Chapter 28
Iris could not believe it,her mind spun with the news that her sister was about to have a child. It seemed that she had managed to overcome her aversion to her husband for long enough to conceive. From what she had been told, Elizabeth had not fallen madly in love with her husband, but she was thrilled by the idea of becoming a mother. The idea of having a child, allowed her to see past everythingelse.
Iris could really see her being a wonderful mother, she had a caring, sweet nature, and she had also spent a lot of her life looking after her. The child in her belly was a very lucky being. Having Elizabeth as a mother would be a wonderful thing. Even though Iris would not be able to be the official auntie of this child, she would make an effort to meet him orher.
Iris had been so stunned by it all, even as she left Elizabeth’s home, that she had not managed to say much to Ewan as he came to meet her for the return journey home. To try and play things off, she suggested that her sister had taken the news of her father's illness too hard and that things were not so serious after all. He still said it was fine for her to remain with her family if she wanted to be, but all Iris wanted to do now was be back home in the Oakley household where she felt more comfortable. Seeing Elizabeth was one thing, but her husband would be home eventually and she did not want to seehim.
Now that she'd seen her sister and Elizabeth had taken the news well, Iris wanted to be back with Amy. Especially as she would soon hear how Daisy was doing, and hopefully how Olivia took the news as well. Once the most important people in her life knew about what she was up to, Iris could finally relax into her new life. She could enjoy herself as Amy’s handmaiden fully, which was all she everwanted.
Finally, everything was comingtogether.
Well, there was one more person that she wanted to tell about her true identity, but that might be one step toofar.
Iris rolled her head to one side while she tried to plan what she wanted to do about Ewan. She would love nothing more now than to just confess, but she was even less sure about how he would react to the information. He has seemingly only just come around to the idea that she was lower born than him. This could be way too much for him. To learn that she was a lady with a deep, dark secret would be too much for anyone tohandle.
‘I am not the person you think Iam...’
No, she wasn’t sure she would like it if he said the same to her, so it was unlikely that he’d be alright with it. Keeping secrets was not a good thing, it was the only thing that made her regret theswitch.
Oh, it was so confusing! She was not sure what to do for the best. If she kept the truth inside and she turned her back on true love for everyone else’s sake, she would be using her head, but she might not find that happiness again. However, if she went for it and dived in head first, it would cause a lot of issues. Other people would have to suffer for her life choices. She could even end up losing everything if Ewan decided he did not want to know the true her... but then at least she wouldn’t have to always wonder ‘whatif?’
There were so many outcomes, none of them particularly positive, which was hard for Iris to digest. It seemed there was not much chance of her ever finding the ‘happy ever after’ that she had spent so much of her life searchingfor.
Maybe it was time to push that to one side for now. It was not a decision that had to be made right at this very second. She could take some time to really work things out before diving in head first. There were no time restraints this time around. Not that she knew ofanyway.
* * *
Things were more subduedthis time around as Ewan and Iris stopped off for meals, she did not seem like herself at all which had to be related to her family troubles. He was not sure why she hadn’t stayed behind with her sister, but of course, it was her choice tomake.
Because of that, Ewan told the drivers to keep on going through the night. He did not want to force her to sleep in another guest house when it seemed that all she really needed was a night in her own bed. They travelled continually until they reached the house again. It was the middle of the day when they arrived back at the Oakley mansion, but he sent Daisy to bedanyway.
She needed her sleep and he had something of his own that he needed todo.
"Mr. Shipman,” he grabbed the attention of the butler moments after he got inside. "Can you please send Amy to my office as soon as she has time? Do not interrupt her lessons, but once she is free let her know that I am back and I wish to speak toher."
“Of course,Sir.”
His butler bowed to him as he spoke. It was something that Ewan had never paid much attention to before, but now he did not like it so much. It made him feel uncomfortable. Who was to say that he was better than Mr. Shipman, just because he had more money? It wasinsane.
But what could Ewan do about it? Nothing, for the moment. He had other tasks that needed dealing with right now. Things that needed his directattention.
“Thank you, Mr. Shipman. I appreciate it very much.” Gratitude was a good place tostart.
Once Ewan was inside his office, he paced up and down the room. Of course, he had stacks of paperwork that he needed to get on with, but his mind was all over the place. He could not focus on anything while he had so much to go over. Whatever he did next would affect absolutely everything, so he needed to do itright.
His heart raced in his chest, it felt like it was fluttering all over his body. Just thinking about Daisy made him feel this way. During the time when he had considered getting married before, he had met many women, but none of them had interested him. They were beautiful and glamorous, but they did not inspire him. Daisy had that sweet, stunning look and she also had a wonderful brain inside her head. She saw things from a unique perspective which made him want to look at things differently,too.
She did not seem like she was lowborn, she had a very educated view of the world, which he enjoyed, but it was so much more than that. He felt like he could talk to her for hours, which was wonderful for someone who had spent his life so closed off, and he could also listen to her talk forever, too. Everything she said inspiredhim.
He loved her. It was pure and simple. He wanted her to be his. He knew it that night at the ball when he first met her in the hallway. He could sense something special about her even then, but he hadn't wanted to admit it to himself. He did not want to see the truth even though it was right there in front of him. But now, none of that mattered. All he cared about what was in hisheart.
Society would not like it, of course, it would affect his reputation terribly, which of course was why he needed to speak to Amy. But he had never felt a love like this... that was worth a million terrible looks and gossipy whispers. To have Daisy in his arms would be better than any positive reputation could everbe.
If only he had seen thatbefore.
“Ewan!” Amy exclaimed gleefully as she raced into his office. “You are back much quicker than I thought you would be. How did your business go? Is Daisy withyou?”
Of course, that was what she cared about more than anything. Ewan was not upset by this if anything it was a goodthing.
