Hidden in the Castle

Part 16

Chapter 15

Annabelle rose from her seat, ignoring William’s protest that she should keep resting.  Her hands reached towards her notepad before her mind even made the decision that she wanted to look at the drawing.  Did she truly wish to know exactly who Ramsey thought the maid was supposedly working with?  There were people in there that were her friends, people who were her family, and one of those people were trying to harm her for reasons she could not even begin to understand.  Her eyes closed as she took a deep breath.  The longer she put it off, the worse her feelings would get.  As it was, they were curling in her chest, making her heart beat so hard she was sure William and Ramsey could hear it nearby.

Hands gripped her shoulders, making her jump, but she kept her eyes closed.  She knew that as soon as she eased them open, her eyes would land on the person Ramsey was accusing.  For that reason alone, she did not open them.  “You can open your eyes,” Ramsey said behind her with a small amount of amusement in his voice, “but if you wish to be in the dark, keep them closed as I tie your gown.”  He made a tsking noise that reminded Annabelle of Victoria, despite the fact that she knew Ramsey was jesting with her.  “To think you would have allowed William to see that small amount skin you are meant to be covered.  What will society think when they hear how improper you have been?”

A small laugh escaped her mouth at the thought of the society women looking down their noses at Annabelle.  It would not be the first time they had done so, but as Ramsey’s hands moved from her shoulder, she knew he had said the words to amuse her.  He had tried to diminish the dread eating at her.  Her thoughts were interrupted as he tugged on the strings of her gown, much gentler than the maid’s earlier did.  His hand patted her shoulder.  “Finished.”

Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and stared at the drawing in her hands.  Relief hit her hard, making her sit down on her still damp bed.  Her fingers trailed the face she had drawn only days before, and for once, she was happy that she had stayed in the shadows as she had drawn the man.  It would have been harder if it were one of the friends she had made in the past few days, but as she stared at this man, she still felt a small twinge of hurt.  What had she done to him?  Why had he tried to hurt her?

“Now I understand why I could not seem to draw him,” she mumbled as she tried to smile at the men in her chamber.

William frowned at her while Ramsey nodded along with her words.  “He was hiding something, and somehow, you knew.”

She dropped the notepad onto her bed, but couldn’t move her eyes away from the man on it.  “I never would have thought he could do something so…”

“Horrible?” William supplied, making her finally move her eyes away from the drawing to look at him.  “He is my driver, and I never would have believed he could do such a thing.”

“We do not know that he has done a thing,” Ramsey said, interrupting the two of them.

Annabelle turned towards him while keeping her hands on her notepad.  “You were the first to accuse him.  How can you believe he is innocent?”

“If you knew my past, you would understand that one small mistake can turn into something much larger, something you cannot control.  It is not right of us to condemn the man without learning just what it is that he has done.”