Page 73 of A Spinster to Heal the Duke
At first, Anne didn't know what she had meant. Then, she cried harder thinking of Diana making it plain for her.
"Noah must return home. I am not the only one who has been worried about him," she had said.
"I'm sure there are many people who miss him," Anne had replied, thinking of close friends and his staff.
Then Diana said, "Sure, but most importantly he has a fiancée in London who misses him, and she has not had one word from him since he has been hererecoveringwith you."
Anne's head had begun to spin, and even now as she lay in bed, she felt it had never stopped. She cried harder, realizing she was still in her dress, a dress she couldn't wait for him to see her in was now the garb she wore when her heart was truly broken as she confronted him with the truth.
It took some effort, but she changed into her night dress, took her hair down, and returned to bed once more. When she thought she was out of tears, more would come. Then, suddenly it was morning. She wasn't sure when she fell asleep, but she slept deeply.
"The sun is well up," she said, realizing how bright her room was.
The table clock was just past nine in the morning. She sat on the edge of her bed and listened. The house was all but silent.
By the time she dressed, fixed her hair, and made her way down the stairs it was close to ten. The rooms Diana and Noah had each been in were open, and Anne didn't see any of the trappings Diana had brought with her.
"They left early this morning," said Charles.
"Oh," Anne replied.
She felt disappointed not to see Noah one last time but also relieved because she didn't know if her resolve to encourage him to keep his commitment could hold.
"He and I talked last night," Charles said.
"So, you know?" Anne asked.
"I do. And so does Grandfather," said Charles. "We like him, but we love you. We agree he should have been truthful, and even he realizes it."
Anne didn't have any response. What anyone should have done didn't make a difference. He was still engaged. He was still gone. She was still hurt.
"Have you had anything to eat?" she asked though she didn't really feel much like cooking.
"Peggy prepared breakfast. I went ahead and ate since I didn't know when to expect you or Grandfather to be down," Charles replied.
"Is Grandfather ill?" Anne asked.
"No, but he got a ride home from Lawrence, Esther, and Judith, and they were the last to leave the banquet. He didn't get home until just before Grandon left," Charles explained.
"Oh," said Anne. "Well, hopefully the evening was good for someone. If you have eaten and he is still in bed, I am going to go back to my room and rest."
"Should I send Peggy with a bit of food?" Charles asked.
"No, I'll come back down to eat," said Anne.
But she did not come back down that day. She hardly came down for several days. Charles and Jeremy grew worried because she rarely left her room, ate, or spent time with them at all. When she came down, she cried and stared at Noah's empty chair at the dining table or his seat on the sofa or the ottoman. If she walked the grounds for fresh air, she would return to the house crying more still.
Nearly a month passed this way until another letter came from Sarah Turner, Viscountess of Weston, their aunt. She expressed irritation about not receiving a proper letter in return to her first but still expected someone to join them in setting up the townhouse for the season. Charles spoke to his grandfather, and they approached Anne together after sending Peggy to fetch her for dinner one evening.
"We think you need a change of scenery," Charles suggested.
"What? Where are we going?" asked Anne sleepily.
"Not we, you," said Jeremy. "You are going to help your Aunt Sarah decorate her home. I need Charles here to continue his duties."
"I have things to do here as well," argued Anne, beginning to plead her case to stay, but she couldn't think of anything to continue it with.
"You do, but lately you are too upset to do them," said Charles firmly but gently. "The flowers are wilted in every vase, Peggy is doing all the cooking, and she inventoried the pantry for me as well. That's only a few examples."
