Hunger pangs aside, Charlotte battled grief and anger in equal measure. Her limbs ached from idleness, her hair hung limp, and the room felt like a tomb. Every hour stretched into the next—endless and suffocating.
At first, she thought of escaping from the window, but the sheer height proved a deterrent. She had leaned out once, and the distance to the ground had made her recoil at once. The drop looked deep enough to break every bone she possessed.
No point in risking becoming crippled as well as a penniless spinster orphan.
Yes, she had a dowry—a decent one—but according to the legal papers, she would not be able to access it until she reached the ripe age of five-and-twenty.
One year. Three hundred and sixty-five very long, very mother-filled days.
Even if she did manage to escape, where would she go with no money and no connections for an entire year? Anne was already struggling with her own family’s problems and financial hardships.
And Grace... Grace was halfway across the world.
She was truly alone.
Sometimes she caught herself speaking aloud, simply to hear another voice—a dreadful sign of her descent into madness, she told herself. Soon she would start naming the furniture.
Drat.Perhaps she should simply relent and marry that lecherous Lord Haverley. Her mother had a point—men do tire of their wives after a few years.
But the moment the thought crossed her mind, her whole being screamed.No! I need to get away.
An idea struck her. Perhaps she could fashion a rope out of her clothes and—
A scratch at the door interrupted her.
The bolts drew back, the handle turned—likely Sarah bringing the day’s meagre rations. But it was not just Sarah. Anne stepped into the room behind her.
‘Anne, my dearest!’ Charlotte lunged at her friend, clutching her fiercely. ‘How did you get into the house? Mama has barred me from seeing anyone.’
‘It was not easy. Sarah brought me through the servants’ entrance—your mother has no idea, of course,’ Anne said in her usual quiet tone. ‘How are you doing, my dear?’ she asked, taking Charlotte’s hands in her own small ones and noting her worn face.
Charlotte shrugged. ‘I am as well as can be expected, considering the circumstances. Why are you in your travelling cloak?’ she asked, eyeing Anne’s heavy cloak and carriage dress.
Anne looked apologetic. ‘I have news from... Mrs Wilberforce. I received word about that governess post. Well, they have accepted both myself and my maid for the position.’ Her voice trembled with disbelief. ‘They did not even ask for references! Imagine that—me, respectable employment at last. I just had to see you before I leave. To make sure you are all right and your mother has not devoured you.’
Charlotte was surprised, but schooled her features. It seemed as though everyone she loved was leaving her one by one—first Grace, then Papa, and now Anne as well. She swallowed the painful lump in her throat.
‘I have already sent them a letter accepting, and they want me to start immediately,’ Anne continued when Charlotte did not reply at once.
‘But, Anne, it could be dangerous to go where the Odd Fellows will be sniffing around Wilberforce.’
‘Ah, no one ever pays any heed to governesses—perfect for spying and investigating,’ she replied dismissively. ‘Besides, I have to get away from... them.’ Charlotte nodded in understanding. ‘I have been trying to see you all these weeks, but your mother would not allow it.’
Charlotte nodded gratefully at Sarah. ‘Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me.’
Sarah blushed. ‘It’s no bother, Miss Charlotte. It’s cruel, what your mother is doing—if you do not mind my saying.’
‘Not at all,’ Charlotte said warmly.
Anne looked around the oppressive chamber—the unmade bed, the strewn papers, the stale air. ‘Good heavens, Char. What’s the plan? You cannot stay here like this for much longer.’
Charlotte sighed. ‘I know. But truthfully, I do not know what I can do. I even considered jumping out of that window and running for the woods.’
Both Anne and Sarah looked horrified.
‘Do not look at me like that,’ Charlotte protested. ‘If all you ate was bread and water for days on end, you would think it a good idea too.’
The two exchanged glances, mouths agape.
