A hospital bed had been installed in the sunroom since Alexander couldn’t yet navigate the stairs to his bedroom. Anna sat in the rocking chair by the window and stared out into the grand backyard. The car ride had been silent, and after the servants helped Alexander to bed, Steven left to pick up Lolly. Before he left, he gave his sister a big hug and told her he’d wait at the house until she returned. Anna just nodded, knowing if she were to speak, she’d start to cry.

Alexander knew he had to ask the question, but he didn’t want to. He wanted to wait until his leg stopped throbbing and the Percocet kicked in, but he knew the pill would be no match for the pain to come. So, they sat in silence.

Eleanor had been suspicious for weeks now, but Alexander had shut her down every time she brought up Anna’s recent misguided behavior. Yes, he had been doped up, but he wasn’t a moron. He had noticed everything that Eleanor had griped about but just couldn’t and wouldn’t believe it to be true. The girl he knew and loved, the girl he had planned to marry, had grown cranky and aloof during her visits, yet he couldn’t bring himself to ask her why. The simple reason was that he feared an honest answer. But now things were different. She had shown her cards in front of the entire town, and all he had was regret. Regret that he hadn’t dealt with the situation earlier. Regret that he had agreed to go to the horse race. Regret that he had driven to the party to get her that snowy night. And regret that he’d left without her when he knew he shouldn’t have.

He just couldn’t believe that Anna could fall for a guy like Vronsky. It seemed impossible that a doe-eyed, blond-haired pretty boy was causing him so much misery. Laughable even. But no one was laughing now, especially not Alexander.

“Anna?” he said, his voice hoarse and cracking. “Do you want to start, or shall I?”

“It’s true,” she said quietly.

“What’s true?” he asked.

“Your suspicions about me and Vronsky. We’ve been…” She hesitated. “I’ve been unfaithful. I should have told you earlier. I had every intention of telling you about my feelings for him, but…” Anna’s mouth was dry with shame. She couldn’t go on. She was desperate for the floor beneath her feet to open up and swallow her whole, chair and all. Why, oh why didn’t I just break up with him beforehand? Now everything is a disaster. And I have no one to blame but myself.

“But…?” he asked, refusing to make it easy for her.