‘That depends, doesn’t it?’ He undid the top bundle of letters, holding up the red ribbon she had tied them with.

‘On what?’

‘On what you and Tom Franklin got up to while I was away.’

Anna gasped. ‘Edward! You don’t think—’

‘I don’t know what to think. You said Tom Franklin was good to you. How do I know you weren’t good to him, too?’

‘Edward!’

‘He was always sniffing around you like a dog on heat, even when I was here. I wonder if you got bored of waiting for me and decided to give him a chance instead.’

Anna didn’t know what she was doing until she felt her hand sting and saw Edward standing in front of her, one hand pressed against his cheek. The letters were scattered on the floor at his feet.

‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered. ‘I – I just want all this to stop. Please, Edward,’ she begged. ‘Can’t we forget everything and start again. It’s our wedding night.’

Edward stared at her, his face expressionless. As he took his hand away from his face, Anna could see the reddened imprint of her palm on her cheek.

Then he smiled, a menacing smile that did not reach his cold blue eyes.

‘So it is,’ he said softly.

He took a step towards her. Anna backed away from him, colliding with the iron bedstead.

‘What – what are you doing?’ she said.

‘Like you said, it’s our wedding night. I’m only taking what’s rightfully mine.’

He grabbed her by the shoulders. Anna fell backwards on to the bed, Edward on top of her.

‘No!’ She fought him off, her hands pushing hard against his bare chest. ‘Not like this!’

‘I bet you didn’t push Franklin away, did you?’ Edward pinned her down, his face leering above hers. His breath stank of cigarettes and beer. ‘I’ll bet you couldn’t wait, could you?’

‘I didn’t, I swear.’

‘Did you do it here, in this bed? Is this where he had you?’ He was pressing down on her, making it hard for her to breathe. ‘I bet he wasn’t gentle with you, was he? I bet he was rough, like an animal …’

‘No! Edward, please!’ Anna fought to get herself free. But the more she squirmed, the more excited Edward seemed to be. ‘I swear, I’ve never—’

‘There’s only one way to find out, ain’t there? Believe me, I’ll know if you’ve been with someone else!’

What followed was as brutal as it was shocking. After a few moments, Anna stopped trying to fight and lay still as Edward thrust into her, grunting like an angry beast. The burning, searing pain was almost unbearable, but Anna did not dare cry out. Instead she bit her lip, tasting blood, and prayed for it to end.

Mercifully, it didn’t last long. Finally Edward rolled off her, and a moment later he was asleep on his back, his drunken snores echoing around the silent room.

Anna turned her head away from him and saw the shredded remains of what was once her beautiful nightgown lying on the rug beside the bed.