Page 27 of A Lady’s Fairytale Come True
“Thank you. Forgive me for my temperament this day. I have struggled a great deal throughout these hours,” Olivia confessed.
“Yes, I can see that. But I hope that this might help a little. I even brought you an extra slice of bread,” Louise showed her, a hopeful smile lighting her face.
Olivia tried to smile back at her sister, whose face was so like her own. She was grateful that Louise was being understanding, but wondered how long she could continue in this posture. After all, it was Olivia’s fault that it had come to this.
“Liv, I can see guilt written all over your face,” Louise finally said in her typical voice. She had lost the edge of softness and was choosing to be honest, which Olivia knew to be a tactic of hers.
“Of course I feel guilty. Father told me to be wary of all of this and I was not. I was quite a simpleton. I put myself in this position,” she replied.
“Indeed, you did. And for what purpose? I can only assume that it was on our behalf. For the sake of your family. You love us or you would not have gone to such great lengths to try and make this match come to pass. I know you, Olivia. I know that you wish for nothing more than to see Gemma and myself live well. But all too often you do it at your own expense,” Louise sighed.
Olivia looked away, not wanting to discuss it any further.
“Please, eat and use it as a distraction while I speak with you,” her sister offered, handing her the tray.
Olivia took it slowly. The soup had a few more potatoes than normal, for which she was grateful. Having not realised how hungry she was, Olivia couldn’t help but giggle when her stomach rumbled the moment the tray was in her hands.
She lifted a spoonful of broth to her lips and sipped it. It felt soothing and warm in her belly and she was glad for the moment to enjoy something. It tasted far better than any of the treats offered at the dowager’s home.
“I think Mother would be very proud of you for having been willing to go through all of this for our sake,” Louise remarked.
Olivia considered that for a moment. Speaking about their mother was always difficult, but worthwhile. “I don’t know about that. Mother was always the practical sort. She wouldn’t have allowed me to wish for a fairytale romance. She and Father had none, so why should I have expected it?” Olivia said in answer. It seemed the only reasonable thing to say.
“She was the practical sort. But so are you. Yes, you may have dreamt of a fairytale, but I can imagine that when you went, you were thinking less of that and more of us. You were thinking how our lives could benefit from your union to an earl. Am I wrong?” Louise challenged her.
“I suppose it was a bit of both,” Olivia confessed.
In truth, she had been trying to shove her own fairytale hopes aside for the exact reason Louise was suggesting. She knew them to be impractical, just as she wished they weren’t. In reality, she had to find a better option for her sisters and that had been the primary focus of all of this.
So it was that Olivia had little else to say after that confession. Certainly, she thought that Louise would depart, but her sister remained. She scooted up on the bed and began to plait Olivia’s hair, brushing through it with her fingers and then wrapping the three lengths of it together.
They were quiet for a time as Olivia ate her soup and bread. But finally, she felt Louise’s fingers cease their work.
“You know, Olivia, I don’t think you were meant to be a princess,” she said suddenly.
Olivia was inclined to take offense but knew that her sister would not end such a statement with a hardness like that. Certainly she had a greater point to make.
“Continue…” she said, slowly.
Louise laughed. “What I mean is that in fairytales, there are an abundance of characters. There are princesses and princes and ogres and villains. But there is always a hero. And when I think over the past few years in our home, there is only one who can be assigned as the hero.”
“And who might that be?” Olivia teased in reply.
“My sister, of course. You are our hero. You fight at every chance you get to ensure that we are cared for. I can think of none other who might be fit for such a character as you are. Our champion,” Louise remarked.
Olivia felt shy at this, but also grateful. She had never thought about herself in such a position, but it was one she wouldn’t mind being in.
“You truly believe so?” she asked.
“I haven’t any doubt. And another thing about the hero in a tale is that the hero always gets what they need most. They suffer and toil, but in the end, they receive the best there is,” Louise replied.
Olivia liked the thought of this. If she was truly a hero, she would be content with being no more.
Chapter 15
“This is the address of Miss Digby. Give it to your coachman, he ought to be able to find her residence,” Lady Kirby instructed, standing tall and confident in the entryway of her home.
Nathaniel had gone in the morning to have breakfast with her as she had expected of him before his apology was to be made. He had no desire to attend to Miss Digby, other than the fact that he could not deny a small intrigue.
