The Possessive Lord's Contract Wife

Damien safely escorted Eloise out of the court and back to their carriage. He wished to stay behind to both listen and witness Clive’s cries as well as to taunt him, but he wanted to get Eloise back to the safety of the estate.

Eloise looked around for Orlo, but he was nowhere to be seen. She hoped that, for helping to rid innocent people of their inheritance, Orlo would also get a lengthy punishment.

Eloise sat down inside the carriage and waited for Damien to join her. "I am surprised by how well it went. We didn’t have to do too much speaking, and I prefer it that way. Agatha was itching for a fight so she could let out her frustrations upon us."

Eloise was glad that Damien didn’t entertain the pair too much.

"She was delusional to shift all the blame for her husband’s actions to you. To try saving herself, she will turn to the town once again and point her finger at you. Don’t acknowledge her presence," Damien advised Eloise. "You don’t have any reason to speak to her from this day onward."

"I won’t. I have only gotten halfway with avenging my father. Clive needs to be punished for killing my father. It is unfortunate that we can no longer accuse him before we find evidence," Eloise said, still annoyed. "The town should know all that he has done."

"In time, it will. For now, we should celebrate the small victory. I will send men to empty your father’s home and move all that is there to the estate. I will place men to guard it. I wouldn’t put it past Agatha or anyone else in your family to set it on fire," said Damien.

"She might be so crazy to do it," Eloise agreed with Damien. "Thank you. You think of the things I do not consider. If not for you, I would not have made it this far. I would have lost everything dear to me."

"You are welcome. If I am to be kissed as a thank you, I would not like it to be saved for tonight. No more with your tricks," said Damien.

Eloise shook her head, Damien’s childish request slowly changing her mood. "I shouldn’t be surprised that you are still dwelling on the kiss, but I am. No, there won’t be a kiss now. I’m starting to fear that I am creating a monster."

"Haven’t you heard others around the town referring to me as a monster? It started before we were married. The men in the court certainly think so."

"I see why they think so. You might have caused a man to lose his toe. I am a bit worried that one day you might go there to tease someone and not come out. Can you please save me the fright of hearing that my husband has been arrested?" Eloise pleaded.

"They won’t ever arrest me," Damien said, drinking in Eloise’s appearance as he spoke. "Didn’t you hear them? You need proof."

"Proof of your crimes is sitting behind my uncle’s home," Eloise reminded Damien.

"Is it?"

"You moved it," Eloise realised.

"Silly me. I am breaking my promise to you by speaking of this. We should move on to speak of another topic, like how beautiful you look now. You were turning heads in there," Damien said, annoyed he had to share her beauty with others. "I am almost tempted to keep you hidden away."

"Then I would grow to hate you. Other men’s gaze does not concern me because I am your wife. I am also faced with ladies looking at you with admiration and need, but I will have to ignore it. I hope we never let jealousy over these matters come between us," said Eloise.

"There will be no jealousy on my end," Damien responded.

Eloise didn’t believe Damien. He had taken notice of others’ men’s gaze on her while she had not. "You cannot harm them to get them out of the way," she forbade Damien.

"It upsets me that you care about their well-being," Damien replied.

"You didn’t deny that you would harm them. You are becoming far easier to read. Promise me that you won’t harm anyone for looking in my direction. You have little idea of the battle I will face with ladies who wanted to marry you, yet I will not try to kill them," Eloise said, wishing Damien could be the same way.

"That is because you haven’t met many of those ladies. You are about to enter a world filled with ladies far more childish than Jane because they have never been told no, and like your family, they like to think I belonged to them," said Damien.

"Many will scheme. Many will befriend you with the intention of learning your secrets to expose them, and others will use you in an effort to get close to my brothers or me. Eventually, you will grow tired of their antics and feel like strangling them," Damien said, awaiting such a moment.

"I am not thrilled to be entering gatherings where I will have to constantly be reading others’ actions. I am sorry, but your world sounds awful," Eloise said, uncertain if she was ready for tense battles. "You are my husband. Why can’t others accept it and move on to another gentleman?"

"That would make the world boring. Fortunately, I don’t plan to have you attend many events. I am quite picky about the gatherings I attend, so you will be too. Remember that you are Lady Hawthorne. You grace others with your presence, not the other way around," Damien said.

"While your father’s last name is grand, you can’t act like a Wilkins anymore. There will be many who try to hold your upbringing against you and treat you like a servant, but you are now a lady. If you give them one chance to treat you like a servant, they will never let you forget it."

"I understand," Eloise said, taking in all that Damien told her. "I am not too concerned about these gatherings anymore because I trust that somehow you will be near to protect me. I hope you do not mind, but I will use your name to scare others."

"I am not against it. It would make my day to see you speak of me to others. So the town understands your place in my heart, your first introduction to the town should be done with me at your side. I will select a gathering for us to attend," Damien said, already having a gathering in mind.

"I will trust your judgement," Eloise replied.