Castilla Lancaster came from a long line of women. Her grandmother had three girls
and her own mother had two. She herself had two girls. Her family seemed to carry a curse.
Their children at the mercy of the men who would have them. Was she bitter? A little. But with
her husband dead she knew it was only a matter of time before Charles would claim the house
she lived in. As it was his right. So when he showed up on her doorstep with her granddaughters
and news that her own child had perished in a house fire, she knew she had no choice but to bring them in.
“I’m sorry to just show up like this Mrs. Lancaster, we have nowhere else to go.”
Castilla had no time to be sad for the daughter she lost. A daughter who had already been laid in the ground several
hundred miles away, instead of their family plot. She knew Mary would have wanted it that way. But, the scandal of not being able to attend her own daughters funeral might be the thing that tips Castilla herself into the grave. With little preparation Castilla Lancaster rearranged her home to accommodate her son-in-law and two growing toddlers.
At first Castilla entertained Charles grief. After all he just lost his wife. But, after a few months it became apparent
that his life would remain stagnant if she did not intervene.
"Charles I'm going to host a gathering of a few acquaintances of mine."
He looked at her suspiciously as she told him her plans. She could tell he knew exactly what she was up to.
"You need to start thinking about the future. About finding a wife and..."
He cut her off his anger and grief getting the better of him.
"I had a wife.”
“Yes, and now you have two daughters and no son.”
Her words were deliberate and they hit their mark. He sighed knowing she was right.
“I am hosting a gathering on Wednesday. For Lydia and Violet I expect you to be there.”
Charles cringed at how coldly she was able to dismiss his pain, but he knew she was right. It was something he knew before Mary had passed. He needed to procure an heir to ensure that his family would be cared for after he died. But, he wasn’t sure his heart would ever find room for someone else.
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