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Chapter 7
Annalise sat in the drawing room, staring out the window, pretending to embroider. She hadn’t slept well the past few nights. She lay awake half the night, listening to her husband prowl in his room back and forth from wall to wall. It sounded as if he was agitated or anxious.
Annalise always tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep for a long while before she heard the door shut in his room and his footsteps receding and stalking away from their family wing.
Where did he go in the middle of the night? She didn’t hear the horses’ hooves or a carriage being sprigged, so he either left on foot or he didn’t leave the house at all. Did he have trouble sleeping, or was there something else bothering him? Ever since she’d handed him the signet ring, his mood had changed.
They had meals together, but there was no teasing, and he was unusually quiet. This morning he’d said he had a few business affairs to take care of today, and in a way, Annalise was glad he did. It gave her time to resolve her own feelings.
Annalise took a deep breath and concentrated on her embroidery.
A knock sounded at the door, and she looked up to see her butler standing in the doorway.
“Lady Lavinia is here to see you,” he said and inclined his head.
“Oh, good. Please, let her in and tell the housekeeper to bring us some tea and pastries.”
Annalise lit up from the inside with joy. She’d sent Lavinia a missive after the nuncheon at Caroline’s and asked her to call on her as soon as she could. The fact that she came so soon made her expel a breath of relief. Perhaps her friend was doing well.
“Annalise!” Lavinia exclaimed the moment she walked in.
She was as bright as sunshine and as comforting as a mother’s embrace. Well, at least as comforting as a mother’s embrace should’ve been, Annalise thought wryly as she stepped into her friend’s arms and hugged her tight.
“Oh, I’ve missed you!” Annalise said and gave Lavinia one more squeeze.
“You did? But you saw me only a few days ago.” Lavinia laughed, and they both settled on the settee.
“I missed you at Caroline’s nuncheon,” Annalise said pointedly.
Lavinia grimaced. “Father was home and not in the best of moods; I just didn’t want to get in his way.”
“Clever,” Annalise said and patted her friend’s hand.
“Enough about me. How is everything? Is Blake feeling better?”
Annalise nodded. “He is. In fact, he was up and about that same evening.”
“Hmm.” Lavinia frowned. “How are things between you?”
Lavinia was the only person who knew the real situation behind Annalise’s relationship with her husband. Since they grew up together on neighboring estates, they were practically like sisters. Annalise had never held anything back from her, and likewise, Lavinia shared everything with Annalise.
Lavinia scooted closer to her, and Annalise looked down, feeling hesitant. “Well, it’s been odd,” she said before looking up. “He… The first night home, he asked if we could have a proper marriage, the one we should have had from the start. A loving, trusting relationship. Basically, to start from the beginning.”
“He did? What did you say?” Lavinia turned more fully toward her friend, giving her full attention, and Annalise relaxed, happy to unburden herself.
“What could I have said? I said I didn’t think it possible.” She huffed a breath. “Then he asked me to give him just one more chance. Another two months to try to win me back and dispel all the society gossip at the same time. If by that time, I still maintained that our marriage had failed, I’d be free to go to Sussex and settle down there by myself. Just like I had planned before, only with an allowance from him.”
“He said that? He’d let you go if you so wished?”
Annalise nodded. “All I have to do is give him two months to make things right.” She shrugged and looked away.
“And will you?”
“I don’t know. I said I’d give him a chance, but I am not certain I want to. Every time he is near, my entire body tingles. My senses are heightened around him. I see clearer; the world is brighter, I feel lighter, I… I think I’m still in love with him.”
Lavinia bit her lip. “You can’t force your heart to feel differently, dear.”
“My heart is an idiot.” Annalise gave a huff and stood. She started pacing in front of her friend. “How many times does he have to let me down for my heart to finally realize that he’s not safe?”
