Bridget couldn’t contain her laughter, and she wiggled her eyebrows as she responded, “You’re most welcome.” A playful glint danced in her eyes as she paused before adding, “Olivia.”
The two women burst into fits of giggles, stifling their laughter with their hands.
As they proceeded with shopping, Bridget couldn’t help but feel a growing tenderness for her soon-to-be sister-in-law. The contrast between them was stark, as different as night and day. Yet, none of that hindered the love Bridget felt growing.
As they perused the shops, she couldn’t help but marvel at Olivia’s impeccable taste in the latest and best fashions, and even the shop attendants praised her knowledge. The delicate laces, elegant silhouettes, and soft pastel hues of her choices were all quintessentially “ladylike.”
Olivia was flawlessly attuned to a world that Bridget had never quite embraced and only ever admired from afar. Still, what struck Bridget the most was her unwavering kindness and acceptance. Not once did Olivia make Bridget feel out of place or odd due to their differing interests.
In the midst of it all, Bridget couldn’t help but reflect on her own upbringing. Her adventurous spirit and unconventional hobbies had often clashed with her father’s expectations.
As she observed Olivia, she began to see the daughter her father had wished for—a woman of grace, poise, and gentle manners.
Perhaps her father wouldn’t be as quarrelsome as he was if life had given him the perfect daughter he had wished for.
As they walked arm in arm, her heart continued to swell with affection for Olivia. Bridget marveled at her ability to interact in just the way expected of a refined lady and do so with ease.
Her ability to effortlessly blend in and her unwavering kindness towards others had the entire shop at her beck and call in minutes.
At last, they settled into a cozy corner of the shop, waiting for their picks to be packaged for them to take home.
Olivia turned to Bridget and smiled, but her eyes seemed to carry a weight behind them. She stayed quiet, and her gaze turned distant when she looked away again, her eyes telling of sadness and longing.
Bridget leaned in, able to tell there was something on her mind. But before she could ask, Olivia turned to her again and spoke, her voice filled with raw vulnerability.
“My parents, they were a true love match—everyone who knew them testifies of it.” She sighed. “But when I was five years old, tragedy struck. My father fell gravely ill, and despite the best efforts of the physicians and our loved ones, he passed away.”
Despite her dry eyes, her expression gave away the pain. “In the years that followed, my mother was consumed by her grief. Shewithdrew from the world, drowning in her sorrow.” Her tone turned softer. “I can barely remember much still, but I recall being a mere child and finding myself lost in the wake of her anguish.”
Bridget’s heart ached as she listened. She reached out, gently placing her hand on Olivia’s, offering comfort and support. It had been a sudden surprise when Olivia began, but now, Bridget felt a warm gratitude for having Olivia confide in her.
Olivia bit her lip as she continued, her words heavy with the weight of her past. “Abel shouldered the burden of our family’s responsibilities at the tender age of ten and five.”
A bittersweet smile lifted the corner of her lips as she went on. “He became both an elder brother and a father figure to me, caring for me when our mother was unable to. In her darkest moments, he even forbade me from seeing her, for her well-being and mine.”
She let out a small laugh. “It wasn’t at all easy. I wasn’t always this… collected. I remember jumping on him and gnawing at his face for refusing to let me step into our mother’s room.”
Her laughter faded to a smile. “The servants had to pull me off him. I left bite marks all over. His eyes watered, but never once did he cry.”
While her words hung in the air, a profound silence fell over the room. Bridget’s eyes fixed on her, her heart swelling withempathy as she witnessed the raw emotions etched on the young woman’s face.
Olivia’s eyes glistened, a sharp pain evident within them. Yet, she pushed on, speaking with a delicate strength. “As I grew older, my tears lessened to match my brother’s as well. I was but a child, too young to truly comprehend the depths of my family’s losses, after all.”
Her gaze was distant as she went on, “My mother, she became a mere specter in my life. I never truly knew her, and thus, till now, I cannot truly weep for her absence.” She hesitated. “There are moments, though, when I wonder what it would have been like to grow up with a mother’s love.”
A sigh escaped her lips as she continued, her eyes searching Bridget’s face for understanding. “But you see, Abel stepped in and filled that void. He shielded me from the emptiness of a mother’s absence. His love and care filled the void in my heart. I am forever grateful for his unwavering presence.”
As Olivia’s heartfelt words resonated in the room, Bridget’s eyes widened softly as the realization of the reason for Olivia’s random outpouring came to her.
She couldn’t deny that she found herself taken aback by the depth of the young woman’s revelations.
Olivia’s eyes searched hers for a moment more, and then a gentle smile lifted her lips as she nudged Bridget’s arm in a playful manner.
“Your face tells me you’ve caught on to why I’m sharing all this. I share these intimate details with you because I know you have seen my brother from a different perspective.” She chuckled and shook her head. “Yes, he may appear cold and unfeeling at times, but there is a reason behind his stoic demeanor, as you now know.”
Olivia’s expression held a plea as she took Bridget’s hand in hers. “Bridget, this is a man who has endured hardships that have shaped him into the Duke he is today, a man who had to survive against all odds, all alone.”
She sighed. “Believe me, I know that he is difficult, and I understand that most of the time, he makes it hard for one to empathize with him, to coexist with him. He has acknowledged this multiple times himself as well, and I know it barely shows, but he tries.”
