The Possessive Lord's Contract Wife

As an hour passed, Eloise was the only one in a deep sleep.

Damien lay awake, still thinking of the earlier events and where he would go from here. His mind refused to rest.

How he would inform his siblings and let the truth be told weighed heavily upon him.

The thought of their grief, their disbelief, and the inevitable heartbreak it would cause in their family troubled him.

Since all the matters surrounding Hayden were not yet settled, Eloise and Jane couldn’t return to him, as he would be away from the estate quite often.

Damien looked down at Eloise, checking that she was still fast asleep before starting to move to get out of bed. He needed water to quench his thirst and hopefully a piece of bread to act as his dinner.

He kept his eyes on Eloise, ensuring that he had not disturbed her slumber. The faint rise and fall of her chest reassured him. He then quietly went around the bed to get his shirt and dress before leaving the chamber.

If fortunate, there would be a maid around to direct him to the kitchen.

Damien exited the bedchamber and started his search for the kitchen.

On his way, there was a chamber with a door slightly ajar, the light from the lanterns reaching outside to where Damien walked.

Damien thought nothing of it and carried on until he heard a fit of coughs which did not sound too pleasant. It caught his attention even more as the sounds seemed to come from Viola.

"Lady Tompkins!" Damien called, making his presence known.

The coughing stopped, and there was silence for a moment before a response finally came.

"Enter."

Damien returned towards the door and entered the bedchamber.

"It is late. Why do you walk around at this hour?" Viola said, lowering her handkerchief to her side.

"I need water and bread to get through the night. I skipped my dinner. It doesn’t sound as though you are well," Damien said, noticing how she tried to hide the handkerchief.

"It is not unusual for someone to fall ill at this time of the year. Especially after all the rain we have had as of late. I hope you won’t go around speaking of what you don’t know," Viola said, warning him not to speak to Eloise.

"I won’t speak of your coughs to anyone since it isn’t my place, but so this illness doesn’t take root and linger far too long, I hope you will be seen by a doctor. It would sadden your family to find out you are ill," Damien said, his concern genuine.

"You mean Eloise? I know you only care for her, and I don’t blame you. You might not believe this, but I am not your age," Viola said jokingly. "My youthful look makes it quite difficult for others to realise."

Damien chuckled softly. "It’s quite shocking."

"Thank you. I take pride in looking well at this age. I tend to become ill as of late, but I care for myself so that it passes. On my wedding day, I told my husband that I would surely outlive him to spite his family," Viola shared.

Viola looked ahead at a painting of her husband. "That man is still quite strong, so it isn’t my time yet. I am quite adamant about staying true to my promises."

"I’m sure you will outlive him. You might want to do better with closing the door if you don’t want Eloise to find out. You are fortunate it was me instead of her," Damien said, folding his arms.

"My maid left a moment ago to get my medicine. That is why the door was open, though I thought it was closed. Your eyes look a little different. Have you been crying, Lord Hawthorne?" Viola asked, changing the topic. "Missed your wife so much?"

"I found out what happened to my parents. It was a plot rather than an accident, and Hayden was the one behind it," Damien revealed, his voice heavy with grief.

"I knew I had good reason not to like that man or your aunt. This is precisely why I keep some relatives far away. If my husband’s sister could have her way, she would have killed me, but I’m not easy to get rid of," Viola said, laughing at her old spats.

Viola’s laughter settled, and she asked, "Is he dead?"

"Not yet. His wife is the one who had him attacked, and he was unconscious when I saw him."

"Lord Hawthorne. Damien," Viola said, dropping all formalities. "I like to think of you as a wise man. Surely you know that you can’t trust that man to be in your aunt’s care. For your safety and everyone around you, it is best to kill him. Verify with your own eyes."

"I don’t trust how my aunt will handle this matter, but if I kill Hayden, I will surely be arrested and taken away from my family. Let all suspicion stay with my aunt and those around her for now. I’ve played this game before," said Damien.

"Well, that makes me feel a bit better. I hope you continue to be wise, or I will have my doubts about keeping Eloise in your company. Other than that, I am sorry it has come to be that it was a plot all along. Your parents were very kind," Viola said, upset by the news.

"It’s not often people in their positions are so humble. I don’t mean to dismiss what you spoke of so quickly without care, but I hope in the future you will be careful about who you allow around your family. Trust the signs," Viola advised Damien.

"I shall take your advice. If you don’t mind, I will offer a moment of my time to give you some company," Damien said, needing to see that Viola was truly well.

Viola chuckled. "Careful now. I love looking at a handsome fellow."

"I am used to being stared at for my handsomeness. I will allow you to gaze just as the others have done," Damien said, not taking Viola seriously.

"You are truly misunderstood by the town, young lord. You do have a bit of humour in you. It has helped to make me feel a bit better," Viola said, a genuine smile returning after the scare she faced.

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