"Your mother did trust me a lot, but she was a private person by nature. She wasn't very talkative. Unlike the repulsive new Duchess, Lady Moniqua possessed a deep mind and would only voice out her thoughts when she had something important to say. It was a joy listening to her speak." Hildegarde spoke gently. Her voice held a lot of affection for the late Duchess.
"Why did the Duke choose to marry Tyren when she is nothing like our mother?"
"I do not know, my lady. Perhaps, because her beauty closely resembles that of your mother. Or maybe he was lonely. Or he just desired a complete family once again." Hildegarde frowned. "But I know that he does not love her. Even after marrying her he refused to allow that woman into the Emerald Room. He was never warm towards her the way he way towards Duchess Moniqua."
"Tyren grew bitter over the Duke's uncaring attitude. She had seen how much he fawned over your mother each time your family attended social functions. She knew how popular and adored Lady Moniqua was by other noble ladies. I think she thought her life would be exactly the same once she married the Duke."
"But he never treated her the same way."
"This drove Tyren crazy with jealousy. So she decided eradicate all traces of your mother from the Del Montague household. Firing me was only the first step."
Hildegarde shook her head in derision. "She may have succeeded in getting rid of all the servants who were loyal to your mother, but she could never remove Duchess Moniqua's place in Duke Roelle's heart. She was and will forever be his one and only. In the earlier days of their marriage, the Duke could not bear to be away from her for more than a few hours."
Hildegarde chuckled, tearfully. "I remember, back when I was still just working as a maid shortly after your parents wed, the Duke would always go into the Emerald Room and carry your mother into his room. He would kiss her and embrace her, he simply could not keep his hands off her! And the way he looked at her!"
"Once she entered the room it was as if nothing else existed!" Her voice took on a sorrowful tone. "It was such a tragedy when she passed. I think a part of your father died with her."
She paused and took a long drag from her cup before glancing at Dixie.
"And I am so sorry that he blames you for your mother's death, my lady. That accusation never made any sense. I suspected foul play from the moment I heard of how she died, but the Duke did not investigate and there was not much I could do except take care of you...unfortunately, even that no longer became possible after that vile woman came along. I could sense her and her daughter's animosity towards you. It was clear she wanted you gone so her brat could take your place. I tried to shield you, but she forced me to stop being your nanny. She delegated me to the tasks of an ordinary maid and instructed me to no longer have a close relationship with you. When I saw how much you were hurting from her and her daughter's antics, coupled with your father and brother's coldness--" She glanced briefly at Bonnie--"I am glad you have rebuilt your relationship with your sister, Alexander. I was worried that your grief would cloud your judgement forever and that you would permanently discard your sister."
Bonnie smirked humorlessly. "Oh, he did. He stayed dumb for years and would have remained so if I hadn't shown up."
Hildegarde was confused. "Pardon?"
"Never mind. Carry on with your story, please." Bonnie said with a wave of her hand.
"Right, well I fled after that woman threatened the lives of my sons." She scoffed. "Though it appears my concern was pointless. I should have stuck by my promise to your mother and left my heartless husband and sons to their fate!"
Dixie absorbed all this new information with a heavy heart and a few nods. "Did mother have an unusual relationship with any of the clergymen?"
Hildegarde took a deep breath to calm herself. Speaking about her slain lady was difficult. But she was happy about their curiosity. Surely, the reason they were asking all this was because they wanted to right the wrongs of the past and seek justice for what had happened.
"Your mother had an unusual obsession with the church during the final two years of her life. She always seemed agitated and upset. She hid it well enough in front of the Duke, but she would often release her frustrations around me. She said her relationship with the Pope had fallen apart. She was very close to Father Matthew when he was still just a priest, but after he took the position of Pope she...well, something went wrong. After her marriage to the Duke, she essentially ended her friendship with the Pope. They only met during the Day of Prayer, but each interaction they had was filled with tension. It got to the point where the Duke questioned her about it. He had always known about their long standing friendship. I think the Duke may have been jealous of their closeness and was happy to see them grow distant."
"Duchess Moniqua had so many admirers! Even after their marriage, the Duke was very possessive of his prize. King Robert was also infatuated with your mother. If it hadn't been for her stubbornness to marry for love, the royal engagement would have not been dissolved."
Dixie and Bonnie stiffened in shock. "Our mother was betrothed to the king?"
"Yes, my dears. She was the Crown Princess at the time. The king, much like the Duke was in love with her from the moment they met. But you mother only ever reciprocated the Duke's feelings. It was quite a scandal and a huge embarrassment for the king to lose his bride to the Grand Duke."
"I remember how she got into an argument with her brothers when she first announced her intentions. They'd wanted her to honor their late parents wishes and make the best marriage possible; to become queen. But your mother was stubborn and her brothers eventually conceded to protect the family name."
"Protect the family name?" Dixie asked. "What does that mean?"
"Lady Moniqua instructed me to help her sneak out of the El Salvar residence so she could secretly meet your father. She went to extreme lengths to ensure that both her brothers and the king would have no choice but to allow her to marry her lover."
Dixie gasped, her hands covering her mouth.
"Yes, my lady. I can see you've understood. Lady Moniqua met with the Grand Duke and the two made love in hopes of conceiving a child that would seal them together for life."
Bonnie laughed. "You mean to tell me that our rigid father was actually that crazy?"
Hildegarde chuckled. "He simply loved her that much."
"Are you aware of our mother's obsession with poisons?" Dixie inserted, wanting to get back on topic.