Page 84 of Touched By a Traitor
And then there was Charlotte… The mere thought of the suffering he had caused her was enough to reduce him to a sobbing wreck of a man.
The arrival of the tea tray brought a momentary respite, and Charlotte favored the maid with a weak smile, her hands trembling slightly as she accepted a cup of the steaming brew. She had positioned herself as far away from him as the room would allow, a fact that did not escape his notice. With a heavy sigh, he lowered himself into a chair, another glass of brandy clutched tightly in his hand.
“I am grateful for your aid,” he said, his voice low and gruff. “You were the only one who had the presence of mind to come to Daisy’s assistance.”
Charlotte inclined her head. “I am deeply sorry that today has been such a trying ordeal for you and Daisy.”
“Yes, well…” Andrew trailed off, his gaze fixed on the amber liquid in his glass as he swirled it absently.
They lapsed into silence once more, each lost in their own thoughts as they sipped their respective drinks. Charlotte’s hands were pale and trembling, her face devoid of any vibrant hue. He longed to reach out to her, to offer some measure of comfort, but he held himself back, knowing he had lost the right to such intimacies.
“Are you well?” he asked tenderly.
Clearing her throat, she met his gaze with some effort, but her voice was steady. “Yes, quite well. And you?”
A wry smile appeared at his mouth, a humorless thing that did not reach his eyes. He said nothing. What could he say when an apology was wholly inadequate, and his pain nothing like what she had endured? Especially when he had exercised his power while she had been helpless against him, against Wilson. He buried his face behind his hands, her silent screams and misery beneath Wilson choking him.
“I should like to see how Daisy is faring, if I may,” she said. “Could you perhaps have someone escort me to her chambers?”
Andrew nodded, rising to his feet. “I shall take you myself.”
“All right. Thank you.”
“You will tell me, won’t you?” he asked, his eyes searching her face intently. “If you discover something that might affect her well-being?”
“Yes, of course,” Charlotte said, her expression full of sympathy.
They made their way up the grand staircase and down the long corridor in silence, the air between them heavy with unspoken words and unresolved emotions. Each step felt like a surrender, a tacit acknowledgment of the chasm that now yawned between them.
*
Andrew came toan abrupt halt, his eyes locking with Charlotte’s in a gaze that made her feel exposed, as if he could see every secret longing, every hidden desire that she had buried deep within her heart.
“Are you comfortable at Madam’s establishment?” he asked with some hesitation.
“Yes.” She kept her tone carefully neutral.
Andrew’s brow furrowed, a flicker of concern passing over his handsome features. “Would you not be more comfortable at our townhouse? You would have greater privacy, more assistance and luxuries at your disposal.”
Charlotte smiled faintly. “Thank you for your kind offer, but I am quite content at Madam’s. It is convenient, being able to meet with the rescue women on site. And it is less lonely with the company of others.”
Andrew fell silent, his gaze searching her face as if trying to understand how she could so easily replace him with a group of virtual strangers. Charlotte met his eyes briefly, her heart aching with the void left in her life.
She pined for him, longed for his touch, his presence, with an intensity that bordered on physical pain. But he had stolen the light from her spirit despite her efforts to persevere, and for that, she could not forgive him.
With a curt nod, he turned on his heel and retraced his steps down the corridor, his long strides carrying him swiftly away from her. Charlotte watched him go, her vision blurring with unshed tears, her heart shattering into a thousand jagged pieces for the loss of hope.
She allowed the tears to fall freely, her shoulders shaking with the force of her silent sobs as she mourned the loss of all that had once been, and all that could never be again. The weight of her heartbreak crushed her chest and stole the air from her lungs. She leaned against the door, her knees threatening to buckle under the strain of her emotions.
She remained frozen in the hallway for several minutes, struggling to compose herself before facing Daisy. Taking a shuddering breath, she forced her feet to carry her the remaining distance to her sister-in-law’s door, steeling herself to push aside her own heartbreak in favor of the crisis at hand.
With a perfunctory knock, Charlotte announced herself and slipped inside Daisy’s room, the click of the latch behind her a welcome relief from the suffocating presence of the man she loved.
Daisy sat propped up in her bed, watching her sister-in-law, with her eyes red and swollen from crying. Her face was pale, her usually vibrant features drawn and haunted. Charlotte made her way to the bedside, her steps heavy and unsteady. She climbed in beside Daisy, the mattress dipping under her weight as shewrapped her arms around the young woman in a comforting embrace. Daisy rested her head on Charlotte’s shoulder, her body shaking with the aftermath of her tears, her breath coming in shuddering gasps.
“Have you been crying too, Charlotte?” Daisy asked.
“Yes, but I’m all right.”
