Chapter 273: A chance [1]
"What will you do about his aunt? Will you ignore her, or must you face her?" Iris asked, afraid Eloise would have to face Camille again
"I’m not going to speak to her. She’s made how she feels about me evident, and I am not going to ignore it and give her the benefit of the doubt. That would only hurt me later on," Eloise said, uninterested in seeing Camille. "I am going to distance myself from her from now on."
"What if the others return to being kind to her again? Where does that place you?" Iris wondered.
"It doesn’t place me anywhere. If they mend their relationship, that is good for them, but it won’t change anything for me. Though I don’t think it would be easy for Damien to forgive her. She spoke about his father," Eloise shared, worried about the events that would follow soon.
"It would make me less worried if Damien doesn’t become close to her again. I fear that since he shall part from her, she will direct her anger towards you, because you are an easy target," Iris said.
"I am most certain that I shall take the blame, though I was not present when it all happened. She was upset that I took Damien away from the estate, but his work wasn’t affected. I don’t like that many think they have a say in our marriage," Eloise said, annoyed with the opinions.
"I know a bit about his aunt, as she is said to have had a wonderful season and found a good husband. Do you think she is trying to turn your marriage into her own?" Iris asked, curious.
"I do not know. I have not even met her husband to know what he is like. I am staying out of it all, as I don’t have the energy to bear with it. It is all unnecessary in my eyes," Eloise said, not wanting to dwell on it. "I am going to focus on my marriage and my duties."
"You must. You shouldn’t give your time to unhappy people. I hope that your husband continues to be on your side in this matter. You must remember that you can’t get everyone to like you, so don’t pay them any mind," Iris advised Eloise.
"I am well aware. After today, I am going to move on from it, but I am certain that there will be more to come. Fortunately, I am not yet ready to attend more gatherings, so if she tries to get me ousted, it will not affect me," Eloise said.
"I am most certain that will be her plan. If it is, and there are gatherings you want to attend, let your husband speak to the host. He can scare everyone into accepting your wishes. Do not be foolish enough to hold him back," Iris said, wanting Damien to shield Eloise without being held back.
"I only try to stop Damien when I fear he might get arrested. Other than that, I will let him do as he pleases. I will have to, because there are events I must attend with Jane to help her prepare for her season. Would you like to join me?" Eloise inquired, certain that Iris would enjoy the prospect.
"Why would a maid attend these gatherings with you?" Iris asked, though she wanted to join.
"You are my cousin. You have every right to be at my side. You must stop being so ashamed of yourself and stop carrying the guilt for what your father did. You are innocent in that matter, and I will let everyone know how you helped me," Eloise promised, her hand reaching for Iris’s.
"I don’t want to intrude or spoil the life you have here," Iris said softly.
"How many times must I say that I want you in my life? And based on what I have seen so far, I am not the only one who wants you near," Eloise said, her gaze shifting towards Zayne, who was still being chased by Damien across the garden.
Iris followed Eloise’s gaze. "That is not possible. That odd man asked me to marry him, and I took it as a joke. We are not a likely match."
"Some would say that about Damien and me, yet we turned out well. I am not saying you should rush into marriage, but if you feel something, then act upon it. You never know what could blossom from it," Eloise said, supporting the pair.
"My family still has debt, and the second my mother hears I have married a man with money, we both know she would come running. I don’t need to go into what his family would think. I am going to spare my heart from the trouble," Iris said, certain it would end in her feelings being shattered.
"All these matters could be fixed. If one day you have feelings for Zayne, then I will support you. With my backing, you can rise to be suitable for him in the eyes of the town, but all that matters is your feelings. Both of them," Eloise reminded Iris.
"We haven’t known each other for long enough to be thinking about marriage. I am comfortable with him, but I wouldn’t say I am in love. Besides, I must focus on my family right now. I must find Reece, and in time, the people my mother owes debts to will search for her children," Iris said, thinking of what weighed her down.
"I can settle those debts for you. No," Eloise held Iris’s hand before she could deny the offer. "I would be doing it for you and Reece. I have an allowance to spend from the estate. I haven’t been using much of it, so allow me to help you."
"Eloise, if you offer any money to those people, I won’t speak to you again. Why should you offer my family any relief after what occurred? I have been saving money, and day by day, I shall pay off the debt. I don’t want your help," Iris said, pulling her hand away.
"The second you pay off those debts, my mother will appear again. She will call you a fool or claim you were always meant to pay it off. I don’t want to burden anyone with my family troubles. As for Zayne," Iris said, sneaking a glance at him, "I don’t want to trouble him."
"Zayne knows what you face. Iris, you can’t live the rest of your life hiding from your mother. At some point, you have to start thinking about your happiness. It is evident that he cares for you, but everyone isn’t going to wait," Eloise warned.
"If you start to have feelings for Zayne, I advise you to give in to them. You never know where you shall end up. Never had I once thought I would become Lady Hawthorne. It won’t matter if anyone objects to your union, as long as you care for each other," Eloise said, hopeful.
Iris glanced at Zayne, her heart conflicted. "I suppose so."