“If her voice allows it, she’ll call. I’ve told her not to talk unless absolutely necessary. Her throat is inflamed. At any rate, her mother is coming to stay with her. No need to bring soup, though that’s very kind of you. Alice will start cooking the minute she arrives, no doubt.”

Violet was dumbstruck at the boldness of this lie. Tolly would do everything in his power to keep her from her mother.

“Oh,” Genny said, “I’m glad she’ll have her mom to fuss over her. There’s no substitute for that. Please tell Violet I called, and to let me know if she needs anything at all.”

“I surely will, Genny. You’re such a good friend to my wife, and I appreciate it. Goodbye.”

Another lie. Tolly wanted Violet to have no friends, no family, no contact with the world unless he was at her side. She couldn’t smile at anyone more than a few seconds, male or female, without inviting a scathing comment from him. She willed herself out of bed and went downstairs. He was sitting in the den, sipping coffee.

“I called Beatrice and told her to come in late so you could rest,” he began.

“You really think no one’s going to find out this time?” she asked him. “I’m going to a lawyer, Tolly. We’re getting a divorce. You will never touch me again.” Violet clasped her hands to keep them from shaking. Tolly regarded her from behind his coffee cup with a tiny smile. He turned to the window and waved a hand at the manicured garden.

“Lovely flowers. They’re all so fragile, though. I need to remind Herman to water the roses more often.” He met her eyes. “You won’t go to a lawyer, Violet. Divorce is not in my vocabulary. You and I took vows, and we will honor them.” He sighed. “You made me so angry, Violet. I lost control. I told you I’m sorry.”

“You won’t stop me, Tolly,” Violet said. “You also won’t convince me that the monster in you is caged and released by me. I don’t believe your lies. I’m not the innocent girl you married.”

Tolly looked like he was stifling a laugh. “Let’s not talk about your level of innocence when we met, Violet.” He paused and stared at the pattern in the carpet, as though inspiration waited there. “Did you ever wonder why I was almost forty years old before I decided to marry?”

“You probably beat every woman you encountered. It’s not hard to understand why they weren’t eager to shop for dresses and veils, Tolly.”

“You’re wrong. Until you came into my life, I never knew the kind of love that could make a man lose his mind. I love you so much, Violet.” He looked like he was going to cry again. Violet turned to leave.