Her frown matched his, but confusion fueled hers. “Understand. Comprehend. Make sense of.” Her own dislike of not knowing only aggravated by his echo and lack of explanation. She watched his face carefully, looking for some signal as to where his brain had taken him. As was so often the case now, Angelica couldn’t read him.

She made some meaningless hand gesture, like that could will him to understanding her. It was rare she wanted anyone to read her thoughts, but life would be infinitely easier of her husband had any concept of her hers. “I want to understand. We were invited and you knew what was happening. Obviously, you’ve done this before because I have never been that out of touch with a room in my life.” If he was going to make her suffer in her ignorance, she might as well make it easy on them both and admit to it.

Her eyes flicked from his to his lips, she couldn’t help it. She missed him, all the parts of him he denied her now. She’d become more familiar with reading his displeasure and dismissal in the turn of his mouth or the squint of his eyes. “I have to understand because I think these parties must make you happy. I want you to be happy; I want us both to be happy, but you have to help me.“ The urge to reach for him was strong, but she resisted, knowing how easily he would bolt if he felt trapped. “Emrys, please. I want to know. Please let me try.”

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