Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

A s she stepped out of her room the following day, Juliet nearly collided with the three children that raced down the hallway.

Leila had woken her earlier, stating that her stepmother had requested she prepare for a trip to the modiste that afternoon to find a suitable wedding dress.

The thought of getting married still left a sour taste in Juliet’s mouth, but she knew that her opposition to the marriage would not be entertained. She begrudgingly resolved to stifle her resentment and spend the day behaving as amicably as possible.

Except she hadn’t expected to finally meet her stepsiblings today of all days. The eldest, a girl of about twelve with bright eyes and dark hair, stopped short and stared at her with unabashed curiosity.

“You must be our sister Juliet.” she said, fiddling with the hem of her gown.

Juliet nodded, taken aback by their sudden appearance. “Yes, I am. You should drop your gown before your mother sees you.”

Her half-sister quickly smiled and did as she was told.

“You must be Isabella, Colin, and Thomas.”

She had heard their mother speak of them to their governess, mostly complaining about how the boys were often involved in one shenanigan or the other.

Isabella beamed. “That is right! I am Isabella, and these are my brothers, Colin,” she pointed at her immediate brother’s chest, “and that’s Thomas.”

Colin was a ten-year-old boy who bore a striking resemblance to Lord Campton.

He stepped forward confidently. “What was it like living in a nunnery? Did you have to pray all day?”

Thomas, the youngest at eight, piped up eagerly, “Did you ever see any ghosts? I have heard that nunneries are haunted.”

Juliet couldn’t hold back an amused smile at their barrage of questions.

“It was…different. We did pray a lot, but there was more to it than that. And no, I never saw any ghosts.”

Colin looked disappointed. “Oh, that is a shame. I thought it would be more exciting.”

Isabella shot her brother a reproachful look. “Colin! Do not be rude. I’m sure it was not easy for Juliet.”

Juliet appreciated Isabella’s attempt to defend her. “Thank you, Isabella. It was sometimes challenging, but I made some good friends there.”

Thomas’s eyes widened with excitement. “Did you have any adventures? Did you ever sneak out at night?”

Juliet laughed softly. “No, we did not sneak out, but we did have some other interesting and entertaining experiences such as singing, gardening, embroidery, and even concocting herbal mixes for good health. I will tell you all about them if you’d like.”

Isabella clapped her hands together. “Oh, please do! We would love to hear all your stories.”

Of the three, Colin was the one who had the most complicated questions for her. He tilted his head, studying Juliet with a thoughtful expression. “Why did you come back then?”

“I came back because Father sent for me.”

“Are you going to stay here forever now?” asked Isabella. “Mother barely has any time for me, and I can never keep up with the boys and their mischievous games.”

The young girl’s face dimmed slightly as she leaned closer to Juliet and whispered, “But I heard Mother say you are to be married. Is your betrothed really a duke?”

Of course, she told you, Juliet sighed to herself.

Juliet winked but didn’t respond to Isabella’s hushed inquiry. She glanced at the hopeful faces of her half-siblings, feeling a warmth she hadn’t expected. “I am not yet sure how long I will stay. But for now, I will be here.”

I will be here at least one more day.

Isabella took a step closer, her expression softening. “I hope you stay. We have always wanted to meet you.”

Juliet’s heart ached at their innocent words. Despite her initial wariness, the children’s curiosity and openness began to thaw her reservations.

She reached out and gently ruffled Thomas’s hair. “Well, we have plenty of time to get to know each other.”

Colin’s face lit up. “Can you tell us more about the nunnery? What did you do for fun?”

Juliet chuckled, feeling at ease with these little ones. “Certainly. But first, let us go downstairs and have breakfast.”

As they made their way to the dining room, the children bombarded Juliet with more questions.

Their lively chatter filled the air, and Juliet visibly relaxed. She relished the thought that there could be moments of joy and connection along this unfamiliar path her life had taken.

“Should I share with you some of my…shall we say adventures in the convent?”

All three of them clapped excitedly and moved closer to her to catch every word. “I know you’ve all heard stories about the nunnery being quiet and boring, but that is untrue. When I first arrived, I was a novice and did not know the rules.”

“Colin isn’t fond of rules at all,” Isabella accused her brother.

“Rules are boring!” Colin cried back, looking offended.

“Easy now, or I’ll stop,” cautioned Juliet which silenced the children.

“Well, there were others like me who simply could not resist the temptation to test some of the said rules,” she continued. “One evening, after Vespers, we gathered in secret, armed with nothing but candles and strong determination to have fun.”

The kids giggled, and Juliet nodded.

“At first, we were merely going to explore the nunnery. Old places carry a lot of secrets and stories, so we thought we would find something interesting, and we did. We had heard rumors about a treasure hidden somewhere behind the altar, and although we were doubtful, much like Thomas from the bible, it seemed like it was at least worth looking into.”

“Did you find anything?” Thomas questioned, eyes wide with anticipation.

“We did find some loose stones behind the altar and managed to pull them out. You can imagine our surprise when it revealed a staircase!”

“Unbelievable!” Colin gasped.

“Yes, yes…it was right there,” Juliet added.

“Did you find out where it led?” Thomas adjusted himself in his seat, his gaze solely on Juliet.

“We did,” Juliet wetted their eager minds. “We could hear water splashing as we went deeper, but that did nothing to stop us. We had to see what was below, and we eventually got to the bottom. Would you like to guess what we found?”

“A treasure,” shouted Colin.

“A pirate!” Isabella shouted.

Only Thomas looked on helplessly. “What did you find, Juliet?”

“We found a box,” Juliet explained. “Now, its contents could certainly be seen as treasures, but it is no fun if I tell you the entire story in one sitting. I will tell you the rest of it some other time.”

A collective groan of frustration erupted from the three of them.

“Maybe we can have our own adventures here,” Thomas suggested, his voice filled with excitement.

Juliet smiled, feeling a sense of belonging she hadn’t expected to find. “Perhaps we can, Thomas. Perhaps we can.”

“Isn’t it lovely?” Isabella’s voice rang out as she entered the room, her eyes widening at Juliet standing before the mirror in a stunning white dress.

Juliet turned slightly and smiled at her half-sister. “Do you really think so?”

The modiste, a petite woman with a keen eye for detail, clucked her tongue approvingly. “Indeed, Lady Isabella. Your sister has exquisite taste. This gown beautifully accentuates her natural grace.”

Isabella nodded eagerly. “Yes, it is exquisite, Juliet. You look like a fairy tale princess.”

Young Isabella carefully ran her fingers along the fabric as Juliet giggled. “Thank you. I must admit, I do like it very much as well.”

Just then, the door creaked open, and the Countess entered.

Her brows were up with their usual air of superiority. She cast a critical eye over Juliet as she pursed her lips.

“The gown would be perfect if she had more flesh on her bones. Don’t you think so?” She turned to the modiste.

The modiste couldn’t find a reasonable response for the Lady. Instead, she focused on adjusting a flap on the gown.

Juliet’s smile faltered, but she held her composure. Like the modiste, she chose to ignore the rude comment. She focused on her reflection in the mirror, appreciating how the fabric draped elegantly over her curves. In truth, she wondered how she’d managed to fill out the dress so perfectly.

The fabric felt snug in all the right places, clinging to her body in a way that accentuated the curves she had never been keenly aware of before.

“Your mother was quite thin as well. Your father told me how much he worried for her and her health…even before her unfortunate demise,” Dinah added when it became obvious Juliet did not intend to respond. Juliet’s gaze wandered around the shop as though she was looking for something to pique her interest. “It is truly a shame that she could not bear witness to your marriage. If only she had not been so ill…”

“It is unfair to speak about my mother as though you knew her,” Juliet snapped, her heart beating tightly within a flurry of confused emotion. “She…she was beautiful. I had always thought she was beautiful, both inside and out, up until her very last moments.”

Dinah seemed surprised by Juliet’s cold response and wisely decided to move away wordlessly. As the modiste tried to show her some fabrics she might like, she wrinkled her nose haughtily.

Juliet stared at her reflection in the mirror, willing herself not to be consumed by the anger and hurt she felt brewing within her. She had suspected that the Countess did not like her, but she had never imagined that the woman would stoop so low as to dishonor someone who had long since passed.

Her heartless words reminded Juliet of one of the reasons why she had been so hesitant to return to London.

There was nothing left for her in London but grief. The pain of loss which had haunted her for a long time after her mother died. The pain of abandonment which still echoed in her very being when she recalled the callous way in which her father had left her at the nunnery. The pain of betrayal when he’d reappeared in her life eleven years later, only to pawn her off into a business deal driven marriage.

Even when she had resolved to be civil, others were still intent on getting under her skin and hurting her.

“I think you look very pretty,” Isabella said, still running her hands over the gown with an awestruck expression.

Dinah tutted in disapproval from where she stood. “What would a mere child know?”

“Beautiful, I must say.” Lord Campton walked into the dressing room, admiring his daughter.

“Father agrees as well!” Isabella cheered with childlike innocence.

The Countess flashed a warning glare at her daughter. “Never mind, my Moon. What brings you here?”

Algernon cleared his throat. “Ladies, if you would give us a moment, I need to speak with Juliet alone.”

The modiste quickly gathered her tools and curtsied, exiting the room with a promise to return later. Dinah followed suit with a final disparaging glance at her husband, dragging along a reluctant Isabella as she left the room.

Once the door had been closed, Algernon motioned towards the long settee. “You will be a lovely bride.”

Juliet took a seat at the far end, making it obvious that she held no desire to be close to her father. He cleared his throat nervously once he’d realized she was not going to speak.

“I…I am sorry. I know this is difficult for you, but it is in everyone’s best interests.” Algernon said.

Juliet remained silent, her eyes fixed on the floor. She was in no mood for another argument, but the lingering resentment she felt for her father chewed at her from the inside out.

When Lord Campton continued looking at her, she forced herself to speak. “I understand.”

“But do you? This had to happen. Contrary to what you might think, it had nothing to do with money,” Algernon said. “The Duke approached me first. He was the one who requested your hand with the promise of settling our business problems. I had despaired over the fact that I would likely never find you a suitor at all, certainly not one willing to marry a woman affiliated with that scandalous nunnery. His offer was too good to pass up.”

He must think me still a na?ve child.

“Not for money? If it wasn’t for money, I am at a loss to know what your motivations were to give your daughter’s hand to a stranger. Please indulge me, Father. You claim this was all for my benefit, so why did you dispose of me after Mother died? Was that too for my benefit?”

Algernon flinched.

“Juliet,” he began helplessly, “I was hurting too. Your mother’s death…it was a blow I could hardly bear.”

Juliet stared at him, her expression hardening.

“Did you think I was not struggling to endure the same blow? She was my mother . I watched her fall to her death! Rather than staying close to me, so we could heal from our loss together, you tossed me away when I needed you the most. And now you have brought me back, only to promptly send me away again .”

She sniffed. “What did I ever do to you?”

Algernon’s silence spoke volumes. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Juliet let out a bitter laugh and shook her head. “I question why I ever try to speak with you; it always turns out the same.”

They fell into an uncomfortable silence that was heavy with the deep, painful words that had been left unsaid.

Lord Campton took a step forward, his face tight with regret. “I thought…I did what was best. For both of us.”

Juliet’s gaze softened slightly although her hurt would never be gone.

“Maybe one day, you’ll realize that what’s best for us isn’t always what’s easiest for you .” That said, she stood up and walked away, her heart aching as she did.