Separate Weddings, Separate Lives novel Chapter 50

When Louisa went downstairs the next day, she only saw the housekeeper. Elijah was nowhere to be found.

He hadn't gone back to the bedroom last night, either. She had no idea where he could have gone, but she assumed he had gone to keep Letitia company.

After a whole night of thinking, Louisa had come to terms with a lot of things. She had nothing to feel guilty about when it came to Letitia. All she had to do was tackle things as they happened.

After all, she had no guilty conscience to worry about.

"Good morning, Mrs. Halton!" the housekeeper, whose name Louisa had learned was Jasmine Croad, greeted her respectfully.

"Good morning. Where's Elijah?"

The mansion was his territory, and Elijah was the only person Louisa was familiar with. Even though she was reluctant to be with him, his presence still managed to ground her somehow.

Perhaps it was due to losing her parents at a young age, but Louisa was someone who constantly lacked security. If anyone treated her well, she was willing to give her all for that person.

However, she had eventually learned that she was the only one who could truly make herself feel safe, and that security from anyone else could disappear at any moment.

Sadly, habits were hard to break, much less one that was so ingrained in her. For example, she was asking about Elijah despite herself.

"Do you miss me already, Mrs. Halton?" Elijah appeared the moment she asked, as if he could hear her thoughts.

He was dressed in a grey loungewear set as he strolled toward her. His hair was slightly wet and lay messily over his forehead, suggesting that he had just taken a shower.

Compared to his usual perfect appearance, he seemed much more human in that moment.

Even though Louisa knew that, she also knew how unpredictable he was. He could be sweet, bitter, and everything in between, so she had no need to treat him like she would everybody else. "I thought you got kidnapped."

Her words held much more meaning to them than they sounded.

Elijah reached over and naturally wrapped his arm around her slim waist. "A sneaky one, aren't you?"

When he took her to eat their local food last night, she thought he was quite thoughtful, but now…

"I want what you're having," Louisa said, pushing her tray toward him and reaching out to grab his plate.

Elijah stopped her. "Mrs. Halton, if you don't want to look your age, you'd better start eating healthy."

Was he trying to call her old?

"Don't worry, Mr. Halton. By the time I'm old enough to look it, we'll be separated, and I won't embarrass you," she said, reminding him that their relationship was not a long-term one.

Elijah's lips tilted up with mirth. "Mrs. Halton, you've been thinking about leaving me since we got married, haven't you?"

"Do you want to stay married for the rest of our lives until we're both old and gray?" Louisa asked, unceremoniously snatching his plate over to her side of the table.

"Why not? We might just be able to do it," he said, picking up his utensils and beginning to enjoy the flavorless breakfast in front of him.