Susie gazed at her daughter's peaceful sleeping face, her heart heavy with concern and worry. It had been days since Aurora returned home, and while she was initially in relief and unbridled joy, the following turn of events had left her in a state of restlessness. Aurora had been deeply affected by the recent incident, locking herself in her bedchamber. Her pleas for companionship and the request to share her bed, driven by her fear of recurring nightmares, had become a daily ritual. Initially, Susie agreed, hoping that her presence would lessen Aurora's overwhelming fear, but as time elapsed, there was no improvement in Aurora's condition.
Susie and Bernat appointed a physician who told them that Aurora was in a state of shock, emphasising the importance of providing unwavering support. He cautioned against forcing Aurora to do anything she didn't want, as it would only exacerbate her distress.
She tried every means to cheer her, suggesting she go for a stroll, eat in the dining room, and organize a tea party, but they all failed. Aurora would refuse, as always. Susie was confused about how to help her daughter. Being elderly, she knew little about what young people did these days. If Aurora had friends, she could chat with them, but since she had been living with them for more than two months, she hadn't had the chance to make friends.
Susie kissed her daughter's cheek and went to her room after checking that her daughter was sound asleep after waking up from nightmares. As she entered the room, her husband was lying in the bed waiting for her. "How is Aurora?" he asked and she shook her head.
"I will contact another physician tomorrow; I heard he was good at treating illness," he suggested.
Susie walked to his side. "If that will get her better," she murmured, lying on her husband's shoulder.
"I will take of the matter. Sleep, you hadn't rested well for many days," he said, covering her with the quilt.
Susie closed her eyes. She had been running after Aurora to the point of forgetting herself. Her body screamed with tiredness while her head kept thinking about many ways to help Aurora get out of her room.
The next day.
Susie sipped the last drop of her chamomile tea, stood up, and walked to Aurora's bedchamber. She changed Aurora's room to a chamber next to hers to be near her if anything happened. Staring at her daughter who hugged her knees pained her. She sat beside the bed, patting her head. As she was about to talk to her, her maid knocked on the door.
"Madam, Sir Richard is here."
Susie nodded. "I will come in a while," she responded, shifting her gaze to her daughter. "I will be back," she said, striding out.
"Madam Reylson," Richard greeted her.
"Richard, how are you?" she questioned.
"I am doing well. I came to visit the Marquis," he replied.
"He went to bring the physician."
"If you have anything to say to Bernat, tell me and I will inform him," Susie suggested, assuming that the topic Richard would tell her husband was about her daughter's kidnapping.
Silence engulfed the room. "The kidnapper we caught had died the previous night in prison poisoned, thus we could not have any useful information about the culprit," Richard spoke after a while.
Susie clenched her fists. 'Useless defending system!' The only clue they had perished without finding the mastermind. A mix of panic and anger rose in her chest as the possibility of Aurora being a target once again persisted.
"Mother."
Susie turned around slowly, the anger on her face dissipating into surprise as she spotted her daughter standing by the door. Her panic turned to joy as she rushed over to her, reaching out to check on her well-being. As she looked at her daughter's face, she noticed that the usual brightness was gone. It was clear that she had lost a significant amount of weight in just a few days.
"When did you come?" She asked anxiously, thinking that her daughter listened to the news Richard told her.
"Just a while ago," Aurora replied, peeping at Richard.
"Lady Aurora, how are you doing?" Richard asked from behind.
Susie watched as her daughter's pale face turned rosy and dull eyes glistered. The way she looked at Richard was…
"I am fine. Thank you for asking," Aurora responded, despite her weak tone, one could sense a change in her voice compared to the last few days.
"It is good seeing you alright. I know it is hard for anyone to experience such an incident but Lady Aurora is strong and she will overcome it," Richard encouraged.
Susie's heart swelled with happiness looking at her daughter nodding and smiling. It was like the stone pressing her heart perished. Richard had done what she and Bernat failed to do for days.
"Go to the garden, I will call Barbara to accompany you," she suggested. Seeing the two nodding, she felt relieved.
Susie stood gazing at their backs walking side by side. Her daughter finally came out of her room. She was walking to the garden by herself and appeared firm and not shaken like the previous days.
Susie walked upstairs, stopping by Barbara's room, she put her hand on the knob, but stopped and stepped backwards. She was battling herself about who to choose. And finally, she turned her back and walked to her room. Grabbing a letter and a feather pen, she wrote what she should have.
Calling her maid, she handed her the letter. "Sent it to Count Clarkson's manor without the Marquis' knowing." Her maid nodded and left.
Susie stood by her window. A view of her smiling daughter and Richard strolling below came into her view, making her anxious heart settle a bit. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths. She was doing what a mother should do. The only thing that mattered was her daughter's happiness.
However, there was someone who stood in between her daughter's happiness.
Barbara.