Chapter 7

Dangerous to Know

It wasn't long at all until Charles was gently shaking Charlotte awake. She looked up at him, her eyes bleary with sleep.

"I almost wanted to leave you, you were sound asleep," he said quietly, "But I knew you would be irritated with me if I had left you in here."

Charlotte glanced at the lamp that was giving off a dim light, "What time is it?" she asked finally.

"Six-thirty," he replied.

Charlotte sat up and ran a hand through her tangled mess of hair and sighed, "Alright, I'm up."

Charles hid his smile by turning to pick up a coat that he had draped across the back of his chair, "Look I figured it would be better if you weren't walking around on the ship in your night dress when there are going to be people running around preparing for breakfast. I found my civilian jacket so you can wear that until you return to your room, okay?"

Charlotte stood up and slipped her arms into the coat and buttoned it up, "Thank you so much Charles, for everything."

"Of course," Charles said, and he wondered briefly if the kiss they had shared the night before would be brought up.

Charlotte stood there for a moment and then reached over and gave him a kiss on the cheek, "I will see you in a bit."

He gave her a smile and then opened the door to his room, stepping out first to make sure there were no officers standing around. Once he was sure no one would see a woman leaving his room, in his own coat, he led her to the first class entrance. Charlotte glanced back at Charles once she was inside but a sound up the hall spurred her to hurry back to her room. Quietly she opened the door and entered, the first rays of sunlight streaming through the windows. Charlotte moved like a mouse, years of work as a mouse when she had to be there without making a sound so she would not interrupt anything or anyone, came to her aid. To her immense relief, her room was empty and no sign that Luke had been there showed. Carefully she hung Charles' coat up in the back of the wardrobe and then locked her bedroom door and removed her nightdress so she could run some warm water and bathe. It felt wonderful to feel the water splash against her skin and even better when she washed her hair. Charlotte dressed in her Sunday dress and then brushed out her long hair and fixed it up in the normal way she wore it. By the time she was done with all of this, she saw she had to wake the family, so Charlotte left the room and knocked on the door to Mr. and Mrs. Phillips room, calling through the door until she heard an acknowledgment of her presence. Charlotte then moved to Isabel's room and knocked gently before entering.

Isabel was sound asleep and she looked peaceful in her big warm bed. It occurred to Charlotte as she moved to get a church dress out of the wardrobe that Luke had been intending to sleep with Isabel the night before. Even his own words implied he thought he had made it to Isabel's bedroom, and the idea shook her to the core. She was angry at Luke for attempting to rape her, but even angrier because he had thought she was Isabel. Charlotte did not just work for Isabel, she honestly loved and cared for the girl, and Charlotte was going to make sure that no one ever hurt Isabel.

After a moment Charlotte shook her head, trying to lose herself of the thoughts for the time being so she could wake Isabel up. The girl woke after only a moment or two and it took a few moments of rousing to get Isabel fully awake and aware of her surroundings.

"How did you sleep last night, Charlotte?" Isabel asked as she ran a brush through her hair.

Charlotte was silent as she thought about the best way to answer and finally she decided to wait on the truth for now, "Very well, Izzie," she said.

"Me too," Isabel replied before standing up and moving to her basin that Charlotte had just filled.

Isabel bathed herself and then Charlotte helped her into her corset and such, and then her dress. After Isabel was fully dressed for church, Isabel and Charlotte left the room and went to the private promenade deck where Mr. Mrs. Phillips was seated with Luke. Charlotte moved off to the side and noticed Luke staring at her and she also noticed a large and swollen bruise on the side of his head; she resisted the urge to smile.

"Luke, what happened?" Isabel began to fuss.

"Oh nothing darling," he said, smiling at his young fiancée, "I tripped and fell in the dark last night, hit my head right on my bed. Nothing I cannot handle!"

Isabel was laughing, "Oh my beloved, the accident prone!"

Everyone laughed as a steward served their breakfast and Mr. Phillips dived into a new topic about what they would do in Boston and how long the trip would be from New York to Boston. At random moments Charlotte would catch Luke giving her a look and she could not figure out if it was one of anger or confusion. She sincerely hoped she would not have to be alone with him again throughout the rest of the voyage.

Soon enough the family was leaving for the church services and Charlotte followed behind as Mr. Phillips had his arm linked with his wife and Luke had his arm linked with Isabel. They entered the dining room which had been cleaned up and chairs placed to give it the sense of a church sanctuary and they all sat near the front with Ismay and other first class passengers, while Charlotte sat with other maids off to the side of the room.

Charlotte hadn't been in this room yet and she found herself itching to look around some more but she was pulled from her thoughts as she heard a voice say they were to stand up. Everyone rose from their seats as the Captain entered the room followed by his officers, and Charlotte could not even help it when her heart jumped into her chest. In that brief moment she remembered the kiss they had shared the night before and wondered what it had meant. Thoughts of Luke's hands hurting her and Charles comforting arms chased each other throughout the entire service. She barely noticed anything when it happened and stood up when everyone else did, moving her words, but not singing, simply going through the motions. Later she knew she would feel remorseful for not paying attention to the service, but in that moment she could not bring herself to worry.

When the service ended, in the hustle and bustle of people moving and socializing, she felt a hand on her arm. Charlotte looked up to see Charles pulling her towards the room that the officers had entered from. Once they were out of sight of everyone he looked her over, as if he was expecting her to have been injured in the last few hours since they had parted.

"Has he said anything?"

Charlotte shrugged, "No, he just kept looking at me weird during breakfast. He has a great large bruise though from where I hit him with my father's bible, but he said it was where he tripped in the dark. He's a terrible liar but they all believe him."

Charles sighed, "During the entire service I kept looking at him and he had this stupid smile on his face. I really just wanted to walk over and punch him for being such a worthless excuse for a human being."

Charlotte beamed at him, "Well in the meantime I need to figure out what I am going to do," she sighed, "I can't stand being in his presence and-"

"Charles?"

They were cut off by a man calling for him.

"Sounds like Will," Charles offered and before either one of them had a chance to move or say something more on the matter, Will entered the room and looked at the two with raised eyebrows.

"Miss," he said, giving her a polite nod of the head.

Charlotte instantly curtsied, "Oh please, I am only a maid. You are much higher ranking than I," she said.

Will held up his hand and shook his head, "Nonsense, you must be Charlotte?"

Charlotte looked at Charles expectantly who simply shrugged. She shook her head at him and then looked back to Will, "Yes I am Charlotte, I suspect Charles has talked about me?"

Will smiled, "Only a little bit. I know he was concerned about you this morning and would not tell me what was wrong. I hope all is well with you but I do need to borrow the dashing second Officer because the Captain needs to speak to him."

"Oh, of course!" Charlotte laughed, "Do not let me keep you!"

Charles sighed because he wanted to talk to Charlotte more, "Can I still pick you up for supper tonight?" he asked in a quiet whisper.

Charlotte froze, she had forgotten about the meal entirely, but finally she nodded, "Yes still do. Any chance to not be alone will be fine with me."

Charles nodded, "See you tonight," he said. He wanted to give her a kiss on the cheek but knew he could not because Will was still watching.

Charlotte gave him a nod and waited as the officers left the room, giving it a minute or two before emerging herself. She was pleased to see Mr. and Mrs. Phillips still in discussion with Mr. Ismay who kept casting wary glanced to Luke who stood off to the side, disconnected from the conversation. Charlotte utilized her skills of being able to move seamlessly once more and stood behind Isabel.

"I just feel compelled to inform you that young Luke may have a bit of a drinking problem," Bruce was saying in a hushed voice, as if thinking Luke could not hear them, but Charlotte was quite sure he could, "Or at the very least, Mr. Crawford cannot handle his liquor."

Mr. and Mrs. Phillips gave each other looks.

"Well why would you say something like that?" Mrs. Phillips asked.

"At about two in the morning, this morning, he was knocking on my door rudely and loud enough to wake the whole hall. I believe he thought he was at Miss. Isabel's door," Bruce explained.

Isabel raised an eyebrow, "My door sir?"

Bruce gave a sort of awkward nod, like he was uncomfortable to be relaying this gossip, but Charlotte and Isabel could both tell he was relishing in being someone to spread gossip, worse than a middle aged woman who sat in the dining hall for two hours every lunch time drinking tea and spreading gossip around faster than the plague. "Well yes, I simply say that because he was asking for you."

"Well by George, Bruce old fellow, I apologize if our Luke had one too many! You know how young men can be!" Mr. Phillips said, laughing it off.

Bruce nodded, "Yes I understand, I just thought you should be aware."

Mr. Phillips was smiling but under the smile Charlotte could pick up on an annoyance, though whether it was aimed at Bruce or Luke, she did not know. But finally at long last, the family departed from the dining room which stewards were already changing and preparing it for lunch. But the Phillips family did not dine with the other passengers on that Sunday but instead they dined on the promenade deck again.

Charlotte followed Isabel into her room to help the girl changed for lunch and Isabel instantly went into a rant, "Oh that Mr. Ismay is a gross fellow. Despite whether what he said was true or not, it was completely rude to say it out in the public like that for people to hear! I will not be surprised if by the time we make it to Boston, it isn't in the local paper," she was scowling but continued on, and in that moment Charlotte wanted to tell Isabel what Luke had done to her, but she could not bring herself. It pained her to admit it, but this was not just about her reputation, Isabel cared what was said about Luke because she actually loved Luke.

They were exiting Isabel's room just in time to hear Mr. Phillips on the promenade deck, "If I hear of or smell another one of your escapades with the liquor one more time before this trip I over, I'll have your hide. It will be one thing what you do in the privacy of your own home in America but what you do while under my responsibility is a matter of mine because I'll be damned if you ruin my Isabel's reputation before she even reaches American shores."

There was a tense silence and the two girls looked at each other, wondering when someone would speak and then finally, "Yes sir." Luke's voice reached them in a cool tone and he clearly did not like being spoken to like that, but he went along with it.

"Good, now sit down and let's prepare to eat," Mr. Phillips said.

At that remark, Mrs. Phillips emerged from her room, completely changed into a new dress. Charlotte had no idea how the woman managed it without the help of a maid, but each time Mrs. Phillips changed, she had a flawless and clean look about her.

"Ah Isabel, you look lovely," Mrs. Phillips said, she smiled at Charlotte, "Your work is always evident and it simply shines."

Charlotte curtsied, "Thank you Mrs. Phillips," she said.

Mrs. Phillips led Isabel by the hand to the deck and the women sat down at the table. Charlotte had not been instructed what to do so she simply waited in the sitting room. Most of the meal seemed to go on in silence and when it ended, Luke was the first one to emerge from the room. He spotted Charlotte sitting at the chair near the light where she liked to curl up, "Here now girl," he hissed.

Charlotte was alarmed by the harsh tone in his voice but she did as she was told and followed him as he led her out into the hallway. They walked down the hall and turned a corner before he turned on her, "Have you said a word about what happened last night?"

She considered him for a moment and then shook her head, "No, not yet."

"Yet?" his eyes glinted with anger at the mere implication that she would mention the matter to his future wife or in laws.

"When have I had the time to say a word about it?" Charlotte asked.

"Look, I am sorry but you should not be so offended! I did not seek you out, I merely thought you were Isabel!" he answered, as if it was no big deal.

Charlotte scoffed, "Oh so it's okay that you nearly raped me because you merely meant to get Isabel instead?" She had figured this would be his excuse but she still could not quite believe her ears, "Isabel loves you and I love Isabel. I have watched that child and I still remember the day she was born. My mother was beaming away and singing about the joys of new babies. I have been her maid since I was sixteen and I vowed to always care for that child. So you think I am just going to be okay and forgive you when what you really wanted to do was force yourself on her? A real man waits and a real man would have respected his fiancée's wishes to wait."

There was a tense moment of silence and then Luke's hand made a loud cracking noise as it made contact with Charlotte's cheek. He stood there for a moment and Charlotte tenderly reached up to touch the sore skin and at the feeling, tears welled in her eyes.

"Are you quite done, Mr. Crawford?" she asked, quietly.

"Yes and if you ever question my caliber again, I will mean it when I stumble into your room in the dark," Luke answered in a quiet whisper.

Charlotte stared at him and promptly turned on her heels and returned to the room, her hand on her cheek so as to hide the mark from Isabel and her parents. Isabel was not in the sitting room so Charlotte went straight to her own room, locking the door behind her. After she was sure Luke had not followed her, Charlotte moved to the mirror and examined her now red cheek. It would be bruised by morning, she was sure of it. Carefully she dipped a cloth into the basin of now cold water and she placed the cloth on to her cheek. The sensation stung initially but after a moment it felt better.

For the first time in her life, Charlotte wanted out of the situation she had found herself in. She knew that once they were in Boston, even Isabel could not protect her old friend and there was no way she could ask Isabel to do such a thing. In the same instance however, Charlotte feared for Isabel in this future life with Luke and his violent, drunken tendencies. She glanced at her dress hanging up on the door of the wardrobe, still waiting to be worn for the supper that night and Charlotte wondered if Charles could love her enough to take her away. She had started to develop feelings for him, serious feelings no doubt, and the kiss they had shared the night before had made her skin tingle and her stomach flutter, but she did not know how Charles felt about her. But when she thought about her future and pictured herself married to him in a little home somewhere near the English Channel, Charlotte could see it working. Never mind she could see it working, she could see it being a happy and loving marriage. However, despite how desperate she was, she would never use Charles to get out of her current life because she respected and cared for him too much to do that to him.

A look at the clock by her bed and Charlotte saw it was only one-thirty, a whole six hours before Charles would be there for her. She glanced at the door and knew she would be needed, but Charlotte just could not be bothered. Carefully she moved to lie down on her bed, being sure to not brush her cheek against any of the fabric. Within in a few brief moments sleep had taken over and she was dead to the world.

XXX

A/N-Reviews maybe? Cause that would be amaazing! :)