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“I mean what I say, Stephen,” Anna said, her voice a little less angry now. “True friends are hard to find. When… when Beatrice was going through a hard time, when she was about to marry the Marquess, I was not there for her. I’ll never forgive myself for that.”

Stephen shifted from foot to foot, beginning to feel a little uncomfortable.

“Anna, I reassure you that Beatrice does not blame you. She loves you. You are her friend.”

Anna sniffed. “I knowthat. She’s the best woman in the world. But the fact is that Ididleave her to face her troubles alone, and I must blame myself for that. I can’t let her have a miserable marriage. So, you might be my husband’s dearest friend, but let me tell you this—if you hurt Beatrice or make her unhappy, I shall makeyouunhappy. And believe me,Duke Blackheart, I am not an enemy you wish to have.”

Stephen bit his lip in the silence that followed. He sensed that Anna was half-joking… but only half.

“I would never want to hurt Beatrice,” he said, at last. “Believe me, Anna. Even if I were some sort of cruel husband, I think we both know that Beatrice can hold her own.”

He expected some sort of witty comment or perhaps laughter from Anna, but she only shook her head.

“Beatrice gives the impression of strength, but she is more vulnerable than she lets people know, Stephen. Ever since she lost her sister, Beatrice believes that she must be a beacon of strength for her family. That she must never complain, never give in, never ask for help or support or anything that an ordinary person needs. She feels that she must always bemore. And I’m sure that you can imagine how exhausting that can be.”

Stephen felt a little taken aback by this speech. Mrs. Haunt had melted away, taking Kitty with her, and Theodore had gone silent, staring down at the floor.

The atmosphere had suddenly turned heavy and serious, and Stephen felt a lump forming in his throat.

“I know how she feels about the loss of her sister,” he found himself saying. “She’s spoken about it. I can only imagine how hard that was for her. Anna, I understand that you are concerned about your friend, but believe me when I say that I care for her. Truly, I do. I would never hurt Beatrice.”

Anna stared up at him, her expression unreadable. “I’m not sure you understand, Stephen. I don’t believe for a moment that you would hurt her. Not deliberately, at least.”

He frowned. “Then… then what are you?—”

He was interrupted by the baby, who chose that moment to wake up and use his tiny lungs, making them all jump with his chesty squalls.

With a sigh, Anna stepped forward, scooping the baby up and out of his crib with practiced hands.

“Are you staying for supper, then, Stephen?”

He blinked. “Just a moment ago, you were saying you would kill me if I hurt your friend, and now you are inviting me to eat with you?”

She grinned wolfishly. “Well, if I were going to kill you, I would probably have to poison you.”

Theodore let out a hoot of laughter.

Stephen rolled his eyes. “In that case, I think I will politely decline your invitation.”

“As you like.” Anna gave him a smile while gently bouncing the baby up and down.

“Before I go, Anna, let me assure you of one thing. I only wish to give Beatrice the life of her dreams.”

Stephen was rather proud of that sentence. It showed, he thought, his desire to make Beatrice happy, and how far he was willing to go to make her happy.

Anna, however, did not smile. She only stared at him, her expression thoughtful and a little sad.

“That is very noble. The problem with that, Stephen, is that dreams can change. And they can change rather quickly.”

With that, Anna and Theodore left the nursery, trying to soothe the wailing baby.

Stephen stayed where he was for a moment, staring down at the empty crib.

Dreams change. And they can change rather quickly.

He closed his eyes. At some point, he knew exactly what hisdreamwas, and it was to live the exact life that he was living. He imagined that Beatrice’s dream was to be free, to study, to be happy.

And what about now? What is my dream now?