William sat across from her but she tried to ignore that fact. She was tired and nervous, an unpleasant combination. William hadn’t told her anything about the house they were about to move into, only saying that it was supposed to be a “wonderful surprise”. That made her more nervous than the prospect of meeting new servants and having to begin the farce of married life; his idea of a wonderful surprise was highly unlikely to bear any resemblance to her own. She’d barely slept since the wedding. The first night had been lost to despair and pacing up and down the flat as she tried to think of some way out before he returned. She had exactly the same problem she’d had before they’d married: she could bolt, but the Irises would be able to find her anywhere she went in Mundanus or the Nether. The second night she’d laid awake next to him, crammed over as far on her side of the bed as possible, utterly freaked out by sharing a bed with a husband she didn’t want. At least he hadn’t tried to touch her, and hadn’t mentioned the argument.
