Devoted Nobility

Chapter 103

                                        Sophia

“What are you doing here?” I was utterly surprised. I hadn’t seen my former lady in waiting since she took off two days after we arrived at English court. She had managed to find a husband extremely quickly.

“I have been looking forward to seeing you and our friends ever since I left and…” Charlotte’s expression soured. She sat down on my couch and I followed her there. “And ever since I heard about Lucy’s death, I have been begging my husband to allow me to come back.”

“Is he with you?” I had never met the Hungarian duke, but Charlotte raved about him in the letter she sent me days after their marriage.

She looked down at her hands. “Yes, he had some business to conduct with a few English advisors at court. Some sort of military alliance, I believe.”

“How is your marriage going? You seemed so hopeful about its prospects when you left many months ago.”

Charlotte still wouldn’t meet my gaze. “My family is very pleased. He is providing them with the financial stability that has been lacking since my father and yours had their argument. But enough about me, let’s speak about you!”

Something was wrong. She wasn’t acting herself. Why wouldn’t she tell me about her relationship with her husband? Was she not happy?

Before I had a chance to ask her, she pushed the conversation towards my life. “Look at you! You are with child. How exciting!” She placed her hands on my stomach. “Do you believe it is going to be a boy or a girl?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t have a strong inkling to either one. The entire world is hoping for a boy, but I would be plenty happy either way.”

“Does Alexander feel the same?”

I nodded. “Of course. We are both just so excited to have a family together. We have spent many an hour discussing what he or she will look and be like. We both want the baby to look like the other.” I smiled remembering our innumerable conversations about our child.

Charlotte shifted her weight, but kept her hands on me. “So you two found your happiness together?”

I giggled remembering all of the things we had been through in the small time we had been together. “Yes, I suppose we have. It is not always easy, but we want the same things in the world and love each other so much. I cannot imagine life without him.”

Charlotte’s eyes seemed heavier. “You are very lucky.”

I wanted to ask her why she was so dour, but couldn’t bring myself to do it. I focused on a much lighter conversation instead. “I love your dress. It is so beautiful.” I wasn’t lying. Her dress was dark blue with small petals sewn into the sleeves.

“What is this material?” I took one of her hands from my stomach and pulled up her sleeve to try and figure out what it was made of.

She instantly pulled her arms away from me and jumped up, but it was too late. I had seen what she was trying to hide. Charlotte’s forearm was covered in bruises. Some were small and barely noticeable while others scared me in their size.

“What happened to you?” My voice shook when I spoke.

She pulled her sleeve back in place. “Nothing happened. It is nothing.”

I stood up and walked to her side. “He did this, didn’t he?” We both knew I was speaking of her husband.

A single tear fell from Charlotte’s eye onto her cheek. As the tear tumbled down, it left a streak in her makeup. On her left cheekbone, there was a small section of purple that didn’t match her skin tone.

I clenched my jaw as I saw it. I strode across the room to my dressing table. There was a cloth and bowl of water that I had used to wash my face last night. I took the cloth and dipped the corner into the water before walking back over to Charlotte.

She didn’t protest as I wiped off the makeup around the mark. The farther out I cleared, the larger it became. After a few seconds of scrubbing, I had revealed another large bruise across the entire left side of her face.

It reminded me of a similar bruise I received from Matthew when I escaped his confinement. I could still remember the pain it caused me and the force of his blow.

I swallowed. “Why didn’t you tell me? We have been best friends since we were children. You can trust me. You know I can help you.”

Charlotte bit her lip, almost as if she was fighting off tears. “He threatened to kill me if I ever told anyone that he beats me. You can’t do anything. We are married. There is nothing anyone can do.”

“No. I will not let him hurt you. I will free you from him.”

She shook her head. “Even if you were to find a way to do so, what would become of me? If our marriage were to be annulled, I would be nothing. What would become of my family without his help and money? Your father is on the verge of taking away their estate.”

I gently put my hands on her shoulders. “I will reinstate you as one of my ladies. I will explain this to your family. I will make my father forgive yours. If that doesn’t work, then your family can come to court. It doesn’t matter. I will protect you and will not let you go back to him after seeing what I have.”

A hint of a smile spread on Charlotte’s face. “Thank you.”

I smiled back. “Of course. Now, I assume you are being quartered in the same chambers as your husband.”

“Yes.” Her face contorted in worry. “What am I to do?” Her voice was more than slightly panicked.

I hid my own concern in a calm tone. “Please, do not worry. Stay in my chambers for now. My maid won’t ask questions. She never does. I will have a guard inform the Duke that you and I have gone to a village to look at jewelry.” Charlotte seemed to calm down a little more. “Now, let me help you fix up your makeup.”

It took a fair amount of powder, but I was able to hide the bruise on her face.

“I am going to speak to Alexander. I am sure he will help you,” I told her when I had dressed.

“I do not wish to be a burden on anyone. I am so sor…”

I interrupted her promptly. “Do not apologize. Nothing that has happened to you is your fault.”