Chapter 316: Acting normal [2]
"Zayne, you don’t need to resort to such methods to get closer to Iris. In fact, I know she’ll be suspicious the moment she realises you suddenly know all her likes. After nearly being forced into marriage once, don’t you think she’d prefer one that unfolds naturally?" Eloise asked.
"I suppose so. I very nearly killed a man for your cousin’s sake," Zayne said with a sigh, settling into the seat beside Eloise. "All her family’s debts are settled now, and every last one of those men was a complete bastard, carrying on as though they actually cared for her."
Zayne’s jaw tightened as the memory resurfaced of one man in particular, who’d had the audacity to suggest Iris take his hand in exchange for clearing the debt.
This news surprised Eloise. "You settled their debts yourself? Did you speak to Iris about any of this?"
"I did not, since Damien warned she’d feel indebted to me if she knew," Zayne answered.
Eloise turned sharply to Damien. "And Damien knew about it?"
Damien closed his eyes briefly, silently cursing himself for not having locked the study door.
"When exactly did the two of you have this conversation?" Eloise asked, curious.
"During my last visit. I wanted Iris to stop worrying over the debts, so I paid them off myself and told the men to inform the court they no longer seek the money. That way, everyone’s satisfied, and Iris gets to keep what she’d been saving," said Zayne.
"It’s good she won’t have to give that up. She’s been thinking of ideas for work. I do hope the notice from the court arrives soon. Aren’t you worried one of those men might speak of what you did?" Eloise asked.
"I had them sign contracts where they would pay double, even triple what they owed, should they breathe a word of me or accept money from elsewhere. I threw in a threat or two for good measure. They’d be fools to talk now, given what they’ve already gained," Zayne replied.
"You’d be surprised how many fools this town holds. Still, it was kind of you to do it, and as Damien said, you ought to wait until Iris has properly fallen for you before mentioning the good deed," Eloise suggested.
"Must I tell her eventually?"
"I don’t see why you’d keep it secret forever. It would show her how much you cared before you ever wed. That is, assuming you do wed each other," Eloise said, and immediately regretted the words the moment they left her mouth. "I mean," she added quickly, catching Zayne’s expression. "That’s not to say you won’t."
"You may say so if you like," Damien spoke up, setting his papers aside. "There’s no guarantee they’ll be married by season’s end. Don’t make promises on Iris’s behalf. I think it best we stay well out of it."
"No, you absolutely shouldn’t," Zayne disagreed at once. "You should both be on my side, given how close we are."
"I hate to shatter that hope, but if I’m on anyone’s side, it’s Iris’s. We are cousins, after all. You’re wasting good time sitting here with us while she’s alone in the garden. Unless you’d like to meet her brother right this moment, I’d suggest moving quickly," said Eloise.
Zayne sat up. "Her brother is coming? Perhaps I should present myself now, while I have the chance?"
"No. I’d suggest letting the courtship grow a little more settled before introducing each other to relatives. Outside opinions have a way of spoiling things before they’ve truly bloomed. And Reece has a habit of taking his role as older brother rather too far," Eloise said, grimacing at an old memory.
Zayne rose from his chair and straightened his coat with nervous hands. "Then I should move fast. Excuse me," he said, already heading for the door.
Before he reached it, he turned back. "How do I look?"
"Desperate," Damien answered flatly.
"Dashing," Eloise replied warmly. "Now go, quickly."
"Right. I shall listen only to Eloise. Not to a man who’s never once brought his own wife flowers. Oh, wait," Zayne said, doubling back to Eloise’s side. He plucked the forgotten bouquet from where it sat beside her. "I should bring these to Iris instead."
"No lady wishes to receive flowers meant for another. Fortunately for you, I shall keep this little secret to myself, and I’m certain Damien will do the same. Good luck," Eloise said, waving him off with a laugh.
"This is precisely why you’re so well loved," Zayne called, already halfway out the door.
Damien rose from his chair to where Eloise sat. "Dashing, was he?"
"He’s a man in love, wanting to know how he’ll look in Iris’s eyes. You needn’t be jealous over a stray compliment. Don’t you find it amusing, watching someone else fumble their way through courting?" Eloise asked, already itching to see how it would unfold.
"I only find it amusing when they fail. There ought to be a balcony overlooking the gardens so we might watch properly. Shall we fetch some wine and enjoy the show?" Damien proposed.
"You may fetch the wine. I only want to watch. Thank you," Eloise said, accepting his hand as she stood up. "Do you think it terribly awful of us, finding amusement in their romance?"
"Not in the slightest. How long did they get to sit on the sidelines, watching us do the very same thing? It’s only fair we return the favour now. You shouldn’t have warned him about Reece. It would have made for excellent entertainment," said Damien.
Eloise gave his chest a playful pat. "We mustn’t have poor Zayne ambushed so soon. Reece couldn’t frighten someone like him, but he’d certainly try wedging himself between Iris and Zayne. We learned early never to speak of boys when Reece was near."
"What boys?"
"I shan’t be sharing tales of my younger days with you. Older brothers do tend to overstep. That’s precisely why we must wait until Iris is truly ready to introduce them properly," said Eloise.
"Perhaps I should visit Iris myself to hear a few of these childhood stories firsthand," Damien mused, clearly enjoying himself.
"I promise you they’d all be dreadfully dull. Neither of us needs to go digging up old tales that don’t concern either of us. We know quite enough about one another as it is," Eloise said, reaching for his hand to steer the conversation elsewhere.
"I’ll let it go, just this once. Since wine’s never been to your taste, shall I send for some juice instead, to sip while we watch? Perhaps a slice of that freshly made cake too. I find myself in the mood for it," said Damien.
Eloise couldn’t resist the offer. "See, you do know me rather well."