Page 47 of The Marquess' Disguised Heiress
Amelia rushed back to the house before either Beth or George decided to search for the source of the noise in the woods, but from the looks of it, they had not searched at all.
Although, she could not afford to be discovered spying on Beth, who was supposed to be her friend, and had known returning immediately would be the best thing to do.
When she had accidentally stepped on the twig, she felt certain that she would be found, but now that she was back inside the confines of the house, she felt as if she could breathe again.
It had been close.
Since she had found that Beth had been receiving gifts from some fairy godmother who was an anonymous person, she had not been able to help herself in taking a closer look at Beth. Amelia failed to understand why someone as ordinary as Beth was getting all of these luxurious gifts, and the very thought angered Amelia.
However, what she had seen today in the woods had angered her even more.
She had not been close enough to be able to hear the conversations since they were talking very softly in whispers, but she had still seen Beth.
Amelia could simply not understand this sudden special treatment that was being given to Beth by all those around her. After all, what was it that she had that Amelia did not have? Jealousy filled her heart as she washed the dishes that were waiting for her, her mind still on Beth.
“Why is she getting all of this attention? Why is it that only she can attract everyone and everything? She is just like me and any other servant in the house, so why must she be treated differently?” Amelia whispered to herself, feeling the bitterness in her heart grow even more. She had never been one to control her resentment, and now the emotion rose in her heart towards Beth as hatred filled her heart.
She was not going to sit silently as Beth got everything that Amelia deserved just as much.
When Amelia had come into the Russel Estate to work as a servant, she had been rather happy to meet Beth and finally come across someone who was treated even more miserably her.
All her life, Amelia had grown up believing that no one had a worse fate than her but seeing Beth had given her some hope that the poor girl had it even worse. Despite being a servant, she was treated more like a slave and was clearly hated by those in the house.
Rather than feeling sorry for Beth, Amelia felt happy for herself because, for the first time in her life, she felt as if she had things better than someone else.
Beth was more beautiful and more accomplished and did the most work in the house, but despite that, she had no respect or love. She was clearly unwanted by all, and that made Amelia feel quite happy.
But now, out of nowhere, Beth was the one getting gifts from an anonymous person, and from spying on her today, Amelia could see that it was not just the gifts but also two men who were clearly interested in her.
The handsome stable hand from the earl’s estate had looked rather close to her when the two of them had been talking in the woods, but what was even more shocking was how the enigmatic stranger from the ball was after her as well.
He had been the most sought-after individual at the ball, every single young lady from the ton clearly seeking his company, but he had discarded them all for Beth. Beth? Who was nothing more than a mere servant?
It made no sense to Amelia, and she just did not know what to do. How was she supposed to cope with the reality of this?
She could not help imagining the horror of the situation if Beth ever transcended her status as a servant and rose above Amelia in station one way or the other. She was supposed to have nothing in life, and her fate was not going to change this dramatically.
Amelia was not going to let it happen.
She had just reached the forest when the stranger from the party had been holding Beth’s hands, the two of them staring at one another romantically.
Anyone looking upon them would label them as lovers, but the mere idea of that sounded too good to be true.
Moreover, Amelia knew Beth closely, and she had never appeared the kind of girl who would allow a strange man to take liberties with her. That sight had been shocking enough already for Amelia, but things had got even worse after the stranger had left.
George had arrived just then, making matters even more confusing for Amelia and even more out of her realm of understanding.
George was interested in Beth as well? But why? He was both handsome and kind, and even Amelia had fancied herself attracted to him, but she finally understood why he had not even looked at her. Why would anyone look at her with Beth present in the same room?
Beautiful, innocent Beth.
Amelia felt as if someone had stabbed her in the back, her hatred for the girl she had once called her friend growing with every passing second.
She needed to do something because she was certainly not going to sit silently and watch things unfold. This was not going to happen. Not when Amelia’s own happiness was at stake. She had to do something.
“Oh, darn it.” She threw the dishes in the sink, her heart dropping at the mere thought of it.
Amelia could see how beautiful and delicate Beth was, but she had always been carefully kept concealed away from the eyes of the public, and even then, she had managed to grab the attention of not just one but two men.
