Elizabeth shut the door and hurried to the bed. “I thought you’d be pleased. We’ll be sisters,” she said, hating herself for the cold comfort of the lie, since she had no intention of ever marrying David. “You wanted me to stay forever, and now I can.”
“I wanted you to stay with me! You said you didn’t want to get married, either. You said we’d get a house together. You said you loved me!”
“I do love you. You’re my very dearest friend.”
Elizabeth sat down beside her on the bed, and Anna pushed herself up, her eyes blazing.
“Then you don’t need him. We don’t need him. Don’t you see, Elizabeth? This is our chance to be independent women. We can be so happy together, just the two of us! Oh, Elizabeth, I love you so much!”
Anna took Elizabeth’s face in both hands and kissed her, right on the mouth. The kiss was far more passionate than David’s had been, and a much bigger surprise. When Anna pulled away, they stared at each other in shock for a long moment.
“I don’t know why I did that,” Anna said faintly.
Elizabeth did, though, and now she understood just how deeply her betrayal would cut. “Oh, Anna, I had no idea.”
“No idea about what?”
“That you loved me.”
Anna scowled impatiently. “But I told you.”
“Yes, you did, but I thought you meant like a friend.”
“But I do!”
“Friends don’t kiss each other like that.”
Anna clapped a hand over her mouth, then lowered it slowly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
Why did life have to be so complicated? The Old Man was right: you should never get involved with other people. At least breaking David’s heart wouldn’t cause him much pain, but breaking Anna’s would devastate her.
“Anna, I really do love you, like a friend, but I think you’re in love with me, in a very different way.”
“What do you mean? What other way could there be?”
“The way men and women love each other.”
“That’s ridiculous! Women don’t love each other like that.”
“Some of them do.”
“What are you talking about?”
Elizabeth winced and rubbed her forehead. How had she gotten into this? “I don’t have time to explain it to you right now, and I wouldn’t really know how, even if I did. Everyone is waiting for us, and we have to go back downstairs, but will you trust me?” She took Anna’s hands in hers. “If you trust me, tomorrow we’ll . . . I’ll take you to meet someone I know, and she can explain it to you.”
“Someone you know? Here in the city?”
“Yes, it’s a long story, and . . . Well, I’ll explain that tomorrow, too. Please, will you trust me?” It was a stupid question. No one should ever trust her.
“I don’t have any choice, do I?”
“Oh, Anna, you have lots of choices. I just hope hating me isn’t one of them.”
“I could never hate you, Elizabeth.”
She knew that wasn’t true, of course. By the time this was all over, Anna would despise her. “Good, then we’ll sort all this out tomorrow. In the meantime, we need to go back downstairs.”
“Oh no!” Anna covered her face with both hands. “I couldn’t possibly face them after the way I acted.”
“But it’s Thanksgiving,” Elizabeth argued.
“I don’t care. Tell them I’m sick. Tell them whatever you want, but I just can’t.”
It was probably for the best. She’d have enough trouble pretending to be the happy bride-to-be without having to look at Anna’s tragic expression across the table. “I’ll tell them to send you up a tray.”
Anna’s sad smile almost broke her heart. “And tomorrow everything will be better?”
“Everything will be clearer at least.”
• • •
Gideon watched Elizabeth go, then looked at David. How could his friend have won Elizabeth’s heart in just a few days? How could he have won her heart at all? It didn’t make any sense. Hadn’t he just decided she had no tender feelings for David? He would have seen it when she looked at him, the way he’d seen it when David looked at her. But he hadn’t. So, what was going on? Why would David propose marriage to a woman he hardly knew, and why would she accept when she was plainly not in love with him? And why was Anna so very horrified by the very thought?
“Maybe I should go, too,” David said.
Gideon was surprised to hear his own mother say, “Oh no, dear. Let Elizabeth handle it.”
“Are you sure?” Mrs. Vanderslice asked.
“I’m sure. I think Elizabeth can handle just about anything.”
Gideon had to agree.
“But why is Anna so upset over such happy news?” Mrs. Vanderslice asked.
“It’s just the shock, I’m sure,” his mother said. “You’ve surprised us all, David.” She met Gideon’s gaze with an unspoken question that he didn’t want to answer, so he looked away.
He’d risen automatically when Elizabeth had, so now he and David both took their seats again.
“Should we wait for them?” David asked.
“I think we should continue with the meal,” Mrs. Vanderslice said quite sensibly. “The soup is getting cold.”
The four of them began to eat, but the soup was like acid in Gideon’s stomach. He had to do something. He couldn’t let Elizabeth ruin her life by marrying David Vanderslice. He couldn’t let Elizabeth ruin his own life by marrying someone else.
“I’m afraid that in all the excitement, we haven’t congratulated you, David,” his mother said. “I’m sure we all wish you and Elizabeth much happiness.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Bates. I can’t imagine it would be otherwise.”
“And I have to agree with you,” Gideon said, although the words wanted to stick in his throat. “You’re a lucky man.”
“I am indeed.” David grinned and Gideon wanted to punch him.
Instead he said, “Have you set a date for the wedding?”
“Not until after Christmas at least, and of course we need to discuss it with our families.”
“Will you be married here or at Elizabeth’s home?” his mother asked.