Sinful Desires (GirlxGirl)

𝟐𝟗

October 1837

It was hard to be vulnerable.

This was something Anna came to understand when she had to explain to her father what Martha had been doing behind his back. He was furious in the beginning but as time went on, Anna could see the somberness in his behaviors.

She could understand his depression as this was a woman he was in love with, and they had spent thirty years of their lives together. The true betrayal of her actions was that Martha knew that Anna was Taylor's pride and joy.

He couldn't erase the smile on his face when she had been born and always tried to be a part of her life. Family was something extremely important to Taylor and Martha was slowly causing a disconnect between them.  Taylor couldn't understand why she had changed or had he just been blind.

Was Martha always like this? Was a question that plagued his nightmares and the bags which began to develop underneath his eyes showcased his turmoil.

Anna felt guilty for causing a wedge between her parents. If only she had kept her mouth shut but Dorothy scolded her for thinking of something as ridiculous as that. All of the girls were proud of her for finally sticking up for herself. But, to Anna the victory was bittersweet.

Taylor tried his best to make it up to Anna. Those two weeks, he participated in her lessons during the evenings and carried her horseback riding throughout Greenwich. He sat with her throughout all her meals and checked on her constantly.

Anna felt like she could rest easy since there wasn't a string attached to her every move no longer. Nonetheless, she could see the unhappiness in her father's eyes and that added to her regret. She hated that it came to this, where he had to choose, and she had been his choice.

If she could be perfect like her mother wanted her to be then none of this would have happened. Sadly, she wasn't perfect, and she could never be perfect.

At least she knew of her mother's full resentment towards Ms. Gregory and understood that her acceptance would never be attained.

With this in mind and her absence, she wondered if she should tell her father the truth. She was hesitant since he seemed really fond of Edward and she did not want to disappoint him.

This is why when Taylor came to her with a letter from Edward which stated that he would be arriving to Greenwich soon so he could take her to visit his family, she continued to play the role.

She missed Edward. He was easy to talk to and she couldn't wait for his return.

That feeling had increased severely when the day had arrived and finally preparations for her departure were arranged. She was petrified beyond belief as she wondered if they were taking things a bit too far. She would be a fool if she didn't know that the answer was a profound yes.

It would all work out since Taylor was to go back to London due to Mr. Smith having a full recovery from his illness; so, he wouldn't too far away. Taylor didn't trust leaving Anna by herself though so maybe the company of her loved one would suffice.

It wasn't culturally accepted for her to reside in Edward's residence when they were still unmarried. A brief meeting would have been more appropriate, but Taylor felt like his hands were tied on the matter.

She was to stay with Edward for a month and to Taylor that would be a wonderful time for them to bond.

"The carriage is outside. We should get going." Dorothy stated as she helped the servants to move Anna's belongings.

Taylor appointed Dorothy to supervise Anna during this excursion, for emotional support and to ensure her protection.  It was her first time entering London after all or anywhere for that matter. It would have been better to give a man the role of protection, but Anna refused to have a guard following her around.