"Lord Hawthorne, I assure you that my wife didn’t mean any harm. You know how women are. They have their little spats and troubles, but we men can settle this for them. Surely, my wife wasn’t too awful with her words. She is not that kind of lady," Albert said, turning to Lucinda for her to assure Damien.

Albert was in desperate need of Damien’s business, and he felt that he was quite close to receiving the help he needed. He ignored Lucinda’s antics with the other ladies, but this time he could not.

"Yes, it was hardly a spat. I heard some rumours early in the morning about Lady Hawthorne and her cousin. I let my poor judgment get the best of me, and since I had never seen your wife before, I didn’t think she was truly your wife," said Lucinda.

"Am I to be understanding because you thought I was a lady without a powerful backing? No lady should have been faced with that treatment. I was introduced as Lady Hawthorne by my husband’s guards, and you still interjected," Eloise said, pointing out Lucinda’s lie.

"I don’t care for an apology since I know it will not be genuine. I only wish you wouldn’t expect me to forget our first interaction and start a friendship with you. I don’t have any interest in doing so," said Eloise.

"Lady Hawthorne," Lucinda said, pleading with her eyes for a second chance. "I assure you that once you get to know me, I am a lady whose company you will enjoy. It was wrong of me to listen to what was being said and judge you."

Albert clenched his fist beneath the table. Had Lucinda told him of her interaction with Lady Hawthorne, he would have approached the dinner differently. He would have left her behind to calm Damien.

Albert laughed out loud, trying to kill the tension. "Lord Hawthorne, I think we should let the women speak amongst themselves to end this misunderstanding, while you and I speak so we can move closer to becoming friends."

Damien stared at Albert, wondering if Albert shared the same sickness Lucinda claimed. "You must be mad if you think I am going to leave my wife alone with your wife. You’ve spoiled any chance of us working together."

"Lord Hawthorne," Albert spoke softly as he grasped the gravity of the situation. "W-We were doing so well. We mustn’t allow the emotions of women to spoil a blooming friendship. My business shall greatly benefit the two of us."

"No, it will benefit you because you are desperate. I do not need money nor a new friend. I am in a mood to be petty, and knowing you planned to approach a friend of mine as well, I shall nip that little plan for you," said Damien.

Lucinda panicked, afraid she would be the cause of her husband losing work. She certainly didn’t want to be at odds with the Hawthornes. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

’Why is it like this?’ Lucinda wondered. She didn’t think anything would come out of her little spat. ’She is the one who insulted me.’

It infuriated Lucinda to look across the table to where Eloise sat and see her enjoying the food on the table while others were on their toes about what Lord Hawthorne would do.

Lucinda tensed up, her eyes narrowing in on Damien being so caring to add to Eloise’s plate. It was a simple gesture, but there were a thousand words behind it.

’They said he didn’t love her,’ Lucinda thought, confused by what she witnessed after hearing the rumours.

Eloise was a nobody who didn’t know her place amongst women who were in high society before her. Her only strength was that she had Damien on her side, and now, it appeared that he was wrapped around her finger.

"Lady Hawthorne, I apologise on behalf of my wife. She meant no harm-"

"You cannot apologise on her behalf, and neither can you, within the same breath, say that she meant no harm. You cannot tell me what her intentions were since you weren’t there, and you are not inside her head," Eloise said, rejecting the apology she didn’t need.

"You wanted to put on a show for the other ladies in the dress shop and place me beneath you. I would rather you stand on what you did, instead of playing coy now that my husband is present," said Eloise.

"Lord Hawthorne, I will speak with my wife in private and correct her behaviour. I didn’t know there was an interaction between our wives, or I would have dealt with it long ago and come to apologise. She was wrong," Albert said, scolding Lucinda. "And she is willing to apologise."

"On her knees?" Damien asked, a cruel punishment coming to mind.

Lucinda wiped her head around at Albert. It would be insulting for her to kneel before Eloise to apologise. Though it would reclaim their ties with the Hawthornes, she would be ruined if news of it reached the other ladies.

"Yes," Albert answered on Lucinda’s behalf. "Get up," he ordered his wife.

Lucinda caused this mess, so it was only right that she be the one to fix it.

Lucinda stared at Albert, hoping he would change his mind, but he gave her a look rooted with hatred. Lucinda didn’t have any other choice but to get up from her chair and slowly lower herself to the floor.

"Stop," Damien said, before Lucinda’s knees touched the floor. "No man is so important that you should allow him to have your wife kneel. Before you concern yourself about my wife and where she stands, I suggest you pay attention to your own marriage," he advised Lucinda.

Lucinda was still, her eyes on the verge of tears because she felt humiliated. She was thrown into the fire and embarrassed by her very own husband.

"If anyone doesn’t know their place, it is the two of you. Get out of my estate," Damien ordered the couple.

"Lord Hawthorne-"

"Either you leave willingly, or you will be dragged out. I vote for the latter so I can enjoy dinner and a show. If you are not out of my sight by the count of ten, I will have you forcibly removed. One," Damien started the count.

Lucinda stood up and made her way out of the dining room before Albert. She didn’t want to face him after what she endured.

Albert stared at Damien, hoping they could settle the issue, but as Damien reached five, he pushed his chair back and followed his wife.

Silence fell on the dining room for a moment before Damien added more meat to Eloise’s plate. "Have some more," he said.