Chapter 105

Clad only in her chemise, Anne headed toward the water. She felt rather wicked, being so scantily clad, but this was her property now, by virtue of marriage, and she wanted to do this. Only her husband had the power to stop her from doing as she wished, and he was far off on the other side of the lake. The thought almost made her laugh. He would be furious no doubt, but rather than scare her, the idea instead amused her.

It had been awhile since she'd indulged in such improper behavior of swimming in her underclothes. Even though she remembered little of her past, she couldn't deny how freeing the water felt lapping at her bare legs. As she pushed deeper into the cold lake, a memory surfaced.

Frolicking in the shallows of a similar lake, an older man watching her, an indulgent smile on his kind face. She laughed, a child's laugh, happy to play while her father remained close.

The pain of seeing that man's face for only a moment cut deep.

Papa. He had been dead only a week before sh