The maid stirred and suddenly came awake when she noticed Cordelia and slid from the stool.
“What can I get for you, Miss Cordelia?”
“Nothing, I simply wish to make some tea. Something soothing to help me sleep,” Cordelia explained as she looked around. “Where might I find such tea?”
The maid rushed forward. “Let me see to you.” She took the kettle from Cordelia. “I’ll make a restful tea right away and bring it to your chamber.”
“I can wait.” The maid was shaking her head before Cordelia could finish speaking.
“I was to wait up in case you needed anything.”
Cordelia wouldn’t point out that the maid had been asleep. But she was still in the kitchens, which was sweet. However, people needed to stop worrying about her. She wasn’t so fragile that she wouldn’t recover from the earlier events. She just wished to sleep.
“Are you hungry? You didn’t eat supper and the tray came back without you touching anything on it.”
That’s because she hadn’t opened the door to let the servant in.
And even though she hadn’t eaten since she lunched, Cordelia wasn’t hungry. “I only wish for tea.”
“I’ll see to it right away,” the maid insisted. “Now go to your room and rest.”
As Cordelia didn’t wish to argue with the girl, she did as she was told, but when she reached her chambers, Edward was gone. It was likely he became uncomfortable and found his own bed.
With a sigh, she entered her room to find him sitting in a chair.
“Edward, go to bed.”
“I’m sorry grandfather did that to you.”
“It’s over and done.”
“I know,” he said then hung his head. “I need to tell you what it was like for me.”
Cordelia braced herself. It’s likely she’d be told she was a horrible sister, which she well knew because she hadn’t been a sister at all. At least not like Diana, Miranda, and Adriana.
“I got mad at you when you’d tell me what to do and discipline me and make me read.”
She already knew this. “Get on with it.”
“Our mother was never here. At least I knew you cared,” he admitted quietly. “When I was sick, it was you who would check on me. Mother never knew and grandfather didn’t really care and Adam was too busy.”
Her heart ached for the little boy who had no mother to speak of.
“You irritated me. I’m not going to lie about that. But I also knew that you would take care of me.”
“You don’t need to tell me this, Edward.”
“Yes, I do!” he insisted. “It wasn’t right telling you that you’re no fun and all the other mean things I’ve said. I just didn’t realize that it wasn’t your fault.”
“It’s over now,” she said.
He looked up at her. “But I’m glad you were that way.”
This took her aback.
“You cared more than Mother.”
She was surprised when his eyes watered.
