The Noise of the World by Adriana Spadoni

Roger received Belle's note telling him that Anne had left town and asking him to make some arrangement about the cottage in the same mail that he received the legal notice of Anne's action. Both letters were on his desk when he came back to the loft after dinner to work as he had done every night since that sudden, quiet ending of everything between himself and Anne.

He opened Belle's first and read it slowly, surprise changing rapidly to anger.