A small knock sounded and he straightened. When the door did not open, he assumed it was not Anna, and called for the visitor to enter. Mrs. Willis walked in, her eyes shadowed with concern, which increased when she saw the brandy he had set down on the table.
“You hardly drink in the daytime,” she remarked, and he sighed.
“You did not come here to comment upon my drinking, did you?”
“No, I did not. Her Grace has not eaten today.”
If he were standing, the pain that wrenched his insides just now would have knocked him down. “Does she not like the food?” He knew why Anna had refused to eat, but he thought he could still hide the fact that he was doing this to her from the household.
“Cook prepared her favorite, Your Grace,” Mrs. Willis responded.
He stared at the fire in the hearth. “Can you persuade her?”
“I am afraid you are the only one who can persuade her, Your Grace. She needs you.” The last sentence was almost a whisper.
Slowly, he stood. “I will go to her. Where is she?”
“In your bedchamber, Your Grace.”
He walked past her and out the door. In the great hall, he saw Nathaniel just arriving. He had been expecting him. His friend frowned upon seeing him. “Is something the matter?”
Colin shook his head. “No. Make yourself comfortable anywhere you like. I will join you shortly,” he said before climbing the stairs.
When he walked into their bedchamber, he found Anna sitting on a chaise by the window with Nips on her lap, and she was staring outside. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before closing the door. The sound alerted her to his presence and she turned, her dark eyes large and heart-wrenchingly bleak.
“Mrs. Willis told me that you have not eaten,” he said, going to sit on the other end of the chaise. She had not joined him for breakfast, and it would be dinner time in three hours.
“I am not very hungry,” she replied, not meeting his gaze as she stroked the cat’s ears.
“One must eat even when they are not hungry. Shall I have some food brought up for you?”
She pointed toward the sitting area by the fire with her chin. “There is food there.”
“Forgive me, Nips,” he murmured before scooping the cat from her lap and setting him down on the seat. He wailed in protest but Colin ignored it as he stood, drawing Anna up into his arms. “I shall take it upon myself to feed you.”
“I am not a child, Colin,” she chuckled while he led her toward the food.
“Prove that to me and eat.” Encouraging her to sit down, he uncovered the food and sat beside her. He picked up the cream soup, which was still warm, and raised a spoonful to her lips. She ate it and attempted to take the bowl from him but he pulled it away. “Ah-ah, I will do it.”
“If you insist.”
Silently, he made sure she finished the soup and bread, and he noticed her mood had improved. Perhaps his plan to leave her be was not a good one, but he knew, more than anyone, the harm he was doing. Colin would have to think carefully about how to approach this without worrying her further.
He poured some tea for her and placed the cup in her hands, and kissing her temple, he said, “I must go now. Nathaniel is waiting for me.”
She nodded and gave him a small smile. “Thank you. I know you have a lot to do.”
He shook his head. “Everything else can wait.Youare my main concern.” He kissed her temple again. “I shall see you at dinner, and if you do not come down, I will come up here with the food.”
Now she laughed. “I cannot imagine you carrying a tray.”
“Just you wait,” he returned, gaining his feet. He was reluctant to leave her and almost sent word to Nathaniel to tell him that he could not see him at that time, but he also thought that she would want to be by herself. Deciding to do what he felt was right, he went down to meet his friend.
“How is Anna?” Nathaniel asked as he walked into his study. “I have not seen her in a while.”
“She is well,” he lied.
Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed, and he pointed a finger at Colin’s abandoned brandy. “That tells me that all is not well, either with her, with you, or both.”
