"You didn’t take my offer. I’m disappointed."

Eloise dared not look at Damien after he stepped out of the bathing chamber. She knew that he had taken more time than needed, all because he was waiting for her to join him.

"What happened to us going slow to get to know each other? You said it, and then not long after, you wanted me to join you for your bath. You’re proving not to be good at keeping your word," said Eloise.

"What did you think was going to happen? I never thought that you would join me in the water. I only planned for us to continue our talk while I had my bath. If you got into the water, it would have been all your decision," Damien said.

Eloise folded her hands. "I do not believe you, and you knew I wouldn’t. I suggest you stick true to your suggestion to take this all slowly."

"I will take this slowly, but since you have stated that my efforts to seduce you worked, I must keep trying. I don’t want to miss the chance of asking you to join me in my bath, and you say yes. There will come a day when you agree," Damien spoke with confidence.

"It would make my day if you were the one to offer it," Damien said.

"I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you. You’re not so lucky to have me ask. We’re going to be late to dinner because you were enjoying playing with me," Eloise said, walking towards the door. "Don’t you want to enjoy the last hours of Kyle suffering?"

"I would, but I prefer to be in your company," Damien replied, but still he followed Eloise. "When do you intend to cook for me as you suggested?" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"I wanted it to be tomorrow, but with the funeral and having to return in time for Beatrice, I do not know if I will have time. Maybe I can prepare a small dish, but it would go against my plans. I wanted to welcome you to my home," Eloise said, missing her father’s home.

"Then, I can wait. I am a patient man."

"Are you? Have you forgotten what we just spoke about? I can feel your eagerness for me to share your feelings. The feelings don’t work that way, and though we are already married, I want to take this slowly," Eloise said, enjoying the steady pace.

"What if we were to rush this and you become bored with me?"

"Eloise, we have spoken of this already. Your life is too entertaining for you to bore me. Sooner than you think, you are going to find yourself in danger," Damien spoke with certainty.

"No, I will not. I have been careful to stay away from anyone you say is dangerous, and others I believe will only harm me. I have not wandered off, nor have I accepted invitations to homes of ladies I do not know," Eloise said, trying to prove Damien wrong.

"If I face danger despite being careful, it is because you and your guards are not doing a wonderful job of protecting me. Perhaps I should be the one to talk with your guards," Eloise considered.

"I would allow you to. I like it when you are angry. Do it again," Damien said, reaching for Eloise’s hair.

"You are a child stuck in a man’s body," Eloise said, shaking her head.

"Would you be open to me proving that I am not?"

"No," Eloise curtly replied. "Hannah, why are you running? Is there trouble?"

"No, Lady Hawthorne. There is no trouble, but there is a guest at the table. He wanted me to inform you Lord Hawthorne’s lover is here," Hannah said, nervous as she awaited a response.

Eloise looked to Damien for an explanation. "Your lover? And it is a man? Wait," Eloise said, needing a moment to understand.

"It is my friend Zayne," Damien said, certain.

Only Zayne would be so foolish and so bold to play this kind of a trick.

"I said that I would invite him to dinner, but he has invited himself. I’m wounded that you would truly think I have a lover," Damien said, feigning hurt.

"You’ll get over it," Eloise said, ignoring Damien. "Thank you for informing us, Hannah. You can go have your dinner."

"Thank you, Lady Hawthorne," Hannah said with a curtsy.

"You seem to be getting along well with your maids and the other servants," Damien noticed.

"I took time to get to know them. Too often, servants are overlooked when they play a big role in keeping homes together. They are quite helpful for informing me about other homes, and who I should stay away from," Eloise shared.

"Tell me about this friend," Eloise said, turning to go down the stairs.

"He frequented the estate in the past when you were here. He is Zayne Bailey, a childhood friend of mine. His family has always been close to mine," Damien informed Eloise.

"I played with him? I do not recall anyone with that name. I must not have seen him quite often, and if he was here during events your family hosted, I wasn’t present. I wasn’t allowed to mingle with your guests," Eloise reminded Damien.

Damien secretly enjoyed that Eloise didn’t have any memory of Zayne. After all, he was the only one who mattered from her past.

"You did play with him a few times, but he frequented far more after you and your father left town. You shouldn’t take what he says seriously. Zayne is in a strange place in his life. He doesn’t know what to do with himself," Damien explained.

"You must consider him a good friend if he was allowed to enter the estate without your permission. He even invited himself to dinner. I was starting to get worried that you were without good friends," Eloise said, relieved it wasn’t the case.

"I don’t see you with friends. All you have is your cousin, and since I don’t have anything good to say on that matter, I will stay quiet."

"You’ve already said enough. I have friends. They are just not here in town. Everyone I know here is Iris’s friend. Anyone I knew before I returned forgot about me, but I assure you, I have friends," Eloise said.

"Don’t hurt yourself, Eloise. I’ll believe you," Damien said, looking away from Eloise to hide his smile.

"I can see you. If we were in the countryside, you would see that I have plenty of friends. Thankfully, unlike someone, I have the personality to make more."

Damien placed his hand on his chest. "You wound me again."