Louise

Chapter 35

Louise's mind swirled with questions. What could her spiteful aunt possibly want to confess on her deathbed? Was it some final cruel taunt? Or perhaps a desperate attempt to make amends for past wrongs? The carriage rumbled on, drawing closer to the imposing manor house where she had spent a few years of her childhood.

The once-grand estate now appeared worn and neglected, its former glory faded. As the carriage drew up before the front entrance, Louise stepped out, her heartbeat rapidly.

The intricate brickwork and creeping ivy remained but gone was the elegant aura. Louise took a deep breath and knocked firmly on the heavy door. It was opened by a careworn but smiling Amina.

"Louise! It's wonderful to see you," exclaimed Amina, embracing her warmly.

"And you as well, dear Amina," Louise replied, overjoyed to see her friend after so long.

"You've blossomed into such a lovely young woman. I am so very proud," said Amina tenderly. She had been like a second mother to Louise growing up.

"Thank you, Amina," said Louise, truly touched.

Amina helped Louise inside the once grand but now shabby manor. "I take it you received my urgent letter?" she said, glancing at Louise meaningfully.

Louise nodded. "Yes, about my aunt's declining health. How is she?"

Sighing heavily, Amina responded, "Much has changed since you left, I am afraid. Your aunt has been rather...difficult."

Hesitantly, Louise asked, "And Lucy? My sister?"

At this, Amina's expression grew grave. "We do not know where she is. Only your aunt knows her whereabouts now."

"What about my cousin, Cedric?" Louise asked, her heart racing. "Is he here?"

"I am afraid not...your cousin returned from abroad and unfortunately passed away under mysterious circumstances." Amina's voice was quiet, her expression grief-stricken. "Your aunt has been quite distraught since then. It's as if she has been holding on to some secret, some burden...and now, she insists on sharing it with you."

Louise's heart sank, but she simply nodded as Amina led her to the bedchamber. After a soft knock, Amina announced, "Lady Whittemore, your niece has arrived."

With an encouraging look, Amina left Louise to enter alone. There lay her aunt - frail, diminished, but still with a disdainful scowl on her face.

"Come closer, girl," she rasped. Louise cautiously approached the bedside.

"I did not ask you here to speak with you for enjoyment," her aunt began coldly. "I merely wish to unburden myself before I die. There is something you should know." She paused, her breath ragged, as if struggling to summon the strength to speak the truth. "It concerns your father," she finally managed. "You see, before he died...he left money for both you and your sister, Lucy."

Louise's heart skipped a beat. "What sort of money?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Her aunt's lips curled into a sneer. "A sum of money, girl. One hundred and fifty pounds each." She paused, her gaze flickering to the bedside table. "I believe the will is in my bedside drawer. I've kept it hidden all these years."

"Why did you never tell me this?" Louise demanded, her voice shaking with anger. "Why would you keep something so important from us?"

Her aunt's lip curled in disgust. "I do not believe your kind deserves such privileges." Her eyes flickered away, as if the mere thought of them made her skin crawl. "I kept it hidden for my sake, girl. So that I would not be dragged down by your father's sins. But now that I am nearing the end, I cannot take it with me. You may have it."

Anger flashed in Louise's eyes as she glared at her aunt. "I just have one question...where is Lucy?" she demanded, her voice cold and steely.

Her aunt coughed, clearly uncomfortable. "Your sister...inside my bedside table, you'll find an address. That's where she lives." She paused, her eyes drifting away from Louise. Louise immediately opened the drawer and found the promised will and a slip of paper bearing an address. Without another word, she started to walk away.

Just as she was about to leave, Louise turned back to her aunt, unable to contain her simmering anger any longer. "Why have you always hated me so?" she demanded. "What wrong did I ever commit against you?"

Her aunt's eyes flashed with disgust. "It is what you are that I despise - your kind has no place in proper society." Her words were laced with venom, as if the very mention of their bloodline was poisonous. "Your father was a man of high status who...had relations with a black slave girl. And you, you are the product of that unholy union." Her voice trailed off, as if the mere thought of it made her skin crawl. "I tried to raise you as if you were my own, to give you a life that you would not have had otherwise. But I could not change the truth of who you are, and for that, you will always be an outcast in my eyes."

Louise shook her head sadly. "You have lived a life full of bitterness and cruelty. I hope someday you find peace." She said "I wish you well, Aunt Abigail, though you never showed me any kindness. It is only God who can save you now from the darkness in your heart." With a heavy heart, she turned away and left the room, the weight of her aunt's words settling heavily on her shoulders.

Alone again, Abigail closed her eyes, Louise's words echoing in her mind as she breathed her final breath. The weight of her bitterness and resentment lifted from her chest, replaced by a sense of emptiness and regret. She had been so focused on punishing those she deemed unworthy that she had never stopped to consider the consequences of her actions.

Though Louise had longed for some shred of love or redemption, she realized some souls remain poisoned beyond hope. She could only pray her own heart would not harden like Abigail's had.

Louise bid a tearful farewell to Amina, thanking her for years of kindness and friendship. When asked what would become of Whittemore Manor, Amina reassured her that a distant cousin would inherit it and allow the staff to remain employed.

Just then, a messenger came galloping urgently up the drive. "Letter for you, miss," he called out, handing an envelope to Louise. "Headmaster Caldwell received this months ago but forgot to pass it along when you arrived."

Louise thanked him and quickly opened the letter, hands trembling. It was from her sister Lucy:

My dear sister—

I write from my sickbed, which the doctor warns shall soon serve as my deathbed. I have but days left and wish to see you one last time before I go. Please come urgently to Maplewood Avenue to grant a dying woman her fondest wish.

Yours in haste,

Lucy

Louise gasped, the note falling from her limp fingers. After years of estrangement and betrayal, what could Lucy want with her now?

Whatever the past held, Louise knew she must look upon Lucy's face one final time. Steeling herself, she bid Amina a quick farewell and hastily boarded the carriage that had been readied for her. As they sped through the winding roads of the countryside, she found herself lost in thought. Could she forgive Lucy? Could she let go of the anger and hurt that had consumed her for so long?