people bustling around and chatter permeating even the sounds of the ocean hitting the ships. Layton felt a twitch in his brow that he disguised well with a subtle turn of the head as the captain finished counting the inventory aloud. Layton had already done the maths in his head, everything was accounted for and he just wanted this to be over so he could return home.

"I've seen enough," at the sound of Layton's exasperated voice, the captain turned and finally ceased his counting to face him. Layton tried his best to sound somewhat diplomatic and cleared his throat. "I trust that everything is here. So why don't we handle that... other matter."

The captain, an older man with a snow white beard took a second to compute but finally caught on, opening his mouth in realisation and nodding, "Of course, Milord. I apologise deeply for even allowing such a thing to happen at all, finding a child on board was the last thing we had expected. But I assure you the issue was handled swiftly." He turned to face a freckled boy, occupied with lifting cargo. "Boy!"

Jumping slightly, the brunette turned with wide eyes, "Yes, captain!"

He ran over to the two and the captain nodded over to the ship entrance, "Show Earl Lockhart here where the stowaway is being kept."

Layton eyed the boy and said nothing as he followed him onto the ship. It was frustrating having to deal with nuisances and in this business what bigger nuisance could there be than a stowaway? He was reminded of Olivia's request to treat the stowaway with compassion and shook his head to himself. Regardless of age, the law was broken. It was bad enough that he was taking over his father's role so young, but no one would come to respect him if he showed too much leniency. He was an Earl now.

Finally, they came to a stop in front of a solid wood door at the bottom floor. As the deckhand began to unlock the door with a key, he turned to Layton, "He's been locked here for the past few days and I've been taking care of him here too."

"Does he have a name?" Layton reached for the door handle, readying himself.

"None that I know of, Milord."

With a steeled gaze, Layton reached forward and pushed open the door in one swift motion. He waited a moment after glancing around. Then he turned to the boy with a raised brow, "No one is here."

"Huh?" The boy's eyes widened in surprise and he edged past Layton to enter the room. Indeed it was empty, not that there were many places to hide at all. There wasn't even a window, considering the room was at the bottom of the ship. His mouth gaped as he scanned underneath the table and behind the empty cargo box used as a makeshift seat. "Milord, I-I swear he was here less than an hour ago! The room was locked, I checked!"

Layton's emerald green eyes narrowed. Strange. Without a word, he finally crossed the threshold into the room and stood firmly in the middle, leaving the door wide open. As the deckhand frantically looked under the clearly empty table repeatedly in panic, Layton thought deeply about how to proceed only for the sound of a quiet squeaking floorboard from behind to grab his attention. In a split second, he turned around and was met with wide violet eyes staring right back in shock. Before he could react, the white-haired boy gave a nervous grin and sprinted out from his spot behind the door.

"Wait!" Layton's yell came a second too late as the door slammed shut on the boy's way out. The deckhand finally seemed to have noticed and turned around at the sound of Layton's cry. Without a moment's hesitation, Layton rushed to the door and pulled at the handle only for it to remain firmly planted on the spot. He took a deep breath to compose himself before turning to the deckhand with a sharp stare. "Did you leave the key... in the door?."

The deckhand's guilty expression said all he needed to know and it took everything Layton had to stop himself from sighing in frustration. Instead, he slammed his fists against the wooden door, in the hope that someone would hear by some miracle.

"Sorry about this Earl Lockhart, it isn't personal!"

His eyes widened at the young voice on the other side and his brows furrowed upon the sound of footsteps fading away at a rapid pace. This was not what he needed. Not today. With his anger reaching its boiling point, Layton rushed the door and let out a furious yell that echoed even outside the depths of the ship and terrified the young deckhand behind him.

"Come back at once! CRIMINAL!"

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Upon exiting the music store, Arabella and Olivia found themselves at a standstill standing in the centre of the square, their conversation being cut short by the growing commotion in the streets. Arabella's eyes squinted as she surveyed the surrounding area, "There are more police on patrol than usual."

Olivia's bright blue eyes flickered around the area, but she simply smiled and shook her head softly, "I'm sure it's nothing. I'm with you, so there is no need to worry." Her attention immediately shifted to a hat stall across the street and her face lit up. "Oh! Arabella come here!"

Arabella watched with unease as Olivia picked up her skirts to cross the street and immediately started inspecting the plethora of hats at the stall. She didn't bother following, feeling watched. The police didn't put her at ease at all; they hadn't been the kindest to her when she was arrested for Alistair's murder in the past. Suddenly, she was overcome with the urge to return to the safety of the estate.

Just as she was about to cross the street to her sister, Arabella froze on the spot. A sharp shock ran down her spine. Was she seeing things? Her brows furrowed and her blue eyes narrowed as she turned to the dark alley a few meters away. It was as though she had been put under a trance as Arabella found herself slipping away towards the alley with an unblinking stare. Her mindless march took her deeper within the narrow walls as a familiar fluff of white disappeared around the corner.

"Arabella what do you think of this one? I have gloves in a similar colour!" Olivia grinned, holding the soft pink hat in her hands, letting the velvet ribbon travel between her fingertips. With a bounce, she placed it gently upon her head, taking care not to mess her hair and spun around. "What...do you say...?" Olivia's voice tapered off as she noticed the lack of dark auburn hair beside her. Her eyes darted to either side of her and upon being met with nothing, frowned deeply in concern as she stood alone among a sea of people. "Arabella?"

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Arabella found herself holding tight to her skirts as she made her best attempt to run through the winding alleys, her heeled boots clicking against the cobblestone. That brief white fluff that she spotted in the corner of her eye could have been anything. A bird maybe, a piece of paper fluttering in the wind? Even so, Arabella's heart was set on the smallest possibility that it was the prince she was searching for so desperately. It had to be him.

Her heart picked up its pace as sweat began to collect on her brow, her heavy clothing not helping her search. But it began to feel aimless. Regardless, she would not stop running, even as her feet begged her to stop. Not until she found out if Alistair was really here. Not until she had some kind of closure.

"Ah-"

A firm grip on her wrist ground Arabella to a halt, letting out a yelp of surprise as she was jolted out of her thoughts. Finally, she turned to the source of the hand keeping her anchored. Her eyes widened.

Violet eyes. Wavy white hair. The unforgettable combination of Alistair Aurum de Villiers. His eyes were larger and he was shorter than she remembered, but Arabella was certain. Even if they had spoken just once, this was him. This was the boy she was searching for. It was like speaking to a ghost. The revelation that she was speaking to a living, breathing Alistair stunned her into silence as she stared back at him dumbly.

Though for whatever reason, Alistair stared right back at Arabella with a matching sense of nostalgia and familiarity. She watched as he composed himself and forced a smile onto his lips, "I'm sorry about grabbing you. It's understandable if you're afraid right now but it's imperative you listen to what I have to say, Arabella Lockhart. You don't know me and it may be hard to believe but..." He took a deep breath and placed a hand over his heart with a serious expression as though to pledge he was telling the truth. "My name is-"

"Alistair Aurum de Villiers... You're the late King's son..." The words left Arabella in a trance-like state. Though as bizarre as it was that she was even speaking to him right now, there was something about what he said that stood out to her like an alarm calling out that something was not quite right. Arabella's brows furrowed as she faced him. "I know who you are. I know more than I should know about you right now. But... How do you know who I am?"

Alistair's face became unreadable for a split moment, until finally, his lips quirked upwards into a slight smirk of surprise. With an intrigued glimmer in his eye, he asked one question.

"Have you also... returned to the past?"