They spent almost every waking hour together over the next few weeks. Once they started talking, they just couldn't stop, and they never seemed to run out of things to say. Raquel read the newspaper to him in the morning, then they discussed the current events in detail. She read books to him as well – her favorite novels at first, but as the pain gradually got less intense and he was able to focus better, she carefully ventured that she could get some books from his study and read them to him.

He perked up.

"Really?"

"Of course", she smiled. "Just tell me which ones and I'll go get them."

She returned with books on mathematics, physics, economics, and chemistry, then picked one at random and began to read. He listened attentively, but after a few pages, he said:

"Raquel… do you understand what you're reading?"

She blushed. "No… not really."

He frowned. "You should have said something! I can explain the things to you that you don't understand."

She hesitated. They were just getting to know each other better, she didn't want him to start feeling obligated to tutor her, slowing down his own studies. And besides, would she even be able to understand?

"My father said topics like this are above the mental capacities of women. I don't want you to waste your time."

He frowned.

"That's nonsense! There's not a single reason to assume that women aren't every bit as intelligent as men."

"Do you really think so?"

"Of course", he said staunchly. "So if you want, I could explain to you what's in that book. But only if you'd like me to."

She nodded eagerly.

"Yes, I would love to learn."

He smiled broadly, enthusiasm clear on his face.

"Good! Okay, hand me a piece of paper and a pen. Let me break this down to its smallest parts."

"Alright", she smiled, remembering the nickname his brother called him by. "Teach away, Professor."

From that point onwards, they worked through his books together, and he never seemed to get tired of explaining to her the things she didn't understand. He turned out to be an excellent teacher, patient and clear, and he seemed to deeply appreciate the interest she was taking in his work. For her part, she loved watching his eyes light up as he talked passionately about his favorite theories, and she was really interested in the subjects they discussed, which her governess had never taught her. He seemed continually delighted by her intelligence, which was rather good for her self-esteem, and she always looked forward to the hours they spent studying together.

Aside from studying, they played chess. The game had captured her interest from the start, because it wasn't based on luck at all, but on strategy and foresight and skill. She quickly discovered that it challenged her mind, which she loved, and she spent hours discussing the game with Sergio until she felt like she had a decent grasp of its mechanisms. They played each other over and over again – at first Sergio kept guiding her through it, pointing out the consequences of each move and the potential of each sacrificed piece, but after a while they started playing each other in earnest, and Raquel enjoyed herself immensely. There was only one problem…

"Checkmate."

"Again?!"

He smiled. "You really put up an excellent fight."

"I just… never see it coming."

"You're still too focused on your own strategy – you should keep a closer eye on mine."

She huffed.

"I'm never going to beat you, am I?"

"You took several of my pieces. That's a great achievement already."

"Still. How many games has it been now?"

"You're still learning", he said gently. "I've been playing all of my life. You're really quite good."

She knew he was right – she shouldn't expect to be able to beat him so fast. She appreciated his integrity in never letting her win, and she wasn't a sore loser, especially while she was still learning, but it still annoyed her. Just once, she'd like to win.

One morning, an invitation arrived for Raquel from Elena. Her friend had returned to London to arrange her affairs, but now she'd come back to the country and she was inviting Raquel over for tea. At first, Raquel wouldn't hear of leaving Sergio, but he convinced her that it would be good for her to get out of this room, get some fresh air and talk to someone else for a change, so she went.

It was good to see her friend again. The moment Raquel entered the drawing room, Elena got up and embraced her.

"How is he?" she asked as they sat down.

"Good", Raquel smiled. "The wounds are healing well, no sign of infection, and the doctor says he'll be allowed out of bed soon."

"Excellent. And how are you, nursing him all the time? It must be tedious."

"It really isn't", Raquel said. "He's so interesting to talk to."

Elena raised her eyebrows.

"Oh, he talks now?"

"Yes", she smiled. "Once he couldn't escape me anymore, he actually became quite talkative."

Elena gave her a close look.

"So are you staying? Even when he gets better?"

"Yes", Raquel said. "I think I am. For now, at least."

"Have your previous issues been resolved?"

She hesitated. "More or less. We'll never have a… a conventional marriage, but we're making it work. As friends."

"And that's enough for you?"

Raquel hesitated again, then nodded firmly.

"Yes. It is."

Elena didn't look entirely convinced, but she let the matter go.

"So what do you do all day?"

"We study", Raquel said. "And we play chess."

She glanced over at the chess board which stood on a side table next to the fire.

"You play too, don't you, Elena?"

"Yes", she nodded. "I do."

"Are you good?"

Elena looked slightly offended.

"Of course I'm good."

"Then could we maybe practice together? I don't think I'm bad, but no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to beat Sergio."

Elena gave her a thoughtful look.

"What's his favorite strategy?"

"What do you mean?"

"Men like that, who've been playing seriously for years, always have a favorite strategy."

"Oh. Do you have a favorite strategy?"

"Please", Elena scoffed. "Do you think I'm that predictable? But I'm sure your husband is."

Yes, now that Raquel thought about it, he did have a tendency to start with the same sequence of moves. She'd never really questioned it. She told Elena which moves he made first, and she nodded.

"Ah, yes. That's a solid strategy, but it has a significant weak point that can be exploited by a skilled player."

"Show me", Raquel said eagerly.

Elena took the chess board, and they started to play.

Raquel was a fast learner, and after a few sessions with Elena, she felt ready to take on Sergio. When they set up the board on the bed one afternoon, she was tense with anticipation, hoping that he would indeed play the way Elena had predicted and prepared her for.

"Is something wrong?" he said, eyeing her closely.

"No, not at all", she said lightly.

"We don't have to play if you don't want to."

"Oh", she said, "but I want to."

The moment he made his opening move, she could barely mask a triumphant smile. She had to keep a straight face, or he would suspect something and change his strategy. They played for about half an hour, and Raquel still had to think hard about every move she made, but she kept in mind what Elena had shown her, and finally she saw an opening and smiled. She took her queen and slid it over to his king.

"Checkmate."

He blinked.

"What?"

"Checkmate. That means you lose."

He was staring at the board in disbelief, and she was thoroughly enjoying her little victory.

"You… you beat me."

"Yes, I did."

"How?"

"Because I'm smarter than you", she said lightly.

"But… but you've only been learning for two weeks and I've been playing for years!"

He kept staring at her, so astonished that she burst out laughing.

"Do you know why I'm smarter than you?"

"I beg you to tell me."

She smiled. "Because I'm smart enough to know when to ask other people for help."

Comprehension dawned on his face.

"Oh! Lady Godfrey?"

"Yes."

"You've been practicing with her?"

"She says you're very predictable."

He went red.

"I… I suppose I do have a tendency to use the same strategy."

"Yes. So Elena taught me how I could defeat you."

He looked at her for a moment, then said the last thing she was expecting.

"You should invite her to tea sometime."

She stared at him.

"Excuse me? Are you proposing we invite someone over for tea? Voluntarily?"

"She's your friend. I… I'd like to get to know her better."

She smiled. "I appreciate that."

He drew himself up.

"And besides that, I feel like we need a rematch after she beat me by proxy."

"Sure", Raquel grinned, "I'm sure she'll be happy to beat you in person as well."

He chuckled. "We'll see about that."

"Indeed we will", Raquel said, confident that her friend would give her husband an interesting challenge, at the very least.

He studied the board for a bit, then looked up at her, his eyes warm.

"That was still very well played of you."

"No, Elena taught me how to do it."

"No", he said, shaking his head. "She taught you how to spot the flaws in my game. You still had to figure out the rest by yourself, and that took quite some skill and intelligence. Well done."

He smiled at her, his eyes full of admiration, and her heart skipped a beat. Oh dear, she realized as she felt a flutter in her stomach, no matter what she had told herself and him about her feelings being gone… she was in trouble.

…

Every day, the pain was less intense. The bruises faded and the skin mended, and though it would take a little longer before his broken rib was healed and he could use his arm again, he still felt much better. Though he'd had a surprisingly good time recovering in bed with Raquel by his side, he was still glad when the doctor finally declared that he was well enough to get out of bed and start his normal routine again – except there was nothing normal about it anymore. They still read the newspaper at breakfast, but now they commented constantly on the things they were reading, and he didn't rush to his study immediately after eating, but spent hours at the table talking to her, even long after the breakfast things were cleared away by the servants. They spent the morning together in his study, and he did the work that was necessary to manage his estate while she sat curled up in a chair and read, asking him occasional questions about what she was studying.

He no longer ate lunch in his study, but with her in the dining room. The afternoon was spent taking short walks around the garden, then reading in the drawing room, where the light was best, so she could draw or paint, in charcoal or watercolors. Often, he forgot about his books because talking to her was much more interesting, and when she had to focus on her work, he still often lost track of what he was reading because he caught himself studying her face instead. Evenings were filled with conversations over dinner and chess in front of the fire in the library. Every once in a while, they moved to the drawing room, where the piano was, and she played for him. She said she wanted to hear him play as well, since his brother had said that he was such an excellent pianist, but his arm still hurt, so he couldn't yet. He realized it had been a long time since he last played, not counting the lessons he had given Delia over the summer, and hearing her play suddenly made him miss it. She was a capable pianist, but it was clear that she only played because she had been taught to as a child, and not because she had such a passion for the instrument. He looked forward to playing for her soon.

He was getting stronger every day, and when Raquel suggested one afternoon they go for a real walk in the forest that was on his property, he readily agreed. It was a cold day, so they dressed up warm, Raquel still helping him with the buttons on his coat, then firmly insisting that he wear a hat and gloves, and finally she wrapped a scarf around his neck, standing rather close to him. Her nearness still flustered him, even after all these weeks of her taking care of him – in fact, the effect of her closeness seemed to be getting stronger rather than weaker as time progressed, and he vaguely wondered why he just couldn't get used to it. Finally they were ready, and they set out together, taking deep breaths of the crisp late autumn air. The trees were bare now, and the sky was covered with clouds, but it was still nice being outside, hearing the fallen leaves crunch underneath their feet, spotting deer tracks on the trail, and generally enjoying each other's company.

They were just walking across an open spot between the trees where a little wooden pavilion stood, when they felt the first drops of rain coming down, so they hurried to take shelter in the open pavilion. The rain soon came down heavily, and they decided to wait it out. He noticed that Raquel was rubbing her hands together and blowing on them in an attempt to warm them. He shook his head at her.

"You made such a fuss over my gloves, and now you've forgotten your own."

"You're still recovering", she said. "I have to make sure you don't get sick. Sneezing and coughing would not help your broken rib."

"But it's alright if youget sick?"

"My ribs are fine", she smiled. "But oh, my hands are freezing."

To his astonishment, she came to stand right in front of him, then put her hands in the pockets of his coat.

"What… what are you doing?"

"Getting my hands warm. My coat doesn't have any pockets. You don't mind, do you?"

"I… uh… no, of course not."

"Thank you", she said, smiling up at him.

She wasn't touching him, but only just, standing so close to him that he felt a little dizzy. He didn't know where to look – there was nothing to really focus on outside the pavilion, but the only other option was to look down at her face and… He glanced down and couldn't look away. She was looking up at him with a smile, her eyes bright, her cheeks red with the cold. She was so close. So close…

He looked up, startled, when a man suddenly appeared out of the rain.

"Lord Marquina!" he said, taking off his hat and making a slight bow. "And Lady Marquina. Good afternoon."

Raquel quickly took a few steps back, taking her hands out of his pockets, and Sergio felt his cheeks go rather red, though he didn't know why – he was perfectly allowed to stand close to his wife. He cleared his throat and addressed his gamekeeper.

"Good afternoon, John, how are you?"

"Caught in the rain", John said rather sourly. "I'm soaked through."

"Well", Raquel said, peering out, "it looks like the rain is letting up."

"Typical", John snorted, "just as I've found shelter. Well, then I won't keep you. A good day to you both."

And he walked out again.

"Not very sociable, is he?" Raquel frowned.

"He spends most of his days alone in the woods", Sergio said. "I like him, though, he's a reliable man."

He found himself hoping that she would want to warm her hands some more, so he was rather disappointed when she looked out and said:

"Alright. Shall we go back?"

On the way back to the house, they came through a patch of chestnut trees, and Raquel exclaimed in delight when she found some chestnuts still on the ground. She picked them up and loaded them into his pockets.

"You're very free with the use of my pockets today", he pretended to grumble.

She grinned. "You're my husband—your pockets are my pockets. That's how marriage works."

"Really?" he said, amused. "Because I didn't hear the priest say anything about that when he was marrying us."

"That's because you weren't paying attention", she said lightly. "He read a long passage about pocket-sharing from the Bible. It's the basis of any healthy marriage."

He laughed. There had been a time – really not so long ago – when he so rarely had a reason to laugh, but she had a quick wit and it delighted him. How had he not noticed that this summer? How had he not seen? How had he let her go? It baffled him now. He would not make that mistake again.

She brushed off her hands and they continued on, and when they were almost at the edge of the forest, she spotted something underneath a holly bush.

"What's that?"

He frowned at the little heap of brown fur.

"Must be a dead animal."

"No, it's not dead, look, it's moving! I think it's a rabbit."

She kneeled down and carefully extracted the rabbit from the bush. It was very much alive, but clearly hurt.

"Oh, look", Raquel said softly. "I think it's got a broken leg."

"That's not a wild rabbit", Sergio said. "That's a domestic species, it must have escaped."

"What do we do with it?"

"What do you mean?" he frowned. "Put it back, of course."

"But then a fox will get it!"

He had to admit that he didn't like the thought either, but…

"That's nature."

"But look how tame it is", she said, stroking the rabbit's ears. "It's not afraid of me at all."

She looked up.

"Let's take it home."

He hesitated, then nodded.

"Alright, let's take it home."

He glanced at her, suppressed a smile and said:

"I haven't had rabbit stew in a while."

She looked at him with such outrage that he couldn't help but laugh, but he quickly stopped as it hurt his ribs. He grimaced and rubbed them, but she showed no sympathy.

"Serves you right", she sniffed.

"I was only joking", he smiled.

"You better be", she said darkly, getting up and keeping the rabbit close to her chest. "Clover here is not meant for consumption."

"Clover?" he said, amused.

"Yes", she said lightly. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"I assume this means we're keeping it?"

"We can't let her out into the forest again if she's a tame rabbit, even if her leg heals."

"I suppose", he shrugged. "I guess this means we have a rabbit now."

They walked to the house, then Raquel sent a maid to find a suitable box for Clover, and some greens from the kitchen. At that point, there was a knock on the door, and the footman opened it to the doctor.

"I was just passing by", the man explained, "and I thought I'd look in on you. How are you today, Lord Marquina?"

"Quite well", Sergio said. "Still some pain in my ribs, but we just went for a walk and it went fine."

The doctor nodded. "Good. Then I'll be off again."

"Just a moment!" Raquel said, holding out the box. "Could you take a look at this?"

The doctor frowned. "That's a rabbit."

"Well spotted. Its leg is broken. Can you fix it?"

The doctor looked rather insulted.

"I am a doctor for people, ma'am."

"Then I'm sure a little rabbit isn't beyond your powers."

The doctor shot Sergio a disbelieving look, but Sergio merely shrugged, so the doctor sighed and took off his coat. Half an hour later, Clover had a neatly bandaged leg and was looking much better.

The doctor left, and they went through to the drawing room, where Raquel settled herself and Clover, snugly in her box, on the rug in front of the fire, and started roasting chestnuts. Sergio sat down in a chair on the other side of the hearth to watch her, and gradually his thoughts drifted to how much things had changed. Conversations, and walks, and laughter – he felt like his life had undergone a fundamental shift, somehow – like existence suddenly had more color, more depth, more warmth. Why? Could it be her? He concluded that it must be. Was this why men married? He suddenly wondered why had he been so resistant to the thought of having a wife. He couldn't quite remember his reasons as she peeled and handed him roasted chestnuts. Then she took Clover onto her lap and asked, with a thoughtful look:

"Do you think animals have consciousness?"

He smiled. He loved how she kept surprising him.

"I don't know", he said, "I suppose it depends on how you define consciousness. Is it self-awareness? An ability to direct one's thoughts? How would we even test for that sort of thing in a rabbit?"

They stayed cozily in front of the fire for hours, discussing the matter and drinking mulled wine. She looked down as she talked, stroking Clover's fur, and as he watched her face in the firelight, he felt a warm glow that had nothing to do with the fire. No, he reflected quietly. No, having a wife wasn't so bad at all.