CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
"His Grace has gone down for breakfast, Your Grace."
Alice smiled brightly as she looked over her image in the mirror. She had taken extra care with her morning ablutions and hoped Victor would appreciate her efforts.
She smiled when she recalled how he had looked the night before as he tried to cover up his jealousy. Her husband was not a man who would admit his feelings so easily, and she knew all she needed was to be patient with him. With time, perhaps they could have more than a cordial relationship.
She walked quickly to the dining room to join him, even though she was yet to be accustomed to eating breakfast. She stopped shy of the door to tamp down her excitement.
"Good morning," she greeted as she entered and allowed herself to be helped into a chair.
She tried not to let her disappointment show when he barely looked at her. Now that she had arrived, he seemed to almost rush his meal, and she wondered if perhaps he had erected the wall between them again. Her ire was kindled, but she didn’t want to give up so easily, so she pressed the feeling down.
"I was thinking we could-"
"I’m leaving this morning," he announced, interrupting her.
She set down the piece of bread she’d been buttering as well as her cutlery before looking up at him.
"I beg your pardon?" she asked, unsure if she’d truly heard him.
He rose from his seat, setting his napkin down.
"I am leaving this morning," he repeated, meeting her eyes with expressionless ones.
"Why?" she asked incredulously, rising from her seat. "I thought… did I do something to offend you last night? I already told you I have no feelings for Edward."
"It’s nothing you did, Alice," he explained. "I see no need to stay as we’ve sufficiently put an end to the rumors circulating about us."
She scoffed, disbelieving that that was his excuse.
"Was that really your only reason for staying as long as you have? For defending me to my parents? For… everything?"
He winced and turned away from her.
"Please don’t make this harder than it has to be, Alice," he begged. "You are a practical woman, and you already know there wasn’t much to be expected from our match."
"I thought you had come to change your mind. If not concerning our relationship, then at least towards leaving."
"I truly am sorry to be leaving so suddenly, but it’s for the best."
"For whom?"
"Alice," he said, exasperated.
"You said you would at least stay till the end of the season," she bargained, refusing to believe he was really going to leave her alone again. "That’s not for weeks."
Tears were already pooling in her eyes, and it took everything in her to blink them back. He noticed her discomfort and looked stricken but was in no hurry to end his current plan of action. In fact, he looked even more resolved to leave.
"There’s no need to attend any more events. At least not for me. They already think we’re a couple madly in love."
She scoffed and wiped at her eyes.
How could she have been so stupid to think he would have torn down the walls he hid behind so easily for her when he was perfectly content?
"I don’t know why I find that so hard to believe," she stated. "You’re only running away because you’ve shown me a side of yourself you hadn’t planned to, aren’t you?"
"There’s no such reason," he stated tonelessly, and she could tell by the stubborn set of his shoulders that their conversation was now over. "I have asked Roberts to write to me if you need anything. Goodbye, Alice."
