Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Ophelia rested her back against the tree, comfortably seated on a picnic blanket with her mother. They had decided to bring Amy to the nearby park and the entire house had decided to accompany them; everyone was extremely fond of Amy. As Ophelia stared at all her sisters playing with Amy, she could not help remembering her picnics at the manor where Amy would be crawling about.

Now here, she had several people to play with, and Ophelia could see how the little girl was having the time of her life.

"What are you smiling at, dear?" Her mother, seated right beside her on the blanket asked, and Ophelia shook her head.

"Nothing, Mama," she said. "Just glad to see how Amy is having such a good time with everyone around her. She has no one to play with in London or at the country house except me or if some other servant can find the time during their busy schedule. She usually ends up playing all by herself but now she has everyone around her."

"She is such a beautiful little girl," her mother sighed. "How can anyone not want to make time for her."

"Lady Rosalina is both kind and loving towards Amy and always finds the time to play with her," Ophelia explained, already missing Rosalina a little.

In the past few days, they had become such fast friends that Ophelia felt slightly empty in her absence, hoping to have her around.

"And Lord Cavendish?"

"He remains busy a lot," Ophelia lied, not wanting to portray Edward in a negative light. "He does play with her whenever he finds the time, but he has a lot of work to attend to and can hardly find much time to relax."

"Being an earl is not an easy job after all."

"That is true." Ophelia nodded.

"I have some news for you, dear." Ophelia turned to look at her mother, immediately curious. "I was going to write to you about it, but now that you are here, this is much better."

"Is everything alright, Mother?" Ophelia was worried.

‘Everything is excellent, darling," her mother reassured. "Last week, we found out that the passing of a distant uncle of yours has left us with an inheritance of a very modest sum. It will comfortably hold us and help us, especially since Amelia is already planning to get married soon."

Ophelia was overjoyed at the news, unable to believe her ears.

God worked in mysterious ways indeed.

"Who is the distant Uncle?"

"I have never heard of him, I am afraid," her mother said. "According to the solicitor who visited us, he was an uncle from your father's side, and I have never met him. Although, having no one close, he generously left the money for us."

"Mama, that is excellent news!"

"It is indeed." Her mother laughed "Now you can quit your job and return home since we will be just fine. You must come back home and find a man to marry. You cannot continue working as a nanny forever and ignoring your whole life."

Ophelia was speechless for a few seconds, unable to respond to her mother's requests.

How was she to quit her job and let go of Amy? Even the thought pained her. And how was she going to give up running into Edward every single day? Leaving her job would make it all impossible for her, and Ophelia was not ready for it.

"Quit my job?"

"Yes, darling." Her mother nodded. "You were only working to support us, but the inheritance helped."

"But, Mama," she objected, "I have grown truly attached to Amy in these few weeks, and leaving her will not be an easy feat for me. I do not think I will be able to accomplish that in any capacity. I cannot leave the job, at least."

"Ophelia," her mother sighed, "are you sure the reason behind not leaving your job is Amy alone? Or could there be something else? Something more?"

Her mother's scrutinizing gaze made her vulnerable and exposed, and Ophelia felt as if all the secrets in her heart would come tumbling out, but telling her mother about them would only cause her to worry. Ophelia did not wish for that.

"Nothing more, Mother." She tried to smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Amy is the only reason, of course."

"Then why do I feel like you are hiding something from me?"

Ophelia breathed in deeply, unsure of what to say. All she wanted to do was tell her mother the truth, but that was equivalent to opening the secrets of her heart, and Ophelia did not feel ready for it. Although, if there was someone in the world who could make it easier for her to understand her feelings, it was her mother.

"Mother," she sighed, "it feels as if I have fallen in love."

"Fallen in love?" Her mother looked confused.

"I have fallen in love with Lord Cavendish."

Ophelia stopped for a few seconds, realizing what she had just accepted in front of her mother when she should have just kept it to herself.

"My goodness, Ophelia," her mother sighed. "Have you really?"

"I believe I have, yes." She nodded. "I do not know why or how it happened, but it kept happening, and I had no control over it. One day, he meant nothing to me, but then we began to have conversations about books, and I realized how absolutely intelligent he was. Although, what truly made me fall for him was his changing behaviour with Amy. When at first he hadn't even wished to spend time with her, he was slowly beginning to get better."

"Ophelia, then why do you not tell him?"

"Tell him?" Ophelia laughed humourlessly. "I cannot tell him, Mother."

"And why is that, my dear?"

"I heard him tell someone that he can never love me because I am beneath him regarding social standing. I cannot marry a man or love a man who would never even consider me his equal. Hence, it is best if I simply do not tell him because it will mean nothing to him. He might just make fun of me for dreaming so high."

"Oh, Ophelia." Her mother hugged her from the side.

Ophelia breathed in deeply and lay comfortably on her mother's lap.

"I simply need to fall out of love with him, and everything will be fine."

"Or you can tell him the truth about who you are and that your bloodline is noble as well. He will never see you as anything else but his equal, and you will be able to have everything you want, my darling."

"I do not want a love for which I have to prove the purity of my blood. If he cannot love me for who I am as a person right now, he will never be able to love me."

"I know what you mean, darling," her mother replied, running her hands through Ophelia's hair. "But that does not mean you do not have a shot at happiness."

"I have all the happiness I might need regarding my family and Amy. I do not require his presence in my life to feel happy. I only told you, Mama, so my heart feels a little lighter after sharing it with someone, but please understand, I will get over this love."

"What if you cannot?"

"I have to." Ophelia sat back down. "I do not have another choice but to fall out of love because he will never want me, and I will only be putting myself up for heartbreak by telling him."

Ophelia was sure of her decision, realizing she had taken the right choice.

‘Whatever it is you wish for, my dear, I will always be standing with you."

"Thank you, Mama." Ophelia kissed her mother's hand, already feeling grateful.

She knew she was doing the right thing.