Chapter 283: Moving pieces [1]
The next day, Camille’s mood had lifted, though the memory of what Damien had done to her surfaced without warning at times.
There were moments when she thought of following Hayden’s advice and sending for the town guard, but each time she turned the idea over, she put it down again.
Camille laid out the letters she intended to send to the other relatives, asking them to come to town sooner than planned. They ought to see the wife Damien had selected to carry the next Lord Hawthorne.
A smile settled on Camille’s face as she watched her maids gather the letters and place them neatly into their envelopes, one by one.
Once the relatives arrived, Damien would remember just how much he needed Camille’s assistance with a wife who knew nothing of this world.
"Make sure they are sent out immediately. I don’t want anyone receiving the letters too late. It will cost you your position if you fail me," Camille warned, her kindness long out the window.
"Yes, Milady."
As the maids filed out of the chamber, Hayden came in through the same door, stepping aside to let them pass.
"You seem to be in rather a good mood," Hayden observed, watching the maids as they went. "Did you do as I suggested?"
"I did. I have written to all of the relatives. Even those living out of town. They were already displeased that there was no grand wedding for them to attend. Once they learn that I am at odds with Damien, they will be even more upset," Camille said, satisfied that the pieces were beginning to move.
"You should have placed more of the blame on his wife. Since she entered this family, Damien’s treatment of you has noticeably changed. The Hawthornes should have taken more care in selecting who he married. Now look at where we all are," Hayden said, coming to stand beside Camille.
Camille reached for Hayden’s hand and held it. "She could become a proper lady with the right guidance. She has a countess at her side and yet no one is teaching her how to conduct herself. I am beginning to think the countess isn’t truly a friend of Eloise’s at all. That she was placed there by Damien."
Hayden moved away from Camille and went to the window. "Placing a countess at her side won’t be sufficient. Servants raised her. Servants ought to stay in their place and marry their own kind."
"I told you that he knew her from when he was a young boy. It is old love that brought them back together, and I will confess I found it rather sweet at first, but I can see now that our worlds were never meant to mix. What can she truly teach Jane? How to tend a garden?" Camille wondered.
"I am still annoyed that you spoke of letting her come here to help with our children. I was fortunate that Damien decided against it. At least he has some sense left," Hayden said, annoyed that Camille thought of it.
"I was only trying to be thoughtful, and at the time I genuinely welcomed the idea. The children were becoming too much for me to manage alone. I have made some mistakes," Camille admitted.
"All because you felt you owed her something on account of her father. I wish you had told me about this sooner. We shouldn’t keep things from each other. I would have paid the man to keep his family away from ours altogether," Hayden said, irritated at having missed the chance. "You might have stopped those two from ever meeting."
"I don’t believe so. They met quite by chance, and Damien married her before anyone could object. Besides, if you were in her position and a lord were courting you, would you pay any mind to what your father said and step aside?" Camille asked.
"He should have married one of the young ladies you put forward. You were never forceful enough in your recommendations. You have always been too cautious when it comes to Damien," said Hayden.
Camille didn’t appreciate the conversation turning into a list of her failures. "You are hardly bold with him yourself. You fear him just as I do. What happened to all your talk of avenging me?"
"Patience, Camille. This isn’t something we can rush. I need to wait for the right moment when his wife is away from the estate and out of his sight."
"Whatever it is you are planning, you mustn’t let him trace it back to you. I don’t need Damien coming here again and throwing me from the stairs or out of a window this time. I have had quite enough," Camille said, fearing she would die the second time.
"He is not going to lay a hand on you, because I have forbidden him from entering our home. He is not the only one with authority here, my love," Hayden said, watching as the tension left Camille’s shoulders at the familiar name. "You cannot poke at a man’s wife and not expect some manner of response."
Camille frowned because that was precisely what she had done, but since Hayden was on her side and protecting her, she kept that thought to herself.
"I had rather hoped he would come to apologise. Whatever way they chose to take what I said, I have been the one relative who has consistently looked after all of them. They have wounded me too, and yet they only ever think of their own side of things," said Camille.
"It is to be expected since they have all been spoiled. You were never firm enough with those four. Damien received his title too soon," Hayden said, sharing what he always thought. "He is just like all the young gentlemen who get their hands on power before they have earned the right to hold it."
"He didn’t have a choice. My brother’s death was so sudden. He would have kept full control of who Damien married, and as you say, Damien would have had more time to grow into the role before it was pressed upon him," Camille said, wishing her brother was still present.
"Rather than place all of that responsibility onto Damien, I wish they had given me the chance. I was married at the time. I should have been allowed to take control of the estate and then hand it over when the time was right," Camille said, sharing her old dreams.
"But they wouldn’t permit it, because my brother had sons. Three of them," Camille said bitterly.
She had once thought it felt deliberate.
Camille had to let those thoughts go since no one could control how many boys they had.
"He wanted a daughter and had to wait until the fourth child to get one. I wish I had been given the chance to run the estate, even briefly, before it passed to Damien," Camille said, unable to let go ot the bitterness.
Hayden said nothing, though he also wished Camille had the chance so that his own son would have become Lord Hawthorne.