She didn’t look up or even flinch at his entrance, she simply gazed into the fire as if something had possessed her mind.
“My dear, I have returned from London.” No response. He stepped forward and wondered if maybe she was ill. “I thought you might have met me upon my return and welcomed me home…or perhaps the boys?”
“Did you.” Anna answered bluntly and didn’t look up. She had been wondering the past two days what she would say to her husband on his return and the scenario had played out differently each time in her mind. In the present she only felt rage toward the Baron that he would wander in so unaffected and enquire as to why he did not receive a warm welcome. Sharp sarcastic answers ran through her mind but she decided not to respond any further as she wanted to be calm and collected when they discussed their separation.
“Where are the boys? They are not in their classroom.”
“Mr. Field has taken them off for an outdoor science lesson, I wished for us to be alone while we discuss our future.” The Baron came further into the room and as he drew nearer Anna finally turned her head and looked at him. She could see that he was clearly confused by her sending away the boys and her nonchalant behavior but that did not stop her from continuing with her purpose.
“Our future? And what may I ask is it that you would like to discuss?” The Baron sat on the chair opposite her, perched just on the edge.
“I think it best that you take up a permanent abode in London and I will remain here with the boys, if you wish.”
“If I wish? What do you mean by this? Why would I go and live in London?”
Anna put her hand down the side of the chair and pulled out the love letters from the Barons desk. “You appear to be incapable of living without your mistress, in which case you may go to her and stay there.” She tossed the letters on the floor and they landed exactly between their two chairs. “I will not live with you and be the dutiful wife caring for your boys if you keep a mistress at the same time.”
The Baron’s face was white. He slowly bent down and picked up the letters which infuriated Anna further. “You disgust me. The audacity of you to swoon over me like a doe-eyed youth and then cavort in town with your harlot.”
The Baron stepped toward Anna and she tried her best to remain strong and defiant, but as he moved near she feared how he might react to her outburst. Then unexpectedly he knelt down and took her hands, “These letters are not what you think them.” He kissed her hand and looked up from his lowered position. “These are indeed love letters but they are from my deceased wife.”
Anna had not prepared herself for such an eccentric denial but she would not so easily believe his words. “They are signed ‘K’. No name, just the initial. If they were from your first wife why would she not sign it so?”
“I never explained anything to you about my first marriage and I see now that it was wrong of me not to. You have been hurt and laboring under a false impression. When I first met Katherine she was still very young and her parents thought her too young to marry. They believed that my feelings for her would fade and within the end of the season I would have found another but I was so taken with her that my feeling did not fade. Neither did Katherine’s and for the following year we wrote letters to each other confirming our love. Eventually her parents conceded to our bond and agreed that we could marry, which we did and had the few most precious years together.” The Baron paused and looked down at the letters still wrapped in the red ribbon.
Anna realized that she had never known the first Baronesses name as everything mentioned of her had been hushed words of gossip. She quickly felt ashamed of herself for listening to the idle words she had heard. Anna could see that the emotions of the past were holding the
“My dear, I have returned from London.” No response. He stepped forward and wondered if maybe she was ill. “I thought you might have met me upon my return and welcomed me home…or perhaps the boys?”
“Did you.” Anna answered bluntly and didn’t look up. She had been wondering the past two days what she would say to her husband on his return and the scenario had played out differently each time in her mind. In the present she only felt rage toward the Baron that he would wander in so unaffected and enquire as to why he did not receive a warm welcome. Sharp sarcastic answers ran through her mind but she decided not to respond any further as she wanted to be calm and collected when they discussed their separation.
“Where are the boys? They are not in their classroom.”
“Mr. Field has taken them off for an outdoor science lesson, I wished for us to be alone while we discuss our future.” The Baron came further into the room and as he drew nearer Anna finally turned her head and looked at him. She could see that he was clearly confused by her sending away the boys and her nonchalant behavior but that did not stop her from continuing with her purpose.
“Our future? And what may I ask is it that you would like to discuss?” The Baron sat on the chair opposite her, perched just on the edge.
“I think it best that you take up a permanent abode in London and I will remain here with the boys, if you wish.”
“If I wish? What do you mean by this? Why would I go and live in London?”
Anna put her hand down the side of the chair and pulled out the love letters from the Barons desk. “You appear to be incapable of living without your mistress, in which case you may go to her and stay there.” She tossed the letters on the floor and they landed exactly between their two chairs. “I will not live with you and be the dutiful wife caring for your boys if you keep a mistress at the same time.”
The Baron’s face was white. He slowly bent down and picked up the letters which infuriated Anna further. “You disgust me. The audacity of you to swoon over me like a doe-eyed youth and then cavort in town with your harlot.”
The Baron stepped toward Anna and she tried her best to remain strong and defiant, but as he moved near she feared how he might react to her outburst. Then unexpectedly he knelt down and took her hands, “These letters are not what you think them.” He kissed her hand and looked up from his lowered position. “These are indeed love letters but they are from my deceased wife.”
Anna had not prepared herself for such an eccentric denial but she would not so easily believe his words. “They are signed ‘K’. No name, just the initial. If they were from your first wife why would she not sign it so?”
“I never explained anything to you about my first marriage and I see now that it was wrong of me not to. You have been hurt and laboring under a false impression. When I first met Katherine she was still very young and her parents thought her too young to marry. They believed that my feelings for her would fade and within the end of the season I would have found another but I was so taken with her that my feeling did not fade. Neither did Katherine’s and for the following year we wrote letters to each other confirming our love. Eventually her parents conceded to our bond and agreed that we could marry, which we did and had the few most precious years together.” The Baron paused and looked down at the letters still wrapped in the red ribbon.
Anna realized that she had never known the first Baronesses name as everything mentioned of her had been hushed words of gossip. She quickly felt ashamed of herself for listening to the idle words she had heard. Anna could see that the emotions of the past were holding the
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