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And would he, or whoever his captors were, dare to take his Annalise, now that Blake was back? He wouldn’t let that happen. No matter how things stood between him and his wife, he had no intention of letting her out of his sight.
He jerked his head toward the mantelpiece; it was half-past noon.
Damn. They were supposed to spend the morning meal together. How did he expect to keep her safe when he couldn’t even keep his promises? He had been looking forward to sharing a meal with her, feasting his eyes upon her the first thing in the morning, bathing in her light and innocence. Instead, he’d probably alienated her again.
Blake readjusted his banyan, scrubbed his face with his hands, and ventured out of the study. He hurried toward the dining room, and the moment he opened the door, almost collided with Annalise.
She started with a squeak and put a hand to her chest, panting. Her eyes were wide, her mouth slightly open.
“Good morning,” Blake rasped and cleared his throat.
“Good morning.”
“Are you already done with breakfast?”
“Yes, Blake. It’s afternoon,” she said accusingly.
“Apologies. I-I didn’t sleep well and…” He raked a hand through his hair. “Please forgive me.”
She raised her brow, then dropped her gaze to his rumpled appearance.
“I shall make it up to you. I promise,” he said with a smile, but Annalise gave him a look full of doubt.
He couldn’t fault her. In a way, he was proud of his wife, that she didn’t let him off easily. After all, when was the last time he kept his promises?
“Do you want to reschedule our outing in the park?” she asked.
“No,” he said hastily. “Do not reschedule. I’ll have some coffee, change, and we can go. Will you meet me downstairs in an hour?”
Annalise gave him a reluctant nod. “Of course,” she said and walked away.
Well, that wasn’t the enthusiastic response he was hoping for, but that would have to do.
* * *
They rode in silence all the way to the park. Blake seemed distracted and on edge. Something was definitely bothering him. But it’s not like he would tell her what that was. When they were courting, Annalise had an illusion that she could talk to him about anything. She thought once they married, there would never be silence between them.
Oh, how wrong she’d been, how naïve.
Blake cleared his throat as if he heard her thoughts. Or perhaps the deafening silence between them bothered him, too.
“What are your plans for the rest of the day?” he asked.
“Caroline, the Marquess of Roth’s niece, holds a nuncheon every Tuesday.” Annalise paused and then added with an apologetic smile, “Ladies only. I do not want to miss today, because I can imagine I shall spend all afternoons starting tomorrow entertaining callers. I can guarantee we shall have our drawing room full of town gossips after this outing. Everybody must be intrigued by your sudden reappearance.”
Blake grunted and rubbed his jaw. “I hadn’t thought about that. The ride through the park might not turn out as peaceful as I expected.”
“Probably not,” Annalise agreed. “But you are right. It will go a long way to dispel any unsavory gossip that might be going around about you. About us.”
At that moment, they passed through the park’s gates and turned toward the South Carriage Drive. The park was not packed yet, but there were carriages rolling in every minute. Soon there would be no place to swing a cat, much less for a carriage to pass.
Annalise spun her parasol anxiously in her hands and put on a bright smile. Her wayward husband was back home, and she needed to convey the impression of a radiant bride.
“Do you know,” Blake said conversationally as he slowed the barouche, “this is the exact spot where I decided you would be the lady I married.”
Annalise turned her round eyes on him. “Here?”
Blake nodded. “When we met for the first time during your come-out ball, I was intrigued by you. I wanted to see you again, but you know how that went.” He smirked. “I wasn’t exactly respectable, especially not in your father’s eyes.”
