“Are you nervous, little dove?”Mrs.Thompson asked.“Not to worry, my lady.Mr.Peter Ashmore has always been a most gentle soul.And I can tell he cares greatly for you.”
“Gracias, Señora.I am well.”
“How did the two of you find each other, if you mind me asking?”
“We know each otheren Españafor the first time.He is very good soldier, and very pretty.”Mrs.Thompson laughed.Ana blushed; she would not lie about that.After all, he was her husband now.Thankfully, there were some small slivers of their history that could make it sound like a believable love story.
“He try so much to speak Spanish to me.And very soon after, he says he loves me.I could not believe.I laugh so much.”She had great difficulty expressing such things in English, but apparently the meaning was not lost on Mrs.Thompson, who laughed heartily.
“That does sound like Peter.Always a sweet little pup, he was.”
“He was very good and kind to me and my father.”Ana’s voice broke at that, her heart constricting.How had she endured this day withoutPapá?The pain wrapped thick arms around her, squeezing the breath from her lungs.
“Oh, my dear.You must miss your family, sweetling.”Mrs.Thompson’s gentle hands combed through her hair.
“Sí.Mucho.”
Ana had always imagined her father and her husband would get along delightfully.Now,Papáhad a son-in-law and anietaon the way that he would never get to see.
“I may not speak your Spanish, but I’ll do me best to help you.Whatever you need, you hear?”Mrs.Thompson gave her back a gentle rub as she tucked Ana’s freshly plaited hair over her shoulder.“And as for Mr.Ashmore, trust me that all will be well.He loves you, I’m sure, and he’ll take great and tender care of you.I’ll let him know that you’re ailing, and I’ll send up a tray from the kitchens.Now you come ’ere and rest on your bed.There’s a dear.”
And with that, Ana was left alone, her bed far too soft and far too large, and her room entirely too quiet.It was incredibly unnerving to be waiting in such a state, even knowing, as she did, that her husband would pay her no company tonight.After a long time ruminating over his attempted conversation on the topic earlier, she finally understood what he had been trying to say.As both of them had intended from the start, their marriage would remain an arrangement of protection, not affection.There was to be no expectation of intimacy between them, which filled her with relief.Still, her mind teemed with nearly every emotion imaginable, and her body filled to the brim with tension as she heard occasional footsteps in the hallway.
How could she feel so peaceful, so nervous, and so devastated all within the same day?The gratitude that she felt for Peter had no bounds.He had saved her in every way imaginable.But still, she felt her heart would split open with pain at the thought of beginning a new life with a husband and child in a country so entirely different than her home.And she had no concept of knowing if she would see her mother ever again, although that particular worry was not a new one.
A quiet, vibrating knock sounded on the main door to her rooms, interrupting her thoughts.Ana jumped, instinctively pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs.Her heart was thundering, nearly blocking out the whispered words that floated toward her from the wooden door.
“May I open the door?”
She knitted her fingers into the folds of her gown, trying to breathe down a wave of panic.It was just Peter.He would not harm her.
“Yes,”
“Estás bien, Ana?”
“Si,” she whispered.
Peter eased the door open and practically tiptoed to her side.His cautious demeanor would have been humorous if Ana did not feel so entirely overwhelmed.
“Mrs.Thompson said you were ailing.How fares your stomach?Did you...”He motioned to the water closet.
She shook her head.“No, I feelmejornow I rest here.But I feel very tired.”
A maid ducked through the door behind Peter and placed a tray of food on the desk next to Ana’s bed.She then tutted about the room, fussing with the drapes and arranging the blankets at the foot of the bed.
Would Ana never be afforded a minute of privacy here?She almost laughed at the irony.She had never been one to long for isolation before.She sent a pleading look Peter’s way, who nodded and quietly dismissed the maid.
“How I live here, Peter?I no understand how to liveasíin England.Mi vida en Españais sodiferente.”
When Ana’s emotions were particularly strong, it became more taxing to express herself in English.Some things could be felt better in Spanish, it seemed.
“Are you unhappy with our decision?”Real concern creased Peter’s brow, and he approached, sitting on the edge of her bed.
“No.It is justdifícil.So much change all today.All the people are so very nice to me, and you are so good to me,como siempre.But I feel...”She shook her head, pressing her hands into her temples.
Peter reached and squeezed her hand between his.“I promise you will become accustomed to your way of life here.And I will always be by your side to make it easier in whatever way I can.I promise.We will experience this journey together.You remember, I have never been a husband or a father, so there is quite a great deal I will be learning as well.But I am your servant in whatever you may need.”He strode to the wooden door across the room.“I am just through this door here if you need anything in the night, no matter the hour.And I believe you are already acquainted with the water closet...”
“Claro.”
