Back in the countryside, the group returned from their outing nearing night.

"Will you help me to make the headpiece when you have time?" Jane inquired, still interested.

"I will. Would you like me to take you to where the other ladies build them? You might get a few ideas," said Eloise.

"No," Jane replied, worried about being out of place. "I won’t have a mother with me. I don’t like events where it is for mothers and daughters. What of us ladies without mothers?"

"I see. Is that why you have been so troubled? It is because you feel left out. If that is what you feel, you should be honest, Jane," Eloise said, but still, she welcomed Jane opening up. "I am not your mother, but I would be at your side."

"I do not like the way they stare when they learn I am without a mother. I know they don’t mean to stare, but I do not like it. I don’t need to be reminded I have lost my mother," said Jane.

"I understand what you feel now. If these feelings are why you tend to lash out, then you must find a better way to face them. I grew up without my mother, and I hated the stares as well. The stares will never go away," Eloise said, understanding Jane.

"It will not get better for you if you always run away or lash out at others. There are better ways to face this. You are no less lovely or cherished than other ladies, all because your mother has passed. You are still wonderful," Eloise assured Jane.

"They won’t judge me?" Jane questioned, still nervous about seeing other ladies with their mothers.

"No," Eloise shook her head. "I will take you to where you will be welcomed. You will be surrounded by so many ladies who will love you dearly. It will be as though you have many new aunts."

"Then, we should go in the morning. Well, unless you want to be alone with Damien. I apologise for taking up your time today. Here," Jane said, offering Eloise a flower. "I will have dinner in my chamber, so I will not disturb you two."

"You don’t need to."

"I want to. I need to select the dress I will wear and the flowers I want to keep. It has also been an awfully long day, so I want to retire to my chamber. I am trying to be kind to offer you some time alone. Take it," Jane said, pushing the flower towards Eloise.

Eloise accepted the flower and watched as Jane ran inside. "She can be cute at times."

Eloise looked down at the hibiscus Jane handed her. It was in bloom.

’I should put it in water,’ Eloise thought.

Eloise entered the manor and went to the bedchamber she shared with Damien.

"Lady Hawthorne," Hannah greeted Eloise with a curtsy. "Lord Hawthorne is preparing for his bath. He instructed me to prepare your bath in another chamber."

"Did he? That is quite odd," Eloise said, looking down the hallway at where her chamber was. "Usually, he lets my bath be prepared first. Did my husband share more with you?"

"Ugh," Hannah didn’t know how to respond. "I was only told to bathe and dress you in another chamber, then return you to your bedchamber. I apologise for not asking more questions."

"My husband wouldn’t have shared his plans with you even if you asked on my behalf. There is no harm in getting dressed in another chamber. I should go now to be on time for his plans," Eloise said, following Hannah to the other chamber.

Less than an hour later, Eloise entered her bedchamber. She looked around, searching for what Damien could have been plotting, but nothing looked out of the ordinary aside from freshly cut flowers placed in a vase.

Damien exited the bathing chamber clad only in long pants.

"You are plotting," Eloise said, still suspicious. "Fortunately for you, Jane has decided to have dinner in her bedchamber, so we will have the night to ourselves. It was kind of her."

"It was. Will you remain standing by the door, or must I come to lift you?" Damien questioned, waiting for Eloise to get further into the chamber.

"To be lifted by my husband would be lovely," Eloise said, and before she could step forward, Damien came towards her.

Damien approached Eloise, placing his right hand on her back and his left hand under her legs before swooping her up. "You must always be serious because I am. I have waited long enough for my reward."

"That was not my doing," Eloise said, holding onto Damien’s shoulder to keep herself steady. "You could have been rewarded on the night of the ball, but you chose to wait until now. Why did you torture yourself, Damien?"

Damien laid Eloise down on the bed. "To give you time to prepare for it."

"Damien," Eloise said, caressing his face. "I would not have spoken of it if I weren’t ready. You are my husband, and I am quite certain this is what I want. If you are shy," Eloise said, trying to tease Damien. "Then I understand."

"I will make sure you pay for teasing me now," Damien said, leaning forward to tower over Eloise. He propped himself up with his arms, keeping his weight off her for now. "This dress looks lovely on you," he said, admiring the white dress.

"It is pretty, but I do not remember selecting it. Did you buy this dress?" Eloise asked, certain that Damien was the culprit. "It looks to be Beatrice’s work."

"I meant to surprise you," Damien said, leaning down to kiss Eloise’s neck. "I saw it in her shop the day we visited. I was worried it wouldn’t fit you perfectly. You didn’t get to try it on."

"Is it tight around your bosom?" Damien asked, slowly moving his hand to Eloise’s chest.

Damien glided a single finger across the material and stopped to hook his finger onto the ribbon that kept the dress in place.

"It is," Eloise answered.

"Then, let me free you," Damien said, tugging on the ribbon.