"You seem settled. I noticed it the moment I arrived three days ago."
Eleanor did not answer at once. She let her gaze move over the grounds ahead, the open stretch of land quieter than the house behind them. She had, indeed, adapted to her new life far more quickly than anticipated.
"I am not unhappy," she said.
"That is something," Beatrice nodded
"It is more than something," Anne added. "It is not what we expected."
Eleanor glanced between them.
"You expected me to regret it. Is that it?"
"We expected you to find it difficult," Beatrice said. "We know better than to ever think that you could possibly regret anything."
"I have found it difficult," Eleanor replied. "At times, but when all is said and done, I am pleased to be here."
Anne’s attention sharpened slightly, but Eleanor did not elaborate. After a moment, Beatrice cleared her throat.
"And what of your husband?"
Eleanor’s expression shifted just enough to acknowledge the subject.
"He is consistent," she said. "He knows his duties, and he carries them out well."
"That sounds reassuring," Anne said. "Many ladies do not receive such a thing. We are fortunate that you do not hate him."
"I do not, no," Eleanor replied. "One always knows where one stands with him, and that is a comfort in itself."
Beatrice tilted her head. Eleanor could see that her friend was not entirely convinced, but then nothing would convince her that this was what Eleanor had wanted. Her friends knew her, and while Anne might have been willing to believe that Eleanor had been happy to forget about her dreams, Beatrice was not so inclined.
She loved that Anne was so welcoming, but part of her loved that Beatrice knew her so well.
"And where do you stand?" Beatrice asked.
Eleanor smiled faintly.
"Exactly where I intended to. I do not need anything more than that."
Her friend watched her for a moment longer than necessary, though she did not challenge it directly.
"And the house," Beatrice said, gesturing lightly around them. "It is magnificent. It must have taken a while for you to find your way."
"It was never unfamiliar," Eleanor said. "Only different."
"In what way?"
Eleanor considered that.
"It requires less performance than my family’s."
They walked a little further, the path turning slightly, the house no longer fully in view. Suddenly, Beatrice let out a quiet laugh.
"I cannot decide whether to be relieved or disappointed about all of this."
"Why disappointed?" Eleanor asked.
"I had prepared myself for drama. I thought that there would have beensomethingin all of this that was going wrong!"