Archie stood sweetly with Lilias at her dressing table.
"Perhaps it's best if I simply write a letter to my sister to give her the news."
Archie nodded in agreement. He knew Rose would not in fact be pleased to hear that Lilias was withchild.
Archie had no intention of Neville ever receiving word personally via letter or otherwise. There was never a hope of a reconciliation between the brothers.
Word had reached the village within days. Aisling was at market and overheard a poorly-dressed and loud cackling woman speaking quite offensively and disrespectfully on the subject.
"So word is Quasimodo up at the manor's gone and got that angel lady he's married to withchild," a woman cackled.
"Why would that beauty freely lie with him? Of her own will? Perhaps, it's the price she must pay for wealth and grandeur."
Aisling froze in her tracks becoming enraged at these ugly remarks.
The woman continued, " And, you know the little monster will have a crooked back like its father and perhaps crooked legs as well."
Aisling felt she was about to burst and could not keep quiet. She would come to Archie and Lilias's defense even whilst out of their own presence against any ill-mannered and disrespectful comments or gossip.
"You, there," she spoke, "I'll thank you to stop speaking so wickedly and boorishly of my employers. He's a good and kind man with the best of hearts which is so much more than can be said of the likes of you. To speak so savagely of someone you do not even know or have ever met yourself! And do not dare speak ill of his wife either. Theirs is the purest of loves I've ever borne witness to-a love to rival any fairytale prince's and princess's love story. I can't wait until she delivers of a healthy son-a beautiful child-to prove you cruelhearted riff raff wrong."
"Easy now. Calm down, then. Sorry, my girl. I'm known to speak my mind. You work at the manor, then? Everyone hereabouts can't help but think she's too beautiful for him...to actually love him with her body. His face may be handsome, I grant you, but his body...We can't help but think she married him for his money. How can anyone truly love a man with the body of a beast. We're entitled to our opinions."
"An opinion uneducated once given and unasked for is completely horrid and unwelcomed. Good day to you." Aisling responded.