In the Wilkins home, Agatha worried about Eloise going to the court. Though Eloise didn’t have the slightest bit of evidence, Damien being at her side scared Agatha.

"You must do something before this family is ruined. She cannot marry the man Iris spoke so highly of. Our daughter will be laughed at," Agatha said, trying to get Clive to move. "I warned you about allowing Eloise to stay here and now, look what has happened. She has ruined Iris’s chance."

"Lord Hawthorne said Iris would have never had a chance with him," Clive shared.

"We did not get the opportunity to place Iris in his path. For days, Eloise acted as though she carried no interest in marriage, only to steal the one man your daughter wanted. You must think of Iris’s feelings," Agatha begged Clive.

"I am thinking of Iris, but I am also thinking of the accusations. I did not expect her to be with Lord Hawthorne, nor for Percival to die. He had already made a strong offer for her hand. It is odd how he just died," Clive said, suspecting Damien.

Clive stood up from his chair and rubbed Agatha’s shoulder. ’We must stay away from Eloise and Lord Hawthorne. There are other eligible men around the town for Iris to wed. Turn her sights to them."

"I am confident Iris can find another man, but it is the ridicule I worry about. It is insulting for Eloise to return to town and, in a short time, gather more attention than Iris. This is what I feared from the very start," Agatha said, angry with herself for not sending Eloise away sooner.

Iris, who remained in the corner, stepped out for her parents to see her. "I no longer care about Damien. He has made his choice with Eloise, and since they are now engaged, it is pointless for me to keep chasing him. We must all move on."

"Good. My daughter is wise. Your father will find you a far better husband than Lord Hawthorne," Clive promised.

Iris smiled, solely to cheer up her father. Though she was sad to have lost Damien, it was her conflict with Eloise which stung the most. For a moment, she thought of speaking to Eloise again once they all had a chance to calm their emotions.

"You silly girl. You can forget about him, but you mustn’t let this matter go easily. You are the victim in this, and it should be known. I will have it known," Agatha declared.

"I don’t want to fight with Eloise. She is still my cousin and father’s niece. My season will truly be ruined if we allow this drama to reach the town. You must let it go, mother," Iris said, hoping her mother wouldn’t intervene.

"Eloise has convinced herself that you killed Uncle Thomas. It is not true, right?" Iris asked, needing to hear it from her parents. "It cannot possibly be true since we are a very close family."

Agatha laughed and approached Iris. "Of course, it is not true that your father killed your uncle. Thomas did pass away, and Eloise seems to blame your father. Your father did the best he could for his brother. I fear Eloise is lashing out because she is now without two parents."

"I see," Iris said, feeling sorry for Eloise. "Perhaps his death is the reason she is acting so strangely. Eloise never had time to meet with Damien. She was always under your watchful gaze. There is a chance she rushed into this without thinking clearly."

"Yet, she did not stop to consider your feelings. You must face it, Iris. She never returned the love you bore for her. Now, she intends to ruin this family with her accusations. You cannot trust her," Agatha advised Iris.

Iris’s shoulders slumped in disappointment because her mother’s words were true. Eloise had not stopped to think of her, even though she had plenty of time to do it. Even if Eloise was acting out of grief, why did she need to pick Damien out of all men?

"I cannot fathom why she would do this to me. It is Eloise," Iris said, believing there was something more she missed. "Father, do you intend to take uncle’s home from Eloise? It is filled with all of her memories and should go to her."

"Iris, I have to make arrangements for my little brother’s funeral. I had no time to think of what to do with the home or his possessions. You are all making this difficult for me," Clive said, each word jabbing at his chest. He could not bear lying to Iris, though this was all for her sake.

"How rude of me. I did not think of how you felt. I do apologise for my questions. When everyone has calmed down, I will speak. Excuse me," Iris said, leaving her mother and father.

Agatha sighed. "Our daughter’s kind heart was taken advantage of. You must act fast to make this right for her. Iris must marry a respectable gentleman this season. She cannot do so if you are arrested. No gentleman, no matter his status, would want to marry into a scandalous family."

"What do you suggest I do?" Clive asked, drawing a blank on where he was to go.

Agatha walked over to Clive and smiled. "Nothing. You are to do nothing since the town guards will find nothing. You didn’t kill Thomas. He died as the doctors said he would, and you acted fast to send him off. Eloise is not taking the death well. That is all."

Clive agreed with Agatha’s plans, but he still worried about Damien’s involvement.

"I am now Eloise’s guardian, and I do not support this marriage. I can go to the court and request that she be brought home. Until she marries, she is under my command. Fetch my coat," Clive said, in a rush to leave. "I know someone I can speak to."

"You must make a strong case. It would be wrong for Eloise to get married so soon after the man she was just engaged to died. I can accept if Iris does not marry Damien, but I cannot allow Eloise to take him. Fix this," Agatha pleaded.

"I understand you are thinking of Iris, but if Eloise married Damien, I wouldn’t need to be so concerned. I would have allowed it had she moved on from speaking about-"

"Are you mad?" Agatha yelled and struck Clive on his shoulder. "You would have allowed it? I understand if you care for her, but Iris should always be your first concern. No one should ever do better than Iris."

Agatha couldn’t leave Clive to do a woman’s job. "I will make sure this engagement is short-lived. You will be the one to decide who she will marry. I must run and speak to the other ladies to place this in Iris’s favour," she said, leaving Clive alone to fend for himself.