If he does, he will find other ways of expressing it, with other women.
The thought made her feel sick. What little she had managed to eat from the breakfast buffet sat awkwardly in her stomach. A laugh erupted from nearby. Her father was making jokes with one of her uncles.
It was all too much for Anna.
“Your husband is off,” Margaret said, pointing at Philip’s retreating form. He slipped under the archway leading to the rest of the house. “Maybe he is taking a break before the dancing?—”
“I need some air,” Anna blurted, almost choking on her words. She downed her champagne and passed the glass to Margaret. “I’ll see you in a while.”
She hadn’t meant to look like she was following Philip outside. She really had just gone out for air, worried she would ruin their wedding breakfast by vomiting all over the dance floor.
Feeling too hot, she ripped off her gloves and pressed her cool palms to her arms. A trio of footmen walked past with refreshments for the guests, and she kept her head down, not wanting to be noticed.
Stepping out of the front door, she clicked it shut behind her. The sun blinded her, soaring high in the sky. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the light, but the air refreshed her. She picked up her skirts and sat down on the front steps before her emotions got the better of her.
A deep, restorative breath later, she looked up at the sound of something crossing the gravel drive.
It was Philip, rushing out of sight toward the side of the house.
And he wasn’t alone.
CHAPTER18
“Let go of me,” Alicia protested, trying to shake off Philip’s grip on her arm. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Philip clenched his jaw and walked faster, dragging her toward the stables in the distance. Thick formations of trees lined the path to their destination, shielding them from view.
A handful of guests had slipped out of the ballroom earlier to roam the gardens, and Philip had meant to clear his mind there. Anna’s behavior—brooding in a far corner of the room, shooting daggers his way when she thought he wasn’t looking—had eaten away at him all morning.
After the ceremony, his new wife had insisted they all walk back to the manor for entertainment. It had been an obvious lie. She couldn’t stand the thought of being alone in a carriage with him and wanted to delay the inevitable for as long as possible.
It shouldn’t have affected Philip, but it did.
When he had exited the house to get away from her, Alicia had come marching down the drive toward him. She had called his name, shouting that she had something important to tell him. If she really wanted to talk, they would do it in private.
He dragged her to a stop halfway between the stables and the house. It was cooler under the shade of the trees, and the smell of horses drifted in the air toward him.
Alicia turned to him with a smirk. “I take it Anna is already driving you up the wall,” she said, tilting her head teasingly. “And now you’re taking your anger out on me.”
“Your cousin has comported herself as a perfect lady all morning,” Philip retorted, not quite convincing himself. “The same cannot be said for you. Have you come to cause trouble? I was told that you would not be here today. The earl forbade you from attending the wedding.”
“And what a slight that was. Every Walford relative in a hundred-mile radius is here except for me. It is my right to be among them today.” She crossed her arms. “I would have arrived in time for the ceremony if the coach from London hadn’t been delayed by hours. I was dropped off in the village and had to walk all the way here.”
“And what had been your plan? To interrupt the wedding and prevent our marriage?” Her silence was the only answer he needed. “You disgrace yourself.”
“What an awful thing to say to your cousin. Or have you forgotten that we’re family now?”
“By law and nothing else. Why you expect me to honor that connection is a mystery. If what Anna told me is true—you think very little of me, indeed. Coming here to disrupt the wedding is but the culmination of your ill intentions.”
“Ah.” Alicia laughed. “So, she told you what I said.”
“She told me enough to know that you would not be welcome here even if Magnus did not abominate you.” Philip refused to give her the satisfaction of meeting her eyes. “Anna, on the other hand, reveres you. And you have rewarded her loyalty and worship by causing her nothing but pain. To what end?”
“I love Anna,” Alicia argued, pressing a hand to her chest. “And I will always advocate for what is best for her. Do not expect me to apologize for trying to come between you and her.”
“A bleeding heart brought you here?” he scoffed. “Don’t make me laugh. I think the truth is much simpler: you cannot stand the thought of losing to your cousin, who by your estimation has never been your equal. On that account, you are right. Anna is a far better woman than you could ever strive to be… She is… She is…”
Graham’s ring sat in his vest pocket, and it pressed against his chest, reminding him of his friend’s trust in him.
