Chapter 337: Warning [1]
"You are an awful sister," Reece muttered.
"I beg to differ," Iris replied, thinking highly of herself. "If I were truly awful, then I wouldn’t have remembered you at all. You should be grateful that I came to see you, to bring you to Eloise’s chamber. Isn’t that right, Eloise?" She turned, seeking her cousin’s support.
"It is true," Eloise admitted. She glanced at Reece, offering him a fleeting moment of satisfaction. "Though you do seem to be forgetting him quite a bit," she added, teasing Iris. "Still, if you were able to sleep through the sounds of the rain and wind, we did not need to come get you, Reece."
"That is not the point," Reece ranted, bothered by his presence going unnoticed. "You must check that I am well. It pains me to hear that all the Hawthorne siblings gathered in Eloise’s bedchamber, and even my sister was there, not thinking about me."
"See, this is why I keep forgetting you," Iris said, rolling her eyes. "All you do of late is complain. No one wishes to hear it, and it would do well for you not to do it in Eloise’s chamber. Damien will be there."
"I am starting to wish Damien and I were alone again," Eloise muttered, missing their time alone. "I didn’t appreciate that moment enough."
"This is a test for you," Iris said, trying to make Eloise feel better. "If you and Damien are to have children, this is how it shall be with them running to your chamber when there is a storm."
"That won’t work to convince me," Eloise replied. "We don’t have children, and I don’t want to practise right now."
"Well, one day you shall," Iris said, still trying to convince Eloise. "Reece, how long did it take for your wife to become pregnant? Or was she pregnant before marriage, and that is why you wed on short notice?"
Reece turned to her, appalled. "Goodness, Iris. I wasn’t a brute. I married my wife, and then we shared a bed. What did you think of me?"
"You ran off and married in secret without thinking to invite us to the wedding," Iris retorted, listing her proof. "Which gives you no right to question what comes out of my courtship with Zayne."
Reece seized Iris by her shoulders. "Why does it sound as though you intend to become a bit too close before you are married?"
"I was speaking about whether we kiss before we are married," Iris responded, nudging herself free. "I am a lady. Unhand me. I am not going to sully my name, though there is very little to sully."
"You are the cousin of Lady Hawthorne, being courted by an esteemed bachelor," Eloise interjected, attempting to help Iris see her worth. "But more importantly, you are Iris Wilkins. Your name is grand."
Iris smiled, softened by Eloise’s words. "This is why I never forget you, Eloise. You are never short of ways to make me feel better."
"I have given you compliments," Reece muttered.
"Not as of late," Iris countered. "I should have left you and your drool in your chamber. Your presence shall certainly ruin the mood, so we should make up for it by bringing a warm drink for everyone to have."
"That will be good," Eloise agreed, her gaze drifting towards the window. "I will get one to calm Damien. The rain doesn’t appear as though it shall hold up anytime soon. I am curious how the town is faring."
Soon, Eloise returned with the drinks. She moved to the window where Damien sat and offered him his drink.
"You should stay warm. Did you get wet?" Eloise asked, running her fingers through his hair. "I know of your efforts to get me to tend to you if you fall sick, but I like it when you are well. Don’t go playing in the rain, Damien."
"I won’t," Damien replied, setting the cup aside. "Would you like to join me in seeking out another chamber to use? One where we would be alone?"
Eloise glanced at the bed, which was crowded with siblings and cousins. "We should leave when they have all fallen asleep. I enjoy their company, but they have taken over our bed, leaving no room for us. Perhaps a chamber on the other side of the estate would be a good idea."
"Make it take longer for them to find us?" Damien asked as he understood her plot.
"Yes," Eloise admitted with a smile. "I should have appreciated the moment we had alone before they came. We cannot kick them out now when they are so comfortable, and we know they are safe. It is comforting to know they run to us when they are scared."
"They all scare easily," Damien muttered, his gaze flicking towards the door. "Think of how many times they shall run to disturb us. I must learn to lock our door when we are alone. That is my mistake."
"It is both our mistakes," Eloise said, taking some of the blame. "I would say that since they are all together, we should leave, but I think they would only follow us, since we are the ones who make them feel safe. Do you still wish to do as Jane wants, with two girls alongside an heir?"
"Our children shall be different from my siblings and your cousins," Damien replied with confidence. "They shall be lovely because they are mine, and they will be children. Those over there are too old to be running to our chamber when it rains."
"Well, until they fall asleep, there isn’t anything to be done now," Eloise said, rising to fetch a blanket. "So enjoy your drink before it goes cold. I will get a blanket for us to stay warm by the window."
The chamber soon filled with laughter and chatter as they awaited the end of the rain. The rain carried into the night, but by morning, it had finally ceased.
Damien was the only one to wake early. He slipped from the chamber to see what damage had been done to the estate and to learn how the town had fared.
"Oh. Lord Hawthorne," Hannah curtsied. "A man from the court has come to see you."
"The rain floods the town, and yet they still have time to come bother me," Damien muttered, irritated. "Don’t go to my wife yet, since she is still sleeping. Warn the other maids not to wake them."
Damien walked down to the front door, which was already open. His eyes narrowed as he saw the visitor.
"Nathan," Damien said, grateful it was a man he liked. "What an unpleasant surprise. You don’t look so happy."
Nathan wore a frown that gave away how annoyed he was. "Because I am not happy to come here."