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Leslie, ever curious, leaned forward. “How do you find the manor? Have you explored it well?” she asked eagerly.

Agnes hesitated, then admitted, “I haven’t seen all of it yet.”

“Oh, you must let me show you every corner,” Leslie offered enthusiastically. “There are so many special places, even the trees we used to climb with Theodore.”

Agnes’s eyes widened in surprise. “Theodore climbed trees?”

“Oh, yes,” Harriet laughed. “He taught us how to climb. Theodore was quite the adventurer when we were young.”

She glanced at her husband. “There appears to be a lot I am yet to know.”

He tilted his head, his face expressionless, as he sipped his wine. Agnes returned her attention to Harriet and Leslie. Listening to them, she felt a swell of affection and curiosity. It was clear she could learn a lot about her husband from his sisters.

The following morning, Theodore didn’t join them for breakfast as he had estate matters to tend to. Agnes was glad for the girls’ company, which brought a lively energy to the morning.

“The house looks better than we remember,” Harriet observed as she buttered her toast, her eyes scanning the room appreciatively.

“There are more flowers around now,” Leslie agreed, her fingers lightly touching the small arrangement at the center of their breakfast table.

“I am glad to see the manor gaining some life thanks to you, Agnes,” Harriet said, smiling warmly across the table.

“Oh, it is Mrs. Davis who puts in quite the effort,” Agnes confessed, eager to give credit where it was due.

“Mrs. Davis never bothered with flowers before though,” Leslie commented thoughtfully. “She tended to them in the greenhouse, but seldom brought them into the house. She always preserved them for important and special occasions alone because that helped in managing the expenses,” she explained, providing a glimpse into the household’s previous state.

“Expenses?” This revelation from Leslie piqued Agnes’s interest. She didn’t realize that Theodore had shared details of his finances with his sisters, or that they were aware of the estate’s struggles.

“Oh yes,” Leslie nodded gravely. “Things haven’t been easy for our brother. He’s still trying to pay off the debts,” she elaborated, her voice tinged with concern.

“What debts?” Agnes asked, her voice rising slightly in surprise. This was news to her.

“Our father amassed a lot of debt, you see,” Harriet chimed in, her expression turning rueful. “He nearly ran the estate into the ground with his gambling and drinking and?—”

“That is enough!” a stern voice commanded.

They all looked up to see Theodore standing in the doorway, his expression dark. The room fell silent.

Theodore’s eyes swept over the group, his gaze sharp and cold. Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked out.

Agnes hurriedly pushed back her chair, and gathering her skirts, she hurried after him.

CHAPTER 30

Agnes practically skipped to keep up with Theodore. She closed the study door behind them with a soft click, her heart racing. What had she and his sisters done now? He stood by the window, his back to her, engulfed in a silence so profound she could practically hear her own breaths echoing in the room.

“Theodore?” she called out softly, her voice breaking the silence. He did not respond, and she could have sworn she saw the nerve at his temple twitching.

“Why are you angry?” she asked after a lengthy pause. She couldn’t fathom his reaction; such anger over a simple conversation he had overheard seemed disproportionate.

“Why am I angry?” He wheeled around to face her, his eyes flashing bright and green. “Tell me, Agnes, why should I not be angry?” He continued, his voice rising slightly before she could form any response. “You ask my sisters about private family affairs, searching into past events that should be left alone...Why shouldn’t I be angry?” His words tumbled out over each other.

She took a step back, for she had never seen him like this. “Private family affairs?” Agnes echoed, her chest tightening. Was she not part of this family?

“We took vows to beone, Theodore,” she reminded him. “Is that not family? Am I not family?” Her words were pointed, her irritation now matching his despite the pain she was feeling.

Once again, he kept silent, his posture rigid, his gaze fixed somewhere over her shoulder.

“What is so private to a husband, that the wife cannot, and should not know, Theodore?” She pressed on, her tone more insistent as she stepped closer to him.