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“He did,” he finally replied.

She looked away. “Excellent. I should like to hear what he had to say so we may move forward with the annulment.”

His heart pinched. Before he could say anything in response, she was off, standing at Mother’s side and greeting one of their neighbors.

Charles stared after her, eying her graceful movements and that smile that didn’t reach her eyes. He couldn’t believe she truly wished for the annulment. He wouldn’t believe it.

The guests arrived in full-force, then, and Charles did his duty by greeting each one, introducing those who had not yet met Marie. This time, he accepted words of congratulations with sincerity, though Marie’s distanced behavior continued.

When all were in attendance and the first song announced, he made to ask her to dance, but she was already occupied for the first set. Desperate to not recreate their first ball together, Charles pulled his mother to dance in the same set as Marie so when the song ended, he had a direct line to his wife.

With a smile and an offered hand, he reached her. “May I have the next dance?”

She hesitated. “Is that wise?”

He supposed it was customary for married couples to ensure single individuals had partners, but when had he ever been one to do as Society suggested?

“I believe we will be forgiven just this once,” he said.

Marie averted her gaze, though she took his offered hand all the same as he led them toward the floor.

Facing her, he tried to catch her eye. “Have you had a nice evening thus far?”

“Very pleasant.”

Worry stirred within him. This distance she was creating between them, this strained conversation returning, was far too reminiscent of how they’d begun their marriage. This was what he’d feared—Marie reverting to who she had been, a woman who could not be herself.

But he was a different man now, and he would not go down without a fight.

The music began, and Charles reached for her hands. She missed a beat, scrambling to catch up, but he adeptly helped her correct her mistake.

More steps were taken as they circled around each other, and all the while, Marie kept her eyes anywhere but on Charles. He soon discovered why, however, as he caught her swiftly swiping at a tear that glimmered down her cheek.

His heart slipped. She was crying. This was not how he’d wanted their first dance to turn out. This was not how he’d wanted any of it to turn out.

“Marie,” he whispered as they waited for the top couple to dance down the line. “Please, speak with me. What is the matter?”

She cleared her throat. “I...” She shook her head, then backed away from the set altogether. “I’m sorry. I cannot do this.”

With a final shake of her head, she turned on her slippers and fled.

Startled glances from those around the set shifted between her and Charles, but he hardly noticed.

“Marie,” he called out, walking directly through the set as he charged forth in her direction.

But she was too quick, slipping around the crowds until she vanished from his sight.

He paused near the refreshment table, looking left and right as panic flapped in his chest. He had no notion as to why she cried, but he knew he had put this off for too long. He couldn’t let the night go by—another minute go by—without telling her the truth.

“Charles?”

He whirled around, Mother coming up to him with a worried brow and Mr. Oakley right on her heel, his expression far less forgiving.

“What in heaven’s name is going on?” Mother continued. “We just saw Marie⁠—”

“You saw her?” Charles interrupted. “Where did she go?”

Mr. Oakley scowled. “What have you done to upset her? She was crying, and my daughter never cries.”