"I didn’t hide anything from you. I told you that the girls wouldn’t be coming to visit anymore because there was a small issue," lanie said.
Lewis didn’t believe it. "Do you take for a fool, lanie? I don’t recall you ntioning this to because I would have made you explain all of it. Tell the truth now. I want to hear it from you," he said, giving lanie a chance.
Lewis thought lanie was doing well. She wasn’t close to Alessandra, but lanie seed to be doing her best with the children.
What could have possibly ruined this?
"I have heard it," Luke spoke up.
"Son," Lewis raised his voice. "I ask that you stop speaking. Your mother can speak for herself."
"Penelope and her sisters ca for a visit, like I told you. It was after what was said about her and the young lady who died. I ntioned her mother for a mont, and Penelope snapped at . She didn’t make it far into our ho before she decided to leave," lanie said.
"That is all?" Lewis asked, not believing lanie. "Why would they leave over sothing so small? What did you say about Alessandra?"
Lewis knew how protective the girls were with their mother, and there was nothing wrong with that in his eyes. He didn’t know the full story as yet, but Lewis was certain lanie said sothing out of line.
"I don’t recall what was said. It felt like so long ago," lanie spoke honestly.
Since Lewis wasn’t getting anywhere with lanie, he turned to lody.
"What do you know?" Lewis questioned his daughter.
"We were so lucky to cross paths with Penelope in town, so I suggested we sit with her. Our talk didn’t go well because mother refused to see Penelope’s side. Penelope feels like my mother has been whispering bad things about Alessandra to her and her siblings," lody revealed.
"I have not!" lanie argued, denying the accusations. "I worry for all my children. When I heard the ss Penelope found herself in, I only wanted to know that Alessandra was taking care of the matter well. Why was it allowed for Penelope to be said to be cursed?"
"Allowed?" lody repeated, in disbelief. "Do you truly think Alessandra can control what the town says?"
"Her husband certainly acts like he controls the town. Neither one of them appeared to be acting as parents. Penelope never should have been in that ss, and then she runs off with the prince in the middle of the night. The prince is just like the duke," lanie said, venting her frustrations.
lanie continued, "I warned Alessandra about the duke, but she ignored . Now, Penelope is tied to the palace with the prince who has threatened . If I speak about Penelope, he will hurt all of you to get at ."
Luke’s eyes widened. He didn’t want to be at odds with anyone from the palace, especially the prince. His ties to Edgar worked out perfectly for his work, and now, he got to say that his niece was the wife of Prince Tyrion Castro.
"M-Mother," Luke said with a shaky voice. "You should be careful with what you say to the prince. Was he there when you sat with Penelope?"
"He was," lody answered in place of his mother. "I don’t like to hear of you being threatened, but the prince was protecting his wife. There is more to be said. I asked mother-"
"lody!" lanie yelled, moving to grab lody’s arm. "Do not speak."
Lewis stood up, tired of how sidetracked they got. "Let her speak."
"I asked my mother if she thinks of Alessandra as her daughter. Despite what happened with Desmond, if she ever ca to love Alessandra and see her as her daughter. She said no," lody revealed, her right hand trembling.
This wasn’t sothing lody could keep from her family, and lanie should have expected it was going to be shared.
lody kept looking at her mother despite how lanie stared right back at her with a look of betrayal. It was expected that lody would be on her mother’s side, but while lody loved her mother, she also loved her sister, nieces, and nephew.
It was a difficult position to be in, but lody had to stand for what was right. If Alessandra did sothing wrong, then lody could speak with her, but lody was forced to be careful when it ca to her mother.
lody looked to her siblings for support, but Luke was looking down at the food before him, and Claire gave her an apologetic look.
"You," lody said, surprised they weren’t upset.
Only Lewis was the one to not take the news well.
"I understand your frustration and how terrible it sounds, but I cannot get upset with my mother for how she feels. I have to put myself in her shoes and think about how she feels. She was forced to have a child. I cannot imagine the pain and betrayal she endured," Claire said, feeling sorry for her mother.
lanie smiled. It was good to see that two of her children acknowledged her feelings.
"I have never once not felt sorry for what she endured, but Alessandra is her daughter. You must see her as your daughter," lody said, facing her mother. "Then you went and shared this with Penelope."
"I didn’t want to sit with Penelope and her husband, but you forced to go there. There was plenty said, and my emotions got the best of . I don’t like how I acted then, but I will be honest. You have asked to connect with soone I don’t see as part of ," lanie said, her focus on Lewis.
Lewis looked away from lanie. They had their private talks, but not once did lanie share this was how she felt. She always spoke of how she thought Alessandra had been well taken care of or how she would try her best to get close to Alessandra.
Why was this only coming up now?
"I brought Alessandra into this world solely because it was her father’s wish. I do not harbour the sa love I hold for my daughters as I do for Alessandra. It does not feel like she ca from , therefore I cannot love her as you all want to," lanie said, hoping Lewis would understand.
lody clenched her fist. "You didn’t give birth to Luke, yet you love him dearly. You and Alessandra both suffered at the hands of your husband. That should be enough for you to hold so love for her."
"lody, it is not your place to tell how to feel. It wasn’t your experience," lanie snapped.
lody turned to her siblings for help once more, but they were silent. They were silent now, but when they needed help to make their way up in Lockwood, they were quite loud since they needed Alessandra.
"All of you should be ashad of yourselves. Now that you have gotten where you wanted to be, is it ti to move on?" lody asked.
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