The Possessive Lord's Contract Wife

"I don’t know what you speak of. You should be careful with what you say since I am a married woman," Charlotte said as she backed away from Damien. "You cannot go around spouting lies all because you think I harmed your wife."

"Would you like me to prove it to your husband and father? Why else would a woman like you pay off a doctor? Enough money for him to take his family out of town-"

"Stop," Charlotte pleaded. "This is my life we are speaking about. My marriage is very important to me. One word of this and you can spoil it."

Charlotte didn’t view this as a fair response to wine being spilt. Besides, Damien didn’t have any proof that she was the one behind Eloise’s dress being spoiled.

"And I am tempted to do so. Next time you decide to approach my wife or send someone to trouble her, think of what I know. I don’t mind ruining your marriage to keep my wife protected. I bid you good night," Damien said, leaving Charlotte alone.

"Damien!" Charlotte cried out, getting the attention of the guests around them. "I apologise. Since Eloise didn’t meet with the other ladies, they were upset and wanted to punish her. I should have stopped them."

Damien pried Charlotte’s hand off his arm. "I am not a fool, Charlotte. We grew up in close quarters, so I know the control you have over those ladies. You ordered for her dress to be ruined, and it might cost you your marriage."

Charlotte continued to chase Damien, unable to stop until he promised to keep her secret.

Charlotte bore some hatred for the doctor, as she had paid for his silence, and yet Damien knew of it.

"Stop it. You’re embarrassing yourself," Damien said, moving his arm before Charlotte could grab it again.

Damien continued out the door so he could reunite with Eloise.

A desperate Charlotte continued to follow Damien, forgetting about her husband and the ball.

For a moment, Charlotte thought that if she couldn’t get through to Damien, then as a woman, Eloise could understand her.

Charlotte picked up the sides of her dress and ran ahead of Damien after spotting Eloise.

Damien was puzzled by her actions for a split second until he also saw Eloise. He grabbed Charlotte by the arm to stop her. "Leave us, or I will expose it now. We’ve got the right audience for it."

"I apologise. I didn’t know it would go so far. It was a little prank because I was upset. I promise you that I won’t do it again, so please," Charlotte pleaded, willing to get on her knees. "Don’t say a word to my family."

"Eloise!" Charlotte called, turning to Eloise for support. Only another woman would understand her predicament.

Eloise approached Charlotte with Gage right behind her. "What are the two of you doing?"

"Your husband is threatening to expose a secret which can ruin my marriage. I beg you to have him keep it a secret. Women understand each other. Damien doesn’t, so please," Charlotte pleaded.

"You can let go of her," Eloise said, looking at where Damien held Charlotte. "We don’t need any misunderstandings. As for you," she turned to Charlotte. "I don’t know what this secret is, but why should I have to help keep it hidden? I couldn’t turn to you for help."

Charlotte’s eyes widened. "What?"

"I wish to know why you thought you could plead to me and I would just accept your wishes. If you have some secret which you don’t want to get out, it would be wise to keep it to yourself and not trouble others. I am not going to help you," Eloise said.

Kindness didn’t always need to be shared.

Eloise ignored Charlotte and looked at Damien. "I am ready to go home. The carriage is waiting for us, and it is awfully cold outside. Are you ready?" she asked, holding out her right hand to Damien.

Damien reached for Eloise’s hand to hold and joined her. "I said you could send Gage for the carriage and your coat. You should have gone in the carriage to sit down."

"There are town guards all around. I wanted to see that you got out of the palace without being arrested. I was right that you should have left right away," Eloise said, giving Charlotte a short second glance.

Charlotte watched as the pair walked away from her. Neither one cared to promise that Damien would keep his mouth shut.

Charlotte raked her fingers through her hair and looked back at where she came from. If Damien spoiled her marriage, then she wouldn’t allow him to blissfully carry on with his.

Charlotte returned inside the ball while Eloise and Damien entered the carriage.

"What was that about? It must have been serious for her to follow you outside," Eloise said, curious.

"Before she married her husband, and during the time there was talk about us getting engaged, Charlotte was pregnant. She got rid of it and paid the doctor to move away," Damien shared.

"But you managed to hear of it," said Eloise.

"I have my ways," Damien replied. "I wasn’t going to share it since it didn’t concern me, but she has been a bit too bold."

"She has. I assume she is the one behind the wine. For how desperate she was to save her marriage, I would think she would focus on only her marriage. It wouldn’t be wise for her to approach me again since I won’t help her," Eloise said, unwilling to show kindness.

Eloise looked out the window, watching as the carriage left the palace. "Why did you need to speak to Rosalie? Can you tell me, or are you still not certain?"

"I believe Cole is having an affair with Victoria, or he wants to. I also believe they both have some involvement in the maid’s death," Damien shared.

Eloise perked up in her chair. "This wasn’t the news I thought you were going to share. Wait," she said, needing a moment to let it all settle. "Her husband might be having an affair with her childhood friend? Not only that, but someone has died because of it?"

"Victoria said she knew the maid because she tended to her during her stay to look after Rosalie. One look at those two, and you can tell that something is amiss between them. I would like to be wrong, but the maid’s death makes it more likely."

Eloise felt awful for Rosalie. "She loves her husband and friend dearly. How does anyone face this matter?"