James thought too much, especially early in the morning when he was too awake to sleep and too sleepy to do anything but smoke. So he would just sit there in his office lost in daydreams and whining, he would let his eyes wander around the bookcase full of books, while his mind was lost in thought. However, Meg's blue eyes were the subject that most often stole his thoughts and left him absorbed in rambling. He sighed before taking another drag on his cigarette. Maybe Mr. Abraham was right and he was wrong. Maybe William had set him up and someone from inside his house facilitated his entry in exchange for some financial benefit. Although the servants in his house were old and loyal to his late mother who had always been a kind woman, they were not crazy about his wife, Angelina. He felt rather stupid, Meg was a good and innocent girl who would never take a man into her bedroom. And he was a foolish man who was blinded by jealousy. While James was immersed in these thoughts, o

Meg hurried into her room, bringing her hand to her mouth to stifle her crying; she felt as if a stake was driven through her chest. She leaned on the wall allowing her body to slide until it touched the floor. Sitting there, on the floor of her chamber, she experienced the tearing pain that spread through her chest, permeating her entire being. She wondered how many times a heart could be broken and still continue to beat. The pieces to which her heart had been shattered were so numerous that it became impossible to gather all the shards, each fragment being a painful memory.His heart ached. It hurt her soul. Angelina, announcing her pregnancy with a beaming smile on her face, consumed Meg like a fatal blow. Angelina revealed with a victorious air that in nine months she and James would have a beautiful, plump, pink baby boy. As the employees commented on the arrival of the new member of the Campbell family, and talked about how happy Lady Martha would be, Meg struggled to smile

As Meg tidied up her room, her thoughts simmered with an escape plan, secret and risky. She meticulously prepared a small suitcase, which she hid under the bed, careful not to attract the attention of the servants. If anyone asked she would say that it was just her clothes that would be taken to the Barton mansion, but Meg had a very different plan in mind. She would flee at dawn, when everyone was asleep, for she was not willing to marry William, nor did she want to impose her troublesome presence in James and Angelina's home.She had no choice. Her heart yearned for freedom and a new life. As she finalized her preparations by putting some money into a small handbag, and hiding it at the bottom of a drawer, Angelina's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Dear Meg, could you go to the dressmaker in my place? My dress is ready," Angelina requested, with a tired expression. "Because of my pregnancy, I'm feeling a little unwell." Meg rolled her eyes, but agreed, for, she also had plans t

Meg screamed, cried and screamed again. Her screams echoed through the dark and cold environment, unanswered. Caged in a room with only fear and darkness for company, she heard the screams of other women as well. Time after time, someone would throw a piece of musty bread in her direction, accompanied by a mug of dirty water, just enough to keep her from starving to death. As the pain of hunger and cold settled into her weakened body, Meg couldn't help but think of James. Had he suffered by noticing her absence? Would he have looked for her when he realised something was wrong? Or maybe, just maybe somewhere inside himself, he felt relieved by her sudden departure. Questions without answers consumed his mind, stirring his anguish. The days dragged on grew exceedingly long. Hunger gnawed at his empty stomach, thirst punished his dry throat and cold penetrated his bones. It was an unrelenting torture that threatened to destroy his sanity. The door opened and a man in a long tu

The days dragged on slowly, like the ticking of a broken clock. Meg remained locked in her room, feeling a deep emptiness because of James' absence and the longing for her home. The surrounding environment was pervaded by a heavy stillness, broken only by the occasional sound of hurried footsteps in the hallway. As Meg lay there, she heard the sound of the lock being unlocked and her heart filled with hope, for she believed that she had been the victim of a great deception and that James would find her. The bedroom door opened noisily, but it was a stout woman accompanied by two men. It was not James. Meg felt disappointed and afraid. "Get up quickly and follow me," the woman ordered with coldness in her voice. Meg felt small before the imposing presence of the nun, and remembering Sophia's words, she decided to obey without hesitation, without question. She stood up quickly, leaving behind the cold embrace of the bedsheets. They walked down a long corridor, whose faded and di