“I most certainly am,” he smiled, “which is why I thought I might bring some gifts for you all.”
He handed the bag to Anna, and she peered inside. It was heavy, laden with dozens of books. She pulled them out one by one, handing them to her friends. As she did so, she realized that there was a theme.
They were all romances, and all of them suggestive.
Evelina smiled approvingly at him, and Maria thumbed through some of the pages with a grin. Theodora, meanwhile, looked as though she was ready to groan at it. Anna laughed softly, and when she reached the last one, she saw that it was about art history.
He had been listening to her the night before.
“You shall like this one more,” she promised, handing it to Theodora.
“Oh!” she gasped, eyes wide. “Yes, I am looking forward to us all reading this one. Might we begin today?”
“It would be unfair to our guest,” Anna said, gesturing to Spencer. “Though you are most welcome to join us.”
“A gentleman in a club for ladies? The scandal!”
The ladies laughed at his joke, and the air was cleared. Anna had not expected him to win them over so easily, for they had disliked him as much as she did, but it was clear that there wasno malice in him. He had made mistakes, but he was trying, and Anna could not ask much more from him than that.
“I thank you for the invitation,” he continued, “but I do not wish to intrude. We are all entitled to our own affairs, and this is no exception. Enjoy the books.”
“And why, pray tell,” Theodora asked, “did you select these?”
“Well, I know what you all enjoy.”
They all gave Anna an accusatory look, but given how he had just seen them, they could hardly blame her entirely.
“As for the one about art?” Theodora pressed. “It is rather different from the others.”
“My wife enjoys it, and I thought it might offer some respite from the more daring exploits. Should you have an interest, I am more than happy to provide you with something too. It is as I said, I wish to support your club.”
“And how did you select this one? What do you know about art?”
Anna bristled. Theodora was not as welcoming as the others—indeed, she was practically interrogating him! But she was asking questions that Anna herself had been curious about, and so she allowed it to continue. Not only that, but Spencer did not flinch at any of it.
“I studied it,” he explained. “I enjoy art, though I cannot claim to have enjoyed studying its history as my wife does. In any case, I believe this book is entertaining enough that you will all find something enjoyable in it, even if you do not care for the subject matter.”
“And we thank you for that,” Evelina replied, cutting off her sister.
Spencer thanked her in turn for her gratitude and turned to leave.
“If I may, Your Grace,” Maria said suddenly, “why are you so happy for us to have such discussions? We are aware of your position, and that improprieties would not be looked kindly upon.”
“Well, as long as your discussions remain within these walls, I see no harm in it. London might not be as progressive as you, but that does not mean that I am not either. Your club has my support.”
“And for how long will that last?” Theodora asked. “Will you be here to support it?”
Anna glared at her friend. It was not the time for such a serious question, but Spencer seemed unfazed. He chuckled, taking another biscuit before walking away.
“I will remain here long enough,” was all that he said, and then he left.
“Theodora!” Anna hissed. “Why did you say that?”
“He was being kind,” Evelina agreed. “You did not need to make him seem like a villain.”
“Why are you all so willing to accept him? I shall remind you that he abandoned Anna the day after their wedding, and never told her where he was. One kiss does not mend the year of heartache that she has felt.”
Anna wanted to argue that she was perfectly happy, and that there was no need to defend her, but her friend was right to be wary, and perhaps even bitter. There were so many things that had been left unanswered: where he had been, and how long he would remain, and what he had planned for her while he was there.
