Chapter 282: Bonding [3]
"Zayne has his moments of being odd, but compared to some of the men I have spoken to at the start of the season, he is quite normal. Somewhere in town, there might be someone speaking of you as an odd man," Iris pointed out.
"I am certain there is one," Damien replied dryly.
"Why is it that Zayne prefers the darkness?" Iris asked, curious if Damien held another answer.
"You are letting him court you, so that is a question you should direct to him. If you asked before and he said that he prefers it, then there is nothing more. He is odd, just as you agreed," Damien said.
Iris laughed, accepting that there was no deeper answer. "So it seems. But he is kinder than other men I have met, so I don’t mind that he prefers the darkness. He cares for you."
"I must stop you there," Damien interrupted Iris before she acted on Zayne’s behalf. "I already hear often from Zayne how much he cares for me, and I don’t wish to hear it from someone else. I am rooting for the two of you to do well, so you can keep him distracted. It would be lovely if you took him out of town."
"You are too far ahead," Iris said, shaking her head. "It is not certain we shall last the season, and I won’t let my courtship with Zayne serve as a way to keep him from you. Besides, if Zayne had to choose, I am almost certain he would stay with you rather than leave with me."
"Those times have changed, and I am glad of it," Damien replied. "Zayne had proposals coming in from all around town, yet he decided to chase you. The poor bastard is smitten, so you have all his attention. That is good for me."
"While I might not be as loud as he is about our friendship, I do care for him," Damien continued, his voice softening slightly. "I ask that you don’t raise his hopes only to reject him in the end. I know you think that with his position, only you could be hurt, but you could hurt him as well."
"I’m not going to hurt Zayne," Iris promised, certain of this. "I wouldn’t have accepted his advances just to toy with him. I was the one who decided we should give it a try. I don’t want to hurt him."
"Good," Damien said, turning his eyes away from the portrait on the wall. "It would be difficult to be around you if you hurt him, and he would bother me with his tears."
"Fortunately for you, it won’t end that way," Iris said, though she did want to see Zayne cry just a little. "Just as you have your wishes when it comes to Zayne or my mother, I have one for you. It is about your aunt."
Iris faced Damien, no longer afraid. "Even a little lady like myself knows of her influence."
"Camille is not going to hurt Eloise," Damien said with confidence. "Not unless she wishes to ruin herself. I like to know all that occurs with the people around me."
Iris’s brows furrowed. "You were close to your aunt before the accident. At least, that was how it seemed from the outside. You’ve been gathering her secrets, or did I misunderstand?"
"I like to know about everyone," Damien explained, hinting that he would do the same to Iris. "Anyone can turn on me at any second. I was stabbed by a once-friendly relative. Since you are going to be at Zayne’s side, I suggest you pay better attention to your surroundings."
Damien leaned closer. "Take notice of what everyone says and does around you. It will become useful later. While I have enjoyed this talk, I must go to my study and return to my wife. She is asleep, but I promised I would not leave her. Do as you wish in the meantime."
Damien excused himself.
.
Iris stepped aside to let him pass, her hand resting on her chest as she took a deep breath to calm herself. Damien had a way of making her feel tense.
She glanced around, wondering where she should go next to continue her tour of the estate.
Out of the corner of her eye, Iris noticed a shadow. At first, she thought it was nothing, but curiosity urged her forward. She walked towards the movement, assuming it was a servant avoiding Damien’s path.
At the end of the corridor, she saw a maid hurrying away.
"You there!" Iris called, her voice carrying authority. The maid stopped abruptly.
"Iris?" Jane’s voice came from the right. "It is you. Are you going to see Eloise now?"
"No," Iris replied, turning to Jane. "Lord Hawthorne said she is resting, so we mustn’t disturb her. I was going to speak to the maid, but it is nothing. Carry on," she said in a soft tone, not wanting to appear controlling.
Jane looked at the maid, who bowed quickly and hurried away. "Some of them merely want to work and keep their heads down. You must let them."
Jane hooked her arm with Iris’s. "Since Eloise is sleeping, would you like to spend time with me? As the second lady of the estate, I think it only right that I entertain you."
"I would like that very much," Iris said, her smile genuine. "I can’t fathom how you managed before Eloise arrived. I have one brother, and he bothers me endlessly. You must have a headache dealing with three brothers."
"Finally, someone who understands," Jane said with a laugh. "Eloise seems to like that I have siblings, but I grow tired of them at times. Damien is serious, Quinn teases me constantly, and Kyle is a fool. I shall do my best to make your time here pleasant."
"Thank you," Iris said. "I have noticed you from afar at gatherings you attended. It is a pleasure to be so close to you now."
"You did?" Jane asked, her eyes widening. "I didn’t think any of the ladies noticed me. All the attention always went to my brother. It is good to know I caught someone’s eye. Would you care to see the dress I intend to wear to an upcoming event? I’m sure you’ll be joining us."
"I would love to," Iris replied. "We should keep ourselves busy with each other until Eloise wakes. And I have a feeling you might be quite helpful about a friend I am getting to know."
"I should be able to help," Jane said eagerly, already looking forward to assisting Iris.
Together, the two young women walked towards Jane’s bedchamber.