The Possessive Lord's Contract Wife

Peter shrank back behind Laura, using her as a shield, before the thought slowly formed that with a crowd around them, Damien wouldn’t risk harming him. Not unless Damien wanted to be arrested.

That thought shattered the moment Damien’s fist came flying towards his face, connecting hard enough to knock him sideways.

Peter touched his aching jaw, the pain immediate. He looked up, ready to shout, but a second punch landed before he could get a single word out.

Laura cried out her husband’s name and in the same instant turned to Eloise for help. Eloise didn’t move.

"Aiden," Eloise said, watching the fight unfold. "Please take hold of my husband and pull him away."

Aiden passed Eloise her headpieces without a word and moved immediately to take Damien by the arms and pull him back.

Laura dropped to Peter’s side, her hands moving over his face. Blood ran from his nose, and red bruises had already begun spreading along his jaw to his split lip.

Peter looked up at Damien, shaking with fury. "I want that man arrested!" he shouted.

Damien fought against Aiden’s hold, wanting to finish what he had started.

"Damien," Eloise said quietly from his right. "It is time we stepped away for a moment."

Damien’s anger had not settled, but he was willing to go with Eloise.

"This isn’t over," Damien said, his eyes fixed on Peter.

It was only the beginning of what Damien intended for Peter.

"I can walk with him," Eloise told Aiden. "Watch our backs."

Eloise took Damien’s arm and walked him away from where Peter stood, working to gather the sympathy of those around him.

"Don’t," Damien said, not wanting to hear that he should have held back.

"I won’t. I’m glad you defended my name. He was wrong to speak so carelessly about the two of us, and to try to convince his own wife of it. I’m not angry with you at all," Eloise said honestly. "It is a good feeling to have someone defend your name."

Eloise led Damien to somewhere quieter. She took his hand and turned it over to look at his knuckles.

Even in the soft light of the lanterns, the bruising was plain to see as the skin was already turning deep red.

Eloise traced her thumb gently across his knuckle. "I’m sorry," she said. "I didn’t think an old friend would become like this and ruin the night for us. Life here used to be so simple, and I wanted you to experience it. To have a break from having to fight."

She held his hand a little tighter. "Peter irritated me before, but now I truly dislike him. Is there a chance we can still enjoy the rest of the night?"

"There is. I promised you lanterns and a night of spoiling you. That hasn’t changed," Damien said, turning his hand to close his fingers around hers.

"Good. He won’t let this go easily," Eloise said, glancing back the way they had come. "If Peter comes looking for another fight, or tries again to spread lies, then you may hit him. Give him a proper one to put an end to it."

Damien raised a brow. "Eloise Hawthorne is choosing violence?"

Eloise sighed. "Violence must be met with violence. I would be a fool to ask you to stand still while he attacks you or spreads lies. I suppose I would have to learn how to get you out of the town guards’ hold, but please, don’t make it a habit."

"Your knuckles are red. Perhaps when we return, I should draw you a warm bath. I hear warm water does wonders," Eloise said, her words carrying an invitation to something more intimate.

"Only if you join me. It would be a waste to soak alone," Damien said, giving her hand a light squeeze.

"Oh, wait," Eloise said, the flaw in her plan arriving just a moment too late. "I gave all the servants the night off. There won’t be anyone to warm the water and bring it up. I could do it," she said, having done it before and not minding the idea.

"Aiden and the other two will take care of it. I’m well enough, so let’s get back to the festival. I think we may have gathered an audience," Damien said, taking in the number of people watching from a respectful distance.

"It’s nothing new. Everywhere Lord Hawthorne goes, there will always be onlookers. Before another fight breaks out, would you be so kind as to buy me some apple pie and my lanterns? Oh!" Eloise said, catching sight of Anna making her way through the crowd towards them.

Anna reached the couple slightly out of breath. "I heard. Are you all right, Eloise?"

"I am. It is Damien who hurt his hand, but he will survive. We are hoping to carry on with the evening," said Eloise.

Anna’s expression shifted to something uneasy. "I don’t think that will happen just yet. I did as your husband asked and found out who was behind the rumours. Some of it was small gossip from ladies who don’t know you, but the worst of it came from Peter."

"We know that," Eloise said, watching Anna’s face carefully. The unease didn’t lift. "That isn’t what’s worrying you, is it? What happened? Did you do something?"

"I told some of the others what Peter had been saying, and they weren’t happy at all. They were worried he would stop you from coming back, so they wanted to have words with him. They are also hoping to see him," Anna said, wincing slightly.

Before Eloise could panic, Anna added quickly, "They are also clearing the rumours on your behalf. Speaking well of your husband and your marriage. They are making sure everyone here knows that what was said was all lies. No one who knew your father is willing to let it stand."

"I must thank everyone. They didn’t need to do any of this, and yet they have. That is exactly why I think of them as family. I had words with Laura before Peter tried to cause a scene. He tried to fool her as well. Why would he behave this way?" Eloise wondered.

It was so far from the person she had known.

"Peter always had feelings for you. With everyone around him expecting you two to wed, he convinced himself it would happen, but you never felt the same way, and your father never offered your hand. He is letting it go too far," Anna said, shaking her head.

"Far too far," Damien said, stepping in front of Eloise and Anna as Peter cut through the crowd towards them.

Eloise’s breath caught as she saw what Peter was carrying.

It was a long stick gripped in both hands.

She wasn’t afraid for Damien. She was afraid for Peter because Damien had persuaded her to let him bring his gun.