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Si man with features that could easily have lent the austerity Occasionally his face and eyes were softened with a smile that was not quite as charismatic as Sied to have a friendly exchange with him as she was seated beside him at dinner Unfortunately, it appeared that the twowell The cause did not seem to be dislike so much as a complete inability to relate to one another Their lives, the accumulation of experiences that had formed them and shaped their views, could not have been more opposed

Dinner consisted of thick cuts of well-cooked beefsteak, sided by pudding and the barest spoonful of vegetables Suppressing a wistful sigh as she thought of the cuisine they had enjoyed in France, Annabelle worked diligently on the heavy slab of beef

Before long, Meredith engaged her with a friendly comment "Annabelle, you must tell usthe Continent for the very first time"

"Hoonderful," Annabelle exclaimed "When will you depart?"

"In a week, actually We’ll be gone for at least awith Rome…"

The conversation about travel continued until the meal was concluded, and a cook-maid came to clear the plates while the family retired to the parlor for tea and sweets To the children’s delight, Jere jackstraws and helping to restrain the puppy Annabelle sat nearby, watching their antics while she conversed with Simon’s older sister She couldn’t help but notice that Siuessed had many questions for her oldest son about his precipitate wedding and the state of his e

"Oh, blast," came Jeremy’s exclamation "The puppy’s made a puddle on the hearth"

"Someone please find the hed uproariously at the ill- closest to the door, she ju the next roo away the remnants of dinner After Annabelle inforirl swiftly went to the parlor with a handful of rags Annabelle would have followed her, but she heard the sounds of conversation co from the nearby kitchen, and she paused as she heard Bertha’s low, disapproving voice

"…and does she love you, Si intently to Simon’s reply "People marry for many reasons other than that"

"She doesn’t, then," came Bertha’s flat statement "I can’t say as I’m surprised Women like that never--"

"Have a care," Si of my wife"

"She makes a pretty ornaher-ups But would she have married you without your money? Would she stay by you in tilance to one of the girls I tried to ood, sturdy girls ould be true help her expression, she slipped back into the noise and light of the parlor Well, that’s what co if Bertha’s opinion of her could sink e that there was no overwhel reason for Simon’s family, or his mother, to like her In fact, Annabelle realized that in all her pondering over the benefits ofSiive him in return

Troubled, she wondered if she should say anything to Siainst it Broaching the subject would only force hiize for his mother, neither of which was necessary She knew that it would take time for her to prove her worth to Simon, and his fa, when Annabelle and Sie, Siarded her with a slight sreeable toher forward, he pressed histo overlook the fact that they’re so different from you"

Annabelle flushed with pleasure at his praise, suddenly feeling rinned

"You don’t have to go that far"

"Oh, perhaps there was aanimal entrails…or when your sister talked about what the baby did in his bath-water…but on the whole, they were very, very…"

"Noisy?" Sihter

"I was going to say ‘nice’ "

Si the tense places beneath her shoulder blades "You’re taking to this wife-of-a-cos considered"

"It’s not so bad, really," Annabellethe front of his body, and gave hilance "I can overlook quite a lot, in return for this…impressive…well-endowed…"

"Bank account?"

Annabelle sers into the waist of his trousers "Not the bank account," she whispered, just before hisday, Annabelle was thrilled to be reunited with Lillian and Daisy, whose suite was in the sa as they embraced, the three of them made far too much noise, until Mrs Bowman sent a maid to tell them to be quiet

"I want to see Evie," Annabelle co ar rooot into dreadful trouble a fortnight ago for trying to see her father," Daisy replied with a sigh "His condition has worsened, and he’s bedridden now But Evie was caught sneaking out of the house, and now she’s being kept in seclusion by Aunt Florence and the rest of the faing reply

"Oh, those odious people," Annabelle o and rescue Evie"

"Wouldn’t that be fun?" Daisy mused, instantly taken with the idea "We should kidnap her We’ll bring a ladder and set it beneath her , and--"

"Aunt Florence would set the dogs on us," Lillian said darkly "They have two huge ht"

"We’ll toss theed --"

"Oh, plague take your harebrained plans," Lillian exclaimed "I want to hear about Annabelle’s honeyarded Annabelle with unmaidenly interest "Well?" Lillian asked "What was it like? Was it as painful as they say?"