Eloise stroked Damien’s hair, but stopped once she realised what she was doing. "You’re awake, aren’t you?"

Damien didn’t move.

"I will pinch you," Eloise threatened. "I will need your help with your aunt. I remember her as a kind woman, but time has passed. Damien," Eloise said, taking it upon herself to pinch Damien.

"Why are you bruising my body, Eloise? I’m still a bit tired," Damien said and opened his eyes. "Did you miss the sound of my voice?"

"No, I miss all the feeling in my legs. They are sore," Eloise said, finding relief when Damien sat up. "If it is that you cannot sleep well at night, please tell me. I do not understand what else could make you so tired. What did you do today?"

Eloise tapped her hands against her legs, trying to bring back feeling to them.

"Oh!" Eloise gasped, startled by Damien pulling her closer. "I can do it myself."

"I am the one who caused you the discomfort," Damien said, lifting Eloise’s leg to rest it on his lap. "I will bring you some ease. And as for your question, I slept well last night."

"Then, why are you so tired now?" Eloise inquired.

"I wasn’t tired. I wanted to bother you and ended up falling asleep. Your lap is quite comfortable. I will make use of it more often," said Damien.

Eloise grimaced when Damien’s hand massaged her leg. "Perhaps you should let me do it."

"We have already settled this. I will help you," Damien said, continuing his work to release Eloise from her pain. "Is this what you secretly enjoy? Does this make you nervous? My hands are not even near areas to make you nervous."

"Damien, please stop speaking, or I will be forced to give you a good pinch," Eloise said, and tried to pull her leg out of Damien’s hold.

"You’re going to make us slide off this bed, and I will have to catch you. Is that what you are yearning for? To be in my arms. Ha," Damien chuckled, humoured by Eloise pinching him.

Damien’s laughter ceased when he heard a noise outside the door. "Go along with it," he said, reaching forward to place his hand on Eloise’s lower back to nudge her forward.

"W-What are you doing?" Eloise stuttered, caught off guard by Damien’s closeness.

Damien leaned forward and tilted his head as he pressed his lips against Eloise’s neck.

"Damien!" A woman’s voice filled the bedchamber as the doors opened wide. "Oh my!"

A blonde woman entered the room in search of her nephew, who was said to be married.

Camille Bennett, Damien’s aunt, turned away from the pair. "Jane said you were sleeping. I didn’t mean to barge in on such an intimate time. Heaven’s, Damien. It is the middle of the day."

"Do not question me if your husband does not find you so appealing that he wants to be near you at every hour of the day. My wife is sweet," Damien said, earning himself an unwanted pinch from Eloise. "And also shy," he leaned back from Eloise. "Could you give us a moment?"

Camille shielded her eyes. "I will be waiting for you in the drawing room."

"And Aunt Camille, I would prefer you don’t storm into my room as though we are in the market. I am a married man now, so you never know what you might witness," said Damien.

"Damien!" Eloise and Camille exclaimed.

Camille backed the couple. "It was rude of me to barge into the bedchamber of newlyweds. I will not make that mistake again. Please make yourselves proper and meet me in the drawing room. I want to speak to both of you."

Camille walked out of the bedchamber, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and surprise after what she had walked into. She did not think it was true that Damien had gotten married.

Eloise glared at Damien. "You did not need to make that position be your aunt’s first view of me," she said, moving her feet from Damien’s lap. "She will not be able to look me in my eyes."

"That should make it easier for you to speak to her. It was wrong of her to enter our room without knocking, just as it was wrong for Jane to do. I have a new rule for everyone in the estate."

"Will she be angry that I am the woman you wed?" Elosie asked, feeling a bit nervous. Her palms started to sweat. "Will she yell?"

"My aunt doesn’t yell. She claims it is unladylike. I believe she will be most upset that we did not invite her to the wedding or give her notice that we were engaged. You mustn’t worry," Damien said, holding Eloise’s hand to calm her.

Damien looked down at Elosie’s hand and released it. "Your palms are sweaty."

"I am nervous," Eloise confessed.

"I have been purposely teasing you, yet it is my aunt’s presence which makes you nervous? I must up my antics," Damien said as he stood up. "You only have yourself to blame. I will speak to my aunt to see where she stands. Give me time to speak to her and then come to us."

"Wait," Eloise stopped Damien. "I have not been given a tour yet. I do not know how to get to the drawing room."

"Then, I will return here for you. Take a deep breath and relax. She will love you just as," Damien stopped before he revealed too much. "She will love you just as she did in the past. Calm yourself, Eloise. She might dislike you if she touches your sweaty palms."

"I cannot help it," Eloise said, hiding her hands behind her back. "Go and see what mood she is in."

Damien reluctantly walked out of the bedchamber.

Camille had awful timing as she disturbed a moment Damien was having with Eloise. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Damien made a stop for a glass and a bottle of wine before going to the drawing room.

"You did that on purpose to startle me, didn’t you?" Camille asked, thinking of what she walked into.

"Married or not, you know better than to storm into my bedchamber. What if my wife were undressing? You know better," said Damien.

"And I have apologised for it. I will apologise again when I see your wife. Damien, I am shocked that you have gotten married. No invitation was sent to my door. Do you not care for me?" Camille asked, offended that she was not considered.

"I do care for you. If it makes you feel better, I did not want my siblings to be there as well. My wife wanted them to be there, and they made a fool of themselves," said Damien.

"No, that doesn’t make me feel better," Camille replied.