Double the Trouble (Lyra)

[Samantha Montgomery]

Sam stood in front of the floor length mirror studying her appearance for anything out of place, of course nothing was, but she still patted different places in her dress and hair.

"So things are going well then you think?" she asked of her best friend.

They were primping and prepping for their double date that night with Nicolas and Mason, and Sam wanted a little gossip before going out.

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra stepped out of the closet in a dark emerald dress, her traditional form fitting style. "I think so," she said hesitantly. "I mean, we haven't slept together yet. But he's such a gentleman I can't tell if he's being respectful or if isn't interested." There was certainly some level of interest as they had had many heated make out sessions and he'd asked her out again after every date. But the whole "going slow" thing was new to Lyra and the lack of physical intimacy was jarring for her.

[Samantha Montgomery]

"Oh he's interested trust me." Sam said full of confidence. "Don't get me wrong, Mason is a gentleman, he'd never kiss and tell, but the girl's he's been with on the other hand." Sam said rolling her eyes.

"He isn't seeing anyone else, or sleeping with anyone else, so if he's taking things slow that's a good sign." she said trying to encourage her friend.

[Lyra Newbury]

This was reassuring to Lyra. "I hope so," she said as she stepped in front of the mirror and examined her dress. "Merlin, could you imagine what he'd be like in bed?" Lyra made a soft groan and smiled at the thought. Mason was large and strong. His kisses took her breath away and made her heart flutter. If he was half as good in bed, she'd be a lucky girl.

"He's seen me in green, should I wear something else?" She looked critically at her reflection.

[Samantha Montgomery]

Sam didn't blush, she wasn't embarrassed by her lack of intimate knowledge. It wasn't so much a lack of knowledge as a lack of experience. Her mother made sure she knew about the "art" of making love, but kept her very much under lock and key. Part of Sam reasoned it was to sell her to the highest bidder. Nicolas never once pressed her into anything, nor did he deny her the freedom to date other men. He had told her that he was to be her last love, he wasn't worried about the ones that came before.

"If talk is accurate, then he's quite the considerate lover." Sam replied.

"Green suits you. And you were blonde last time. I like it."

[Lyra Newbury]

"That's true," she said, switching focus from her dress to her hair now that Samantha had mentioned it. She kept her hair down, with soft curls and a small flowery pin pulling one side back from her face. She had already debated putting it up, but she liked the way Mason would brush her hair from her face and keeping it down allowed for more opportunities.



Lyra turned from the mirror and looked seriously at Samantha. "I don't know why, but I am so nervous for tonight. I almost feel like you and Nicolas will be judging me on my dating technique."

[Samantha Montgomery]

"About that," Sam said hesitantly, "don't hate me, but Nicolas doesn't know about you and Mason yet." Sam confessed.

Nicolas was Sam's intended, intended-what she didn't quite know yet. Their betrothal had been something her father had wanted for her, and when she was living with her Mother, Nicolas often appeared as a knight in shining armor. But now that Sam was getting older and other men were beginning to appeal to her, she wasn't sure what the cards held for the future. One thing was certain, he certainly looked good on her arm.

[Lyra Newbury]

"What?" Lyra asked, confused. "Why not? Who does he think will be at dinner?" It was an odd omission to make at first glance, but as she thought about it she realized she knew why Samantha had likely kept it secret from Nicolas. Julian. The two were good mates, and it honestly hadn't occurred to Lyra that Nicolas might find this dinner a bit awkward. Now she was even more nervous.

[Samantha Montgomery]

"I just haven't been able to bring it up yet." she said warding off, or trying to ward off, Lyra's nerves.

"Well, he doesn't really know who was coming to dinner tonight besides him and I. He's used to it." Sam shrugged. If Sam felt bad for the way she treated Nicolas sometimes, she didn't show it. He was good to her, he love indulging her, and she confided in him. He was accustomed to last minute dinner parties and events where she would need the appropriate arm candy. Sam had wanted to see first hand how Mason and Lyra got on, but didn't want to appear as the third wheel on a private date either, so she invited Mason and Lyra for dinner and the ballet.

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra chewed on her lower lip and fidgeted with her hands. Samantha appeared cool and collected about the matter, so logically Lyra shouldn't have worried. But she did. She knew, however, that she would feel better once she saw Mason. He had a calming effect on her.

[Samantha Montgomery]

Sam removed an invisible speck of lint from her deep purple gown, and adjusted her diamond drop necklace.

"Well I think we look spectacular." she said complimenting herself and Lyra. Truly they did represent a rather unjust picture of entitlement and beauty. Sam was all confidence. "Nicolas is somewhere in the west wing with Papa, do you want me to talk to him before we go?"

[Lyra Newbury]

"If you think it would be best." That meant yes. Lyra hadn't thought about Julian in several weeks, at least not in the day. When she was with Mason she thought only of him. And when she wasn't with Mason her work kept her busy and she was happy enough with her life now that she didn't perseverate on things like that during her free time. But she didn't want to surprise Julian's best mate with something like this, especially not in public or in front of Mason who knew nothing of Lyra's and Julian's history.

[Samantha Montgomery]

"Alright, stay here. It won't be but a moment." she said heading toward the door. Nicolas might not like it, but at the same time it wasn't Lyra's fault that Julian was being a blockhead. But Nicolas was far too much the gentleman to cause a scene or be unpleasant so Sam wasn't worried.

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra smiled as Samantha left. Lyra looked to the mirror and inspected her makeup, deciding at the last moment to change the color of her lipstick only realizing now that it was the same color she had worn to the ball. The same color she was wearing when Julian whisked her away and made her pray to a deity she didn't believe in. She couldn't wear that color for Mason.

She was having second thoughts on this whole evening. Lyra knew Nicolas was a good friend to Julian and it simply wouldn't be fair to Nicolas to force him to sit through an entire evening with Lyra and Mason when he'd only just found out. And she certainly wouldn't feel comfortable being herself with Mason, knowing it might get back to Julian. She would find Samantha and tell her they needed to reschedule. It was the most polite option for everyone involved.

[Samantha Montgomery]

Samantha was also realizing that it might not have been the best tactic to "surprise" Nicolas with the news of their double date as he was now frowning and decidedly upset.

"You couldn't have told me this sooner?"

"When was I supposed to tell you exactly?"

"You could have owled."

"I didn't know things were progressing so quickly otherwise-"

"But you knew they were progressing!" he accused.

"Yes!" she answered her own temper raising, "And I encouraged the match, thank you very much!"

"I've spent the past few weeks holed up with the most distraught man I have ever seen! Beyond when he found out about Belle, and you've spent the past few weeks helping the woman who made him that way sink her claws into another rich man who just happens to be one of Julian's best mates!"

"How dare you talk about her like that! Lyra isn't like that! She-"

"Oh no? Tell me, other than your friendship and Julian's what are her prospects? She was penniless and disowned just a few weeks ago wasn't she? And while her parents are of tolerable birth and standing, was it not their intention to see Lyra wed at all costs? Isn't the fact that she was unable to secure a match the reason she was penniless in the first place?"

Sam could have guessed that was the reason, but the way Nicolas was twisting things made it seem like Lyra was an opportunist.

"So what?"

"So first she goes after Julian, but when he refuses to marry her she's now chasing after Mason!"

"How dare you!" Sam yelled, her eyes a glittering green that held more power than a tempest storm. She raised her hand and slapped him. "She was devastated by Julian! And he's the idiot who can't get his head out of his ass long enough to realize he wants to be with her! She's allowed to move on! She's allowed to be happy! She's my friend, that should be good enough for you."

Nicolas was shaken out of his anger when Sam slapped him. It hit him like a tidal wave of reality and he was instantly remorseful. The shame showed in his eyes, "Sam-"

"Save it! I don't want to hear anymore. Lyra, Mason, and I are going to dinner, and you Nicolas Everhart, can go to hell." with a turn of her heel Samantha dismissed him and headed for the cracked door.

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra had heard it all. She stood in the hallway listening to the roars coming from within the room. Through the crack in the door she could see Nicolas' face turn red as he spoke those horrible, untrue things about Lyra. Everything that she had worried would be thought of her. Tears streamed down her face, ruining her makeup. She only realized their argument was over when Samantha suddenly appeared in the doorway in front of her. Lyra immediately ran down the hallway as far away from either of them as she could get before she stumbled and fell to the floor sobbing.

[Samantha Montgomery]

"Lyra!" Sam called after her. She took a few steps to chase her friend, but she was long gone down the hallway.

Sam's blood was boiling, "Do you see what you've done! Nicolas Everhart if you don't fix this right now I will never bloody speak to you again!" she yelled at him, or screeched rather and Samantha did not screech. She had said similar things in the past, but the look she was giving him now would make the devil's blood run cold.

"S**t." Nicolas muttered. "Sam I'm sorry I didn't-"

"Not me you idiot! Lyra! She heard every foul untrue thing you said! So no matter what I go and tell her, it won't make one bit of difference. So now you have to fix it. And you'd better fix it fast do you understand me?"

For a tiny thing Sam was a terror.

Nicolas put his hands up in surrender, then muttered a string of curses as he went after Lyra.

"Hmmph." Sam huffed as Nicolas left. If it were anyone other than Nicolas, or a man she considered as dear, she would have gone herself and told Lyra that they weren't worth the light of day. But Nicolas was worth the light of day, and despite what he had said to Sam in the "privacy" of the room, he never would have said such a thing to Lyra or even really believed such statements without getting to know the girl first. Samantha knew that Nicolas was mostly reacting from a place of worry over Julian, but she wasn't going to explain that to Lyra. No. Nicholas would have to put on his big boy pants and do it himself.

[Lyra Newbury]

She had rolled her ankle, not being adept at having to run in such high heels. But she didn't even notice the pain as she gave into the anxiety that had been beating at her for weeks. She'd managed to keep it at bay most of the time, Mason had helped with that, but it had been lurking just out of sight ever since she started working at Enchanted. Lyra knew she wasn't good enough. She didn't earn her place at Samantha's magazine and she didn't have the breeding required of Mason's company. Her friend encouraged her anyway but it was clear that nothing would be as simple for Lyra as it was for Samantha.

She heard the heavy footsteps of a man and looked to see Nicolas coming after her. "Leave me alone," she cried out. No, Lyra was not good enough. She knew that. He didn't need to rub it in that he could see through her, see how pathetic she really was. But he was wrong in thinking she was doing anything with Julian or Mason in order to climb the social ladder. She cared deeply for both men, especially Julian, but only one of them wanted to be with her.

[Nicolas Everhart]

Nicolas was good and angry, he had spent the past few weeks with Julian who was an absolute mess. When Belle had died Julian locked himself away for a week and emerged "perfectly fine". He was now locked in at his estate painting relentlessly. It looked as though he hadn't slept in days.

Sam didn't give him any time to downshift before telling him that Lyra was their companion tonight. Not just Lyra, but Mason too. Of course it frustrated him, and he had gotten carried away. But he never intended for the girl to hear him.

He came upon her lying in the hallway, "Here now, let me help you up." he was still angry with her for spying and while he would need to spend time with her before making an assessment of her character, he did have his reservations. But he had to fix this for Sam's sake.

[Lyra Newbury]

"Get away from me!" she spat. She didn't need his help, he'd probably just think she was coming after his fortune as well. There was a vast difference in chasing a man because he had money, and loving a man who happened to be rich. Yes, Lyra wanted to find someone who could care for her and who's income would allow her to attend galas and dine at fancy restaurants regularly. But she didn't choose money over companionship. She would have loved Julian no matter his status, but it still wouldn't change the fact that he loved his dead fiancee more than he loved Lyra.

She cried as she proved she could stand on her own, but her ankle refused to hold her and she stumbled again.