"Lord Hawthorne, I ask that you take good care of my cousin. She might be a little frustrating at times with wanting to help me, but it is because she cares. The more you spend time with her, the more you will come to love her as I do," Iris said, wishing the best for the pair.

Iris didn’t want to be the cause of tension in Eloise’s marriage.

"I intend to take care of her," Damien said, not needing Iris to instruct him to. "No one has arrived at the gates so far. To be back home well before your parents, I suggest you leave now. I will arrange a horse and guard to safely take you home."

"Thank you," Iris said, grateful for Damien’s kindness.

"Eloise, would you be so kind as to get Silas for me? I sent out Aiden and Gage for an important task. He should be right ahead, third room to your right. If you knock and he does not answer, enter and place a pillow over his face," Damien instructed Eloise.

"Very well- wait," Eloise stopped herself before she took one step. "A pillow? If he is not awake, am I to strangle him? How could you suggest such an awful act?"

"It would only be awful if you don’t give him a chance to breathe. Would you suffocate him in his sleep, Eloise? How evil of you," Damien said, playing innocent. "Maybe it would be best for me to wake him. I am always the most successful."

"No!" Eloise exclaimed, putting out her arms to stop Damien. "I shall wake Silas and tell him you request his presence. Remind me to speak with you about how you wake your guards."

Damien smiled, excited for their future talk. "I will."

Iris stared back and forth at the pair, uncertain if they were being serious. Was it normal to wake the servants with a pillow to the face?

Damien’s gaze remained on Eloise. "I won’t allow her to be dragged into your family drama. She will need a friend, so I will step aside when it concerns your friendship, but not your family."

"The debts, drama, and all that follow are yours to bear alone. She was never with your father long enough to owe him money, so I don’t expect your family knocking on my door for money," said Damien.

"They won’t come here. I will do my best to keep them from seeking help from Eloise," Iris promised.

"You are welcome here as long as you come alone and you don’t bring drama with you. I hope it is true that you have moved on from your silly feelings. I don’t ever want you testing if there could be a chance between us," Damien said, giving Iris one chance to change his mind about her.

Iris chuckled, humoured by Damien. "You have been intently watching Eloise from the moment you showed up to the very second she walked away. Before I arrived, I got rid of my feelings for you, and now I know that your eyes are only on my cousin."

"Even without Eloise having my interest, you never stood a chance. I am quite tired of hearing about your feelings toward me. If it persists, I will be forced to remove the tongues of the people who continue to speak it."

"Are you always this violent?" Iris asked, concerned for Eloise’s sake. "I never noticed."

"You didn’t know me. Like the others, you fell for a handsome face, wealth, and a title I rarely use. This is the real me, and my kindness is only offered to the people I care for. I hope you stay on the right side," Damien said, yet to fully trust Iris.

"I will not turn on Eloise. You mustn’t let my reaction to news of your engagement lead your judgment of me. You will never be able to love Eloise more than I do. I have a bond with her which cannot be replaced. It is not as though we are cousins, but sisters," Iris argued.

"That bond almost ended in one day because you were too emotional to listen," Damien pointed out.

"Because the cousin I loved so dearly was going to marry the man I longed for," Iris reminded Damien. "You cannot leave out that important part of the tale. I had every right to be upset, and Eloise agreed with me."

"You’ll find yourself in trouble thinking I share the same feelings as Eloise. The past is in the past, so we must move forward. I have shared my thoughts about you and your family. Now, what are the names of the men your father owes money to?" Damien asked, his gaze going back to Eloise.

In the distance, Eloise walked with Silas behind her.

Iris’s brows knitted together as confusion settled in her mind. "But you both agreed not to help with the debt. You also said-"

"Iris," Damien interjected, uninterested in her rant. "The names before I grow tired of this."

"No," Iris responded. "To keep Eloise out of this, I must keep you out of my family’s debt as well. Thank you for welcoming me into your home."

"Lord Hawthorne," Silas greeted Damien.

"Silas, take our guest to Clive Wilkins’ home. Do your best not to be seen, so take paths not frequently used by travellers. You may leave her away from her home so her neighbours do not see you. Do not leave through the front gates, and you must go now," said Damien.

Silas nodded and turned to the guest. "You must come with me."

Iris kept her attention on Damien for a moment, worried he had plans for her family. She shook her head, deciding to focus on the problems before her and approached Eloise to say her goodbyes.

"Be well," Iris said, embracing Eloise in one final hug. "If we are fortunate, we can meet in town or get a glimpse of each other at gatherings."

Eloise basked in Iris’s warmth, not wanting to let go. "We will see each other soon. I am certain. Silas, please ensure that my cousin returns home safely."

"I will, Lady Hawthorne," Silas promised.

"Goodbye," Iris said and started to follow Silas. She was on the verge of tears, but tried her best not to let them show. This wasn’t goodbye forever, but rather, a brief parting.

If Iris stayed with Eloise any longer, she would only cry and yearn to stay longer.

"You do not want to see her off? You can get to the stables and back gates to see her off," Damien said, surprised that Eloise lingered.

"I want to go," Eloise admitted, second-guessing her decision to say. "But if I go, I might cast away everything between us and run away with Iris."

"Then stay," Damien said, stepping before Eloise before she gave in to the temptation.