He didn’t react to her tears. He was far too angry. Her question was lost on him. He didn’t respond. He just waited and allowed her to speak. He didn’t have any words to say. What she was saying made sense but that didn’t disregard how she’d spoken about herself and her situation prior. But he couldn’t say anymore. Instead, he put his hands in his pockets and simply… waited.

What could he say right now?

And then she took out a dagger and thrust it into his chest. He did not like being told that. His eyes softened as she told him to leave and he took a step back before inhaling once again.

The first time they’d met, Charles had said he would stay with her until she was calm and he stuck to it. He wasn’t about to go back on that now; even if he had caused the hurt this time.

“No,” he said, “not until you stop acting like some…” Like what? “Some silly school girl with some silly school girl crush. That Mr Whitledge is a bastard and I cannot believe you wrote him when all he did is cause you that amount of hurt the night we met.”

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