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She balked at the idea of such an existence. Could it even be calledlivingif one continued to exist merely for the sake of doing so?

“He thinks that he is doing me a great disservice with our marriage,” she told Alice in a harsh breath. “That our marriage was a mistake and that he would make it right with an annulment.”

“There have only ever been a handful of annulments over the last decades,” her sister-in-law comforted her. “It might not be as easy as the Duke of Ashton makes it seem.”

Evie shook her head. “Even then, he has made it clear that our marriage is over.” She looked up at Alice sadly. “You see, he has only ever wanted to protect me, and with Colin telling him these things and Lady Spalding writing about us…” she trailed off as an intense wave of anger washed over her.

She had never been so furious with another person as much as she was with the gossip writer at that moment.

What right did she think she possessed to make assumptions so freely about her marriage with Daniel and then inform all of London about it with her scandalous writing?

The woman certainly had no shame!

Worse, Evie knew that Lady Spalding would have undoubtedly heard about the events that transpired earlier that day and comemorning, would gleefully splash the tale across her notorious scandal sheet.

The Earl of Sidmouth and his sister truly were a pair of hateful siblings!

“You must pay that scribe no heed,” Alice told her. “She is simply someone whose life is so dreadfully lacking in entertainment that she must seek it in the lives of others.” She gazed soulfully into Evie’s eyes and added, “What you must do is hold your head up high, my dear Evie. Do not proveherright.”

“Yes, yes, you are right,” Evie sighed as she smiled weakly. “But not tonight, I am afraid. Tonight, I would much rather just sleep…”

Alice nodded. “You have had a rather tiring day. Some sleep would be beneficial and clear your mind.”

If I could even manage even a short nap…

But Evie managed a weak smile, and after a few more words of solace, her sister-in-law left her to her thoughts.

As soon as the door closed behind her, Evie simply sank into her bed and pulled the covers up to her chin as she allowed the tears to flow freely once more.

Earlier that morning, after her talk with the Dowager Duchess, she had thought that she had no more tears left to cry.

Now, it seemed as if she would be crying for eternity.

Daniel, where are you? Can you really stay away from me for so long?

She turned in her bed and sobbed quietly.

Come back… come back… come back…

It was a long time before she managed to sleep at all.

CHAPTER 30

“Well, have you talked some sense into her?”

Alice let out a choked scream at the sound of her husband’s voice.

She glared pointedly at him. “Well, you are certainly one to talk,my dear, considering that it was your impulse that has led us to this situation right now.”

Colin—sweet, handsome, fiercely overprotective,magnificently stubborn—frowned at her. “What do you mean by that?”

“I meant,” she replied in exasperation, “that if you had not dragged us all the way back to London just so you can knock your friend’s door down and demand that he return your sister or you will drag her out of his residence, we would not be in this situation today.”

“You make it sound like I did something wrong.”

“Well, your heart was in the right place?—”

“Then, what is the matter?” he demanded. “Why does Evie insist on barricading herself in her rooms and refusing to talk to me?”