“Your plan failed miserably just as it was bound to. I never want to see your face again. Please stay away from me and my family.”
Without another word, Edward motioned towards his men to deal with the matter and turned back towards his carriage to leave. He needed to return to Ophelia because he knew she was just as worried as he had been. Or perhaps even more.
No one loved Amy as Ophelia did, and Edward could not wait to reunite them.
Chapter 29
“Are you going to hold her all evening like that? She is already annoyed with you.” Sarah laughed, but Ophelia nodded at the question. She had no plans of letting Amy out of her grasp now that they were finally together again. The few hours Amy had been away from her, Ophelia had felt as if she had lost herself. As if she had lost an important part of her body.
She could never part from Amy. She knew that.
“I am never letting her go.”
“Your sister is right, Miss Jennings,” Edward smiled. “Amy does seem a little annoyed. She has been trying to struggle out of your lap for hours now.”
Ophelia sighed, letting Amy go at last, and the child immediately moved away from her, happily crawling once again. Amy was perfectly fine as if nothing had even happened to her, and Ophelia was glad to see that. That was all she had hoped for, and now that Amy was playing with Andrew as if nothing had even happened, Ophelia felt at peace.
She looked up and found Edward staring at her.
“Will you take a walk with me?”
Ophelia was surprised at the question but nodded, “Of course.”
She stood up and led Edward towards the back of the house to their small garden, the two standing by the few plants her mother had planted there. Ophelia could have taken him outside the house but she did not want any of the neighbours to see them walking together and preferred the privacy of her own house.
“Are you okay after today?” he asked, concern in his eyes.
“I am,” she nodded. “Are you not angry with me?”
“Why would I be angry?”
“I lost Amy.”
“And we found her. If this is anyone’s fault, it’s Alice’s and no one else.”
Ophelia smiled, simply happy that everything had settled down.
“You are right.”
“Truth be told, I … I do not know how to phrase this correctly.”
“Whatever it is, you can tell me,” Ophelia comforted him.
“It’s just, I had a few things to say,” he finally stuttered out, still appearing slightly awkward. What could this be about? Ophelia wondered.
“I am listening.” She smiled again, hoping to make him feel better.
“I wanted to tell you a few things about myself. This is why I came here in the first place before all this happened.”
In her panic, Ophelia had completely forgotten to ask Edward why he had come looking for her, and she realized he had come to see her. Although she still did not understand the reason behind it. After what he had heard her tell Alice, she knew she did not want to be with him in a personal capacity, but he was still her employer.
“What things?”
He walked around the tiny space, unable to meet her gaze. “Do you remember you once asked me why I disliked Amy or did not want to play with her and treat her with love?”
“I remember.”
“I did not give you a proper reply at that moment, but it was mainly because Amy reminded me of Margaret.” He sighed. His gaze was filled with a questioning glance, and Ophelia could see he was seeking understanding within her. “And reminded me of the fact that Margaret died because of me. Hence, seeing her made me feel miserable.”
