Sophie’s dad was garbage

Lord Penwood set everyone in his life up for failure from the beginning. The revelation that >!he included her in his will!< isn’t enough to ignore everything he failed to do before and after that.

He sprung a secret child on his new wife immediately *after* their wedding, at the moment she arrived with her own little children to a strange new home.

He did nothing to prepare Sophie for Araminta’s arrival either, leaving it to his staff to warn her (without explanation) that she could no longer safely refer to him as Father.
He introduced his very young child to her new stepmother under a euphemism she didn’t understand. Because he already knew his plan of springing her on Araminta was bound to go poorly. And then he washed his hands of it.

Araminta was absolutely responsible for her own abusive actions toward Sophie, but Lord Penwood was also responsible for his. Araminta was furious with him, but wasn’t in a position to safely express that, and unfairly took it out on an innocent child. And he watched her do it, without any intervention as far a we’re shown. Likely because he benefitted from Sophie being Araminta’s punching bag, instead of having to accept accountability himself.

He found Sophie had been kicked out of dance lessons. He promised they’d “sort something out.” She never got the dance lessons. That says everything. She asked him point-blank about her mother, he evaded the question. We saw him express affection toward her, but little else. She felt loved by him, but was that mainly because she didn’t have any frame of reference to know she deserved better?

And worst of all, he left her with no one to protect her after his death. Yes, he left >!money for a dowry in his will (so, money for her future husband, not her), and a generous amount to cover her living expenses!< *as long as she remained at Penwood House*, a home where she was already blatantly mistreated, and in the care of someone who openly despised her. He didn’t make anyone (a lawyer, executor, the next Lord Penwood, etc.) responsible for ensuring those stipulations in his will was carried out, or even checking on Sophie’s wellbeing. He didn’t ensure she had direct access to any funds, or choices about her life. He didn’t even make sure she knew about the provisions he was leaving for her.

He was a coward and a failure. He was a neglectful parent and husband *at best*. He failed Sophie, he failed her mother by failing to care for Sophie, he failed Araminta, he failed his stepdaughters, he failed his household staff. If Sophie feels vindicated by the discovery that >!she was in her father’s will all along!<, that’s fair. If she forgives him for his actions (or lack of them), that’s fine. But it doesn’t mean we have to.

Anyway, that’s my rant!