As the book takes them from one scene to the next with no real narrative transition in between, it's jarring -- the flap of wings cuts out almost immediately, replaced with the strains of music instead. Lambert looks around, sharply, and recognizes the ballroom from the gem-vision of Arabella's rescue Strange showed him. Seems they've skipped right to the good part ... and it occurs to him, outside of Strange's limited point of view, maybe he can learn a bit more about the curse in the first place.

So he's in no hurry to rush after Strange. Instead, he'll try to follow and look for Norrell's shrill voice, unaware that the story does, in fact, still revolve around him...