"The truth is rarely pure and never simple".
~Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest
For the rest of the time Canary had spent her days in the mansion up until the wedding. Agustin had come almost every day taking measurements,bringing designers. Throughout out all of it Alexia did not show her face and eventually Amara had showed hers. Finally thanking Canary for saving her afterward not showing much of herself. Perhaps she was ashamed or perhaps her mother had called for her back.
Upon the weeks leading up to the wedding ( quick they were). New faces had appeared old to some. Letitia Thaddeus's wife and their sons. The oldest one Ede Whitewood had shocked some of them for he and Eddison could be twins…or Ede could be his doppelgänger.
The second boy whose name was Eamon was a mix between Thaddeus and Letitia. But what was weird to them wasn't the fact that all of them had E names, it was the fact that even though Ede had a striking resemblance to Eddison Canary out of everyone it looked like she could be their child.
Ede was only one year younger than Canary and Eamon one year younger than Amara he hadn't debuted yet into society. It was eerie to some of the servants how similar they behaved also. How quickly the three of them got along they could've of been triplets to people who did not know them and quickly Tearina,Shimon, and Agustin had began to noticed this too.
But simply started to brush it off. Thaddeus and Thomas looked proud of them getting along but that wasn't strange anyone would be happy to see their children getting along and they were blood relatives but what was also strange is how Canary got along with Letitia.
Letitia who wasn't Canary's mother had helped her with her wedding preparations and Alexia was no where to be seen with the excuse of getting Amara easy for her wedding which would not be until next year.
But Canary was used this treatment and so she continued on with her days. With Letitia by her side helping her. "She does not want to show her neck". Letitia said talking to the hairdresser. "An updo is a must for a wedding like this". The hairdresser said lifting up Canary's hair.
Letitia was a beautiful woman just like Alexia she stuck out among the features of the Whitewood family with her brown hair among all these black haired family members. Her sons inherited the looks of the Whitewood family and a joke was told that Letitia did not even try in making the children. For Ede came out looking like a true born Whitewood and Eamon though he had some features of Letitia like her narrow eyes and freckled body he too looked like a true born Whitewood with just freckles.
She carried and dressed herself with elegance. In her time she was up with the trends and even starting some of her own she was no different in the countryside helping some of the noble women's daughter with their wedding also. She was not new to wedding planning. She placed Canary's hair back down covering the scar on her neck.
"She wishes to have her hair down". Letitia smiled. The hairdresser nodded. "I shall change things up with my vision and with the dress maker then". The hairdressers smiled. She left the room awkwardly leaving only Letitia and Canary and some servants her were tidying up the room.
"Thank you auntie Letitia". Canary said smiling. "No problem". Letitia said. Canary reached for a necklace that had a silver locket with a flower on it and put it around her neck. Canary had worn this necklace with every outfit only putting it away for banquets and when she had to wear other jewelry. "Do you need help"? Letitia asked. "Oh yes thank you. Canary said letting Letitia help her.
"There". She said clasping the necklace she looked at canary to see if the necklace was right but a great trouble overcame Letitia upon looking at the necklace. "Where-where did you get this necklace from"? Letitia asked. "Ah I actually don't know I've had it since I could remember". Canary said looking at the necklace.
"It looks like a locket is on the front". Letitia said her hands shaking as she reached out to touch it. "Have you ever tried opening it"? Canary shook her head. "The latch is broken". Letitia drew back her hand still staring at the necklace on Canary's neck and Canary had noticed Leitita's odd behavior. "Are you okay"? Canary asked. "Oh no perhaps I am mistaking that necklace looks just like the one I gave my baby girl". Letitia said.
"Oh". Canary said, touching the necklace. "It's was a heirloom only given to the daughters though it seemed to have gotten lost when we buried her". Letitia said.
"I'm sorry to hear that". Canary looked down at her necklace. "I've never opened the necklace and I've held on to this since I was a baby. Maybe my handmaiden gave it to me. I do not know where it came from but if opening the locket will solve whether this is your heirloom or not I shall find someone to do so". Canary said. "I will give it to you in the meantime to hold onto". Canary took the necklace off and placed it in a handkerchief and gave it to Letitia who was taken back by Canary's generosity.
How could she just give her this necklace so freely. Something she had since she was a baby. But then as she pondered on these thoughts another thought arose in her head a thought that Thaddeus had had a long time ago that her father in law had brushed off as madness and she had also brushed it off as so too.
She shook her head no shaking the thought off of her and thanked Canary for her generosity. But the thought still clung unto her and the more she was around Canary the more thought hung onto her. It haunted her and more and more as she stared at Canary she began to see herself and Thaddeus.
That maddening theory that Thaddeus proposed that Canary was in fact their daughter and Alexia had switched a dead baby with theirs. It shook Letitia to her core and when a jeweler that Canary had called to fix the locket had come the theory only haunted her more by opening the locket. Staring back at her were the faces of her mother and father.
She gasped and cried in shock while Thaddeus who knew his theory was right all along remained quiet staring down at the locket. One who did not know the truth would think these were tears of joy that Letitia had found her lost heirloom. But to Letitia it was an angry and bitter cry. Of what she had lost and somewhat forgotten had been there all along.
The words Thaddeus had her that Alexia Longwood said to him that she had stolen their child. Threatening to harm the child if he didn't give up the Marquis title.
She thought Thaddeus was going insane. Because they had given birth the same day. And their child had died and Thomas and Alexia's had lived. She thought Thaddeus was taking it out on Alexia but in truth Thaddeus was right and his theory wasn't a theory at all. All these emotions and thoughts flooded into Letitia.
Thaddeus could see it. And they had a long conversation that night locked away in their room. No one knew what the conversation was about but the next day Letitia's eyes were different to Canary not the suspicious eyes that she once had but a much softer and yearning look. For other than this feeling a rage and plan had set in motion for Thaddeus and Letitia on how they would expose Alexis.
But at this time they held these thoughts to themselves. If not for the wedding all would have been revealed. But Thaddeus was a patient man. He had always been patient even when he was a child. What were a few more days or weeks to reveal all and after all evidence. For he had taught this patience to Letitia too.