Page 12 of The Captain's Midwinter Bride
Annalise turned to look at him, her luminous brown eyes large and unblinking. “Beth is very lucky to have a father like you.”
* * *
Returning her attention to where Mr. Newell hung close over Beth’s shoulder, Annalise worked to control her emotions. When was the last time she’d seen such resolute loyalty? Probably before her father had fallen ill all those years ago.
Phillip’s calm, firm resolve to see to Beth’s happiness brought unbidden tears to her eyes. She had been right to trust him.
“Well,Ifeel lucky to call Beth my daughter. She is an intelligent, fierce, loyal girl, and I want her to marry someone deserving of her.”
“Andhemay not be.” Annalise extracted a handkerchief from her reticule and discreetly patted under her eyes. “She’s always been so confident. So sure of herself. I sincerely hope she has faith in her own decision.”
“Has she had any other proposals? Have any other men shown an interest in our girl?”
“Several.” Annalise smiled fondly, her gaze glued to Beth as she sang and coaxed delightful sounds from the pianoforte. “She was quite popular amongst her class of debutantes.”
“I seem to recall you being a popular debutante as well.”
She chuckled. “I remember it quite differently. In fact, I believe I earned a reputation as being a bit odd.”
“Odd?” He jerked his chin back. “Why?”
“I had an unfortunate habit of discussinginappropriatethings.”
His blue eyes widened, but he appeared more intrigued than shocked. “Pray tell, what sort of things, Wife?”
Annalise studied the linked hands in her lap. “Did you know I had always wanted to work with animals in some way? My father was dead set against suchnonsense, as he called it. As his only child, he wanted me to make a grand match, to a cash-strapped peer perhaps, or the son of a wealthy businessman. So he tried to fill my days with deportment lessons and secured me a dance master and equestrian instructor. I did my best to acquiesce to his will, but…”
“But…that did not last long.” It wasn’t a question.
“The heart wants what the heart wants.” She lifted a shoulder in an attempt at blasé, even as her chest ached at the memories of her father’s exasperated, loving expression. “And my father’s heart wanted my happiness above all else, so he eventually capitulated. He managed to secure me a position with a veterinarian…mostly cleaning pens and cages, and assisting during births. I loved it, and I spoke of the animals I tended to whoever would listen. But I was forced to withdraw from it after he fell ill.”
“I didn’t know.” His eyes glazed over. “I seem to remember you had a rabbit, didn’t you?”
“I did!” Emotions burned the back of her eyes. “Mr. Tobin. I had him for ten years. He died not long after my father did. I would have a rabbit now, or a cat or dog, if they didn’t aggravate Oliver’s health.”
“I would have liked having a dog.” Phillip took a sip of claret, and she longed to snatch it from his hand and gulp it herself. Their conversation had brought forth memories and emotions she had suppressed for so long. “You dealt with so much change in such a short period of time.”
Annalise nodded, as if his words didn’t make her insides clench in their effort to contain her emotions. “It was hard. I didn’t feel…rightagain for a very long time.”
“I’m sure not,” Phillip whispered.
“That’s why, despite everything, I was grateful for your father. I felt as if I were underwater after my father’s death, and even the simplest questions or requests left me overwhelmed. But I trusted your father knew what needed to be done and did it, so I didn’t have to worry. And then…” She paused, rocks and debris suddenly filling her throat. “Well, we now know what happened.”
“You married me, and my father disgraced me and our family,” Phillip said with a sigh and a note of melancholy in his voice.
“And yet marrying you was the best decision I could have made at that moment.” Annalise hesitated and then straightened her spine. “I know your career made it difficult for us to have a normal marriage, but now that you’ve retired, I would very much like to be your friend. I…” She sucked in a breath. “I’ve been lonely.”
Annalise wished to crumble into dust, desperate for a strong wind to sweep her away on the breeze. Why she thought to confess such a truth to Phillip, she did not know. She was supposed to be his wife of convenience. Surely he did not want to be her friend.
Yet…maybe he had also battled loneliness whilst on the deck of his ship. He had been surrounded by some seventy other souls, if not more. But did any of those people really know him? Did they know Phillip Dalton the man and not Captain Dalton the honorable navy officer? Annalise suspected her husband understood a great deal about being lonely. But perhaps he had never considered that his wife, surrounded by their children and friends, would experience such a feeling too.
His gaze softened. “I would like to be friends too.”
Annalise beamed a smile at him, relief making her feel weightless, until a shadow came to stand next to them.
“Captain Dalton. Mrs. Dalton. How wonderful you could join us this evening.”
She instantly felt nauseated.
