Sacrificial Bride to the Feared Lord Hastings-Chapter 183: Against each other (3)

Giselle felt placed on the spot, but it wasn’t by Dante. Giselle suspected it was Ophelia’s doing, as Dante could only be angry based on what Ophelia told him.

Giselle smiled as she sat down. "Your marriage was arranged so naturally, I have some concerns. Ophelia travelled all the way to foreign lands, so I worried about her being all alone here. It is what a mother does."

"I see. Your questions were out of concern. I am curious if the reason for your lack of letters and visits when you were concerned was because someone ordered you not to. The way you didn’t try to reach out to my wife during the early days of our marriage makes me question your concern," said Dante.

"I didn’t know you well, so I thought if I constantly sent letters, it would anger you, and you would take that anger out on my daughter," Giselle replied.

Giselle didn’t care for the interrogation. It was not what she came for.

"I thought you would have been worried about her not being able to read them. You live in a grand castle, yet it appears you were short on tutors for your children. Why is that?" Dante asked, placing Giselle’s deeds on the table.

"Lord Hastings, I don’t know who spoiled your morning, but I suggest you not take your anger out on me. I did not come here to be questioned about how I raised my children. You mustn’t listen to only Ophelia’s side," Giselle said, glaring at the source of all the tension. "She never saw my side."

"You didn’t care to have us tutored. Just admit it," Theo spoke up. "In your words, you saw no need for us to be tutored. We weren’t going to have the same future as Joel’s children."

Giselle remained composed. "I will not speak of this. I would rather focus on the positive."

"There is hardly anything positive about you," said Theo.

"I will not sit here and be judged for the past," Giselle said, threatening to leave.

Ophelia placed her hand on top of Dante’s to calm him. "I would love to have a calm morning, and this talk is getting the attention of the knights."

"That is why you should have seated them elsewhere. Why are knights and maids eating amongst ladies and lords?" Giselle muttered, put off by the crowded dining chamber.

"You find an issue with letting the men and women who serve us every day eat in the same chamber? If they were not present, we would have a large chamber filled with only the four of us. I know the life you lived before the Valthorns. Do not act like you are too good for knights and maids," said Ophelia.

"For how much longer must I be burdened by you two throwing the past in my face? The woman I was back then and the woman I am now are different. No, I cannot sit amongst just anyone. It is unsightly for us to eat with the servants," Giselle said, seeing Ophelia’s lack of tutoring to be showing.

Perhaps since Ophelia worked as a maid most of her life, she could not realise she was now a lady.

"You’ll need to forgive me, Lord Hastings. I can admit that I have failed my daughter in many ways, but Ophelia fails to realise how I have helped her. I will not have questions about your marriage now that I see the two of you getting along," Giselle promised.

It was an upsetting sight to see Dante and Ophelia be so close, but after being married to Joel for many years, Giselle knew Dante’s attention wouldn’t stay on Ophelia for long. There was already Victoria.

These were simply the good years for Ophelia.

"Ophelia, from the bottom of my heart, I apologise for the things you think I did to you," Giselle apologised.

Opelia laughed and said, "You could have kept that apology. For the things I think you did? Must you always think yourself to be innocent, all because you took us into the castle?"

Ophelia took a deep breath after realising she was helping to spoil the morning.

"A bad mother would have abandoned you. I took you with me into the castle and only asked that you help with the work. We were fortunate that my husband was kind enough to accept two children who were not his. We have said too much," Giselle said, covering her mouth with her hand.

"What would Lord Hastings think of us when we behave this way? We should use this time to start anew and be a family. Like everyone around you, I hope to hear news of you two having a child soon. Children are of the utmost importance to a man of Lord Hastings status," Giselle said, finding enjoyment in Ophelia’s reaction.

Giselle noticed how tense Ophelia became.

’Has he not taken her to bed again?’ Giselle wondered.

"I hope you two are taking the matter of heirs seriously. You wouldn’t want to be faced with chatter about Ophelia’s womb and how it is useless," said Giselle.

"We are still getting to know each other. It would be wrong to bring children into our marriage when we don’t fully understand each other. I always assumed that is why you never shared a child with Joel," Ophelia said, daring Giselle to test her.

Ophelia knew that in the heat of the moment, Giselle forgot she didn’t have a child with Joel. It wasn’t that Giselle couldn’t have another child; it was solely based on Joel not wanting to have a child with her.

"Children are a topic which is to be spoken of only with my husband, and since it is a sensitive topic for you as well, I suggest we end it now. We should all be eating instead of picking fights with each other. Let the food be served," Ophelia instructed the maids.

Giselle gritted her teeth.

Children were a sensitive topic for her, and she didn’t expect Ophelia to be so cruel as to turn the conversation of children back to her.

Giselle knew that women gossiped behind her back about not sharing a child with Joel, despite their lengthy marriage. She was perfectly capable of having more children when she married Joel, though others might disagree.

Giselle had been pregnant once, but Joel didn’t share the same love, so he pushed for her to take concoctions to end it.

"Ophelia, I was only concerned about what others would say if you do not have a child in due time. You don’t have to mock me," Giselle said, forcing tears.

"Mock? I reminded you how sensitive the topic is since your husband doesn’t want to have children with you. You knew what you were doing when you brought up my husband and me having children. You were searching for a sore spot," Ophelia called out Giselle’s plans.

"Before you poke at me, ensure your life is in order. I will gladly remind you of the state of your marriage, which you chose to take part in. Try me," Ophelia challenged Giselle.