Anthony and Charlotte bedchamber

After her journey, she returned to the chamber she shared with her husband and took a warm bath to refresh herself. After she dried and dressed she sat at her vanity, brushing out her chestnut-colored hair.

I went to the room, my wife was bathing, I sat on the room side chair, in the darkest corner, when Charlotte came, her exotic fragrance filled the room, I only closed my eyes enjoying her smell and when she started to brush her hair, I turned on the oil lamp and I said cold as ice "Welcome home, Charlotte"

She jumped when she heard her name, and the icy tone behind it gave her goosebumps. She turned to see her husband sitting there with only the lamp to light him. "Oh Anthony! You frightened me." She smiled and went to greet him. "I hope you did not miss me too much while I was away.."

When she came to me I hugged her and I whispered in her ear "Did you missed me?" grabbing her hair I looked at her mouth waiting for an answer

"Of course," she replied. "Tell me, did anything interesting happen during my absence?"

I got really angry when she told me that she missed me, instead of telling me the truth so I decided to make her to tell it "Really, you missed me that much, what did you exactly missed me about Charlotte?" and I kissed her, but I had no feelings on the kiss, it was like kissing some tree, all dead nothing but a cold gaps, with no burning flames and hot volcano...

She pulled away from the kiss, feeling angry that he was accosting her. Holding him at arm's length she asked "What's got into you? You could have come with me, but you decided to stay and do God knows what with God knows whom!" The words came out in a rush but she did not wish them unsaid. "Why don't you ask what you really want to ask, Anthony? You take liberties with everything else!"

I listen to Charlotte every single word she said very calm and careful, I cocked my head to one side, and I raised one eyebrow. After she was finished I took the lead "So you think I did God knows what with God knows whom, heh, so this is the thought that went through the little mind of yours when you did filthy things with other men!" this moment got my temper very high , I got angry and I shouted at her "My wife now is a tramp, how do you even look at me, the worst thing is for your own mistake you blame me..." I threw the oil lamp that was in the side table, making frighten noise, "Is our son even mine, Charlotte?"

Calming my self down, as I saw Charlotte very scared I said with calm word "Was I not a good husband to you Charlotte"

She crossed her arms. "It's not what I think it's what happened. I'm only going by your previous actions." She sank onto the bed, already weary for the argument that would occur. "You cannot claim that you were never unfaithful, Anthony. And so now I see you've put spies after me... what happened in Venice I did not expect, but I was happy to have a man in my bed for once!" As he began to yell Charlotte rolled her eyes and went to the window, looking out at the sun dipping low in the sky. "I'm not a tramp. In fact until that night with Leonardo I was practically a nun! You only ever wanted me for social occasions, I guess to show me off and make the ladies jealous. Then the rest of the time you avoided me.. you flirted with others and I kindly looked away. You even had affairs when I was pregnant with our son, and said nothing, all to make you happy! And for awhile I believed that I could change you, that I could be the only one who had your heart.." She put her head in her hands when he questioned Henry's paternity. "Of course he is yours! You were the only man I'd been with. But if you don't want to believe me then that's between you and God, who knows the real truth." She remained very quiet when he asked his last question. "Yes, you were. But then you changed. Face it, you're a different person now." She traced little shapes on the window with her finger.

Shocked about what was she saying I replied "You are going after my actions, I did those actions when I was young and foolish Charlotte, not now" just looking at her made me feel bad about everything, "I don't deny that I have been unfaithful to you, I have been with other women, and still I chose you, I could have chosen Alfonsina, Margaret, Madeline or any other woman, but I chose you, I Loved you, for gods sake I left Alfonsina pregnant and came to you" going after her I continued "I didn't put spies on you, it is my duty to know what is going on in other counties, and what did the soldiers tell me, let me rephrase them to you -You have a hot burning woman, she is fulfilling every mans lust in there, especially that Barons, how do you thing I felt in that moment Charlotte? It is not the same if I do it and if you do it, IT IS NOT THE SAME" the last words I shouted at her "I never used you for making the ladies jealous and for social occasion," when she mention our son and what she went through I felt sorry, going close to her, seeing her hurt my heart weakened "I...I am sorry Charlotte, for what I cost you, for the pain I brought to you" I went even closer to her so that we could hear our breath "I am sorry for all I have done, but I can not erase from my memory the image of him and you" pausing a bit "Do you Love him, did you wanted him to do that to you?"

"I never asked you to leave Alfonsina for me..you told me I was the only woman you could think about and so I trusted that I was not the cause of another woman's broken heart." She sat in a chair and let the tears fall freely from her eyes. She let herself be cold, immune to his words and his shouting. She encased herself in ice as her mother had always told her to do. "I loved you so immensely, so deeply, and so wholly that when I felt I only received a fraction of that love in return, I started thinking ours was a marriage where we would look the other way. It had once been a love match but perhaps we stayed together for our son." She shrugged. "Either way, I met a man, was attracted to him and yes, I slept with him." She held a hand to her heart thinking of it. "He truly cares for me, and to answer your question: yes, I do believe that I have fallen in love with him." She looked up slowly, carefully to meet Anthony's eyes.

I was very disappointed in her, she wasn't mine anymore, "You know that you can be arrested for treason, and then a death sentence can be put upon you, what do you think our son will think of you Charlotte!!" running both of my hands through my hair "I don't know what to do with you,... I just don't" some tears can in my eyes, I didn't know if they are from anger, sorrow, or pain...

Charlotte had a quick mind, especially when cornered. "I can only be arrested if you inform someone about this," she said evenly. "If you go about telling everyone what has happened, you will bring about destruction: you will make yourself a widower, and our son will be practically an orphan. You wouldn't do that, and put up with the inevitable gossip that will spread, long after my executed, lifeless body is underground." She stopped speaking and felt her heart beat in her throat. Swallowing hard, she spoke again. "I have raised our son to know that happiness is always attainable, and it is not just given to you. He hopefully will understand when he gets older. As for right now, we can go about this quietly. I'll give you an annulment, I'm sure you can think up a good reason for one. Because if I don't get to be happy I will die anyway." She lifted her hair and exposed her white neck. "You have the strength to break it, or to strangle every last breath from me. You obviously have all the power. Do what is right for both of us." After a few moments she relaxed, sitting in the chair again. "How can something wonderful like love make you so confused?" she wondered out loud.

In a moment of frenzied inspiration at the thought of her new lover, she scribbled a quick note to Anthony.

"I only want you to be happy, and I hope you wish the same for me. I am taking Henry with me. The sea air does him much good and he is happy there with me. I will bring him back for the holidays to see you.

With sincere affection,

Charlotte."

She removed her wedding band and left it atop the note, pausing a moment to reflect on all the times she spent with her husband, all tasting bittersweet. She left soon, quietly closing the door behind her.