“Miss Jennings!” the maid almost crashed into her, returning from the gardens.
“Yes, Susan?”
“I have set up a picnic blanket for you and Miss Amy under a large tree. You will find it quite easily,” she replied, and Ophelia smiled at her.
“Thank you so much, Susan,” Ophelia said graciously before heading towards the garden again.
Amy already looked excited being in the fresh air once again, even more enthusiastic to jump out of Ophelia’s lap and roam around on the grass below. Ophelia sighted the blanket and walked towards it, carefully leaving Amy on the ground, but it only took the little girl a few seconds to crawl away from the blanket and onto the freshly cut grass, her loud squeals of delight making Ophelia’s heart warm with love towards her.
She is the sweetest child I have ever seen. I wish she received all the love she deserves.
However, Ophelia knew even hoping for such a thing was impossible. Edward had his mind set on disliking Amy, and it almost felt as if no matter how much anyone tried to hold him accountable, he would never fully give in. Ophelia spread her legs onto the blanket, sadness filling her heart as she stared at Amy crawling about with ease.
“Amy, do not wander off!” Ophelia warned Amy, when she suddenly began to crawl away from the tree, her eyes focused somewhere particular.
Ophelia quickly stood up, taking hasty steps towards Amy, who was lunging in the other direction as if she was reaching for someone or something. Ophelia looked up just then, her eyes falling on Edward who was at some distance, clearly having a moment of fresh air in the garden. He had not seen Ophelia and Amy, but Amy had seen and recognized him, taken over by the urge to be in his arms.
She was already attached to her uncle, but Edward was still distant. Why is he so cruel?
He must have felt eyes boring in on him as he turned in their direction, his gaze falling on them, but to Ophelia’s utter horror, rather than making his way towards them or even smiling or waving, he turned backwards wordlessly, making forthe manor as if he hadn’t even seen the two of them. Ophelia ran towards Amy, whose lips were trembling already, and her big, innocent eyes filled with tears as she watched her uncle retreating. Ophelia scooped her up, her heart broken even more, but she walked back towards the tree, making sure Amy’s attention was invested elsewhere so she would not burst into tears at this ignorance.
It was remarkable how even a little girl could feel the pain of not being loved, and it was evident through Amy’s tear-filled gaze.
“My darling, it’s okay!” Ophelia said to her in her softest voice and threw Amy in the air before catching her again.
She continued to do this until Amy was distracted and dissolved in childish giggles, but Ophelia knew she could not witness Amy suffer every single day in this same manner. How long could Ophelia continue to distract her from her uncle’s cruel behaviour? Sooner or later, she was bound to notice, especially as she grew older, and the distance would continually haunt her.
Ophelia needed to have a word with Edward, and she was resolved to do so even if it cost her this position. She could not stay quiet when such cruelty unfolded before her eyes. She was not going to.
Chapter 8
“Who is it?” Edward asked, unsure of who was disturbing him after dinner.
Since he had asked Ophelia to keep Amy away from him, she had stopped bringing his niece to him for their good night ritual, thus no one else came to see him either after dinner. He already felt slightly annoyed today, his head consumed by thoughts. It was difficult for him to constantly see Amy throughout the manor or hear her laughing or someone calling out to her. He knew she was beginning to grow; he could see it himself, but he still did not want to see her.
“It’s Miss Jennings,” the soft voice called from behind the door.
Ophelia? Edward wondered what she wanted with him, but his heartbeat quickened slightly.
Now that he was distancing himself again, his interactions with her had also reduced, which was the only thing he disliked about the whole ordeal. He had begun to enjoy their candid conversations at breakfast and her presence around him when she brought Amy to visit. Something about her simply made him feel calmer. Hence, he could not help being a little intrigued at her visit.
“The door is open,” he replied, and it quickly opened, Ophelia walking inside.
She was dressed in a simple peach-coloured maxi dress, her blonde hair falling in soft waves behind her as they were only partly tied. Edward did not know why he found her beautiful, but her allure was disarming, especially since she was not even trying to charm him. She was naturally beautiful and did not seem to realize it.
“My Lord,” she curtsied once the door had closed behind her, and Edward turned his attention in her direction.
“Did you need something?”
“A word with you,” she said, her words sounding a little firmer than usual.
Edward had always admired her courage, her strength of character, and belief in herself, far greater than just a nanny. He often wondered about her station, her confidence in herself, and how the two things hardly aligned. Something about Ophelia spoke of high breeding, and the way she spoke her mind, no matter the situation, was a clear sign of it.
“I am all ears,” he replied, already having an idea of what this was going to be about.
He knew she had seen him today when he had turned away from her and Amy in the gardens, not wanting to interact with the child. He had not expected her to want to have a conversation with him about it but was already looking forward to it.
“I am aware you saw Amy coming towards you today in the gardens, and the moment you saw her, you turned around and went back inside the manor as if you did not want to see her, so please do not deny the accusation.”
