Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"You two shall not worry about anything because I will be right ahead of the carriage," Edward said for the one-hundredth time, his words forcing Ophelia and Rosalina to stare at one another with a knowing glance, "If you need anything, all you must do is stop me."

"We understand very well, Edward," Rosalina sighed. "You must stop worrying so much."

Why was he worrying so much? Ophelia was unsure. Now that they were supposed to depart for London, Edward had decided to ride for a few hours while Rosalina, Ophelia, and Amy were travelling by carriage. Lady Alice had already returned to London a day earlier, being summoned by her family urgently as she had accompanied Rosalina to see Edward without informing anyone except her housekeeper.

Ophelia was certainly glad about that.

She would not have been able to tolerate Lady Alice's company for an entire carriage ride and was glad that she was not expected to either. She and Rosalina had reached an initial stage of friendship, and Ophelia was beginning to feel comfortable, but no such relationship had been established with Lady Alice.

"I shall not worry further," he said, nodding and opening the carriage door as Rosalina stepped inside.

Ophelia handed Amy to Rosalina, who easily cradled the little girl in her arms. Amy had already grown a fondness for Rosalina and was beginning to enjoy her company. Edward extended his hand towards Ophelia, who took it, stepped carefully on the steps, and settled inside the carriage. Her hand tingled with that familiar feeling of touch, but Ophelia made sure to keep all emotions at bay. She could not feel anything for Edward.

Especially not after seeing him with Lady Alice.

That had been an excellent reminder for Ophelia that Edward was expected only to share any and all relations with noble women who aligned with his own status. Ophelia was just the help, and she needed to remember that.

"Thank you, Edward," Rosalina called out just before the carriage door closed, "we shall see you in London now."

Edward nodded before walking away, leaving Rosalina, Ophelia, and Amy all alone in the carriage. Amy burst into laughter, making both Rosalina and Ophelia laugh alongside her, with no hints of tension or awkwardness in the carriage. Rosalina made Ophelia feel like she was back home with her sisters, the comfort being delightful.

"Isn't this going to be Amy's first time in London?" Ophelia asked.

"Oh no." Rosalina shook her head, still playing with Amy, "Amy was born in London because that is where Margaret lived with her husband. Edward came to London at the birth, which was followed by Margaret's death, and he brought Amy with him to the country because that is where he resided, and it is indeed the best place for bringing up a child."

Ophelia realized how much she still did not know about Amy, her past, and her parents. All she knew was that both her parents had died, but no one had told her the reasons behind it. It was still very much a mystery, and Ophelia had no desire to seem nosy by asking too many questions.

She would find out when the time was right, but as of now, she simply needed to make sure Amy was well taken care of.

"How about you, Ophelia?"

"What about me?" she asked, realizing she had not been focusing.

"When was the last time you were in London?"

"Oh, me?" Ophelia sighed, "Six years ago."

She felt sick at the thought of returning after so much had changed. It was true no one was going to recognize her, considering she had not interacted with the ton in such a long time, but it was still a little overwhelming. A part of her might long for her old life, and Ophelia did not want to be unnecessarily upset over such a little thing.

However, if she only kept reminding herself that she was here for Amy, things might turn out to be just fine.

It was only a few days, after all.

"Six years, my goodness! You must be excited to be there again."

I wish I could agree.

"London is a rather happening place to be at," Ophelia agreed, unsure how to answer.

"Did you ever reside there? Or have you always lived in the country?"

"I have mostly lived in the country with my family, but we did visit London from time to time," Ophelia answered, unable to construct lies.

Rosalina was friendly and open towards her, and Ophelia did not have the heart to deceive her with lies. Hence, she tried to keep her replies as close to the truth as possible, even if that was causing her to stumble on her thoughts. She needed to make sure she did not say something to make Rosalina suspicious of her identity.

"Mrs Bailey mentioned that you are from Kent?"

"Hasti–" Ophelia began speaking but quickly stopped herself, realizing her mistake. "I meant yes, I have always lived in Kent with my family."

Rosalina nodded slowly, making Ophelia wonder if she had noticed the slip of her tongue.

"Are you feeling quite alright, Ophelia? You seem nervous."

"Oh," Ophelia sighed, extending her arms towards Amy, who was beginning to jump up and down in Rosalina's lap, "I am not nervous, I can assure you."

Amy immediately came into Ophelia's arms, settling down once again.

"If you are worried about London, let me tell you that it is still as wonderful as it must have been for you six years ago. You will enjoy the social scene, the people, the beginning of the Season, and the beauty of everything."

Ophelia smiled, wishing with all her heart to be as away from the social scene as possible. The very thought of being in the midst of it nauseated her, but she nodded subtly, as if in complete understanding. If Rosalina wanted to comfort her, it was all the better for Ophelia, who wished to hide the true reason behind her nerves anyway.

"I have no doubts about it." She smiled, softly stroking Amy's head.

"And I promise I will talk to Edward about giving you more time off so you can do some sightseeing and have a good time outside of the manor!"

That is the last thing I want.

"Oh, that is entirely unnecessary," Ophelia said quickly, the very idea sounding horrible. "The Earl is already very kind and lenient towards me. I am sure he will consider this himself without you having to put in a good word for me. I do not mean to offend him."

"If you do not want me to talk to him, I shall not," Rosalina agreed, good-naturedly, "but I will not let you be without taking you out myself and making sure we go to the museums, Hyde Park, and the lake."

"All of that sounds lovely," Ophelia lied, maintaining her smile.

Lying to Rosalina made Ophelia feel exceedingly guilty, but she had no choice. She had been hoping to stay confined inside Edward's townhouse and, more specifically, in the nursery just to be sure she did not come in contact with anyone who might recognize her. Rosalina, on the other hand, was determined to do the exact opposite.

"I wish I had found you earlier, Ophelia," Rosalina sighed, "finding women in the ton who might turn out to be good friends is extremely difficult since everyone competes to make the best matches. You are lucky not to be subjected to that sort of cruelty."

"But you have Lady Alice."

"Alice?" Rosalina scoffed. "We have never been friends. She only tries to come close to me so she can get close to Edward."

"But she and Lord Cavendish seem to share a friendship already."

Ophelia knew she should not be making such remarks since it was not her place to be asking private questions. Although, Rosalina did not seem to notice or mind, and Ophelia really wanted to know the truth behind their relationship. She had no right to be jealous but still could not control her emotions when Edward was concerned.

"They are not friends. Not even one bit." Rosalina shook her head. "Alice tries to keep close to Edward or somehow be seen with him so she can convince him to court her. She had her eyes set on him, considering he is the most eligible bachelor of the ton."

Ophelia felt her heart shattering at the thought of Edward courting Alice.

What if he does begin courting her? Or what if he already is?

"But he is never going to court her," Rosalina added, as if reading Ophelia's mind. "She keeps deluding herself, believing that someday he might when she should focus her energy on someone else."

"Why won't he court her?"

Ophelia felt her question was rude, but Rosalina simply shrugged, her eyes closed as she rested comfortably in her seat. She hoped that the forwardness of her question would simply be marked by mere curiosity as her position as the nanny. Rosalina hardly seemed to be suspicious of Ophelia in any way, and she wished to keep it like that.

She had really come to enjoy Rosalina's company and had no desire to let go of her.

"I do not know really," Rosalina replied, "but Edward is extremely particular and has never shown any interest in Alice. I am certain he has no feelings towards her and has never even thought about her in this manner."

Ophelia felt her heart calming down at Rosalina's words, and she rested her head against the carriage wall, closing her eyes. Amy had already fallen asleep in her lap, and Ophelia, too, felt slightly tired, the speed of the carriage lulling her. The simple news of Edward not being interested in Alice was enough to give her comfort, and before she realized what was happening, darkness took over.

"Ophelia?"

Edward's arms were around her, holding her tightly as they stood in one another's embrace. The warmth of his touch was so beautiful that Ophelia had no desire to let go of it.

"Ophelia!"

She tried turning her head away from the voice pulling her out of Edward's arms when her head softly hit the wall, and her eyes opened immediately.

It was just a dream.

Ophelia blinked quickly, realizing the carriage had stopped, and Rosalina sat before her, appearing amused.

"Sounds like you were having a good dream." She chuckled, and Ophelia turned scarlet, hoping she had not said anything that might be wrong.

"I do not remember what it was about," she lied, but Rosalina did not press her for any details.

"Well, now that you are awake, we have reached London."

Ophelia looked through the open carriage window and saw a beautiful townhouse before her eyes. They had indeed reached London, and she was certainly not looking forward to it.