Damien and Eloise followed Aiden to the dressmaker’s shop.

Before they were so fortunate to get away from the prying eyes of the town, they were interrupted.

"My husband has been arrested for a crime he did not commit, and while he is forced to bear the coldness of the cell walls, you walk around the town with no shame," came Agatha’s voice.

Eloise looked to her right, finding Agatha walking with a basket in her hand, and Iris not too far behind her mother.

Iris appeared horrified and rightfully so.

"Mother," Iris approached Agatha to grab her by her arm. "We must go."

Agatha ignored Iris’s pleas and glared at the source of her misfortune.

Eloise was flaunting the life Agatha envisioned for her daughter.

A single thought of strangling Eloise till she could no longer breathe filled Agatha’s mind.

If only Agatha knew this would be her future, she would have made Clive kill Eloise as well.

"Tell me, did my silly daughter help you?" Agatha asked, seeking the truth from Eloise.

"We shouldn’t entertain this," Eloise whispered to Damien. "She is doing this only for show. Look at the crowd."

"I know. Aiden, direct us to the shop and fast," Damien ordered whilst keeping an eye on Agatha.

Aiden ushered Eloise and Damien towards the shop, while Gage and Silas lingered near the back to stop Agatha from following.

Agatha glared at the two burly men blocking her path. "I am allowed to go where I see fit. He is only a lord, not a king. He doesn’t own the town."

"You may go where you please, but you cannot approach Lady Hawthorne. Be on your way," Gage said, moving to block Agatha’s view. "Move your mother," he instructed Iris.

Iris tugged on Agatha’s arm, trying to save her. "Mother, we must go. They are all staring."

"I told you that she has abandoned you. She cannot spare you a glance. A woman like Lady Hawthorne lacks warmth because she wasn’t raised by her mother," Agatha spoke loud enough for Eloise and the growing crowd to hear.

"You should have left," Gage said, knowing a storm was coming.

Damien was the first one to stop just before he could open the door for Eloise.

"Don’t," Eloise pleaded with Damien. "She is trying to provoke us and create a moment for the town to gossip. What she says doesn’t bother me anymore."

"Go inside, Eloise," Damien said, holding the door open for Eloise.

"This is the only way for Agatha to bring attention to herself. She will try to attach herself to your name and speak to us each time we cross paths. It will upset her even more if we ignore her. Treat her as though she doesn’t exist," said Eloise.

Eloise knew Agatha craved attention. She didn’t like to be ignored.

While Agatha was concerned about Clive’s well-being, her approach now was to have her name be spoken of around the town.

"Aiden, escort my wife inside and do not let her step out. Inside," Damien said, gripping the door. This once, he couldn’t listen to Eloise.

Eloise gave up and entered the shop with Aiden. She remained by the door, watching as Damien walked over to where Agatha stood.

"Lord Hawthorne has lost his parents, too," Aiden reminded Eloise. "What your aunt said was never going to sit well with him. Few others have thrown the same insult at Miss Jane. I do not understand why we shame others for losing a parent."

"Some people are evil, and my aunt is one of them. I am used to others saying that I would one day lack the warmth needed to be a mother. I have grown so accustomed to hearing it that I no longer cry," Eloise confessed. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Eventually, I realised that though I lost my mother, there were plenty of ladies around me who tried to fill that void. They referred to themselves as my aunts, but I see them all as extra mothers. He won’t harm her, will he?" Eloise asked, worried after seeing a town guard.

The town guards were why Eloise wanted Damien to ignore Agatha.

"Not out in the open," Aiden assured Eloise.

On the outside, Damien came to a stop between Gage and Silas.

Agatha didn’t shy away since, unlike the others in town, she was not afraid of a lord.

"Lord Hawthorne," Agatha addressed Damien. She checked that there was still a crowd around to watch how she was treated.

Iris thought of leaving her mother to face what she alone had started. They both agreed not to draw attention to themselves, yet her mother was loud once she saw Eloise.

’What awful luck do we have to meet at this time?’ Iris wondered.

"Your wife-"

"Your family is drowning in debt. The men your husband owes have been pestering you, and soon, they will come to tear what they can from your walls, but it won’t be enough. Despite my vast land, I can’t seem to find the perfect place to put my old carriages," said Damien.

"I happen to like the land on which your family home sits," Damien said, his words hinting at a cruel plan. "Shall we play a game of how long it would take to get you out of your home? How long would it take to turn you into a homeless beggar?"

"Only a cruel man would take a house from a woman who has a child not yet out of her care," said Agatha.

Agatha gripped the basket in her hands. She didn’t think Damien would be so petty as to speak of her debts.

"You are nothing more than a fleeting thought, but when you harass my wife, I’m tempted to take ownership of your home and throw you out onto the street. I would be kind to direct you to stables where you can tend to horses," Damien offered.

"Should I buy your home tonight?" Damien asked, willing to waste money. "I have the money to spare."

"Eloise wouldn’t allow-"

"I am not my dear wife. I don’t care where you rest your head at night. You’ll find yourself facing downward in a gutter if you keep mistaking me for my wife. Run along to your home. Keep it tidy for me," said Damien.

"Mother, we must go," Iris said, still tugging on her mother’s arm. "You have done too much."

"One day, you will come off your high horse, Lord Hawthorne. I once pitied that you were fooled by Eloise, but now I see that you deserve each other. I hope she ruins your life," Agatha prayed.

Damien smiled, seeing Agatha’s threat as a treat. "How kind of you. I hope she ruins me, too. Don’t waste your time on insignificant people for too long. She’s the wife of a thief," he spoke out loud, revealing the news to the crowd.