Page 34 of A Touch of Charm
“Your Royal Highness.” Anna gripped the chair’s armrests tightly and tried to push herself up. She must have tried to rise and bow to Thea, but Thea rushed and lay her hand over hers, for it was evident that the woman who’d introduced herself as Anna was hurt.
“Don’t get up on my behalf. I see you’re injured.” The woman sank back into the chair. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Ashford,” Thea assured her, hoping the need for etiquette wouldn’t take over the newfound freedom she’d enjoyed since she arrived in London.
“Please, call me Anna,” she said, waving away the formality. “What brings a princess here? Have you also been injured?” Anna gave her the once-over and then nodded toward a chair opposite hers, also turning toward the lovely window bathed in the afternoon sun.
“I’m here with my brother; he’s the patient,” Thea said, careful not to give away too much to a stranger. But there was something familiar about this woman.
“Nothing too serious, I hope?” Anna asked.
“No, he just needs some time to heal.” Thea couldn’t help but warm at her dark eyes. She felt as though she’d seen their questioning look before.
Thea moved toward the indicated chair. The overwhelming light streaming in from the window cast an inviting glow on the plush upholstery. She sat, smoothing her skirts and taking in the details of the room—the richly colored Persian rug, the fine china displayed on a nearby cabinet, and the faint scent of jasmine that she attributed to Anna.
“It’s quite lovely here,” Thea remarked, her eyes meeting Anna’s again. “Very different from home, but beautiful in its way.”
“Where did you grow up?”
“Bran Castle in the Carpathian Mountains.”
Anna dropped her hands on her lap and smiled softly. “I’ve seen drawings, and they must be rather stunning. This castle has changed to convert it into a rehabilitation center. It’s a very hush-hush affair and reserved only for nobility. Think of this place as Almack’s for the invalid. I’m lucky to have obtained a spot even before it opened officially.”
“How did you? I heard it wasn’t supposed to open for quite a while.”
“Oh, my husband can be rather generous in ensuring his privacy. When I caught him, he realized he needed to lock me away.” Anna hesitated, momentarily interrupting the bubbly nature Thea had just begun to appreciate. “He probably didn’t expect ever to be caught with his mistress.”
Thea blinked incredulously, but she knew she’d heard right. Then Anna pulled at her gown, and a tightly bandaged ankle gave Thea a pretty good idea of her injury.
“It’s all of my own doing,” Anna sighed. “I fell off my horse because I rode too fast. Thus, I broke my foot.”
“How did this happen?”
Anna’s eyes twinkled with tears, and she leaned toward Thea, holding the armrests on either side of the chair. “I was on an outing in Somerset. We have a country estate there, and I had planned to surprise my husband there after he returned from a business trip. I had some important news to share with him.” Anna patted her stomach, and Thea instantly understood. “That’s when I saw him with a woman. Under our apple tree!” She threw her hand in the air. “It was unmistakable.” Thea swallowed hard, her eyes flickering with shock and empathy as she listened to Anna’s tale. “It’s the same tree under which he proposed to me. He promised lifelong love and fidelity, and now look at me. With child and injured, locked away for his convenience.” Thea clutched her chest with both hands. What a terrible fate for such a young woman. “I rode so fast and aimlessly in my rage when I caught him.” Anna wiped the tear from her cheek that rolled down.
“Did you speak to him?”
“He wouldn’t speak to me! He said we’d discuss it later.”
Just like Father used to say when I tried to address the topic of my unwelcome match.
“But then you fell and got injured,” Thea whispered, her voice trembling with the sorrow of newfound understanding.
“And now I’m here until my leg heals,” Anna said and then pursed her lips.
“And the baby?” Thea asked, but she was afraid of the response. Pregnancy was a precious state, and she wasn’t too naive to underestimate the dangers a horse’s fall could cause under such circumstances.
“I have only been seen by the nurse, and she said she didn’t suspect any injuries to the baby. But I have yet to see the doctor.”
From the following of Anna’s brow with a tension Thea recognized from a woman who’d exhausted her last resort, Thea realized that Anna’s heart hurt more than her broken bones.
Thea took Anna’s hand, and their eyes met. It was a moment when two women sat in the simple understanding that even their titles were insufficient to protect them from society’s patriarchal structure. And just like that, Anna wasn’t a stranger anymore. Even as far away as Thea had fled to England, she recognized a commiserating soul, and a new friend in Anna.
“I ran away from my betrothal.”
“Did he…?” Anna’s falling tone implied the worst.
“Oh no, no! I’ve not seen him since I was three years old. I don’t remember him at all.” Thea pursed her lips. “But I just wanted more from life than being his wife.”
Anna deflated. “I understand. You are very wise for your young age to realize it in time.”
