Lydia frowned. “This is more than just a coincidental similarity.”
Anna pretended that she didn’t hear her sister, and simply continued along the path of her own reasoning. “This man you accuse of being a monster is kind and sweet and pure and romantic,” Anna pointed out.
“Then, why is he insisting on keeping this a secret?” Lydia asked her sister. “If his intentions are truly honorable, why doesn’t he profess his love for you publicly, so you can start courting officially?”
“He is shy, like me,” Anna had a response ready for that as well. “He is simply not ready to meet yet. With my family being like this, accusing him of being a villain, can you really blame him?”
Lydia bit her tongue not to say something that might hurt her sister, but at the same time, it was obvious that Anna was absolutely smitten by this man. He had her wrapped around his little finger, and Lydia could not stand it. She was not only furious at what he had managed to achieve, but she was also terrified for her sister’s safety. She knew that this man would not give up so easily, especially now that he had invested so much time and effort into Anna.
“Anna, I… I don’t want to argue with you,” Lydia decided to take another route. Convincing her that this man was anything other than the image she had of him in her mind was futile. Lydia could tell that much. She had to tread carefully and make sure not to make Anna see her as the enemy.
Anna was still frowning, but at least, she was listening. She was also not arguing. That made Lydia hopeful that despite everything, things might turn out all right in the end.
“I just want you to be safe, that is all,” Lydia admitted. She could tell that Anna understood that. So, she continued along that path of sisterly understanding. She approached Anna and took her by the hand. “No one in this world means more to me than you and Selina. I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to either of you.”
“Nothing will happen to us,” Anna smiled, “as long as we are all together.” She squeezed Lydia’s hand back.
“I love you, Anna.” Lydia could not resist wrapping her arms around her sister, and Anna did the same.
“I love you, too,” Anna whispered into Lydia’s ear.
For a few precious moments, things were truly all right. Lydia could sense it. As for what they would do… she would need to speak to Edwin about it. He would help.
CHAPTER22
“She is blaming you?” Edwin echoed Lydia’s conviction, right after she came to see him and told him what just happened with Anna.
“Rightfully so,” Lydia confessed with a heavy sigh.
She was pacing about Edwin’s study as if she had been there a million times before, and she felt at ease with everything around her. She walked over to the window and gazed outside, at the garden. It was Edwin’s favorite sight. In the summer, the garden would be filled with blossoming flowers, and upon opening the window, the summer breeze would enter, bringing with it the soft fragrance of blooms.
However, now was not the moment when either of them would notice blossoming flowers. They were too focused on the problem at hand, and that was how to keep a young lady safe when she did not believe she was in any danger to begin with.
“You cannot possibly blame yourself for this,” Edwin pointed out. He hated seeing Lydia look so down, so defeated.
“Anna thinks I mean her harm, that I mean to keep her unmarried. She can’t fathom the possibility that this man is anything other than what he claims to be,” she said with a heavy conviction.
“I know,” he sighed. “But we mustn’t give up.”
Lydia turned around from the window, facing Edwin once more. “I have no such intention. I am simply… at a loss because I do not know what else to do.” She sounded apprehensive and nervous as she continued pacing about the room resembling a caged tiger who was yearning for freedom. “I fear that she might do something behind my back and put herself in danger.”
“If he writes to her again, although he claims he will not write any more, do you think she would hide it from you?” Edwin asked, anticipating the answer.
“I fear that she would,” Lydia admitted. “That is what I am so afraid of — that he will lure her away from us, away from the safety of her home, and that she will suffer the same fate as Rachel.”
He could see that she regretted what she said. At least, she regretted the way in which she said it because it sounded as if Rachel had no chance of returning home. He knew that she didn’t mean it like that. Stress was getting to them both. She was too tired to choose her words carefully, and sometimes, they all said things they did not mean.
“I’m sorry,” she said, biting her lower lip and walking over to him. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I know,” he smiled reassuringly. “I know you are afraid for Anna. That is understandable.”
She sighed again, blinking heavily. “I honestly do not know what to do.”
He thought about it for a moment then presented her with his offer. “I might have a solution.”
“You might?” she echoed, her eyes widening in surprise. “What is it?”
“My mother and I have been planning on going to our countryside home, two hours outside of London,” he explained. “We do this every year. We invite a small circle of our friends — they are all trustworthy families, I assure you — and we have dinner parties which extends into a stay of several days. The previous two years, we failed to arrange them because… well, because we were hoping to find Rachel, and time simply went by. My mother has insisted that we organize it this year. I suppose it is mostly to take our minds off of Rachel’s disappearance because that is the only thing we have been occupying ourselves with ever since she went missing.”