🌸The Promise 🌸[18+]

Chapter 38

"You know, you can't stay in here forever Nova." Angeles voice thick with concern.
I sigh.
I know she's right, but I don't want to leave the safety of my room. I asked Angeles to tell everyone that I have the flu and I wouldn't be able to leave my bed. I have been inside this room for nearly a week, trying to work through my heartbreak. It's only when I know I've completely lost Xavier I realise now in love with him I was.
How much I wish I was Cordelia, a lady of good birth and money.
But the fact she is beautiful also makes me cry. I can't pretend to ignore that Xavier will probably think she's beautiful also. She is everything im not.
Xavier of course tried to check on me but I refused him. I didn't want him anywhere near me. It hurts too much. Angeles has brought in Forget-me-nots every day so far. They seem to be waiting outside my door every afternoon as a horrible reminder of what could have been if Xavier wasn't engaged. Now Cordelia is here and is getting to know Xavier I'm sure the wedding won't be too far away. A few weeks at the most.

"That horrible Cordelia is wearing the same colour dress as me tonight." Angeles huffs.
Angeles hasn't taken to Cordelia since she shouted at Angeles for not doing her hair the way she liked it. Poor Angeles has been having to step in as her Ladies maid since her own one has been taken ill with the flu, the actual flu not the heartbroken flu I have.

"Well Mrs Green has been saying it all along." Angeles says, and I realise I didn't catch the first bit of what she was saying.
I look to her in confusion.

"You didn't hear a word I just said did you?" Angeles laughs and moves my head back towards the mirror pinning my wild curls in place.

"Well apparently Cordelia's father wants her to marry Xavier as soon as possible. They are in some financial distress and because the Laywoods own the majority of the railway in devon.."

"What?" I say not understanding what she has just told me. They own the railway?

"You didn't know they owned the railway?" She asks confused herself.
"Well how do you think they pay for everything, like the free clinic Xavier runs?" She says with a smile.

I never really thought about it. I just guessed they lived off the money Mr Laywood inherited. But thinking about it, how would they be able to run a free clinic and not gain any incomings from it. Except the odd few paying patients, most of the ones Xavier treats don't pay a penny. They are too poor.

"Well anyway, Mrs Green swears that the reason Cordelia is here is because she needs to marry Xavier as soon as possible so the money she will get will help her family. Xavier has been putting it off for the last few years since Cordelia has come of age. But Mr Laywood and Mr Wandsworth haven't seen each other in years, they were good friends once, but barely see each other now. They only correspond with letters every once in a while. It makes sense why Mr Wandsworth hired Henry as his solicitor. I'm sure they have a deal or something going on. Especially as Henry has been cut off as of late." Angeles muses.

"Why has Henry been cut off?" I ask, that doesn't seem like something Mr Laywood would do.

"Well none of us are sure as to why. It's all been kept very hush hush."
Angeles pushes the last pin in my hair and smiles at my reflection.

"You look beautiful Nova, Cordelia has nothing on your beauty." But I laugh.

"Angeles have you seen her? She's perfect. Everything I'm not." I say feeling defeated.

"Oh I have Nova, and she has nothing on you trust me. She has no breasts for starters. She wears a fake bust that she ties over her corset to give the appearance of breasts under her dress. Where as you.. You have breasts!" She laughs and I can't help but join her. I never realised women did that, she must be very insecure to go to that extreme measure of wearing a fake bust.