Maybe Anna would benefit from some training under her unflappable sister. Her body was rigid and indomitable as Philip came to stand beside her. She looked at him in awe, studying the lines of his profile while he addressed her sister.
“You must be Lady Kite,” he said, leaving her to wonder when he had bothered to learn her sister’s title. “Lady Bristol, it is my pleasure to receive you.”
“The pleasure is ours,” Rosamund returned, looking proudly between the pair. “I have already expressed my apologies to my daughter for this most impromptu visit. I extend them to you twofold, Your Grace.”
“The fault is mine.” Rebecca stepped forward. “I have been eager to meet you, Your Grace, and it is my greatest regret that I am so strapped for time. My husband awaits me in York, you see. Would that we could acquaint ourselves properly.”
Philip nodded congenially. He looked down at Anna, obviously expecting her to say something—maybe organize an official visit.
Her awkwardness prevailed, and she mumbled a barely audible response.
Philip took the reins, making small talk with her family while she stood there—a hapless girl. His manners were unimpeachable, and to Rebecca and their mother, he must have seemed like the perfect husband, and theirs a perfect marriage.
If only they knew the truth,Anna thought miserably, settling beside Philip on a nearby sofa when he called for them to speak awhile.That he is so hot and cold, it makes me feverish. That we spend a great deal of time apart, and I am better acquainted with his shadow than his face.
“I cannot recall ever seeing Anna so vibrant and full of life,” Rebecca remarked as the tea came in, despite her earlier protests. “I found my own marriage had a similar effect on me. A woman comes into her own once she acquires a husband.”
Philip waited while Rosamund poured Anna’s tea. “Your sister has surprised me in many ways. Her patience and loyalty are greater than any man could dream. It heartens me to hear that our marriage suits her, in your eyes.”
Anna wanted to laugh. He knew all the right things to say while putting none of them into practice. Rage bubbled up inside her, and she couldn’t keep it at bay.
“But of course, a woman must not be completely defined by her marriage,” she interjected, reaching over for her steaming cup of tea. “I reject this idea that she becomes a person only through her husband.”
The scent of bergamot wafted into her face as she brought it up to her mouth, not daring to look in Philip’s direction, although he was looking at her.
“She should not depend on any one person for her happiness. The ficklest people sign contracts all the time. It doesn’t guarantee they will honor their vows.”
Rebecca sputtered into her tea, placing a hand over her mouth while she tried to choke quietly.
“Have you been reading your Wollstonecraft again?” Rosamund asked with a nervous laugh. She looked apologetically at Philip. “My daughter’s friends have always been of a more political persuasion. Sometimes to their own detriment. They brought a great number of modern books into the house.”
“A person’s character may not change upon signing a marriage contract,” Philip said, ignoring his mother-in-law and staring directly at Anna. “But any decent gentleman will honor his vows most seriously.”
Anna couldn’t help herself. “To love and to cherish, you mean?”
Her husband remained silent.
“Do tell us, then,” Rebecca spoke up once she had composed herself, dabbing elegantly at the tea trickling down her chin, “what you intend to do to complement your marriage.”
Anna could feel Philip tense beside her, sinking deeper into the sofa they shared.
Since their first night at Cotoneaster, they had barely shared a space. Anna watched him come and go, reminded every time their paths converged of what he had promised when he had asked her to marry him. They would lead separate lives together. No children, no companionship. He must have known how lonely she would become.
Did he really expect her to spend her whole life never being touched or loved?
She asked the question without asking it.
“I will do whatever I must do to satisfy myself. Create something for myself, take up a new pastime. Perhaps I will make connections of my own and entertain them.” Anna turned to gauge Philip’s reaction. “With my husband’s blessing, of course.”
His eyes darkened when she met them, seeming to say,So much for loyalty and patience.
“Maybe you could try reading a different book,” Rosamund suggested.
Rebecca tittered knowingly. “Les Liasons Dangereuses?”
* * *
“Off again?” Anna called sardonically.
