The Possessive Lord's Contract Wife

"So, are we expected to spend this day getting to know your wife?" Jane asked, hoping it wasn’t so. She already had plans with her friends.

"Her name is Eloise, and no. You’ll have plenty of time to get to know her," said Damien.

"Good. I am to visit with my friends today, in case you have forgotten. You have my word that I will not speak of this to anyone," Jane promised.

Kyle tried to swallow the bread he stuffed his mouth with. "It is not a secret, Jane. It will come out at some point that Damien has gotten married. So, why can’t you speak of it? Afraid your friends’ hearts will be broken?"

"No. I don’t understand their relationship myself, so if there are any questions, I cannot answer them. I will leave it to the two of them to explain to the town. Surely you understand, right?" Jane asked, questioning Eloise.

"I do," Eloise replied.

"See, there was no harm in my actions," Jane said.

"Truly? Then did you tell our dear brother that you wrote to our lovely aunt about the wedding? How you spoke of how her father was just the groundsman. Sorry," Kyle apologised, forgetting Eloise was present.

Eloise smiled to show that she was well. "I am not ashamed of the work my father did to put food on the table. I might not have had shiny gifts, but I had what I needed. You can say he was a groundsman. He also painted homes and tried to build them, but he wasn’t too good at it."

Eloise thought of her time with her father. It was lovely, even though it wasn’t what the Hawthornes were used to.

Eloise frowned as the memories dampened her mood. She wouldn’t be able to create more.

"Excuse me," Eloise said, getting up from her chair. "I left something in the bedchamber."

Eloise walked away from the dining table, not wanting to spoil breakfast with her mood.

Damien eyed Kyle from the moment he got up from his chair. "We are going to have a talk after breakfast."

Kyle gulped, regretting what he said. "I didn’t mean to hurt her."

"But you did," said Jane. "Though I don’t see the need to leave the table. Her father was a groundsman, and since she seems to accept it, why cry now? Do you think she is seeking attention from Damien?"

"Jane, her father has recently died. If she were to be smiling and in a pleasant mood, surely you would find it odd," said Kyle.

"If my father had recently died, I would not have rushed to get married. It doesn’t seem like she is mourning, but rather trying to get Damien’s attention. There is more to their marriage, and you know it. I am the only one saying it out loud," said Jane.

Kyle partially agreed with Jane, but since he was on thin ice, he would stay quiet.

Outside the dining room, Damien caught up with Eloise.

"I am not angry," Eloise said before Damien misunderstood. "He made me think of my father, and it is not awful. I have not entirely come to terms with his death, and I didn’t want to spoil breakfast, so I got up."

"Breakfast feels as though it is already spoiled."

"Not to me. I understand their feelings, so I do not let what they say get to me. They don’t know how close we were in the past, and they don’t know the truth about why we got married," Eloise said, understanding Damien’s siblings.

"I’m sure everyone expected you to marry a young woman from a wealthy family or one with a father who is a nobleman. I expect to be judged for my background, but truly, none of that matters to me. I have too much to focus on," said Eloise.

With her father’s killer still walking free, how could Eloise be worried about what others thought of her?

"I see. Still, I will speak to my siblings. They are normally childish, but you shouldn’t endure it. You must tell me if they or anyone here insults you in any manner. Promise me," Damien said, sticking out his pinky.

Eloise bit her lip, finding Damien’s way of making a promise to be cute. "I promise," Eloise said, wrapping her pinky around Damien’s.

"I will bring your breakfast to the bedchamber," said Damien.

"You don’t have to," Eloise said, pulling away her hand.

Damien turned his back to Eloise and walked away. "I want to, so I know you have eaten. Too many times, we forget to eat when we’re grieving."

Eloise didn’t object any more since it was a kind gesture. She continued up the stairs.

Damien returned to the dining room and stared at the pair still eating.

"I didn’t mean to upset her. Should I go apologise?" Kyle asked.

"Wouldn’t it be wise for you to apologise without having to ask? You suspect you upset her. Why not make amends without needing someone to tell you?" Damien questioned, standing behind the chair Eloise used. "Have your opinions and have you doubts, but I expect you not to speak carelessly before her."

"That goes for you as well," Damien said, looking at Jane. "I would expect those who know the feeling of losing a parent to be easy on her."

"We don’t know anything about her," said Jane.

"She is upstairs and open to your questions. Your respectful questions. You are not making an attempt to get to know her. You are judging her for foolish reasons," Damien said, annoyed by the lack of warmth.

"You married a stranger. You didn’t give us time to get to know her before the wedding, and she is not from our world. I do not think our mother would have approved, and surely neither will our aunt," Jane spoke confidently.

"Respectfully, Jane. I had more years with our mother to know what she would have wanted for me," Damien replied.

Jane frowned.

It was never fair when her siblings flaunted that they had more time with their parents because they were older.

Jane placed her napkin on the table and stood up. "I will go to see my friends now."

"With what carriage? Unless you intend to walk, you aren’t going anywhere. There have to be consequences for your actions," Damien said, unaffected by Jane’s glare.

"I cannot wait for Aunt Camille to arrive," Jane said as she stomped out of the dining room.

"Hopefully, she will make it through the gates," said Damien.

Damien ignored Kyle and put together a plate of food for Eloise.

Kyle found the sight of Damien being so kind to an outsider to be odd. Perhaps there was a chance Damien was in love.