Ophelia listened to the two of them, completely enraptured.
“Eventually, one day, she informed Lord Cavendish that she had fallen in love with a doctor and wished to marry him. Lord Cavendish was horrified and completely against the match because the man was not of noble blood and below their station. That was the first time anyone had ever seen them involved in a fight, and everything deteriorated after that day.”
“He cut her off?” Ophelia asked, completely shocked.
That was the last thing she could have expected to hear.
“No.” Mrs Connor shook her head. “He told her he would never support this marriage, but Lady Margaret was firm in her decision and left the house herself. Lord Cavendish tried to stop her and convince her but her only condition was marrying the man she loved, which was the one condition Lord Cavendish refused to agree on. Hence, the two of them parted ways and completely cut ties.”
“They did not speak for one year,” the cook added.
“Eventually, one year later, Lady Margaret came home one day, and she was half the woman she had been when she had left. Her clothes were simple, and her spirit was down. She didnot look like the same young lady she had been one year ago, but she came to tell her brother that she was pregnant.”
“With Amy,” Ophelia whispered, feeling her heart beginning to grieve for Margaret.
What could have happened in that one year to change her life so drastically? Or perhaps she could have still been the same if Edward had not cut off ties with her.
“Yes.” The cook nodded. “Lord Cavendish reconciled with her, but things were never the same again. A few months later, she gave birth but died while doing so, and just two days later, her husband died in a tragic carriage accident. That left Lord Cavendish as the guardian for Miss Amy.”
“Lord Cavendish must have been devastated.”
“He was,” Mrs Connor agreed with Ophelia, “but he wanted nothing to do with little Miss Amy. Lady Rosalina and every other relative offered to take up her guardianship, but he refused even that and took Miss Amy with him to the countryside. But we know he can never love the little girl.”
“Why?” Ophelia asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.
“It is a simple matter, Miss Jennings,” the cook said, “she reminds him of her father, who was below their status and not a noble lord. Lord Cavendish can never be accepting of that.”
The shock of the revelation was too much to bear, and Ophelia felt as if someone had slapped her.
She had known Edward had his differences with Amy, but she had never known the reason behind those differences was this. How could he be so cruel? How could he judge a child on the basis of her bloodline and hate her simply because she was below them?
Ophelia felt betrayed. As if she had never even known Edward’s true face.
“Thank you so much for letting me know. I had no idea.” She tried to smile at the pair, but she still could not get over the shock of the matter.
“Do drink your milk, dear,” the cook pointed.
Ophelia realized she had completely ignored her glass of milk. Despite no longer having an appetite for it, she downed the glass in one go not wanting Mrs Connor and the cook to be suspicious. Although, she knew that she would certainly not be able to sleep tonight.
“Thank you,” she said once again, “Good night. You two should sleep as well; it is rather late.”
Both Mrs Connor and the cook nodded while Ophelia quickly exited the kitchen. As she returned to her bedchamber upstairs, she still could not believe what she had heard them say. Everything in her head came crashing down as she realized that she had completely misjudged Edward.
She had been developing feelings for him every day while he would never even look at her.
Ophelia was far beneath his status from what he knew, and if he could subject his sister to such rules, he would only apply the same rules to himself. He was even punishing a little girl because of his hatred towards her dead father, only because the man had been a hardworking doctor instead of a noble lord.
Ophelia entered her bedchamber, finding Amy still asleep in the cradle beside her bed.
She sat by the little girl, staring at her perfect face from up close. She was beautiful.
“Your mother must have been so beautiful, too,” Ophelia whispered as tears finally began to fall down her face.
She had no choice but to distance herself from Edward, or else she would only get very hurt.
Chapter 20
Edward had never been more annoyed, but being in the company of Lady Alice truly tested his patience. He cursed the moment he had not been able to hide himself from her when she had come to call and had forced him to accompany her for a few errands. He knew it was simply an excuse to spend time with him, especially at the market where several people from the ton would be able to see them.
