Edward couldn't believe his ears. Just what on earth was this devil woman spouting? His mind relaid what his mother had said: I've been to New York to see my daughter
Daughter. That word meant that he had a sister somewhere. That he was not an only child. A half sister perhaps, even?
No, no, no,no! He couldn't believe her. She must be deceiving him. He didn't trust her word even though Lexa might.
And of course, Lexa would. She doesn't know the true extent of his mother's history. How she betrayed both he and his father. How she abandoned him in Wales with two words: I'm sorry.
Lexa didn't know the extent in which his mother caused his father immense pain. A pain that even after his parents divorced in scandal haunted the two of them til this day.
Edward exhaled. He needed to think carefully about what he would say to his mother. He couldn't be riddled with silly emotions.
"You seemed to have overstayed your welcome, Mrs. Abernathy," he said, calmly.
He would not react in anger towards her. Not in front of his wife.
Charlotte smiled, looking pleased with herself. She then stood up and bowed respectful to Lexa. "Lady Douro, I do hope to see you again."
Lexa merely nodded. She would not say anything. She couldn't say anything. Not with everything that unfold before her. And Edward. She glanced up at her husband. His eyes are unreadable and narrowed. He walked and escorted his mother out of the library and as Lexa watched him, she wondered what he could possibly be thinking of.
It must have been a shock to him. To hear that all of a sudden that he had a sister, a half sister even. Lexa was now curious more than ever. She wondered who this mysterious sister was.
Of course, being Lexa, she had her suspicions on Phoebe Abernathy for a while. After all, Phoebe's resemblance to Edward was uncanny. However there was no way to be sure.
Shortly after awhile, Edward returned his expression grim.
Lexa rose from her spot, and cautiously came towards him. She feared that he was no in the mood for petty conversation.
Silence reigned as the air in the room, thicken with tension. It was almost stifling.
Then Edward exhaled and looked at her, his dark hazel eyes boring into her grey ones.
"I don't think I can believe her," he finally said. "About having a sister, I mean."
"But do you think it's true?" Lexa inquired.
Edward's shoulders slumped, "I don't think so. I've long lost any form of trust toward my mother."
"What of your father?" Lexa asked. His Grace was currently out in the city.
at the mention of his father, Edward did wonder. What would his father say? After all, he was the one who was betrayed by his mother. It was not surprising if this was the outcome of his mother's treachery. He just hoped that the poor girl who was his supposed sister lived separately from his mother. Or else, she would be living a world of pain.
"I'm not sure if my father is aware of this," Edward said to Lexa. "However, if he is. He has not mentioned to me.
"Your family is far complicated then I thought," Lexa mused. Her eyes were oddly sparkly. "Now we need to uncover who this mysterious sister is."
"I believe that doing that would me meddlesome," Edward said eying wife.
"Why ever not?" Lexa asked him.
Edward gave her a stern look. " I do not believe it. I cannot believe it."
"What if its true, what then?" Lexa inquired.
Edward shook his head. "It can't be true. because I know my mother," Edward reminded her, "she is a walking disaster."
"Now that is merely silly," Lexa countered.
Edward just looked at her as if he was say no, it's not. He pursed his lips and said, in a matter fact tone, "I do fear that we may have to counsel my father."
Lexa thought of the duke. She did hope that he wouldn't react terribly when she mentions Charlotte. When she last mentioned Edward's mother, His Grace's disposition turned on a dime when she mentioned his former wife.
"Is that wise?" She asked, concerned, "I fear His Grace will be displeased with us."
"He will," Edward affirmed. "If anything, my father despised my father far greater than I do."
Lexa shook her head. This animosity would get nowhere. However, it was not her place to confer criticism. She knew that she recently married into the Wellesley family and that there was a complicated history she won't completely understand. She did hope she would someday.
Looking at her husband, Lexa decided and said, "perhaps we ought to go out for bit. What do you say?"
Edward raised an eyebrow to his wife. Lexa merely waited for an answer.
"I'll stay," he decided.
"Very well," said Lexa, "I'll be going to visit Caroline."
Edward merely nodded at his wife and Lexa wearing her hat and coat departed Drumbroke Manor to visit Caroline. Miss Lyons followed at her mistress's heel.
Caroline was in a worse state due to her condition. Once Lexa had entered the drawing room of Hereford Houseâafter announcing herself to the butlerâher dear friend looked pale and resting on her hair.
"Ricks been trying to get me to eat, Lexa," Caroline said, "but I find it far too difficult."
"My poor dear," Lexa cried to her friend, "You must eat for your baby."
"I know," Caroline replied, feeling melancholy,
Seeing her dear friend in such a state, Lexa couldn't comfort her. She didn't understand Caroline's condition, but Dora did.
Dora did.
Lexa's eyes sparked with recognition. Of course Dora did. Dora had two children with Lord Arthur.
"Have you confided in Dora?" Lexa asked Caroline.
Caroline felt bitter. "Our dear friend had left for the Continent."
"Had she?" Lexa asked.
The last she had seen Dora was after the wedding, where Dora wished her the best in her marriage and departed the wedding breakfast with her husband. Lexa merely believed that Dora had returned home.
"What of Lady Hereford?" Lexa asked.
Caroline was bitter yet again, "Beatrice is visiting Annabel in Ireland."
Lexa sighed, she felt she was running out of opinions. "What of your mother?"
Caroline pursed her lips. The mention of her mother held complicated feelings. Lexa decided she would not ask. "I wouldn't want to impose my worries on my dear Mama."
"Do not worry," Lexa reassured her. "I pray that it get better."
Caroline's mood was far low and the atmosphere was gloomy. When the maid entered the drawing room with the tea, she was startled to see her mistress in such low spirits. The maid eyed Lexa suspiciously as if to accuse her for the cause.
Lexa decided to tell Caroline about Charlotte. "I've met Edward's mother, you know."
Immediately, Caroline looked up, forgetting her gloom and inquired, her green eyes sparkling, "Edwards mother?"
"I never knew of her before," Lexa confessed. "Edward even claimed her as dead, when I asked."
"And she is alive?" Caroline asked as she ate a biscuit.
"Very much so." Lexa asked, as she recalled those cold and bitter blue eyes.
"There must have been a reason for that,"
Caroline told her.
"There was," Lexa mused.
"And what was your impression with the Duchess of Wellington?"
Lexa shook her head at the error of Charlotte's. From what she obeserved, Charlotte believed she still lay claimed to the title of marchioness even those she had remarried.
"She is not a duchess," Lexa said.
Caroline looked Lexa in confusion. Lexa could understand why Caroline was confused. So Lexa elaborated, "She is now a Mrs. Abernathy."
"Mrs. Abernathy? Is she related to the Abernathys from America?"
"Do you mean Miss Phoebe Abernathy?" asked Lexa.
When Caroline nodded, Lexa shook her head. "No."
The minute she said no, something clicked in her head. Abernathy. Why was Charlotte an Abernathy? Is she somewhat related to Phoebe? This was a new question in an already messy family web. But she felt that she was getting close to the truth.
"I do fear," Lexa said to Caroline, "that I may have unwinded something."
"I believe," Caroline said in return, "that I've found a family far more complicated than mine."
Caroline took a skip of her tea. She chuckled and mused amusedly in good humour about the situation.