The courting trap

Threats

"My lord." I sigh, throwing my head back.

Taking off your corset at the end of the day is by far the best feeling. It's already pitch black outside, a few lit candles lighting up my room. 

I crawl under my covers and spread my arms and legs across the bed in a starfish position. Estelle sits down next to me.

I close my eyes and revise my day. Nicholas had been acting distant since we got back from the tavern yesterday, I barely spoke to him today. We were both really occupied, I had classes all day long and he was probably just busy writing in his room.

"Tell me about yesterday. Your mother was complaining to me about your clothes, did you go to the village again?" She asks, neither of us look at each other while talking.

"I did, I went with Nicholas. It was surprisingly pleasant. He is finally opening up a little bit, it was nice."  I try to hide the grin creeping up on my face, I fail.

"Victoria?" She turns so she's now facing me.

"Yes?"

"I need to tell you something. If I don't, I will always feel guilty for not letting you know the truth." The desperation in her voice makes me sit up so she has my full attention.

"Speak." I urge her to tell me.

She takes a deep breath. "When I left a while ago..."

"Yes...?"

"It was not actually a family emergency." Her eyes are anywhere but on mine.

"Well then what was it?" I grab ahold of my necklace and start fumbling with it. Twisting the cord around my finger repeatedly. Did she grow tired of me? Did she travel? What was more important than me?

She covers my nervous hand with hers. And puts my hand on her lap while she holds it with both of hers. "I am just telling you this so you don't start thinking too highly of him. He does not have good intentions, so I just want to look out for you. Please please please," She begs. " be careful."

"Just tell me what it is! You're scaring me. Did he hurt you?" All kind of scenarios run through my mind, all of them ending with Estelle hurt and scared.

She looks to be contemplating wether or not she should tell me. "He threatened me," She spits out. "he forced me to leave. I thought I would never see you again, but then he suddenly sent for me." She says it fast, almost like that would be less difficult to hear.

"He what?!" I jump off of my bed. I start pacing along the bed. "What did he threaten you with?" My hands are in my hair, pulling at the roots to relieve some anger.

"I am sorry, I cannot tell."

"Why? I thought we were supposed to be best friends?" I trow my hands up in the air in distress.

"If I tell you, I would loose my position and we would never see each other again. I don't- can't loose you." Her eyebrows are knitted together in sorrow. Estelle rarely behaves this serious, so I trust that it is really as bad as she makes it out to be.

Who I can't trust is Nicholas. How does he know something about my best friend that I don't know of?

"I can't loose you either. I promise you I'll make him regret this, I will I will make his life miserable. You know what I will make him clear right now I don't accept this!" I reach my hand out to the door handle, but before the cold metal even touches my hand, Estelle has already positioned herself between the door and I.

"Don't. You will make it so much worse. He can't find out I told you this, promise me." She barricades the door with her whole body, she is so consistent about this that she must be petrified of him.