“Daenae be afraid to cause a scene if ye feel unsafe, lass.”
He was right.
She swallowed past a lump in her throat.
“You felt unsafe. You did the only thing that was natural,” Charlotte urged.
“He followed me. I was in my father’s library. I thought it would be my mother, come to tell me I was behaving like a brat or something, but I turned to find it washim.He had followed me, and he approached me, and… and…” Her voice faltered off.
“Good God, now.” Charlotte raised her hands and covered her face. “Did he hurt you?” Her stomach tremored, as she feared what she would hear next.
“No,” Frederica answered fast. “Though I believe if we had not been interrupted, he gladly would have done. He tried to kiss me. I pushed him away. I practically threw a candle at him. His jacket went alight, but he put it out and cast it aside, then approached me again. Even fire would not stop him, Charlotte.”
Frederica nearly tipped her teacup over in animation. Charlotte placed her hands over Frederica’s on the cup, trying to help calm her. “He had hold of me. He was trying to kiss me when the door opened, and we were seen by so many people. One of my cousins screamed scandal, an aunt demanded a special license be called for at once, and my mother stared at me as ifIwere the sinner.”
She broke off, gulping and gasping in her tears.
Charlotte took the cup from her and placed it down on the table beside them. She leaned forward, wrapping her friend in her arms.
There was little she could say to make things right, for nothing could be made right now. Frederica had been quite correct in that her reputation was destroyed. Knowing Frederica’s family and their high expectations for propriety, they would have whispered and gossiped about the incident already. It could even be in the scandal sheets by the next morning.
“I am so sorry,” Charlotte whispered as she rocked her friend from side to side, just letting her cry on her shoulder.
“I’m sorry to come to you. I did not know what else to do or where to go.” Frederica pulled back and tried to dry her eyes with her handkerchief. “I just had to get out of the house.”
Charlotte now realized that Frederica was wearing a formal gown indeed. It was even torn a little around the waist. Charlotte shuddered at the sight of it, thinking of the disgusting man who had taken hold of Frederica there and tried to force himself upon her.
“We will think of something.” Charlotte took her friend’s hands, holding on tight. “Fear not, for we will deal with this. You will not be made to marry that man. I promise you that. We’ll think of a way out of it.” She spoke quickly and quite desperately, trying to convince herself as much as Frederica.
“I hope you are right,” Frederica whispered. She dried her tears another time and Charlotte passed the teacup back into her grasp. This time, Frederica drank more of it.
Charlotte sat back, staring into the flames in deep thought. A silence fell between them, broken only by Frederica’s occasional stuttered breathing and the fire that crackled beside them.
“Did you say your whole family was in that room?” Charlotte asked suddenly in thought.
“What? Why do you ask?” Frederica lowered the handkerchief from her face.
“I could have sworn you once mentioned an aunt you had in Cornwall.”
“Oh, yes I did.” Frederica nodded. “But my father never talks or writes to her. She’s never invited to stay. He considers her quite scandalous. When she was young and in London, there was gossip she had an affair of her own. I have no notion if there is any truth in it or not, but she left for Cornwall and lives quite comfortably there on an annuity.”
Charlotte smiled suddenly.
“Why should you not join her, then?”
Frederica paused, with the teacup raised to her lips. Her eyes widened, just a fraction.
“Think on it, my friend. If your father has no liking for your aunt, then he has little reason to think that you would go and take refuge there. Your aunt will surely take pity on you and allow you to stay with her. It is a way to escape this marriage.”
“I… oh…” Frederica looked as if she would argue, but then thought better of it. She put the teacup down beside her on the table. “It could work. Father would never go to Cornwall. He hates the place. He wouldn’t look for me there.”
“Exactly,” Charlotte said, leaning forward with excitement. “It is your chance to escape this man. I know it may not be a long-term solution. Whether you could come back to London ever or not… I… I am afraid I do not know.”
“Charlotte, I hardly care about that now.” Frederica raised her hands, wafting the idea way as if it was a troublesome breeze. “All I care about is escaping this marriage now.”
“Then we must get you to Cornwall. Do you know where your aunt lives?”
“Yes. Yes, I do.” Frederica nods. “We still send her a Christmas card every year, and I write the addresses on the cards.”
