“Oh, me?” Ophelia sighed, “Six years ago.”
She felt sick at the thought of returning after so much had changed. It was true no one was going to recognize her, considering she had not interacted with the ton in such a long time, but it was still a little overwhelming. A part of her might long for her old life, and Ophelia did not want to be unnecessarily upset over such a little thing.
However, if she only kept reminding herself that she was here for Amy, things might turn out to be just fine.
It was only a few days, after all.
“Six years, my goodness! You must be excited to be there again.”
I wish I could agree.
“London is a rather happening place to be at,” Ophelia agreed, unsure how to answer.
“Did you ever reside there? Or have you always lived in the country?”
“I have mostly lived in the country with my family, but we did visit London from time to time,” Ophelia answered, unable to construct lies.
Rosalina was friendly and open towards her, and Ophelia did not have the heart to deceive her with lies. Hence, she tried to keep her replies as close to the truth as possible, even if that was causing her to stumble on her thoughts. She needed to make sure she did not say something to make Rosalina suspicious of her identity.
“Mrs Bailey mentioned that you are from Kent?”
“Hasti–” Ophelia began speaking but quickly stopped herself, realizing her mistake. “I meant yes, I have always lived in Kent with my family.”
Rosalina nodded slowly, making Ophelia wonder if she had noticed the slip of her tongue.
“Are you feeling quite alright, Ophelia? You seem nervous.”
“Oh,” Ophelia sighed, extending her arms towards Amy, who was beginning to jump up and down in Rosalina’s lap, “I am not nervous, I can assure you.”
Amy immediately came into Ophelia’s arms, settling down once again.
“If you are worried about London, let me tell you that it is still as wonderful as it must have been for you six years ago.You will enjoy the social scene, the people, the beginning of the Season, and the beauty of everything.”
Ophelia smiled, wishing with all her heart to be as away from the social scene as possible. The very thought of being in the midst of it nauseated her, but she nodded subtly, as if in complete understanding. If Rosalina wanted to comfort her, it was all the better for Ophelia, who wished to hide the true reason behind her nerves anyway.
“I have no doubts about it.” She smiled, softly stroking Amy’s head.
“And I promise I will talk to Edward about giving you more time off so you can do some sightseeing and have a good time outside of the manor!”
That is the last thing I want.
“Oh, that is entirely unnecessary,” Ophelia said quickly, the very idea sounding horrible. “The Earl is already very kind and lenient towards me. I am sure he will consider this himself without you having to put in a good word for me. I do not mean to offend him.”
“If you do not want me to talk to him, I shall not,” Rosalina agreed, good-naturedly, “but I will not let you be without taking you out myself and making sure we go to the museums, Hyde Park, and the lake.”
“All of that sounds lovely,” Ophelia lied, maintaining her smile.
Lying to Rosalina made Ophelia feel exceedingly guilty, but she had no choice. She had been hoping to stay confined inside Edward’s townhouse and, more specifically, in the nursery just to be sure she did not come in contact with anyone who might recognize her. Rosalina, on the other hand, was determined to do the exact opposite.
“I wish I had found you earlier, Ophelia,” Rosalina sighed, “finding women in the ton who might turn out to be good friends is extremely difficult since everyone competes to make the best matches. You are lucky not to be subjected to that sort of cruelty.”
“But you have Lady Alice.”
“Alice?” Rosalina scoffed. “We have never been friends. She only tries to come close to me so she can get close to Edward.”
“But she and Lord Cavendish seem to share a friendship already.”
Ophelia knew she should not be making such remarks since it was not her place to be asking private questions. Although, Rosalina did not seem to notice or mind, and Opheliareally wanted to know the truth behind their relationship. She had no right to be jealous but still could not control her emotions when Edward was concerned.
