FREE! In The Arms of My Enemy (Completed!) Book 1

Fidelia Banished

Edmund comforted Fidelia with a gentle shushing noise, rubbing his hand in a circular motion on her back. "It will be all right."

Fidelia clenched her fists around his lapels and fought the urge to bitterly scream 'No, it won't be all right!' She had given up every­thing—her home, her livelihood, the comfort of familiar people—all to protect her sister. Now, because of her stupid pride, the man she loved was sending them away defenseless.

Edmund leaned over her and lifted her chin, forcing her to look up at him. His eyes were intense, and the scent of alcohol on his breath was overpowering. "I will take care of you and protect you."

Fidelia snorted and pulled away. "I do not need another man prom­ising to protect us. I took care of Lottie alone before and I will do it again."

"Fidelia." Edmund snatched her arm. "I will take care of you."

She yanked free of his grasp. "If my husband has no duty to protect me, then you have a great deal less." She spun around and escaped into the hallway, her ankle aching with each step.

Lottie called after her and Fidelia paused, one foot on the bottom step of the stairs. She brushed away her tears so her sister wouldn't see them.

"Fidelia," Lottie said, her eyes bright with worry. "The countess has gone on a verbal rampage, demanding that you leave!"

Fidelia took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, I've heard."

"What are we going to do? Where shall we go?" Lottie asked. "Why does William not stop her?"

Fidelia clasped her sister's shaking hands firmly in her own. "William has removed his protection. He will no longer help us."

"What?" Lottie gasped, and her blue eyes filled with tears. "B-but I thought . . . He loves you!"

"Apparently that is not enough."

***
They hid from the countess in Lottie's room for the rest of the eve­ning. Lottie was pale and silent, stroking her cat's head and scribbling notes in her little book of inventions. Fidelia watched her, heartsick at the thought of more danger coming to the sweet, innocent girl all because Fidelia could not abide the countess's abuse. This was Fidelia's fault. She should have thought about Lottie instead of her own stub­bornness and pride.

Near midnight, a knock sounded on the door. Lottie shrank back. The countess's fury had certainly frightened the girl, Fidelia thought angrily. She opened the door, preparing to tell whatever servant it was to go away and never return.

Instead William's face, drawn and closed off from all emotion, stopped her in her tracks. Thoughts flew through her mind frantically. Should she apologize? Beg him to reconsider? Swear to be kinder to the countess? But she swallowed the ache in her throat and forced herself to glare at him.

"It's time," he said, voice flat and void of warmth.

"We haven't finished packing," Fidelia said, lifting her chin. She would not let him throw them out so easily.

"You are not taking anything with you."

"What?" Fidelia's heart pounded. It was winter. They would need warm clothes, but she hadn't a penny to her name to buy them for her sister.

"We haven't much time." William grabbed her around the waist and hauled her out the door. Fidelia yelled in protest but her husband clapped a hand over her mouth. "Be silent," he whispered harshly. "We must not be discovered."

Where had her loving husband from that morning vanished to? Fidelia thought desperately. In a fit of anger, she bit down hard on his hand. He hissed in pain, but he did not strike her like she expected any man would; he did not even turn to glare at her. Instead, he maintained his grip around her waist and carried her the rest of the way down the stairs and to the back of the house to the servants' entrance.

"Wait for me!" Lottie squalled, scurrying after them with naught but her notebook and Puppy the cat.

Sally met them at the door with traveling cloaks, her face pale and anxious. William nodded to her and she pressed the cloaks into the sisters' hands. "It's awful cold out, m'lady," Sally whispered.

Fidelia longed to ask what was happening, to scream and fight, but her heart felt weary. She was tired of fighting, tired of hurting. She just wanted this painful moment to end.

William led them out to a waiting wagon. Edmund held the horses' heads and Fidelia realized that the stench wafting up from the back of the wagon was vegetable scraps, intended for the pigs on the farms out­side of town. Edmund was dressed like one of the servants in a patched coat and worn hat, and Fidelia realized with a start that William was dressed as strangely. 

"Quickly," was all he muttered as he helped Lottie up first; she settled into the garbage, her face pale and drawn with shock. William turned to Fidelia and placed his hands on her waist to lift her.

She grabbed his sleeve tightly to stop him, desperate to gain his at­tention. "William, please—"

How could he be so callous as to throw them out in the middle of a cold autumn night and not even have the decency to call them a car­riage? Instead he was so ashamed of them that he intended to secret them away in a rickety old wagon full of vegetable scraps?

But her husband ignored her. He lifted her up into the wagon and gestured for her to lie down next to Lottie. His dismissal sent Fidelia reeling. So this was it. She had pushed him too far and he truly felt nothing for her anymore. The awful realization stole any protest from her mouth. Silently, she lay down amongst the scraps.

"This will hide you." William threw a canvas cover over them, and Fidelia peeked out enough to see him pull himself up onto the driver's seat. Edmund joined him. At the crack of a whip, the wagon lurched, and so did Fidelia's heart.

***

Hey guys!  Has William really given up on their love? Where is he taking her?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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