Damien returned to the bedchamber with a bottle of wine and two empty glasses.

"Were any of the servants awake?" Eloise questioned, rolling onto her side.

"A few, but they kept their heads down. They might spend the night wondering why I am walking around with a blanket wrapped around my waist. There was always the option of going without one," Damien said, the amusement plain in his voice.

"That would never be an option. We are fortunate that Jane never leaves her bedchamber at night. Do you need help?" Eloise questioned, sitting up to take a glass from Damien.

Eloise winced as the ache in her lower back made itself known. "I think I will need to spend the early hours of the morning in bed. I don’t see why my back should ache. It is not as though I injured it."

"I believe there are different effects for a woman’s first time. Perhaps this is what your body goes through. I will give you a massage, and for now, you should put your interest in the table to rest," Damien suggested.

Eloise pouted, though she knew he was right. "You are the one who planted that thought there. I blame you for getting me riled up and then taking it away from me."

"I am not taking it away from you forever," Damien said as he poured wine for Eloise. "I am putting it on hold for now. We shouldn’t push your body. You should heal first. I’ll ask Hannah to draw you a warm bath in the morning, and I’ll give you a massage now."

"Hmm. That might make up for what I have lost. Consider yourself lucky, Damien. Thank you," Eloise said, accepting the glass from him. She held it up and studied the colour of the wine in the dim light.

Eloise wasn’t much of a drinker, but to mark the occasion, she brought the glass to her lips and took a small sip. The sweetness of it surprised her.

"You aren’t one to ask for wine, but I will make sure every one of our homes has a wine you can enjoy. Light wines that won’t make your head spin. Do you like it?" Damien asked, watching her expression carefully.

"I do. It is lovely," Eloise said, tilting the bottle to read the label. "I could enjoy it on other occasions. You think of everything. You are so wise that you are always one step ahead of everyone."

"I don’t think I am always one step ahead. There are matters in which I fail to be prepared," Damien said, setting the wine bottle down on the side table. "I get fortunate more often than not."

"Well, I hope that I can be one step ahead of the matters you are not prepared for. I don’t want it to always be that I am depending on you. I want you to lean on me at times. That is the kind of wife I wish to be," Eloise shared, her voice soft but certain.

Eloise yearned to be able to take care of the people she loved.

"I’m not saying I don’t appreciate your help and this good life you have offered me, but seeing how much weighs on your shoulders, I want to do better by you. I have been thinking," Eloise said, shifting carefully onto her side so as not to spill the wine.

"I enjoyed going to events like the one Rosalie held, and for as long as you need me to, I will attend any gathering with you, but for others, I shall take a step back," Eloise shared.

"It was always your choice whether you wanted to attend any events. I would never force you. How could I when I don’t even attend them myself?" Damien asked.

"I know you would never force me, but I had to let you know. The balls and events are wonderful, but crowds simply aren’t for me. I believe I will find the right people in time, but I don’t want to attend gatherings where I must always look over my shoulder," said Eloise.

"And you mustn’t. I support your wishes entirely," Damien said, leaning over to press a kiss to her cheek.

Eloise smiled, happy Damien was so understanding. "Thank you. What did I do to deserve such a loving husband?"

"You bumped into me at a gathering. Not once, but twice," Damien recounted, the corner of his mouth lifting.

"One of those times, I am quite certain you bumped into me. You cannot change the story now, and don’t forget that you have loved me since you were a boy. I do get curious about what would have happened had I always lived in town," Eloise said, imagining her life.

"I am a little afraid that if I could turn back time and stay, it would ruin what we have now. Now that I think of it, I had long marked you as mine when we were children. I got you to marry me three times," Eloise said, quietly amused by the thought.

"You forced me into the first two-"

"You did it willingly," Eloise corrected Damien. "You are not one to hold your tongue, even as a boy. If you had disliked it, you would have said so. Then I would have found some other boy to play pretend with."

"I would have liked to see you try. It must be the wine going to your head already. I shouldn’t give you any more," Damien said, reaching over as though to take the glass from Eloise’s hand.

"If you don’t want to spoil the night, I suggest you pour more," Eloise said, nudging the glass towards Damien. "I quite like ordering you around. Am I the only one who does it?"

"No," Damien replied, refilling her glass with a steady hand.

Eloise frowned. "Who else does it? Your siblings? I don’t mind if they do."

"No one does. I couldn’t think of a lie quickly enough," Damien admitted.

"Lying to your wife?" Eloise gasped, pressing her free hand to her chest. "That pains me, Damien. It pains me so very much."

"It seems I should invest in a theatre so you can take your dramatic tendencies there. With your skills, I might be the only one in the audience, but one filled seat is better than none, I suppose."

Eloise chuckled, taking no offence at all. "I advise you to keep your money. I have no interest in acting, but I do have some interest in going to bed after this glass. Whether you join me depends entirely on your behaviour."

"And now you’re good at lying," Damien said.

Damien finished the last of his wine and settled in beside Eloise on the bed.