The Possessive Lord's Contract Wife

After eating her breakfast and getting dressed, Eloise prepared for her outing with Jane.

"Do you know if the others are ready, Hannah? We must return home in time to get dressed for the festival," Eloise said, studying Hannah’s reflection in the mirror.

"Miss Jane is ready and seated by the front door. Lord Hawthorne has gone out to speak to the coachman and guards. Shall I step out to ask one of the maids to confirm whether everyone is ready?" Hannah asked.

"No," Eloise shook her head. "I am almost done, so I can ask myself. Are you looking forward to the festival tonight? Have you ever attended one?"

Hannah looked up, visibly surprised that Eloise had mentioned her going. "I am to be at your side, Lady Hawthorne."

"No, you are not. I told the butler that the servants will have the night off to enjoy the festival. There will be food being sold, so there is no need to worry about dinner. After you help me to finish getting ready, you won’t have any more work for the day," Eloise said.

Hannah’s expression shifted to surprise, and Eloise found herself puzzled by it.

"Did no one inform the maids? I said it last night, so you had time to plan what you would wear. If no one was told, they might not have time to prepare," Eloise said, turning in her chair to face Hannah.

"My apologies, Lady Hawthorne. I thought I would be needed at your side. I didn’t mean to startle you," Hannah apologised, her head bowed.

Eloise sighed softly, her hand coming to rest on her chest. "Why would I allow the servants here to have a night off but not you, Hannah? It would be wrong of me to treat anyone better than I do you. When you are done here, you should start thinking about a dress and comfortable shoes."

Hannah bit her lip.

"You did not bring a suitable dress, did you?" Eloise noticed, her tone gentle.

"My focus is always on my work. I shall find a dress by tonight," Hannah promised.

"Leave it to me. I will be out with Jane for two hours. I should be able to find you something by then," Eloise assured Hannah.

"It is kind of you, but-"

"But it is not needed?" Eloise finished for Hannah. "Unfortunately for you, I want to. My father had wonderful employers who treated their servants well. I wish to be the same with everyone I care for. Allow me to do this."

A smile broke across Hannah’s face. "As you wish, Lady Hawthorne. Your braid is finished. Shall I get a parasol for you?"

"No, I am used to walking about without one. I hope Damien doesn’t try to make me wear a hat. They always blow away," Eloise said as she rose from her seat. "We must get moving, or we shall be the ones running late."

Hannah stepped aside, allowing Eloise to go first.

Eloise led the way outside the manor to where the carriage awaited.

Damien offered his hand to help Eloise inside.

"Thank you," Eloise said as she stepped in.

Hannah took her seat at the front of the carriage alongside the coachman and Aiden.

"Eloise, I have a splendid idea. Damien and I have already had our day together. Why don’t we make it just the two of us for the headpieces while Damien goes somewhere else?" Jane suggested, barely concealing her eagerness to be rid of him. "Surely no other men will be present."

Eloise glanced at Damien, sensing something had happened between the two of them. "There are usually some men present with their daughters. I shall leave it for the two of you to decide. Do not pull me into whatever this is."

Eloise turned to look out the window, hoping that if she didn’t look at either of them, they would leave her out of it.

"I will be joining you both. It seems there is a rumour going around that you are carrying my child," said Damien.

Eloise’s head turned. "Rumours from where?"

Jane frowned, confused by the concern. "The two of you are married. Why do you look so upset that others would think so? That would explain all the gifts you received this morning. Is there news I should know about?"

Jane’s gaze dropped briefly to Eloise’s stomach. "There are too many boys in the estate. You must have a girl."

Eloise pressed her hand flat against her belly. "That is not something anyone can control, and no, there is no news to share. Why would anyone think such a thing? I have not given anyone the impression that I am with child."

"Well, you can’t be entirely certain you’re not pregnant until the signs begin to show," said Jane.

Eloise looked at Jane. "Believe me, I am quite certain that I am not pregnant." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"Hmm. Jane is not wrong. You can’t be too certain. Give it a little time," Damien said, purposely being unhelpful.

Eloise narrowed her eyes at him, unamused.

"We both know that you are not pregnant. Your friends appear to be excited at the thought, so you will simply have to correct them. Do you mind asking where they came up with the idea?" Damien said, his curiosity about Peter still lingering.

"I will ask. I want to know why they felt so certain that they sent gifts to the manor. I thought we could leave these conversations behind us here, but it seems not. They are excited, as you said, so I will only have to let them down gently," Eloise said.

"Or, we could make the rumours true," Damien suggested, the corner of his mouth lifting.

"Since we are speaking of children, would anyone like to tell me-"

"No," Damien cut Jane off. "This carriage is to remain silent until it stops."

"That is hardly fair. Why must we keep going around the topic? I shall turn to my friends for answers, unless Eloise would be kind enough to tell me?" Jane asked, fluttering her eyes.

Eloise shook her head. "No. Your brother will be the one to tell you."