“I cannot believe you,” Anna snapped and did not bother with greetings.
Alexander stared at her dumbfounded. “Good evening to you too.”
“No,” she said sharply. “You do not deserve to be greeted warmly. Not tonight.”
Spencer cleared his throat. “Anna?—”
“No,” she said again, cutting him off. “I am furious. Absolutely furious! I knew you were a rake, but I never expected you to be such a…such a…rake!”
“I beg your pardon?” But Alexander knew why she was there. “Is this about Theodora?”
Anna scoffed. “Is this about Theodora? Is this about Theodora he asks!” Spencer shrugged at his wife. “Of course it is about her!”
Alexander’s muscles coil with tension. He immediately sensed that something was wrong.
“What has happened?”
“Because of you…” Anna pointed a finger at him and raised a brow. “I may never see my friend again!”
Alexander’s stomach dropped. “Anna, is Theodora all right?”
“Oh, don’t pretend you don’t know,” Anna retorted. “Don’t you dare pretend.”
“Honey, I do not think he is pretending.” Spencer finally spoke.
Anna squinted at Alexander.
“What is going on?” he repeated.
Her eyes were blazing but she seemed to calm down a bit.
“Theodora is leaving tomorrow.”
“Leaving? Where is she going?”
“To a convent,” Anna said. Each word landed like a blow to his gut. “Her father is sending her away tomorrow.”
The room seemed to tilt, and Alexander was not sure if it was the alcohol or sudden dread that filled his heart. He steadied himself against a mantle.
“No. No, that cannot be.” He shook his head.
Anna crossed her arms. “You truly did not know about this?”
Spencer stepped forward, speaking gentler. “We thought you knew.”
Alexander shook his head, stunned. “I did not. I—Rosalind has been writing and she has not received any letters from her. I thought?—”
“You thought she was ignoring you?” Anna demanded. “Or that she was fine? But she is not fine. She is being exiled because of you.”
Alexander’s pulse hammered in his ears. “Why did she not tell me?”
Anna threw her hands up. “Because you ran away! You left her to deal with the consequences alone!”
Spencer placed a hand on his wife’s arm. “Anna, enough.”
“He left her,” she said, voice trembling. “He needs to hear it. He needs to understand what he has done.”
Alexander pressed a hand to his forehead. “I did not know. I swear I did not know!”
