"Eloise, unless you have changed your earlier answer, we must stop before I become a brute," Damien said, his voice strained.

Eloise reluctantly pulled away from Damien, taking deep breaths to collect herself. "I understand the excitement of doing it here," she said, her chest rising and falling as she held Damien’s gaze. "Oh, we are near," she said after catching a glimpse of the scenery outside.

"And where is here?" Damien questioned, wiping his lips to remove the traces of their kiss. "A manor?"

"It belongs to the Countess. I would like the two of you to meet. Now, I must warn you that she can be a little distant at first. She says that with her age, she doesn’t have time to spare to be pleasant to anyone she doesn’t know or like," Eloise said, fixing Damien’s shirt as she spoke, her fingers working quickly down the buttons.

"I like her already," Damien replied.

"She has lived in the countryside for many years but frequented the capital often, so you might be familiar with her. Once you get past the cold greetings, I am sure the two of you will get along well," Eloise said, patting Damien’s chest after finishing the last button.

"If she doesn’t like me, it will be fine. You can have her all to yourself. The manor does appear familiar," Damien said, trying to place where he had seen it before.

"You must have attended a ball here once when you were younger. Her balls are wonderful," Eloise said, her expression softening at the memory of those dazzling nights. "If we are lucky, she is in a good mood. Her husband and sons always upset her."

"Perhaps this is what I can do in the future," Eloise said with a laugh. "I can run off to the countryside when I am tired of you." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"I would like to see you try," Damien said, closing his hand around Eloise’s left hand.

"Oh, is this your early attempt to stop me from leaving?" Eloise chuckled, playfully trying to pull her hand free. "You know that I wasn’t being serious."

"But I was," Damien responded. "Don’t let the Countess’s life of solitude give you any ideas."

"It won’t. I must say that if not for her being alone, I don’t know if she would have entertained my presence. I had a wonderful childhood thanks to her welcoming me into her home. You must play nicely. Promise me," Eloise said, offering her right hand for Damien to shake.

"I know when to behave," Damien said, shaking Eloise’s hand nonetheless. "I am always on my best behaviour."

"Hmm," Eloise responded.

"Am I not?"

"I am speaking to a man who killed the last man who pushed for my hand in marriage," Eloise reminded Damien.

"I remember it as saving you from a bastard who killed his wife. I won’t kill anyone inside the manor. It wouldn’t benefit me."

Eloise studied Damien and came to one conclusion. "You must leave your gun in the carriage."

The carriage came to a stop before the steps.

"I can’t do that, Eloise. We can’t go into someone’s home with our guards, so I must have a weapon with me to protect us. I won’t display it," Damien promised.

"That is not why I want you to leave it here," Eloise said, hesitating over how to phrase the true reason.

"Is there someone inside whom I will feel the need to shoot?" Damien questioned, the corner of his mouth tightening as he realised Eloise’s true concern.

Eloise slowly nodded. "If her nephew is here, he might bother you. When I sent the letter yesterday asking if we could visit, she mentioned her nephew in her response. She wasn’t certain whether he would be here today."

"I find him to be quite bothersome and often wanted to hit him with a stick. So imagine you with your lack of patience and a gun. For today only, we should leave the gun behind. Do it for me," Eloise said, rubbing Damien’s shoulders with a persuasive look.

"Can I stay in the carriage with it?"

Eloise’s arms dropped to her sides. "You would rather have me go alone than leave your precious gun? I am reconsidering the plans we had for tonight. Thank you, Gage," she said, moving to step out of the carriage.

"You’re welcome, Lady Hawthorne. Lord Hawthorne?" Gage called, puzzled by Damien remaining inside the carriage. "Are we only letting off Lady Hawthorne?"

"No," Damien sighed, and reluctantly stepped out of the carriage. "I am joining my wife. Don’t go far."

"We won’t, Lord Hawthorne," Gage answered, closing the door behind Damien.

"Now, wasn’t that easy?" Eloise questioned, linking her arm with Damien’s.

"It was. I remember that a fork or knife could be a good weapon," Damien replied.

"Then I must keep them both from you. If we are lucky, there are no guests present. She is here," Eloise said, her smile broadening as the door opened.

"Eloise, dear," Countess Viola Tompkins said, spreading her arms wide. "You have been away far too long."

Eloise stepped away from Damien to greet Viola, climbing the stairs with ease. A fond memory stirred in Viola’s eyes at the sight. "I apologise for not returning sooner."

"Hmm," Viola rubbed Eloise’s back warmly. "Well, it’s good that you’re back now, and you’ve become Lady Hawthorne. Imagine my surprise when I heard the news and realised I hadn’t been invited to a wedding."

"I apologise," Eloise replied, stepping back from Viola. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a small, guilty smile on her lips. "I wish you could have attended, but it was all so fast."

"You’re not pregnant, are you? You didn’t forget what I told you. No gentleman is worth lying with when you are not married, no matter how dashing he appears. Tell me that all I taught you didn’t go to waste, Eloise Hawthorne," Viola said, tapping Eloise’s arm with a sharp but affectionate look.

"She’s not pregnant," Damien said, stepping forward. "I married her because I loved her."

Viola turned to acknowledge Damien’s presence. "You had better have, because I wouldn’t sit by and allow some gentleman to ruin my little Eloise. Fortunately, if you’re anything like your father, I don’t need to be concerned for her."

"You were close to his father?" Eloise questioned, glancing between the two.

"I wouldn’t say close, but I have attended a few gatherings with his family. In those days, I lived in the capital, and you were only a little boy. You only had your second brother then."

"You seem familiar," Damien said, studying Viola’s face.

"Well, I saw your family in passing when they used to come to the countryside. When I last saw you, you were a boy. Now you’re a man and married to Eloise." Viola’s expression warmed, just slightly. "Come inside, young Hawthorne. Let us make up for lost time," she said, welcoming the pair inside.