The Possessive Lord's Contract Wife

"I know you quite well, Camille. That is how I know when you are in this mood to trouble me. What did you want me to say? You want me to speak about the dresses you like, or which ladies you speak to more often?" Hayden inquired.

"Fortunately, we have the same group of friends," Hayden added, certain he could name them all.

"No. I have my own friends, and then there are ladies I socialise with because they are the wives of your friends. Tell me a detail about myself that no one else would know," Camille pressed, still waiting.

"I should turn this upon you. What can you tell me about myself? What do you know about me that others wouldn’t?" Hayden asked, turning the heat back on her.

Camille sighed, irritated by Hayden prolonging his answer. "I know all about you, Hayden. I made it my goal when I first saw you. I know that you secretly dislike when your peers come to ask for favours, and you hate when they pour wine into your glass without asking."

Camille continued, "I know you are not fond of the pressure your father places upon you, and unless it benefits you, you despise being invited to events. You hate the way the servants set the table, so I had to scold them and show them how it is done to your liking."

Camille ran her fingers through her hair out of frustration. "Which upsets me, because they were doing it right at first. Has no one in your family ever shown you how a table is properly set? Did your family go about doing it wrong all your youth?"

Hayden’s eyes widened as Camille’s behaviour continued to surprise him. "You truly are going mad."

"I am not going mad. I am realising how many years we wasted not getting to know each other. All we cared about was looking good before the town. You got to marry a Hawthorne, and I married a desirable man. That is all," Camille said, looking up at Hayden with teary eyes.

"What has gotten into you? Did Damien place this in your mind today? I should be upset that you met with him, but this doesn’t surprise me. I knew it was coming, though not so soon," Hayden revealed.

Camille’s sadness turned to anger now that she knew Hayden had been watching her. "You would spy on me?"

"I am leaving you in the care of our children when you are unwell. Of course I am spying on you," Hayden said coldly.

"Even after what you shared, I did not think to spy on you," Camille replied with a bitter smile. "I didn’t go so far."

"You don’t have a good reason to spy on me, Camille. I am not the one who has changed," Hayden insisted.

"Then you’ve always been like this," Camille said, noticing his real side. "Now that we are forced to talk, I am seeing how you truly are."

Her heart broke as she felt more inclined to believe Hayden had a hand in her brother’s death.

Her love for Hayden could come and go, but her love for her brother was eternal.

Camille rose from where she sat, pressing the portrait against her chest. "I need to be alone for a moment, then I must see the children."

Hayden grabbed her arm to stop her. "Until you are back to your normal self, it is not wise for you to see the children. You would only scare them. I beg you to go back to the wife I know before I am forced to send for help."

"Help?" Camille asked.

"From the best doctor. I would hate to have to do so, since they often suggest locking you away to provide the best private treatment. That would scare the children even more, so please," Hayden pleaded. "Come back to me."

Camille stared at him, disgusted by his words.

Nothing she had done of late would require him to imprison her for treatment.

She bowed her head, her thoughts spiralling back to Damien’s warnings. Then she thought of her earlier plans.

Either she got to Hayden first, or he would get to her and take her away from the children.

"We have plenty of work to do on our marriage, so I think it would be best to send the children to be with your parents, as I suggested before. That would calm your father and give me some time to settle down," Camille suggested.

Hayden thought it over and nodded. With all his current plans, the children should indeed be away.

"I will write to invite my parents for the visit and send the children in the morning. I hope this break will bring you back to your senses," Hayden said, palming Camille’s face.

Camille shuddered under his touch but forced a smile. "I am going to my private chamber for a moment. I need to finish overseeing the changes in the invitation for my gathering. Excuse me," she said.

As her back turned to Hayden, Camille’s smile fell. She was no longer going to be caged in this marriage.

She exited the chamber and looked down at the portrait of her brother.

’If he did harm you, he will not get away with it’, Camille silently promised.

Quietly, she walked to her private chamber and locked the door once inside. She approached the large desk and sat down, opening a drawer which hid a gun.

With Hayden sneaking around, spying on her, she would need to hide it again.

Camille stared at the weapon she had never intended to use. A lady had no use for a gun, but Hayden was forcing her hand to protect herself.

She closed the drawer, deciding against using the gun for now.

"He will not turn me into a widow so soon and spoil the life I built," Camille muttered.

For all Hayden had done, and for all he was doing now, he deserved to be punished.

Camille leaned back in her chair and tapped her fingers against the table. "It would be better if he were unable to move," she whispered, the cruel thought settling in her mind. "Then we would all be happy."

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