The Possessive Lord's Contract Wife

"We expect good things for your daughter Iris this season. You must be very proud. Mr Wilkins?"

Agatha laughed along with the guests and tapped Clive’s arm to get his attention. "Dear, they are speaking to you. My husband tends to get lost in deep thought when it comes to our daughter. He’s not ready to let her go, but he must."

"If you would please excuse us, we must get back to our daughter and my husband’s niece," Agatha said, tugging on Clive’s arm.

Agatha’s smile fell once her back was turned. "Are you trying to embarrass us? You have not been answering their questions, and you are sweating more than usual."

Clive pulled on his collar. "Forgive me. I am a bit distracted tonight. You shall have my undivided attention," he promised, but when he looked up to see Eloise, his fears returned.

Agatha noticed Clive’s reaction to seeing Eloise. "Has she done something? You must tell me. For the last two days, you have been quiet and nervous. I swear if you have doomed this family, I will walk away from you."

Clive grabbed Agatha’s hand and used her for support. "I cannot bear it any longer. We must go somewhere quiet."

"Quiet? We should be placing our daughter at Lord Hawthorne’s side, but you think it is more important-"

Clive pulled Agatha close. "I fear if I do not confess what I have done, it shall eat me alive, and you will be without a husband. You must hear it, and I must say it now. It won’t be long."

Clive’s behaviour terrified Agatha.

"Only for a moment," Agatha agreed. "Girls, you must stay put until we return. You mustn’t accept a dance with any gentleman without my permission, and you mustn’t wander off. We won’t be long."

Agatha pulled on Clive’s hand to lead him out of the ballroom.

It took quite a while to find a quiet room to speak in since they weren’t familiar with the mansion.

Agatha closed the door and locked it. "Speak. What is it that makes you so nervous? Have you lost our home? Have you used all the money we have left? Has our son-"

"He is dead," Clive confessed in a whisper.

"What? You must speak up and not be a muttering fool. Speak!" Agatha demanded.

Clive paced back and forth whilst biting at his nails. "I don’t know what came over me that day. I only wanted to convince him to leave the home in my hands, but he wouldn’t. He was so adamant about leaving it to Eloise."

"Clive, you confuse me. Just say it. Did you fight with your brother? I do not know why you continue to be bothered by a sick man. You should send Eloise back to her father," Agatha suggested.

"He is dead. My brother is gone," Clive confessed, letting out what was eating him away inside.

Agatha’s mouth fell open in an unladylike manner. "Thomas is dead? Why didn’t you say anything sooner? I would have comforted you had I known. It was bound to happen, but I hate that it has happened now."

Clive held Agatha by her shoulders to stop her from hugging him.

"What?" Agatha asked, puzzled by Clive’s behaviour. "Am I not to comfort you?"

"It wasn’t his illness that claimed his life. I killed him. I killed my little brother with my bare hands," Clive confessed.

Agatha’s eyes widened. She stepped away from Clive.

"Surely, you jest," Agatha said, refusing to believe Clive could be so evil. "Surely, you would not ruin this family by carrying out such an evil act. Swear to me."

Clive’s cries filled the small room.

The cold air from the open window felt as though Thomas were near, haunting Clive.

"I kill him. I killed Thomas," Clive wept, his guilt yet to leave him. He hung over his head, not allowing him to have a peaceful moment.

Agatha placed her right hand over Clive’s mouth to silence him. "You must stop saying it so loudly before you ruin this family. Did anyone witness you do it?"

Clive shook his head.

"Then, you have no reason to worry. You were already expecting him to die, and now it has happened. What will become of his home?" Agatha asked, concerned about what they had been waiting for.

"He left it to her. I had to go back and find the papers. I burned the papers and had to employ a friend to change it in our favour. The home will belong to us as it rightfully should have. I promise I will find Eloise a good husband-"

"Forget about Eloise. We must bury your brother soon and sell the home so Iris can have a good dowry. There is a chance for our daughter to marry well and save us from this drought. Then our son can return home," Agatha said, seeing the positive in Clive’s news. "You must calm yourself."

"It is my brother-"

"You knew he was going to die. It has only happened sooner. You mustn’t speak of this out loud anymore, or you shall ruin this family. You will ruin any good chance Iris has of finding a decent husband. For the love you bear for our daughter, be silent," Agatha instructed Clive.

As long as Clive kept quiet, it could work in the family’s favour.

"As you said, we shall find Eloise a husband. She will be in good hands, but first, we must plan a funeral," said Agatha.

"I burned his body. His ashes are in a vase inside his home. I have not been able to pull myself to remove it. I panicked," Clive said, regretting what he did.

He knew he had acted too soon.

Agatha rubbed her temple. "It makes you look guilty. How could you burn his body when Eloise has not seen him? This is why you must speak to me before you act. We- What was that?" She asked, startled by a noise.

Clive looked around the room. "I didn’t hear anything. Do not frighten me, my love. It already feels as though he is haunting me."

"Be quiet," Agatha said, walking towards the open window. "Someone is near."

Agatha walked over to the window and peered down at the culprit.