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neewtmas · 4 months

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12 days of Christmas // A Lockwood & Co Advent Calendar

DAY 9

Welcome back! Today I have an absolute treat for you. Someone around here (I don't remember who it was unfortunately) brought up a locklyle regency AU - and while I initially felt ill-equipped to write it, inspiration struck and that is how we end up here.

So please enjoy this Bridgerton/Cinderella inspired Locklyle Regency AU, featuring Viscount Anthony Lockwood, Butler George and Kitchen Maid Lucy, who gets to have her very own Cinderella moment.

As the Clock Struck 12 - A Locklyle Regency AU

pairing: anthony lockwood x lucy carlyle

wordcount: 4.5k

masterlist

day 1 day 2 day 3 day 4 day 5 day 6 day 7 day 8

advent calendar tags: @givemea-dam-break @wellgoslowly @maraschinomerry @losticaruss @oblivious-idiot @uku-lelevillain @avdiobliss @strawberryloveyyy @strawberrycowgirly @demigoddess-of-ghosts @thefriendlyneighborhoodmomfriend @boookfreeak

A knock on the door made Anthony Lockwood look up from the correspondence he had been working on since early morning. He called for Bancroft to come in. The elderly man entered, carrying a silver tray in front of him. "This just got dropped off, my lord." His eyes twinkled. "By a Fittes' carriage, might I add?" Anthony thanked him and gestured him to put down the tray on an empty spot on the table. He turned his attention back to the half-written letter in front of him but then decided the unopened one to his right was of much more interest. He reached over to pick it up. It was heavy, and upon turning it around, he saw himself faced with a red wax seal, indented with none other than the Fittes crest.

Lady Marissa Fittes The Duchess of Devonshire cordially invites Viscount Anthony Lockwood to a Masquerade Ball to be held at Combe Carey Hall on the 20th of May, 1813

Anthony briefly scanned the rest of the letter. A masquerade ball. He could think of much better things to spend his time on, but one doesn't simply reject an invitation coming from Lady Marissa Fittes. At least he had a few weeks to mentally prepare himself, and thanks to Bancroft, he wouldn't have to worry about acquiring a mask either.

---------- 19th of May, 1813, Combe Carey Hall-----------------

George nervously glanced up and down the hallway, but it was just as empty as when he entered it a few minutes earlier. He stepped back into one of the bays, his back to the tall window, and partially hidden by the heavy curtains he took a deep breath. The quiet was a welcome change from the bustling that was going on in other parts of the estate. For an entire week, the staff of Combe Carey Hall had been working tirelessly to prepare the huge ballroom for the masquerade ball, there had been drill after drill for the butlers, and he had no idea how he was supposed to survive the evening tomorrow when his back and shoulders were already killing him now. He jumped as the curtain in front of him was pulled back.

"Sorry I'm late", Lucy hissed, quickly moving the curtain back so that now both of them were hidden from any curious eyes that might look down the hallway. "It's fine. I needed a break anyway. But I have acquired everything you need." He held up the bundle he had tucked under his arm. "Dress and mask." Lucy took the package from him, and as she did, the fabric opened up and a mask slipped out, into her hand. "Wow", she breathed out, delicately holding it. The mask was a stunning, deep shade of blue, with many intricate silver ornaments. She moved the fabric further and revealed a heavy fabric in the same shade of blue.

She stared up at George, mouth hanging open. "Where did you get that?" George grinned. "I have my sources. Just don't question it." He took the mask from her hand and held it up to her face. "Who knows, maybe a mysterious duke will fall in love with you?" Lucy scoffed. "Yeah George, right. Because Dukes are well known for marrying kitchen maids." She paused for a moment. "I don't need love. I just want one evening to feel like more than a kitchen maid who gets pushed around. Maybe one dance with someone, anyone. And then I'll leave and no one will ever know it was me." She looked down at the luxurious fabric in her hands. "Well, thanks for this anyway. I owe you big time." George squeezed her arm. "No worries. You covered for Flo so many times, that's the least I could do." Lucy perked up. "Speaking of Flo, she asked me to give you this." She searched the pocket of her dress and pulled out a note, folded up impossibly tiny. "You're supposed to read it alone though, so I'll leave you to it. See you tomorrow night!" And just like that, she was gone.

---- Morning of the 20th of May, 1813, The Lockwood's Estate-------

Anthony eyed himself in the mirror. He had forced himself into the finest tailcoat his collection could offer. It didn't look too shabby, he had to admit that. His gaze fell on the mask Bancroft had picked out for him. It was a rich, dark blue, ornately decorated with gold embellishments. It was perfectly fitted to his favourite waistcoat. As usual, he could rely on Bancroft's tastefulness. Anthony had decided to take on the journey on his own. Combe Carey Hall was just about two hours away, and he had planned to return the next day right after the brunch Lady Fittes was holding for an assorted group of attendees. He didn't even really know why he was invited to that event in the first place.

The carriage ride proved to be just as uneventful as he had expected, and after his arrival, a butler who had introduced himself as George led him to one of the many rooms of Combe Cary Hall, an estate much bigger than Anthony was used to from home. "This room is yours for the extent of your stay, Your Lordship. The Lady Fittes wishes to make known that you are free to request whatever makes your stay more comfortable. I shall be at your service until you leave the estate." Anthony took a closer look at George. He seemed to be roughly his age. "How long have you worked here?" "Just a few months, Your Lordship. I have just recently ended my training. If you wish for a more experienced -" Anthony shook his head. "No no, that's not it. I'm sure you'll do great." Something about the boy intrigued him. He had a feeling they could have been great friends if only they had been born into the same social circle.

------- 20th of May, 1813, Combe Carey Hall, 9 pm---------

After quite a lengthy conversation with George, who had excused himself to attend to some last preparations, Anthony had changed into the tailcoat he had brought and was now admiring his reflection in the mirror. The mask, which hid the upper half of his face, was fitted flawlessly to him and matched his blue and gold waistcoat to perfection. But now it was time to finally show up in the ballroom and offer a greeting to the hostess, Lady Marissa Fittes.

One entered through two large winged doors, and would then immediately reach a balustrade, over which the entire extent of the ballroom could be surveyed. Anthony took a sip from the champagne, which had been offered to him immediately upon arrival. He adjusted his mask, which had proved difficult to properly fasten without someone to help him. He wondered if it was on purpose that a butler fresh out of training, who also had responsibilities throughout the evening, was designated specifically to him. He let his gaze wander over the crowd. It wasn't hard to spot the Lady of the evening, even though she, like everyone else, was wearing a mask. Her tall, slender figure in a silver gown and a matching silver mask, by far the most elaborate he had seen so far, made her easily stand out. A lot of women would have blended into the crowd in a silver dress, but she seemed to stand out even more. He emptied the champagne and handed the empty glass with a nod to the nearest butler before he began his descent of the stairs that led down to the ballroom floor. It took quite a while until he got through to Lady Fittes, as he was not the only one here who wanted to express gratitude for the invitation. After a short conversation with her, he made his way over to the buffet at the side of the room.

He had just grabbed another glass he didn't quite know the contents of when George appeared by his side, a tray in his hand and wearing the same simple mask that seemed to have been handed out to all other butlers. He did a little bow. "My Lord. Are you enjoying the evening so far?" They had quickly switched to a much more informal style of conversation. Not only did Anthony not agree with treating his servants as his inferiors who weren't worth talking to respectfully, but their closeness in age made it easy for him to forget that George wasn't just some old friend with the same social standing as him. He took a sip from the liquid in the glass. Lemonade, delightfully bitter. Not the best he ever had though, he much preferred the natural lemonade with pulp his mother had given him as a small kid. "There hasn't been much I could have enjoyed yet. The conversation with Lady Fittes was…" He waved it off. "Let's forget about that. I should be off finding some lovely ladies to dance with." George's eyes twinkled in a mischievous way that reminded Lockwood of Bancroft. "I might know someone you'd like. But she won't arrive until later." Anthony knew it wouldn't be a good look for him to spend the entire evening talking to George, even though he found himself enjoying their conversations. He did not particularly enjoy the company of all the young ladies, since a lot of them seemed to think of him as an eligible bachelor who was desperate to marry as soon as possible. He knew that was what he should be, but he couldn't care less if he was honest with himself.

----------20th of May, 1813, Combe Carey Hall, 11:30 pm -----

Lucy's hands were slightly shaking as she made her way through the hallway leading up to the entrance of the ballroom. She was thankful for the mask that was hiding half of her face, and she had to stop herself from constantly smoothing out the skirt of her dress. She had no idea how George managed to get his hand on something as gorgeous as this. Really, it was much too gorgeous for her plain self. If it weren't for the equally gorgeous mask, she would have looked ridiculous. On the way to the ballroom, she had come across several of her fellow kitchen maids, all of whom had curtsied for her - it seemed like all it took to make her completely unrecognisable was an expensive dress.

She downed the first glass of champagne that was offered to her in one go, and for a moment she just stood at the balustrade, looking down on the crowd of dancers. Her fingers gripped the cold metal, and she had to talk herself out of turning around and going straight back to the kitchens. Luckily, she quickly spotted George, whose curly hair made him easily recognisable, even with the mask on. She felt weak in the knees as she slowly descended the stairs, still gripping the balustrade, fearing that at any moment, someone would recognise her for the fraud she was and throw her out. She made her way through the crowd, desperate to find George as quickly as possible. When she finally spotted him, she almost tripped over her dress as she rushed over to him.

"Woah, that is not very lady-like of you", George laughed a little as she skidded to a halt next to him. The masked lady next to them turned her head, and despite her mask, you could tell her look was disapproving. "I feel like throwing up", Lucy whispered. "This was a bad idea." George shook his head, still smiling. "You look fantastic. This is gonna be a great night. I already found you a dance partner." Lucy whipped around. "What? Where? Who?" George squeezed her arm. "Calm down", he whispered. "I think he's coming over right now."

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Anthony was growing tired after the fifth dance of the evening. Somehow it felt like every girl he talked to had been the same. Maybe because they all looked the same with their masks, but maybe also because none of the conversations they had had during dancing had been stimulating enough to keep him with his dance partner for longer than the socially required duration of a dance. He grabbed himself another lemonade, scanning the crowd for George. Maybe it was time for a break. It didn't take long to spot him, but this time he had to do a double take. George wasn't alone anymore. Next to him stood a girl in a stunning royal blue gown. They seemed to be close, judging by the way they were whispering to each other. He was intrigued. Who was this girl? He felt the need to talk to her, maybe ask her for a dance. He put down the lemonade, and made his way over, straightening out his suit. For whatever reason, he wanted to make a good first impression on her.

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"There he comes", George said and gave her a nudge with his elbow. "Stand straight, you wanna make a good first impression." Lucy did what he said, and her eyes frantically scanned the room for someone coming towards them. What if this was George's way of paying her back for the pranks she had pulled on him some time again and now he had promised some old creepy dude a dance with her? Someone behind her cleared his throat, and she whipped around. Her stomach dropped at the sight in front of her. The man standing in front of her, his mask the same shade as hers, but with gold ornaments to her silver ones, made a little bow.

"I'm Anthony Lockwood, pleased to make your acquaintance." "Viscount Anthony Lockwood", George added and gave her another subtle nudge. Lucy gasped, and she could feel herself blushing in embarrassment as she did a very wobbly curtsy. "Miss - Miss Holly Munro", she blurted out the first name that came to mind that wasn't hers. Anthony smiled and extended his hand. Not really sure what to do, she went to shake it, but instead, he took her hand, bringing it to his lips for a delicate kiss on her knuckles. Lucy felt like she was about to faint, and she could tell that George was trying hard to keep his composure. What was happening? "Miss Munro, might I have the honour of the next dance with you?" She couldn't do anything but nod, much too overwhelmed by the situation. So when Anthony offered her his arm, she let him escort her to the dancefloor.

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Miss Holly Munro. Anthony was racking his brain, but he was unable to put a face to the name. That in and of itself was not unusual, as the amount of ladies one met at these events was simply overwhelming and he did not care to know them. But then again, if he had ever seen this girl before, he would have remembered, he was sure of it. Something about her was entirely captivating to him. He could only see half of her face, but that coupled with her beautiful eyes that had looked at him with great surprise only seconds before made him sure that was remarkably beautiful. He wondered what her connection to George was. As he led her onto the dance floor, he could tell that she was nervous. They began dancing, and he quickly realised that her nervousness meant that her dancing wasn't as refined as he was used to from the ladies he had danced with before her.

But rather than annoyance, as he was used to from himself, it sparked in him the wish to hold her and relieve her of this nervousness. He tried his best to lead her through the dance, every now and then stepping aside to avoid her foot on his. "How come I haven't seen you around so far this evening, Miss Munro?", he asked. She wasn't wearing gloves, and her hand felt warm in his. It felt like it was supposed to be there. "Oh, I'm sure you've seen me", she said, avoiding his gaze. "I've been here quite a long time." "I find that hard to believe", he replied. "I could never forget a beauty like yours. And if I had seen you before, I surely would have asked you to dance right that instance." He couldn't help but smile as he noticed the blush on her cheeks as she looked to the ground bashfully, still not meeting his eyes. This was the most genuine reaction to a compliment he had seen all night. But then again, it was also the first genuine compliment he had given all night.

After a while, the conversation between them was flowing easily, and Anthony found himself not wanting to stop their dance. Where with every other girl he had felt the urge to leave as soon as possible, this was the opposite - he felt the urge to never leave her. With every time she laughed at his jokes and blushed at his compliments, or said something witty that made him laugh - he found himself thinking about how maybe marriage wouldn't be so bad if it was with someone like her. "Shall we get some lemonade"? he asked after they had - rather reluctantly from his side and, he felt confident, also from hers - ended the dance due to the band taking a break. She nodded and he fetched two glasses, giving her one. "Would you like to accompany me outside on the balcony? I could use some fresh air." "Of course, my lord." He could barely stop himself from asking her to just call him Anthony. Using his title was awfully formal when he felt like he had known her forever. They made their way to the balcony, her still at his arm, and he revelled in the feeling of having her pressed up against his side as they navigated the tight crowd.

The balcony was surprisingly empty, probably because everyone had gathered at the buffet after all the dancing. He let his eyes wander over the beautifully maintained garden that lay in front of them, but when he turned to her, it was like for a moment he had forgotten how to breathe. She looked ethereal, the silver on her mask glowing and her blue dress in the silver moonlight made her look like the gods themselves had blessed her. At this moment, he wanted nothing more than for her to take that mask off so he could see what beauty lay beneath it. "Have any other suitors expressed interest in marriage with you?", he blurted out, and immediately regretted it as she took a surprised step back. "Any other suitors?", she asked, her voice suddenly uncharacteristically small. Anthony cursed himself for his thoughtless words. "Surely you have many gentlemen interested in you?" He thought that was a harmless question, but it seemed to make her even more nervous. "I don't have any suitors", she said quietly, and he had to hold back a sound of surprise. "That's not possible", he said. "A lady as stunning as you, with no suitors?" She shook her head frantically, taking another small step back. He moved a little closer to her, fighting the urge to take her hand. Maybe she was embarrassed at her predicament. After all, having no suitors wasn't all that flattering. "Would you have any interest in a courtship with me? I have found our conversations -" She raised her hands, her voice wavering. "No, please, my lord, that's impossible. You can't marry me. No one can marry me. I - I'm so sorry." And with that, she hastily gathered her skirt and practically sprinted back into the ballroom.

Anthony Lockwood stood on the balcony and felt like he had been struck by lightning. What had just happened? One moment he had offered marriage to a girl, and the next she was gone. Did a marriage proposal from him evoke that much terror in her? She had seemed to enjoy their conversation just as much as him. And if she really had no suitors… 'No one can marry me' she had said - what did that mean? Just then, as if to mock him, the church bells in the little village below the estate started to chime - it was midnight. He needed to find her. She didn't have to marry him and she found him that repulsive, but he did deserve an explanation at least.

Back inside, he searched for George. In his rush to get to him, he knocked into several people, all of whom gave him indignant looks, but he could not care less. "George!" The butler turned around, looking surprised at his dishevelled state. "My Lord?" "Miss Munro, where is she?" "What?" "Miss Munro", Anthony repeated, impatiently. "Where has she gone? We just talked outside, and suddenly she ran away." George put the tray he was carrying down on the nearest table. "What did you talk about?" "I was offering her courtship", he said shortly, not wanting to think too long about the fact that the prospect of marrying him was what had made her flee the scene. George widened his eyes. "Marriage?!" "That is not the point now. I just need to talk to her." He tried hard to keep his voice down, but the prospect of never seeing her again made him erratic. He had never even seen her face. "You know where she is, George", he said urgently. George rubbed his temple. "She's gonna kill me", he mumbled, more to himself, and Anthony did not care to ask him what he meant by that. "George!" "Alright! Go through that door, down the corridor, then to the left, then to the right. You should find her there."

Anthony did not wait for him to finish speaking, instead, he rushed to follow George's instructions. The hallway was much smaller than the opulent ones he had seen so far, it seemed almost like this was an area for servants. Why did George send him here? He was running down the hallway, and while he tried his best not to trip over his own feet, he tried to undo the knot that held up his mask. Away with that stupid thing.

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Lucy leaned against the outer wall of the estate, the stones cool at her back. Her hands were still shaking, and she was so focused on taking deep breaths in order not to have a panic attack that she didn't hear the approaching footsteps. "Miss Munro?" She clutched her hand to her mouth to stifle a startled yelp, and when she turned around, none other than the man who had just proposed marriage to her stood there. But something was different - his mask was gone. She felt her face get hot. He was even more handsome than she had imagined it. This was about to be a disaster.

"Miss Munro, are you okay? I did not mean to startle you just now. And I did not mean to overwhelm you with the prospect of marriage. We can always take a little more time to get to know each other better." His voice was gentle, and she could feel her eyes starting to water. Sneaking into this ball was the worst idea she had ever had. "You don't want to marry me", she finally said, and she hated how her tears were audible in her voice. Anthony took a step closer to her. "What makes you think that?" Lucy's heart hammered in her chest. Now she was trapped. She couldn't just run off again. Maybe she should just come clean. He seemed like a kind enough man, he would probably excuse himself and then leave her alone and not make her any trouble.

He was looking at her expectantly, and she bit so hard down on her cheek that she was sure it must be bleeding. "I can't be your wife", she finally said. "I'm not a lady. I shouldn't even be here and I'm not who you think I am." Anthony was quiet, showing no signs of surprise. She nervously shifted her weight. She had expected him to be upset. "I'm not a Lady", she repeated herself. "I'm just a mere kitchen maid, never suitable for a man of your social standing. You should never even be seen talking to me." Her eyes were trained on the ground, and she waited for the inevitable sound of him turning around and leaving, angry at her deceit and disgusted at the fact that he had offered marriage to a kitchen maid. But he didn't leave. Instead, he asked: "Is that how you know George?" Her head shot up, surprised. "Are you not angry?"

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Anthony had no idea how to feel. What she had just told him - never in a million years would he have expected that. "Angry? Why should I be angry?" he finally asked. Yes, maybe he should be angry. He knew that that was what was expected of him. But he couldn't bring himself to anger. "I deceived you", she said, dropping her head again. Without thinking, he closed the gap between them and gently raised her chin back up with his finger until she was looking at him. Her beautiful eyes, which he now finally had the chance to truly look into, were swimming with tears. "You did not. The proposal was extended to you, not to any title you might have or not have. It's you that has captivated my every sense."

Neither of them moved. He could feel himself getting lost in her gaze, and there was a not-so-small part of him that wished he could just lean down and kiss her. But a much bigger part of him wanted something else. "Can I take off your mask?", he asked quietly. He could tell that she hesitated. "I'm not sure this is a good idea. You might be disappointed", she said finally, and he almost laughed out loud. "I don't think I will be."

She hesitated a few seconds longer, then took a step back. She raised her hand to the back of her head, but he stopped her. "Can I do it?" She nodded, and quickly started working on the tight knot. It didn't take long for him to hold the two loose ends in his hands, and he slowly took a step back. She looked at him, and for the second time this evening he felt like he couldn't breathe. "You are as beautiful as the moon and the stars, Miss Munro", he finally breathed out. The girl in front of him swallowed thickly. "That's not my real name. It's Lucy." His heart skipped a beat. He carefully took both her hands, pulling her closer to him with a smile. "Well, you are as beautiful as the moon and the stars, Lucy."

#lockwood and co advent calendar #lockwood & co #lockwood and co #locklyle #anthony lockwood #lucy carlyle #george karim #regency au #locklyle regency au #anthony lockwood x lucy carlyle

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