He smiled at her, as he did every morning, but there was a different quality to his affection now. The distance between them was forever diminished. Each better understood the love they felt for each other, and how much both were willing to sacrifice for that love. It was a test many marriages could not endure, Marianne thought, but one that had made their connection all the stronger. How would Willoughby have handled a similar situation? Marianne could not imagine it. Moreover, she found she did not want to. It was of no moment.
