Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
“Anew day has dawned, and with it come boundless possibilities.” Were the words that Isobel mumbled at daybreak to motivate herself to leave her bed.
Her mother used to say that a lot, whenever she struggled with any of her lessons.
Isobel harbored many worries of insignificance in comparison to her wonderful older siblings.
Margaret was immensely graceful and skilled, Catherine bore impressive intelligence, and Graham had the heart of a warrior, brave and bold.
She had cherished them as a young child, desiring nothing more than to be a young ‘un they could be proud of, but she was far too clumsy, unsure of herself.
One morning, she had refused to venture out of her room, confining herself to a day spent underneath her sheets as she wallowed in self-pity.
Mary Lennox, her mother, had come in with a bowl of warm soup that she had coaxed Isobel to eat sweetly.
Because she could never refuse her parents anything, it had not taken Isobel too long to lose her resolve, and as she held the warm bowl in her hands and ate the delicious contents, she was thankful she had relented.
Her mother had brushed her hair gently as she ate, speaking to her so softly that it felt as though her words were being whispered directly into her mind.
“Ye dinnae have tae try sae hard, my love. We all see yer efforts, and we appreciate that. Dinnae feel as though ye have anything tae prove. Ye are bright and wonderful, and that is all we could ever want from ye.” Mary told her, the light tugs of the brush bristles over her dark blonde hair, sending a soothing sensation through her.
“But… I want more. For myself. I do want tae make ye proud. I do want tae alleviate whatever concerns ye may have over my well-being. I know that ye… worry. I worry as well, because the things I am meant tae learn dinnae seem sae difficult at first. But then, as time goes on, I begin tae struggle. I dinnae know if I can go on, Mama.” Isobel confessed, her belly full and warm, yet her heart remained at a state of unrest.
“Well, my love, that is what life is aboot.
It's filled wi' countless obstacles that ye need tae face in order tae move forward wi' yer life. And ye'll only be able tae do that if ye continue tae press forward. Dinnae give up, mo luaidh.” Mary had told her, carefully pulling Isobel’s sometimes unruly hair into a neat braid.
She then took the empty bowl from Isobel, set it aside, and gently tugged her youngest into her embrace.
“Every new day carries wi' it an endless myriad o' possibilities!
Sae many things could happen – some unexepected!
But ye'll never discover that unless ye give yerself the chance tae experience them all.
Take the guid wi' the bad, and ye'll learn that life is much more than meets the eye.” Mary whispered as she peppered little kisses over Isobel’s cheeks.
And although her mother was no more, her warm words echoed in Isobel’s mind first thing in the morning, and she decided to organize her thoughts.
Her father was not going to help her at all, and Richard was as focused as Gregory was in distrusting her commitment to her task, so neither of them was important. What mattered was Valerie and whether she was safe enough to walk down the aisle with the love of her life in a few days.
Although luck had not been on Isobel’s side thus far, this was a new day with new possibilities. There was a suspect now, and so, she did not have to start from scratch.
If she managed to question Deborah’s actions thoroughly, perhaps the older woman might give herself away.
And thus, Isobel set out of her room, almost eager to continue the task she had been given.
With her head held high, she strode downstairs to the dining hall, already thinking of what questions she would ask her aunt.
But upon her arrival, she noticed the duke of Dellamere already present and fraternizing with the other guests.
His eyes flittered to hers moments after she stepped into the dining hall, almost as if he had been waiting for her.
She blinked, feeling the familiar heat of embarrassment creep into her cheeks as she recalled the interactions between them in the last few hours.
Quickly, she ripped her gaze away, ignoring the knots her insides had formed as she turned to greet a guest. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Richard quickly bid his farewell to the other guests he had been speaking to and began to walk towards her.
Luckily, she noticed Deborah lingering by herself at one end of the room and swiftly excused herself from the conversation she had been in before making her way to her aunt.
“Aunt Deborah!” she called a little loudly when she was close enough. “Good morning!”
The older woman appeared startled for a moment, but then she smiled kindly and responded,
“Good morning. I must say it is wonderful to see you in such high spirits. Am I to hope that you have made a full recovery?” Deborah questioned.
“Absolutely,” Isobel nodded. “Rest was the trick. I needed quite a lot of it after what happened. That is why I have been retiring early. I slept quite well last night, too.”
“That is why most physicians advise that we prioritize living stress-free lives. When your mind and heart are unburdened, you will have enough clarity and peace to rest as much as you require. I am glad to see you are feeling much better.” Deborah told her earnestly.
Perhaps a little too earnest. Isobel narrowed her eyes briefly, then she nodded with a bright smile.
“Thank you for your kindness, Aunt Deborah. I do hope you practice what you preach and keep your mind and heart unburdened. Have you been resting well? I cannot help but notice that you seem a tad tired.”
Deborah looked surprised, but then she swiftly responded. “I am quite all right, dear. I do rest quite well here – better than I do at home, in fact. Might be because I am so close to your father and all you wonderful children.”
“Are you sure?” Isobel pressed, managing to keep her voice light and imploring.
“I think I heard some people mention that they had heard a few people wandering about at odd hours last night. I do hope you were not one of such people, considering that I had seen you around the library much later after dinner. Did you go to bed right after? Did you get enough sleep? Do you need me to ask the cook to make you some calming tea?”
Deborah sighed deeply and gently rested her hand on Isobel’s arm, her touch strangely clammy. Isobel hoped she was about to divulge some information behind her late-night excursion, and leaned closely.
“You are a wonderfully sweet child, Valerie. My brother is truly blessed to have such a kind daughter, one who values family above all. I had been rather worried before I arrived, because I was worried about Gregory and you.” Her aunt sighed tiredly.
“My father and I?” Isobel blinked, confused. “Why were you worried about us?”
“Well… I had tried to convince him to invite your sister here for your wedding.”
Isobel felt something in her twist painfully. “M-My – you knew? That I have –”
“Of course! He confided in me after he had separated you both. He told me he had left your sister at a monastery in Scotland, and I did not approve, but I understood why. He is rather… irresponsible, with his resources, sometimes. But he loves you and your younger siblings, and at the time, that was all he could think of to sustain his family. When Cecil was born, I thought he would retrieve your sister to reunite the growing family, but he maintained that your sister was likely better off where she was, instead. And then… upon hearing news of your engagement, I suggested that this would be a wonderful occasion to bring the whole family together. I practically insisted that he bring your twin sister to share your happy moment.”
The slight pain that had manifested in Isobel began to throb as its intensity seemed to grow.
She could scarcely breathe, but she was determined to hear everything she could.
She wanted to understand just… why she had been abandoned so coldly, why her father was determined to keep her away from the life he had constructed without her.
“But he refused, time and time again,” Deborah went on, unaware of the fact that she was breaking Isobel’s heart.
“He was so unwilling to at least consider it, despite my best efforts to make him see reason. It saddens me to see him so embarrassed by the child that had been raised apart from the family, especially when he should be embarrassed by himself and his actions. Because he is the reason things ended this way. No parent should ever abandon their child. I am sorry I could not do more to ensure that your sister could be here to witness your wedding.”
Gregory had never wanted her back. Isobel had already surmised as much, but receiving confirmation on her suspicions was rather… hurtful. However, there was something odd about the way her aunt spoke to her.
Her tone was overly kind and polite as she had expressed her disappointment with her brother, but Isobel couldn’t help but notice a glint in her eyes. They didn’t seem as apologetic as she claimed to be, and at some point, her voice fell flat – almost maliciously.
Deborah was hiding something.
Isobel wondered what it could be, her lips parting to question her aunt some more, but the voice she heard did not belong to her.
“Pardon me, Miss Wightman. I would like to speak to the bride-to-be for a moment, as I have some important news for her from her betrothed.”
Isobel stiffened as Richard stood next to her, irritated by her disappointing luck. Her aunt, on the other hand, seemed utterly pleased to be in the presence of the duke.
“Oh my, good morning, Your Grace. I apologize for not approaching you sooner. It is a shame we have not spoken more during this season of festivities,” Deborah beamed.
Richard smiled, charming and suave as he shook his head nobly.