"It's really very tasty. I hope you taught the cooks how to make it. I'll want to make it again soon." Kate said arrogantly, but truthfully.
"They already know how to make it, but whenever Adam wants it, I'll make sure I prepare it for him myself." Anna said happily, looking at Adam who also seemed surprised and decided to try it.
"It really is fabulous." He said happily now, which eased the oppression in Anna's chest.
Sarah stared at Anna, who was eating her soup with an enviable appetite. Not just her, but Adam and Kate, too.
"Where did you get the recipe to make this dish?" Sarah asked, trying to sound nonchalant, but her voice ended up sounding like a growl.
Anna stared at her, taking the last spoonful into her mouth. In a way, her sixth sense, ever since she found out that she had killed her mother, had been warning her to be careful with this woman. She felt a kind of unease around her that not even Kate could arouse.
"My mother always made this dish. I think it's Scottish... I remembered it because I've tasted it many times... I thought it would be an interesting dish to present at the American table, and who knows, maybe one day everyone will get into the habit of making this dinner and inviting friends over to celebrate life?"
"My God, Anna! You've become too overbearing. Do you really think you can change the customs of our country? You should go back to the barbarians, where your mother came from, with their customs. You'll never be one of us." Sarah said with a look of disgust, and left without touching the food.
...
Anna knew she had to be careful around Sarah. She couldn't reveal that she knew what she had done to her mother. It wasn't the right time for this confrontation yet. She still wanted to avenge her mother, and the family that woman had destroyed. But she still didn't know how. Nothing she could think of seemed cruel enough.
Kate and Adam proved to Anna that she didn't know how to calculate how much food to make. If Adam's men had all come for dinner, she would have felt ashamed, as the two of them scraped the soup pot.
Adam went up to the bedroom hand in hand with Anna. He knew he had to tell her about the deal, and he didn't want it taking away from his sleep. For this reason, he decided that it was better to put up with the rage that Anna would rightly have and try to calm her down at once, rather than keep it inside him, worrying him. He also knew that Kate would soon reveal to Anna the true content of the agreement between them, as soon as she realized that it would make her feel bad, because Anna would probably come to hate Allister for making such a demand, and him for selling out for his inheritance. He needed to warn Anna. As much as he wanted to lose himself in the scent of that hair and the softness of that skin, it wouldn't be fair if he didn't explain every detail, so that she could prepare herself for Kate's affronts. Even if it meant awakening the beast that inhabited that girl's soul.
As soon as they entered the room, they undressed and lay down. Anna was very aroused, so Adam decided it would be better to talk to her after she was satiated, besides, her fire had infected him and he really couldn't concentrate on what needed to be said.
After making love, they both covered themselves with a sheet, still naked. Anna, as she did every night, rested her head on his shoulder with the intention of going to sleep.
"Anna, there's something I need to tell you..."
"Tomorrow." She said sleepily.
"I need to warn you about the deal I made with Kate. I can't put it off until tomorrow. You might want to know why she moved into this house."
Anna sat up, fully alert, in bed. She did want to know why Kate was there before their wedding. And Adam had better tell her, because depending on what he said, she wouldn't run away. She knew that if someone else told her, her treacherous heart would turn vengeful, and she might sacrifice her decision to save the child in her womb. She felt a tightness in her chest, but she had to hear what he had to say.
Adam became worried when he noticed Anna's interest in what he had to say. She, who a second before had wanted to stay asleep in his arms, was now fully awake, staring at him suspiciously.
That look was one he didn't want to see anymore. Not for him. He felt his heart squeeze when she didn't have that passionate gleam in her eyes. He'd gotten used to her transparent gaze. And even though he wouldn't admit it before, he wanted to see that sparkle all the days of his life. However, he had to wait to tell Anna about his plans.
Seeing how impatient she was, as she rubbed her hands on the sheet non-stop, he broke the silence and told her everything he and Kate had talked about the previous afternoon. She left out no detail. Anna listened with wide eyes. When Adam finished, he couldn't tell what Anna's green eyes were saying.
"Say something, Anna. I know you must be furious with me."
"Furious? That's not really the word to define what I'm feeling..."
"I can't say... You're not showing any reaction, and that's worrying me."
"Adam... I don't care about any of this. Let Kate have what she wants. I even think it's a good idea. Because if, after the deadline you've set yourself, you stay married to her, and stop coming back to our bed, it means that... you have really strong feelings for her. In fact, she's doing me a favor. She's removing any vestige of doubt that might have existed in my heart. And she's right. When she talked to me, she said with certainty that one day you would get tired of me, and she made it clear that she would be by your side when that time came. I want you to be happy. No matter with whom."
"I'm really sorry for the way I treated you..."