"Your marriage seems to be going well. I pray it continues to be good for you," said Viola.

"I hope so too. I told Damien that I don’t want to attend too many gatherings. I will go if something is important to him, or if a friend invites me, but otherwise I would rather keep my distance. Is that wrong?" Eloise asked, genuinely wanting Viola’s opinion.

"Do what is best for you. I don’t think you can truly escape gatherings altogether, but a little distance can be a healthy thing. Others may say you think too highly of yourself, but you mustn’t let that trouble you. Do what brings you peace," Viola answered.

"Perhaps I should attend a few to prevent that sort of talk. I must also think ahead to Jane’s season. I would like to be the one to escort her when the time comes. Though I wonder if she would prefer Camille," Eloise said, hoping that she would be given the chance. "It may already be planned for their aunt to do it."

"But you want to do it. Why not simply tell Jane that?"

"I don’t want to tread on any existing plans, and Jane may be more comfortable with her aunt. Speaking of Camille," Eloise said, the thought sharpening as it surfaced. "There is something I need to address with her. She is the reason my father left the Hawthorne estate."

"Before he came to the countryside? What did she do?" Viola asked, her voice laced with interest.

"This is not to go beyond this carriage. When Camille was debuting, she was attacked at a ball held in her own home. My father intervened and saved her from the man. Because she was afraid he would speak of it, she had him sent away," Eloise quietly shared.

"That is a dreadful way to repay the man who protected you, though I can’t say I am entirely surprised. People in your circles guard their reputations above almost everything else. If it had been me, I would have kept your father close rather than dismissing him. What was to stop him from speaking out in anger?" Viola said, shaking her head at the short-sightedness of it.

"I am quite certain my father would never have breathed a word of it to anyone. I know she was only protecting herself and her chances of marrying well, but I sat right in front of her. Shouldn’t that have been something she brought up? I want to know whether she ever felt badly about it," said Eloise.

"Honestly, I wouldn’t give myself the trouble of asking," Viola said, much to Eloise’s dismay. "She knows your father has passed, and no doubt she knows he left the capital to find work elsewhere."

"If she felt any remorse, she would have come to you of her own accord. Any apology offered now would be given only because she felt she had to," Viola said plainly.

"I know. Perhaps it isn’t even my place to raise it with her. Is it common for ladies to behave this way? I cannot imagine turning my back on someone who protected me," Eloise said, looking at the countryside slipping past the window.

"It is not uncommon, sadly. Since you are now family, I can see why you feel you ought to address it. I only hope it doesn’t put a strain on your marriage," Viola said, uncertain if it would end well. "She is his aunt, after all, and she has been there for him since his parents passed."

"You are saying I should weigh whether it is worth it? Damien said he would support me in speaking with her. I don’t intend to be angry or raise my voice. I only want a simple, honest conversation. Surely that is possible?" Eloise asked, beginning to second-guess herself.

"It is," Viola said, nodding once. "Let this be a lesson for other difficulties you face as well. Not every problem needs to be spoken aloud. This particular one, you may address, but learn to let the smaller ones pass." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Since you will be seeing Camille quite regularly from now on, it is better to address it before it takes root and sits in your chest for years. But be careful when approaching his family."

Viola paused, a small exhale escaping her. "Take it from a woman who once slapped her husband’s sister. I put him in a very uncomfortable position."

"Do you regret it?" Eloise asked with curiosity.

"Not for a single moment! That woman had it coming after years of trying to belittle and order me about. I only wish I had handled it in a way that didn’t put my husband in the middle of it. Their relationship was affected, and that part I could have managed better. That is all I am saying," Viola said, folding her hands as if closing the subject.

"I do think about the position my choices place Damien in. I shall address it carefully, so that Camille doesn’t feel the need to distance herself from the estate," Eloise said.

"Very good. And if you ever feel you need support, I am here," Viola offered.

"That is kind, but then it might look as though I planned an attack. How did you manage the ladies who pursued your husband even after you were married?" Eloise asked, the memory of the ball drifting back to her.

"In the early days, I would kiss him right in front of them, or have him speak of his love for me where they could hear. As the years went on, I simply stopped paying them any notice."

"He is my husband. He chose me, not them, and that is precisely what troubles those women," Viola said, and noticed Eloise face the same issue. "There are young ladies still seeking your husband’s attention."

"In the capital, yes. Fortunately, no one has tried to do me any real harm over it. Though one did spill wine on my dress," Eloise revealed.

Viola gripped her dress. "I would have spilt it back on her. Since you are not inclined towards that sort of response, let your marriage speak for itself instead. That man follows you about like a devoted hound and looks as though he would run through anyone who glanced at him sideways.

"I would flaunt it shamelessly," Viola said.

"Those ladies poke at you, hoping to provoke a reaction. Sometimes, being entirely unbothered stings them far more than any response would. Give your husband a small kiss in front of his admirers. Steal him away to a private room," Viola said, pressing a hand to her cheek with great satisfaction at the thought.

"I think we may be getting off course," Eloise said, laughing softly. "You have told me stories about your younger years before, but now that I am older, I find myself realising just how much fun you had."

"I did, and I have no regrets. You must enjoy your youth whilst it is still with you. One morning, you wake up and find yourself looking at grandchildren, wondering where the time went. These are the years you will look back on, so make them worth remembering," Viola advised Eloise.

"I shall try to," Eloise replied.

"I suggest you spend as much time on your back as you can now, because one day it will give you a great deal of trouble," Viola said, wishing her body were still so useful.

"What? Oh," Eloise said, the warmth rising quickly in her cheeks. "You really are too much."