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The woman smiled with such beauty the world seemed to hitch its breath and miss a beat. “It was my pleasure, Annalise.” She cupped her cheek. “Be good to my brother.”
There was so much Annalise wanted to tell her. Her mind wrestled with the approaching future, unsure where she might be in a week, a month, or a year. What would happen to her? To Adam? To all of them?
“You could come with me.”
Grace stilled from organizing the unsewn dresses and Larissa’s face blanked.
“Even if I stay, I could help you leave—”
“Anna, you mustn’t,” Grace hissed.
“It’s all right, Gracie.” Larissa, still holding Annalise’s hands, smiled again. “But you’re going to stay. And you’re going to have a beautiful life with my brother. You’ll see. Don’t let my marriage to Silus change your mind about anything, Annalise. Adam’s an honorable male who has little in common with the male I married.”
“But—”
“Hush now. I now know I have options. That alone will hold my smile for a while.”
“They’re here,” Grace said, and Larissa released her hands.
Heavy footsteps pounded up the steps and the front door opened. Relief swept through her at the sight of Adam.
His sleeves rolled to his elbows and his black pants clung to his legs as his heavy boots stepped into the kitchen. But his eyes wore lines of weariness at the corners when he smiled and approached.
“Ainsicht.” He brushed his fingers over her jaw, but didn’t kiss her. “I’ve missed you.”
“I missed you, too.” The truth came out without thought or doubt.
He turned and took Larissa’s hand. “Are you staying?”
“I can’t. Silus is readying the horse.”
Why didn’t anyone tell this Silus guy to go fuck himself?
Adam nodded without argument. “I’m glad you were able to meet Annalise.”
Larissa grinned at her brother and whispered, “I think she’s perfect for you, Adam.”
The door opened and despite the warm August air, the room chilled. No longer distracted by Larissa, Annalise could now see Silus. Dark features matched flawless tanned skin. His eyes were dark and beady, and his hair slicked with oil that kept every strand in place. He carried himself the same purposeful way a king cobra moved, silent and dangerous.
“Are you ready?” He ignored everyone but Larissa. But he only talked at her rather than to her, so Annalise was glad he didn’t speak to anyone else.
Larissa’s gaze dropped to the floor and she nodded. Annalise wanted to scream when he gripped her by the upper arm and everyone just stood there in silence, letting this supposed husband of hers lead her out of the house.
She looked at Adam, who seemed to anticipate her stare, but his expression remained unreadable. At the sound of the carriage pulling away, Grace sighed.
“I’m going for a walk,” she announced and it was the first time Annalise saw something more than childlike innocence in her eyes.
As soon as they were alone, she said, “I don’t like that man.”
“I can feel that. Silus is not a bad person. You should get to know him before you—”
“I think he beats your sister.”
Adam stilled from sipping a glass of water. “It is not our place to make such assumptions, ainsicht. Silus is Larissa’s husband.”
“I don’t care who he is to her. You of all people should know she’s terrified of him. Don’t you feel it?”
He put down the glass. “It’s been a long day—longer than I expected. I’m weary and have too much on my mind to discuss my sister’s emotions. I’m going upstairs.”
She followed him through the hall to his room. “How can you just ignore what I said?”
“I’m not ignoring you. We can discuss it later. At the moment, I don’t have the energy to think beyond our circumstances.”
They entered his bedroom and he sat in the corner chair, unlacing his boots. She stood inside the doorway, just beyond the threshold. Her hands fisted at her sides.
“Is that how it works around here? A man bullies one of the women and everyone just turns a blind eye?”
His boot clattered to the floor and he unlaced the other. “Not a man, her husband. And as such, he is the head of the household whom Larissa vowed to honor and obey.”
“Oh, please! Don’t make me throw up.”
He stood and slid off his suspenders. He hung his hat on the back of the chair. “Did you discuss this with Larissa? If you had, she would have told you to stay out of it. I know my sister and she knows her place.”
“Her place?”
“Yes, the place she agreed to take by her husband’s side. Do you think she didn’t have a choice to marry Silus? She knew what and whom she fixed to marry. The moment she made her vows she made a promise to him, her community, and God. No one can break that promise for her, Anna. Not me, not you, not even Silus. Only she can choose to change her circumstances, because only she will face the consequences of her choices. She is not as fragile as she seems.”
