Chapter 18

Sophia looked at Andrew with her hand on her bum, feeling embarrassed and unsure of how to tell him about her bruises.

She was still in pain from the whipping she had received from William, but she didn't want to burden Andrew with her problems.

Sophia felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. "Uhm...the pavement, it's too hard," she muttered, hoping Andrew wouldn't notice her discomfort.

Andrew, however, just laughed good-naturedly at her explanation. "Was that why you shouted?" he asked, teasingly.

Sophia blushed and looked down at her feet. "Maybe," she admitted,

Without hesitation, Andrew removed his jacket and held it out to her. "Here, take this." He said, draping the jacket over her lap. "Use it as a pillow and sit on it. It will make it softer, I think."

Sophia smiled gratefully at Andrew and collected his jacket, folding it up like a ball. She placed it carefully on the pavement and gently sat down on top of it, feeling the softness of the fabric beneath her.

Andrew looked