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Setting down her plate and fork, she wiped the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief and said, “Sophie, have you become so estranged from me, your aunt?”
“I thought it was you who had become estranged from me,” Sophie calmly replied.
Heather sighed softly. “It’s because of the matter with Leona’s trousseau, isn’t it? I owe you an apology for that. Let’s just put it behind us, shall we? We’re family, after all. If your mother were here to see us fighting like this, it would surely break her heart.”
“If my mother were to be heartbroken, it wouldn’t be because of me,” Sophie said, meeting Heather’s gaze. “Furthermore, I haven’t given a second thought to the issue of Leona’s trousseau and your refusal. So, if you’re here for something specific, just say it directly. There’s no need to bring my mother into this.”
Heather’s expression was conflicted. “You say you haven’t given it a second thought, but do you know that because of you, our family was placed under house arrest for a month? We weren’t even allowed into the palace for New Year’s Eve that year.”
“So, are you blaming me for that matter, Aunt Heather?” Sophie asked, finding the situation rather amusing.
“I didn’t mean to blame you.”
Heather hesitated, her frustration evident. In truth, she was indeed upset. Harvey’s household had always been modest and low-key. They had never courted trouble or caused any issues, so it was hard to believe that the king had placed them under house arrest.
“You’re here to talk about Leona, right? Just say what you need to,” Sophie said, clearly tired of beating around the bush.
Heather turned to face her niece more directly, her hands clasped in her lap.
“Yes, that’s right, Sophie. Your cousin is not like you. She’s timid, delicate, and has a fragile constitution. She can’t handle hardship and she won’t be able to handle the gossip and scrutiny that follows a divorce. Besides, she is a duchess. How will it look if a duchess is forced into a divorce by a courtesan from a brothel? She won’t be able to endure the embarrassment.”
Her tone became more earnest, “So, I’m pleading with you not to encourage her to get a divorce. She is pregnant now and can’t handle such upheavals. Besides, what man doesn’t have multiple wives or concubines?
“Leona is capable of tolerating others. Even if Ruby is beautiful, people tire of looking at the same face. Leona’s character is solid and respectable. If she waits three to five years, Samuel will definitely return to her. At that time, life will get better.”
Sophie’s eyes remained cold and indifferent. “Do you think I encouraged her to get a divorce, Aunt Heather?”
“If it weren’t for you, she wouldn’t have said such ridiculous things. She’s only been married for a short time, and she’s pregnant. If this child is a son, he’ll be the heir to the Earl of Gracehold’s title, a position of high status. Why choose a difficult path now, one that’s so challenging for a woman to navigate? Heather replied.
Sophie’s eyes were full of disdain, but she maintained her composure. “Aunt Heather, you’ve misunderstood. I have never encouraged Leona to get a divorce. Have you considered that her fragile nature, especially while pregnant, might make her feel exceptionally distressed?”
“What woman doesn’t feel distressed at some point?” Heather countered.
“She’s a duchess, and her parents are a prince and princess consort. She has support-she doesn’t have to feel so distressed,” Sophie replied.
Heather’s tone grew sharp, “Is that what you’ve been telling her? Did you lead her into believing that her family could support her, making her think it’s acceptable to pursue a divorce so recklessly?”
Sophie was silent for a moment before saying, “Lulu, show our guest out.”
Heather’s anger flared. “Sophie, I haven’t finished speaking yet, and you’re already so eager to drive me away? I am your aunt!”
In her rage, Heather threw a cup to the floor, her chest heaving with emotion.
Sophie glanced at the shattered cup on the floor. The liquid spread beneath her feet, dampening the tips of her shoes.
She raised her head to meet Heather’s gaze, her voice stern and cold as she said, “If you had vented your anger this way at Gracehold Estate, by smashing a cup in front of them and cursing Samuel for his heartlessness, I would have been glad for Leona and still respected you as my aunt.
“But didn’t you see how aggrieved Leona was that night? Yet, you were only making excuses. When she asked if you would accept her back into the house if she got a divorce, a simple nod from you would have been a great comfort, even if you only advised her to endure.
“Her words about divorce might have been spoken out of momentary distress, but your refusal only deepened her pain and despair. Did you ever consider that?”
Heather’s face turned crimson with frustration as she shouted, “She can’t get divorced! Have I wasted my breath telling you all this? If I had agreed to accept her back, what would have happened if she really returned with a child in her womb? Did you ever consider her situation? She respects you so much-how could you be so cruel to her?”
Heather was now standing and stamping her feet in anger, with tears streaming down her face. She dabbed at her tears with a handkerchief, only for more to fall.
“In the long run, what’s the big deal with putting up with some temporary distress? She’s a duchess and a legitimate wife. Why should she fear a courtesan from a brothel? Even if Ruby is Grand Princess Eleanor’s illegitimate daughter, she was raised in that filthy place.
“In time, Samuel will grow weary of her and return to Leona. If you explain that to her, she wouldn’t be so adamant about getting divorced. She has always listened to you. If you talk to her, she’ll take your advice.”
Heather sat down again, looking pitiably disheveled as she turned her body to the side to wipe her tears and blow her nose.
Looking at her aunt’s tear-streaked face, which bore some resemblance to her own mother’s, Sophie felt a pang of sympathy. Still, she couldn’t help raising her voice and asking, “What are you afraid of? What exactly are you so scared of?”
“What are we afraid of?” Heather said through her tears, her voice muffled as she buried her face in her hands. “We’re terrified of being sent to our fief. You know where it is it’s a harsh, desolate place. How are we supposed to endure that?”
Sophie shook her head, her tone cold as ice as she replied, “You’re afraid of facing hardship at your fief, so you choose to endure the humiliation of living in the capital, bowing to others and discarding even the dignity of a prince.
“Then, you expect Leona to be as weak as you are? Has the king even mentioned sending you to your fief? Your husband isn’t serving in court. He’s just a leisurely prince. No one cares whether he goes to his fief or not Your constant worry is of no concern to the king.”
Heather’s voice grew cold as well, “The king’s will is hard to fathom. What do you know? I don’t want to discuss this further with you. The situations of our two families are different.
“When your parents were alive, their military achievements could protect us to some extent. Now that they’re gone, we must keep a low profile in the capital. We don’t even dare to employ household soldiers. So, please don’t compare our family’s situation to yours.”
Heather tucked the handkerchief back into her sleeve and stood up. “I won’t say more. I’m not asking for your sympathy. Leona respects you and cares for you. Since that’s the case, I only ask that you don’t ruin her.
“You should withdraw the two people you’ve assigned to her. Servants who lay hands on their masters are not good servants. The Earl of Gracehold’s family doesn’t need them, and neither does Leona.”
“That’s not happening!” Sophie moved to the door, making a dismissive gesture with a firm attitude. “They’re not servants. I won’t allow them to leave before Leona gives birth. Aunt Heather, you’re not welcome here. Please leave!”
Heather’s eyes widened in shock. “Sophie, are you really driving out your own aunt? After all the care I’ve shown you?”
Sophie did not lift her gaze. “Lulu, show our guest out.”
With that, Sophie swept out of the room.
The news of Sophie’s anger towards Heather reached Helen’s ears.
After calling Lulu in to get the full story, Helen was furious.
“Who wouldn’t be infuriated by such behavior? It’s only because Sophie is younger that she put up with Lady Heather. If I were there, I’d have slapped her a few times myself!
“Hurry, get the kitchen chefs to prepare some sweet treats- No, better yet, go buy an assortment of pastries from the best bakery in the capital. Cheer Sophie up. Don’t let her stay angry and make herself ill over such spineless people. It’s not worth it to ruin her health over them.”
Helen’s maid, Mindy, hurriedly prepared to buy the treats, but Violet said, “I’ll go. I’m quick on my feet.”
“Yes, you should go, Violet,” Helen said anxiously.
She had seen her daughter-in-law angry before, but this time, Sophie’s frustration with Heather was something she couldn’t express. It was like when Helen was extremely annoyed with her sister but dared not show it.
No, it wasn’t quite the same. Victoria was reasonable and had Helen’s best interests at heart, whereas Heather didn’t even care about her own daughter. How could Heather compare to Victoria? Even after returning to Orchid Hall, Sophie was still fuming and couldn’t calm down.
Was it because they were afraid of being sent to their fief that they had to be so humble? They were even willing to discard the dignity of a prince and make Leona suffer as they did?