Chapter 34 - An Heiress

SOPHIA'S POV

The words spoken by my mother echoed ceaselessly in my mind throughout the remaining hours of the day, their weight and significance refusing to release their grip on my thoughts. A tantalizing prospect, never before considered, suddenly offered itself up for contemplation, its potential consequences playing over and over in my mind's eye.

I found myself eager to return home, to seek confirmation of this possibility, to ascertain whether or not it could indeed become a reality.

With my return home that evening, I quickly made my way to my mother's chamber, inhaling deeply to fortify myself against the impending confrontation. Although I harboured no specific fear of my mother, her ability to unnerve me was undeniable. With trepidation, I rapped my knuckles on her door, my mind reeling from the multitude of thoughts that had plagued me since my departure that morning.

"Enter, my dear," my mother bade me from within, prompting me to hasten my steps towards the window where