Elara's eyes welled up with tears as she gazed at Ryder, now a tall, handsome young man. Years had passed since they saw each other, and she was overjoyed to be reunited.
She had worked for his parents, Lord Magnus and Lady Audrey, ensuring the well-being of their children. As Ryder's childhood caretaker, Elara had developed a deep bond with him and his sister, Eleanor. Ryder's carefree spirit and kind heart had made him impossible to resist, making her love him as her own.
But things changed when tragedy struck and Ryder's mother, Lady Audrey, fell ill and passed away, leaving a void in the family. The grief and loss had been especially too much for Ryder, but he never said a word about his feelings. He always preferred bottling up his emotions, thinking they would magically disappear.
Lord Magnus's subsequent remarriage to his rumoured lover, Lady Jane, marked a painful turning point for Ryder and Eleanor. Elara watched with painful heart as Lord Magnus ignored his children, focusing on his new family, a new wife and a new adopted son. The once peaceful household decended into chaos, filled with misunderstandings, yellings, and accusations. It was never ending for Ryder.
Though Ryder would never agree to it, Elara knew most of his rebellious behaviours back then were just to get his father's attention, but that always ended miserably as the father and son would always end up saying hurtful things to each other. Elara had always been the one to calm the young boy down, but she knew it was only a matter of time before things would take another awful turn.
As time went on, things became worse in the house, and when Ryder, who had come of age couldn't take it anymore, he did what most people considered stupid. He confronted Lord Magnus, threatening to leave with his younger sister Eleanor to a place where the Lord would never set eyes on them unless his father chose between his new and old family. Unfortunately, Lord Magnus had chosen his new family.
Ryder's heart had shattered, all he could think about was his father's rejection. Elara's begging had fallen on deaf ears as Ryder had already vowed to start anew with Eleanor. All he wanted was to proof to his father that they could survive without him and his luxury.
The day Ryder left was the last time Elara saw the young boy and his sister. For many nights, she cried herself to bed, thinking about their welfare. Oh, how she hated herself for ever letting him go away.
She spent years grieving, regretting her inability to stop him. At that time, her own husband's illness had anchored her, preventing her from following him to ensure their safety. She couldn't leave her ill husband to the care of her young daughter who had been too young and careless to understand the severity of her father's condition.
With the help of Gloria's shabby reading and writing skills, Elara had written to Ryder a few times, seeking reassurance that he and Eleanor were well. Each time Gloria read his letter to Elara, she always clung to each word like her life depended on it. When her husband finally passed away, she was almost happy and relieved because she thought it was a good opportunity to finally reunite with Ryder and Eleanor. She had written to him, asking for their address, but he had turned down the offer, claiming he didn't want to be a burden to her. After many failed attempts of trying to get the address from the incorrigible boy, she gave up, telling herself that going to be with them would probably be a burden to Ryder.
Now, as they reunited, Elara's emotions swirled—Joy, nostalgia, and a hint of guilt clouded her senses as she stared at the young boy—man.
"So," Ryder began, "You no longer work at the mansion."
Ryder's voice broke her out of her reverie. "Ah, no. It didn't feel the same after you left. Nothing felt right in the mansion without you two, and besides, I didn't like how Lady Jane was running the household."
Ryder's brows drew together in concern, "I am sorry to hear that. If only I had known you were no longer working there, I wouldn't have sent Eleanor back to the mansion."
Elara could see the wheels spinning in his eyes, "You have nothing to worry about, Ryder."
"What if—"
"Oh, hush now. There is no what if. Do you think I would have stayed silent if Eleanor wasn't safe? Gloria works in the mansion as Eleanor's handmaid. She had been doing so ever since Eleanor returned."
Ryder's back straightened up, "That is good to hear, when will Gloria be back?"
"Tomorrow morning." Elara's eyes twinkled, "She had been on the edge ever since we received your letter. She would be so excited to see you."
"I can't wait to see her, too." He looked in search of Sophia, "Where is the little squirt?"
"She is in the room with Calantha. She seems to have taken a special liking to her."
"Really? That's strange." He whispered before relaxing into his chair.
Elara held her breath waiting for him to start explaining the relationship he had with the young lady. Her curiosity had been gnawing at her ever since they arrived and she couldn't wait any longer for the details.
She cleared her throat, effectively grabbing Ryder's attention. "The companion," She began, "She is very beautiful."
"I bet she knows that, Elara." He replied eyes focused on nothing in particular.
"She is a lady, isn't she?" She asked, hoping that would be the push he needed to tell her what she wanted to hear.
"Hmm," He hummed in response, saying nothing more.
"Okay, young man, spill it already! The suspense is driving me insane."
Ryder chuckled, "Your lust for gossip hasn't changed a bit over the years,"
"Unfortunately, it hasn't. So…"
"So, she is my wife—Unofficial wife."
"Yes, you said that earlier. I noticed she wasn't so pleased about it."
"Yes, as you might have noticed, she doesn't like me that much."
"You don't say!" She replied sarcastically. "What did you do?"
"She thinks I am the cause of her misfortune."
"How?"
Ryder went ahead to explain the whole situation to Elara. From the day he went to Lord Blackwood for the purpose of getting his money back from the coy Lord. The visitation had ended with the man giving away his daughter in exchange for the money he owed.
Elara's face remained unmoving as she processed the whole story. She let out an audible sigh, "This man, Lord Blackwood, gave his daughter who is supposed to be married to Duke of the East to you in exchange for the money he was owing to your step father, Owen?" Without making eye contact, Ryder nodded. "Oh, my boy. That girl might hate you forever for what you have done to her."
"I didn't do anything, Elara. Her late father is to be blamed for all her misfortune, not me."
Elara's eyes shone with understanding as she touched his shoulders, "Ryder, I understand how you feel about everything. I do understand that you want to take revenge for what they did to you, but don't you think you are going too far? You are dragging an innocent young lady into this web of anger and hatred."
"Elara, was I not young and innocent when they put me through hell?"
Elara nodded firmly, "Yes, my dear. You were young and innocent and didn't deserve any of those things they did to you, but you have to be considerate while dealing with them."
He quickly stood from the chair. He knew what Elara was doing. She always had ways of talking him out of things, but, not this time. He had waited so long for an opportunity and now it presented itself, he wasn't going to misuse it.
"Elara, there is no talking me out of anything. The did has already been done." He stated firmly.
"Yes, I can see that," Elara replied, mouth set into a thin line. "I hope you know that girl has every right to blame you for her misfortunes."
"I don't actually care. It is nothing unusual. I have always had to carry the blame for other people's misfortune."
"Don't say that?" Elara's brows drew together, and for a moment she saw the young boy from many years ago.
"Then what should I say, Elara?"
She walked towards him and embraced him. "I am not trying to talk you out of anything, Ryder. Hell, they deserve anything you give to them. All I am asking you to do is not to drag innocent people into this."
Unable to resist, he nodded. "I won't do that."
Elara's lips tilted upwards. "Now, when are you going to tell me how you landed yourself in prison?"
Ryder winced. "That would be a story for another day."
Elara nodded in understanding. "One more thing, young man. I want you to be nice to Calantha."
His brows drew together in confusion, "I am always nice to her,"
Sending a subtle glare at him, she said, "You don't say."
He shrugged, "She is the one that is supposed to be nice to me. She is infuriatingly stuck up with her pride and ego."
"You were once like her, remember? I am sure it's not easy for her as well. You ruined what was probably her dream wedding and then the death of her father. This is not the life anybody wishes for and seeing that you have already done the damage, all you can do is make the whole situation less stressful for her."
"What? I didn't kill her father, he had death coming his way already."
Elara lightly slapped his chest, "You don't speak like that about the dead, and didn't we just have a discussion about being nice?"