The Possessive Lord's Contract Wife

The group soon returned home by carriage.

Clive was the first one to wander off since he had an important letter to send out early in the morning.

Eloise stayed with Iris and Agatha, watching as Iris danced as though she were still at the ball. She smiled, enjoying how happy Iris made herself.

"Eloise."

Eloise looked away from Iris to Agatha.

"You must behave yourself. Every second you stand in town, you must remember that what you do not only affects you, but this family as well. I never want to hear that you are alone with Lord Hawthorne. Do you understand?" Agatha asked, still seething that Eloise stole Iris’s chance.

"I do," Eloise replied, not wanting to create more trouble.

Eloise wished to say that she wouldn’t have been alone with Damien if not for Agatha sending her for a shawl, which was not needed. She already suspected Agatha was not fond of her arrival and did not want to make matters worse for Clive.

"Lord Damien is the man your cousin has set her eyes upon. It wouldn’t be pleasant for you to be seen near him, let alone be seen with him, without Iris. I urge you to be careful," said Agatha.

"Mother," Iris said, ending her dance. "You mustn’t be so hard on Eloise. Besides, if there is anyone who can help me win his heart, it is Eloise. She once played with Damien on his estate."

"That was when they were children. He has become a man with many responsibilities. We cannot allow the tiniest mistake to get in the way of your union with Lord Hawthorne. I hear he may be in the town tomorrow for an outing with his brother. I will be taking you for tea," Agatha said, eager to place Iris in Damien’s path.

Iris clapped her hands out of excitement and jumped for joy at another meeting with Damien. "Eloise! You will enjoy-"

"Your father said Eloise will have guests in the morning, so she cannot join us. It appears she has gotten the attention of suitors. Be on your best behaviour," Agatha advised Eloise.

"Suitors? But I don’t want to be courted," said Eloise.

"Do you intend to burden your father and uncle in taking care of you? You are of age to marry and start a family. I suggest you turn your focus to what matters most to you since your beauty fades by the day. We can only hope you marry a suitable man," Agath said, peering down upon Eloise.

Eloise wished to voice that her father alone had her focus, but once again, she did not want to upset Agatha.

"I shall heed your advice," said Eloise.

"Good. Iris, you must come with me. I want you to recite the etiquette a lady should know. Come along," Agatha said, grabbing Iris by her hand to lead her away.

Eloise smiled as Iris mouthed, ’Help me.’

Eloise shook her head. "I cannot," she mouthed back.

With Agatha out of sight, Eloise walked towards Clive’s study. She knocked on the door and opened it, poking her head inside to see what he was doing.

"Uncle," said Eloise.

"Child, don’t you know better than to wait? What is it that troubles you at this hour?" Clive asked, shifting papers to cover what he was looking at.

"I wanted to take this time to ask if, instead of writing letters to my father, I could visit him even just for a day to-"

"No!" Clive yelled, panic overcoming his mind. "No," he spoke in a softer tone. "You mustn’t disturb your father when he is being looked after. You will visit him when he is well. Don’t you like it here?’

"I do, but I miss being home with my father. I think of him with every passing hour and want to be at his side. I think of what if I were to lose him, and I am not at his side? It would be lonely for him," said Eloise.

"A day is all I need to settle the emotions that overwhelm me. Please, uncle," Eloise pleaded. "I will be back before you know it."

"I understand, but I must follow your father’s wishes. You will see him when he is well. As for now, focus on the suitors who will come to see you. Think of how relieved your father would be to hear that you have gotten married to a fine gentleman. Give him comfort in knowing you have a future," Clive advised Eloise.

"Here," Clive said, rubbing Eloise’s shoulder as he walked to the door. "I shall speak to his doctor to know if it’s time for him to have a visitor and consider letting you return."

"Thank you," Eloise said, having no choice but to accept.

"Good night," Clive bid Eloise farewell before closing the door.

Eloise didn’t move from where she stood. There were moments when she felt her uncle never listened to her.

Since she promised her father to be well-behaved, Eloise walked away from the door and headed toward the bedchamber she shared with Iris.

Eloise walked towards the room she shared with Iris, but stopped when she overheard Agatha’s voice in the library. She thought Iris was still speaking to Agatha until she heard the voice of a maid.

"She’s smart, but lacks warmth. Such is the consequence of being raised without a mother. She’ll never be a good mother. She had no one to guide her."

Eloise felt a prick in her chest. She knew the maid’s words were directed at her.

"I try not to blame it on her since it is not her fault her mother passed, but I will not be burdened with extending my guidance onto anyone other than Iris. My love is for my children," came Agatha’s voice. "That girl doesn’t know how to behave. She is wild, as one would expect of a lady raised without a mother."

Eloise wanted to move, but her body stood still as she finally confirmed Agatha wasn’t fond of her. She always tried to convince herself that it wasn’t so.

"I fear letting her be so close to Iris for her actions to rub off on my daughter. Iris has too much potential for the season to be dimmed by Eloise. I pray I will not be burdened with her troubles."

Eloise walked away from the door, no longer wanting to hear about how ruined she was because she didn’t have her mother. When alive, her mother raised her well, and when the flu got the best of her, Eloise’s father did his best to raise her.

Eloise lost her mother, but the kind ladies who lived near her home gathered to help her when they could.

Eloise was far from ruined, and she would be on her best behaviour to prove Agatha wrong.