Chapter 8

The carriage came to a halt in front of a shop selling delicate wedding gloves, and Bridget and Olivia eagerly stepped inside. As they delicately felt the soft fabrics, they engaged in hearty conversation.

"It's great that we finally get to spend some time together to do some girly things!" Bridget exclaimed, her smile radiant, as they finally were a good distance away from the men.

Olivia nodded excitedly. "Oh, let's take a break from wedding shopping!" Her eyes gleamed with anticipation as she spoke, "There's a newly opened dessert place nearby."

Bridget's nose twitched slightly, and she shook her head slowly. "I have to be honest," she began, her voice tinged with a hint of awkwardness, "I don't really enjoy desserts."

Surprise filled Olivia's face as she responded, "Really? You're not a fan of desserts?" Her shock only grew as Bridget shook her head again. She exclaimed, "Are you serious? You don't like pies or cookies? None of that?"

Bridget chuckled, feeling a tad uncomfortable under her sister-in-law-to-be's wide-eyed gaze. "It's really not my style," she confessed.

Olivia's surprise lingered as she spoke, "Goodness, never have I heard that before!"

The tense feeling in Bridget's stomach grew. The last thing she wanted was to let her dislike of desserts dampen their plans.

She quickly reassured Olivia, "Not to worry! It's completely all right if you really want to visit the dessert place. I'll come along and keep you company. We can still have a great time!"

"No, no, no." With a warm smile, Olivia shook her head at Bridget's offer. "I would not want you to be in a place where you won't enjoy yourself merely for my sake."

The women exchanged warm smiles, and their eyes were filled with understanding as they returned to perusing the exquisite fabrics before them.

"Feast your eyes on this!" Olivia's attention was almost immediately captivated by a vibrant fabric, and she couldn't help but exclaim in delight.

"Oh, my dear lady Bridget," she spoke excitedly, her eyes darting from the cloth to Bridget's skin. "I believe this would be absolutely splendid on your fair complexion!"

Bridget's features contorted into a slight grimace once again, catching Olivia's observant gaze.

Concerned, Olivia inquired, "Oh dear, do you not fancy this either?"

Bridget let out a nervous laugh, her voice tinged with a touch of self-consciousness. "Well, no," she confessed. "This fabric does not align with my personal taste. Bright colors are not to my liking."

Her mind traveled elsewhere as she reminisced with a small bittersweet smile. "I much prefer the elegance of muted tones. This fabric, though undeniably beautiful, would make me stand out quite prominently, and I… do not relish such attention."

Olivia's eyes widened in surprise, taking a moment to absorb her words. Soon after, she quickly recovered, her warm smile returning.

"My goodness, it appears we are quite dissimilar in our sartorial preferences," Bridget observed.

She hesitated for a moment before continuing, her voice filled with genuine easiness. "But then again, none of that really matters. Everyone is unique and different. It doesn't change anything between us."

"I know, I know," Olivia said. "It's just, you're so beautiful, so I'm a little surprised, is all."

Bridget laughed and cocked her head to the side, observing Olivia.

Olivia quickly raised a hand to her face. "Oh my, I've gone and done it again, haven't I?"

Bridget shook her head, still laughing. "No, no. I apologize. It's just… I know I look all right, but compared to the other ladies of the ton, I certainly would not call myself a beauty. So, I found it amusing that you thought of me in that way. I assure you, you have said nothing wrong. It was just unexpected.

"I know the way the other women of the ton view me, my choices, and my lifestyle choices. I mean, a lady who hates desserts and bright dresses? I'm practically the devil personified."

Olivia giggled uncontrollably. It was such a lovely sight, Bridget found herself smiling too.

Olivia was like a bright rainbow on a rainy day. It was hard to feel gloomy around someone as kind and as alive as she was.

"Well, it's their loss," Olivia said when she collected herself. "And I do think you're wrong. You're an absolute beauty, and I won't hear another word to the contrary."

Bridget beamed. "Why, thank you, My Lady. You're too kind. I'd try to remember this the next time I see my reflection in a mirror."

With a gentle touch, Olivia took hold of Bridget's hand in hers. Her voice was soft and filled with sincerity as she said, "I would really like it if we could address each other by our given names from this moment forward."

Bridget's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

Olivia's expression shifted, and her confidence was replaced by a shy vulnerability. "Only if that's all right with you, of course." She let go of Bridget's hand, fidgeting with her own. "I would never wish to overstep any boundaries. Please don't feel pressured to agree. I only spoke because I've never had a sister and?—"

"No, it's not a problem at all. I'd really like that." Bridget's smile was bright as she took Olivia's hand in hers. "As future sisters-in-law, it would be great for us to have a closer relationship."

Olivia's face lit up with joy, a radiant smile touching her lips. "Thank you," she said, her voice filled with gratitude, then a shy hesitation overcame her before she added, "Bridget."

Bridget couldn't contain her laughter, and she wiggled her eyebrows as she responded, "You're most welcome." A playful glint danced in her eyes as she paused before adding, "Olivia."

The two women burst into fits of giggles, stifling their laughter with their hands.

As they proceeded with shopping, Bridget couldn't help but feel a growing tenderness for her soon-to-be sister-in-law. The contrast between them was stark, as different as night and day. Yet, none of that hindered the love Bridget felt growing.

As they perused the shops, she couldn't help but marvel at Olivia's impeccable taste in the latest and best fashions, and even the shop attendants praised her knowledge. The delicate laces, elegant silhouettes, and soft pastel hues of her choices were all quintessentially "ladylike."

Olivia was flawlessly attuned to a world that Bridget had never quite embraced and only ever admired from afar. Still, what struck Bridget the most was her unwavering kindness and acceptance. Not once did Olivia make Bridget feel out of place or odd due to their differing interests.

In the midst of it all, Bridget couldn't help but reflect on her own upbringing. Her adventurous spirit and unconventional hobbies had often clashed with her father's expectations.

As she observed Olivia, she began to see the daughter her father had wished for—a woman of grace, poise, and gentle manners.

Perhaps her father wouldn't be as quarrelsome as he was if life had given him the perfect daughter he had wished for.

As they walked arm in arm, her heart continued to swell with affection for Olivia. Bridget marveled at her ability to interact in just the way expected of a refined lady and do so with ease.

Her ability to effortlessly blend in and her unwavering kindness towards others had the entire shop at her beck and call in minutes.

At last, they settled into a cozy corner of the shop, waiting for their picks to be packaged for them to take home.

Olivia turned to Bridget and smiled, but her eyes seemed to carry a weight behind them. She stayed quiet, and her gaze turned distant when she looked away again, her eyes telling of sadness and longing.

Bridget leaned in, able to tell there was something on her mind. But before she could ask, Olivia turned to her again and spoke, her voice filled with raw vulnerability.

"My parents, they were a true love match—everyone who knew them testifies of it." She sighed. "But when I was five years old, tragedy struck. My father fell gravely ill, and despite the best efforts of the physicians and our loved ones, he passed away."

Despite her dry eyes, her expression gave away the pain. "In the years that followed, my mother was consumed by her grief. She withdrew from the world, drowning in her sorrow." Her tone turned softer. "I can barely remember much still, but I recall being a mere child and finding myself lost in the wake of her anguish."

Bridget's heart ached as she listened. She reached out, gently placing her hand on Olivia's, offering comfort and support. It had been a sudden surprise when Olivia began, but now, Bridget felt a warm gratitude for having Olivia confide in her.

Olivia bit her lip as she continued, her words heavy with the weight of her past. "Abel shouldered the burden of our family's responsibilities at the tender age of ten and five."

A bittersweet smile lifted the corner of her lips as she went on. "He became both an elder brother and a father figure to me, caring for me when our mother was unable to. In her darkest moments, he even forbade me from seeing her, for her well-being and mine."

She let out a small laugh. "It wasn't at all easy. I wasn't always this… collected. I remember jumping on him and gnawing at his face for refusing to let me step into our mother's room."

Her laughter faded to a smile. "The servants had to pull me off him. I left bite marks all over. His eyes watered, but never once did he cry."

While her words hung in the air, a profound silence fell over the room. Bridget's eyes fixed on her, her heart swelling with empathy as she witnessed the raw emotions etched on the young woman's face.

Olivia's eyes glistened, a sharp pain evident within them. Yet, she pushed on, speaking with a delicate strength. "As I grew older, my tears lessened to match my brother's as well. I was but a child, too young to truly comprehend the depths of my family's losses, after all."

Her gaze was distant as she went on, "My mother, she became a mere specter in my life. I never truly knew her, and thus, till now, I cannot truly weep for her absence." She hesitated. "There are moments, though, when I wonder what it would have been like to grow up with a mother's love."

A sigh escaped her lips as she continued, her eyes searching Bridget's face for understanding. "But you see, Abel stepped in and filled that void. He shielded me from the emptiness of a mother's absence. His love and care filled the void in my heart. I am forever grateful for his unwavering presence."

As Olivia's heartfelt words resonated in the room, Bridget's eyes widened softly as the realization of the reason for Olivia's random outpouring came to her.

She couldn't deny that she found herself taken aback by the depth of the young woman's revelations.

Olivia's eyes searched hers for a moment more, and then a gentle smile lifted her lips as she nudged Bridget's arm in a playful manner.

"Your face tells me you've caught on to why I'm sharing all this. I share these intimate details with you because I know you have seen my brother from a different perspective." She chuckled and shook her head. "Yes, he may appear cold and unfeeling at times, but there is a reason behind his stoic demeanor, as you now know."

Olivia's expression held a plea as she took Bridget's hand in hers. "Bridget, this is a man who has endured hardships that have shaped him into the Duke he is today, a man who had to survive against all odds, all alone."

She sighed. "Believe me, I know that he is difficult, and I understand that most of the time, he makes it hard for one to empathize with him, to coexist with him. He has acknowledged this multiple times himself as well, and I know it barely shows, but he tries."

Her eyes remained pleading. "He does try. He just needs a bit more grace than anyone else. The truth is, the reason he seems so cold and detached is because… well, he still believes the only way to survive this world is to remain that lonely little boy, keeping his tears at bay, pretending he's not in pain as well."

The silence that followed Olivia's words was heavy.

Bridget's gaze softened as she absorbed these revelations, her perception of the Duke shifting in an instant.

The layers of his guarded nature began to unravel before her eyes, and as she pictured his younger years, she felt the back of her throat tighten.

She reached out, placing her hand gently over his sister's as she flashed her an understanding smile.

"Olivia, I see him now," she murmured, her voice filled with newfound comprehension. "From now on, I shall endeavor to be more understanding towards him, to look beyond the annoying facade he presents." She smiled a tad more as she patted Olivia's hand gently. "For his sake and yours."