The Possessive Lord's Contract Wife

At Viola’s mansion, the group had settled in, and now Eloise went in search of Viola to talk without the others present.

Eloise knocked gently on the door, and after hearing Viola’s voice, she entered.

"Welcome, dear. Is there any trouble?" Viola asked, coming forward to greet Eloise with a tender smile.

"None at all. The servants have all been lovely, and the chamber you selected for me has a splendid view. I couldn’t be more grateful, and it is truly a shame we never had the chance to come here more often," Eloise replied with the intention of fixing this.

Viola tidied a strand of Eloise’s hair as she spoke. "I should have made the offer to let you and your father stay here during your return, then join you for the stay."

"My father wouldn’t have liked to impose. He would have insisted on finding a home for us," Eloise said.

"He would have. I would have offered the mansion for him to use since it is not very often that my family comes here. Sit with me," Viola said, leading Eloise to a chair.

Eloise sat down, her gaze drifting to the window.

"Is it that you miss your husband?" Viola asked, studying Eloise closely.

"No. I worry about him, but I can survive being away from Damien. I like being away from the estate as a guest. I don’t need to worry about running the household or having duties. I intend to sleep for many hours," Eloise confessed.

Viola chuckled. "I understand how you feel. My duties never seem to go away, even while I am present. It seems the children have discovered that I am here."

Eloise turned to face her, brows knitting. "They might not be happy to know that you are with me."

"So what if they are unhappy? A woman of my age can do as she pleases. If my husband travels with my children, I shall send him back with them. They are all grown with their families, yet they seek to bother me," Viola sighed, but her love for her children was evident.

"You always said that they seek your attention when it is taken by someone else," Eloise reminded her.

"Yes. Jealous little bastards," Viola muttered, making Eloise laugh. "I love them dearly, but I am at a point when I need peace. Now, tell me what it is that troubles you."

"Nothing. I merely wanted to speak to you alone. To thank you once more for taking us in on such short notice after the damage the rain caused," Eloise said, her gratitude sincere.

"Don’t thank me any longer. I am most thankful that you have all come to be with me, as I was starting to feel lonely. I need my husband to arrive sooner," Viola admitted, missing him dearly.

"If there is a time you wish to return to the countryside, you may go," Eloise offered, though her heart ached at the thought of losing Viola’s presence.

"I will stay for as long as I had planned. I have been able to speak to friends who don’t get the chance to travel to the countryside. I have also been invited to a wedding," Viola said, speaking of Iris with fondness. "You and your cousin have both done well this season."

"We did far better than we thought we would. Iris and Zayne are good for each other. I can hardly wait to attend the events they will host leading up to their wedding. I worry about how the town will welcome Iris after what her parents did," Eloise admitted.

"I remember what you wrote about me taking her in as family to make it easier for her, but Eloise, you are Lady Hawthorne. You are enough support for her," Viola said, touching Eloise’s shoulder for reassurance.

"The name is grand, but I haven’t made myself a lady powerful enough to protect her. There are times when I barely managed to protect myself. Look at Camille," Eloise pointed out.

"But that wasn’t your battle. It is perfectly fine to depend on your husband’s name to be all the shield you need. I am also certain that your cousin would prefer to be shielded by you rather than by me. But if you insist, I will do as you ask," Viola decided.

Eloise thought it over. "Perhaps I should give it a try first. I don’t want her to be looked down upon because of what her parents did. Though I trust Zayne will treat her well."

"Since she accepted the proposal, she mustn’t be too worried, so you shouldn’t worry. You might only make her second-guess. Has she heard from her mother?" Viola asked.

"No." Eloise shook her head. "Only her brother Reece did, but that didn’t go too well. I haven’t heard from Agatha, which is wonderful, but I am certain she will come around when she hears of Iris’s marriage."

"Since she always wanted Iris to marry a wealthy man, do you think she may stay in the shadows to avoid ruining it?" Eloise asked, wishing it for Iris’s sake.

"That can happen, or she can go to Iris requesting help. This is the part where you stay out of it, as Iris has to make her own decision concerning her mother. Are you done when it comes to Agatha?" Viola wondered, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"I am," Eloise answered, reflecting on the past with a heavy heart. "I have not forgiven her, and I never will, but I don’t want to hold onto that hatred. She has suffered plenty, and since she wasn’t the one to kill my father, I am not on a hunt to kill her."

Eloise continued, "Clive is dying. I can move on with my life and focus on the people around me. I am quite tired of the petty fights. Even with the people who think my union with Damien is mismatched. It all doesn’t deserve a response."

"It doesn’t," Viola agreed.

"I am going to focus on everyone I love and learning how to stand my ground to protect them," Eloise declared with newfound resolve.

"And I shall support you along the way. Even if it is through letters. Thomas would be very proud of the woman you have grown to be. I must visit his grave before I return home and, if you would allow it, I would love to see the home you grew up in," Viola requested, her curiosity genuine.

"I will take you to see it once the dangers have passed and introduce you to Millie. You will love her," Eloise said confidently.

"I’m sure I will," Viola replied, her smile softening into something deeply maternal.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!