The Possessive Lord's Contract Wife

"When you are done being moody, will you join me for a walk? Iris will come to you when she is ready, and I imagine it must be difficult to speak of her father to you," said Damien.

"I know that she thinks it might be difficult. I want to show that I can still support and comfort her. Perhaps I should send Jane to her and send for Zayne to return. I understand why she might be unable to speak to me," Eloise acknowledged the issue.

It was good news for Eloise, as her father’s case could now be closed, but Iris lost her father.

"It is time that you stop pushing yourself. What will you say to her about her father? Think of how awkward that would be. Let her come to you when she is ready," Damien suggested.

"I am. That is why I am here and not inside her chamber. It is an odd position to be in, as I am glad that he is gone, but it is spoiling her days. We all need something to make us happy again," Eloise said, trying to come up with an idea.

"I suggest we stop visitors from coming to the estate and enjoy each other’s company. All the visitors bring to us is bad news. I have already sent away men from the court who likely want to speak about my aunt and her late husband," Damien shared.

"It is a good idea, but I still believe bad news would reach us. I think we should go back to the plan of having a little event here. Just for us," Eloise added before Damien could object. "We can have your siblings, Iris, Zayne, and his mother. Even Rosalie and Viola."

"Is it to celebrate their engagement or to distract Iris from her father’s death?"

"Neither. It is for all of us to be together and enjoy each other’s company. If we attend a gathering around the town, we will have to hear about Hayden, and now there is Iris’s father. We should enjoy ourselves here," Eloise said, eager to plan.

Damien couldn’t say no, given how excited Eloise looked in the moment. "Then, you should send for Reece to return. Iris will need the company of her brother. Perhaps he would stay long enough for the wedding."

"If we are fortunate, he might. Then we will get to meet his wife. Do you have more friends you would like to attend? You only ever speak of Zayne," Eloise realised.

"And you only ever speak of Iris. I prefer Zayne’s company over anyone else. It is not that I don’t have any other friends, but the ones I can tolerate no longer reside in town, or they have duties they cannot step away from," Damien explained.

"Is it so, or is it that you are trying to hide that we both have few friends?" Eloise wondered, realising their situation.

"I truly have friends, Eloise. They are my connections across the kingdom. Do you want me to be so pitiful that I don’t have friends? Do you think I am incapable of having friends other than Zayne? I am not pathetic," Damien said, partly offended.

Eloise laughed at how defensive Damien became. She rubbed his shoulders to calm him. "It is not so serious, as my friends are all in the countryside. I wish I had made more friends here before I moved. If there is anyone you want to attend, please let me know."

"I would prefer that it only be us," Damien answered.

"I shall keep it small, with only the people we care for. I’ll invite Millie, as it’s been some time since I spoke with her. I should have checked sooner that her son isn’t bothering her. Should we dress up?" Eloise wondered.

"If you wish," Damien said, going along with what she wanted.

Eloise hooked her arm with Damien’s and started to walk away. "I have so many dresses that I have not worn because we don’t attend events. It would be a good opportunity to wear one. We can also allow your siblings to invite a friend."

"Kyle is likely to bring Samuel. Surely, you remember how insufferable he was. He tried to court you right after our wedding day," Damien said, annoyed just by the memory of it.

"I remember it all too well. It would be unfair if the guests were all people I am close to and not people you or your siblings are close to. We must be fair and allow them to have their friends here. I will stress that it mustn’t be someone to bring drama," said Eloise.

"Good luck with that, but I will support you. You should plan it for a few days from now to give Iris the time to get back to feeling like herself. That will give you plenty of time to properly plan the gathering," Damien suggested.

"That would be best. I need to give everyone time to see if they can attend and find what they would wear. I also need to think of decorations, the food, and where to host it in the estate," Eloise said, realising she would have much to do.

The list was already growing in her mind.

"It seems that you have found a way to stress yourself. You don’t need to rush it. I know how important it must feel to do well for your first event here, but your well-being is more important," Damien said, worried that Eloise might do too much.

Eloise rested her head on Damien’s shoulder. The familiar warmth was comforting. "I know. I’m going to give myself enough time to prepare for it. I will make it perfect so everyone can be in good spirits again. That day, we will need to prevent other visitors from coming."

Eloise continued, "No one from the court or town guards is allowed. It is certainly not a day for your aunt to arrive. I have seen the letters that Camille has been sending. Please handle it quickly."

"I have been handling it. I’ve been telling the butler to throw away each letter she has sent," Damien answered.

"That isn’t going to stop her, Damien. I am quite tired of your troubles with Camille. For it to end, you must have her know that you are truly done with her. You don’t need to speak," Eloise said, knowing it would end in a clash. "Simply write to her."

"I will do it for you so your event isn’t ruined," Damien agreed.

"Do it for Jane, as Camille is likely to turn to her once she cannot get to you," Eloise said, worried Jane would be in the middle again.