The Possessive Lord's Contract Wife

Camille considered leaving, but she stayed a little longer to enjoy the soft side of Damien, which he rarely showed to others.

Eloise was a lovely lady, but Camille had her concerns about how the marriage would fare. Now, Camille realised it was best to step aside and support the pair. To intervene and meddle in the marriage would only rid Damien of a love he so desperately needed.

’I must speak to Jane,’ Camille thought.

All the siblings needed to be on their best behaviour to not ruin the love blossoming.

Before she could be noticed, Camille sneaked away, leaving Damien to admire Eloise, who was still in the maze.

"This is wonderful news," Camille whispered, excited.

Camille returned to the second floor to Jane’s room. "Do not disturb us," she instructed the maid as she opened the door.

"Aunt Camille?" Jane sat up, puzzled by Camille’s presence in her bedchamber. "You said you were leaving. Is there more you needed to say to me?"

"Damien is in the garden watching his wife run around the maze," Camille whispered as if Damien could hear her. She tried not to jump for joy, though she was thrilled to have someone to share the news with.

"The maze? Why are they acting like children?" Jane asked, getting up from her chair.

Jane walked to a window, in hopes she could see what Camille spoke of.

"It was a lovely sight to see. I know I said earlier that you must be on your best behaviour, but now I mean it more than ever. No comments, no rolling your eyes, and no speaking back to your brother. We mustn’t spoil this happiness. Please," Camille pleaded.

"I already agreed to give her a chance. I will not go back on my word," Jane promised.

"It is of the utmost importance that you make her feel welcomed here, Jane. Aside from her, you are the only lady here, so she might find comfort in your presence. If there is love between those two, we mustn’t spoil it. Your brother needs this," Camille said, desperate for Damien to have his happiness.

"I will not spoil it for him. You have not given me a chance to start anew with her. I intend to sit down with Eloise so we can get to know each other before we start to attend gatherings together. How am I to defend her without getting to know her?" Jane asked.

"It is a good start. It is expected of you to be curious about her upbringing, but you must be careful with your tone and expressions. Remember Jane," Camille said, sitting down on Jane’s bed. "You are a lady. Your actions must reflect your name."

"And they shall. I can admit that I have been a bit harsh and childish, but I will do better. Her status is concerning, but we are lucky Damien has gotten married. I am willing to try, but Quinn isn’t fond of her. He is the one you should keep an eye on," Jane advised Camille.

Camille’s shoulders dropped due to disappointment. "Why?"

"I do not know, but if you find it, could you share the tale with me? I sense there is a good story to be told. Aunt Camille, I urge you to leave before your husband grows worried. If there is trouble, I will write to you," Jane promised.

"Very well. It is time that I return home. When you see Damien, please tell him that I said goodbye," Camille said, deciding to leave her talk with Quinn for another day.

"I shall see you off," Jane offered, wanting to ensure Camille left this time.

Camille stood up and walked with Jane to the door.

Meanwhile, in the garden, Damien entered the maze to help Eloise find her way out of it.

Eloise sighed, relieved to see Damien’s face. "Was I close?"

"Close to panicking? Yes, but if you meant close to the exit, then I fear you did not make it close. Fortunately, it granted me the opportunity to save you. It is this way," Damien said, leading the way out of the maze.

Eloise closely followed Damien, surprised he had not reached for her hand to lead her. She tried not to dwell on it.

Eloise placed her hands behind her back. "Do you come here often to get away from others?"

"No. I own the estate now, so I do not allow anyone who will disturb my peace to set foot inside. If I want to hide from my siblings. I enter my study or lie down in one of the other rooms. It would take hours for them to find me," said Damien.

"I see. Well, if you were to be hiding, where could I find you? Where is the first place I should look?" Eloise asked, trying to continue the conversation.

"I’ll look for you first so we can hide together," Damien replied.

"How kind of you. We made it out," Eloise said, looking back at the entrance to the maze. "I should stay away from there unless you are at my side. Thank you for giving in to my childish request. I felt taken back to the past when we would play here."

Eloise needed the break to get away from all her other troubles. For a moment, she felt at ease and carefree just as she did when she was a child.

"I enjoyed watching you get lost. Where do you want to go now?"

"I will follow your lead. If I may, if there is a day you don’t have duties to fulfil, I would love for my next outing around the town to be with you. There is much we have to learn about each other, and an outing alone might be helpful. Will you join me?" Eloise asked and held her breath as she awaited an answer.

"We might be busy with the court tomorrow, so the day after, I am all yours. Is it simply to get to know more about me, or do you want to parade me around the town? Perhaps get a little revenge on anyone who treated you poorly," said Damien.

"No," Eloise shook her head. "I no longer think of the people I met in town. It is truly all about becoming closer to you. I want to put aside time to be with my husband."

"Very well, but I urge you to use me to make the people who mistreated you nervous. It is quite fun, and you will enjoy it," Damien said, making a mental note to deal with the people who upset Eloise.

"I think you want me to do it so you can have fun. I am not petty like you are, but so our outing is not boring, I can indulge you just a little. It might be a little fun to see them be nervous," Eloise agreed with Damien.