"Eloise, let me see if I understand this correctly. You are about to get married in one hour, and I am to find a good dress to join you? Eloise," Millie said, resting her hand on Eloise’s shoulder. "If there is trouble, you can tell me. You don’t need to get married now if it is not what you want."

"It is what I want, Millie. If I do not get married today, my uncle will come searching for me and try to take me back to his home. I must do this so that I can be free and seek justice for my father. Please tell me that you will attend," Eloise said, needing Millie present.

"I will, dear. I could not leave you without a guest on your side. It pains me that this is the length you must go to get justice for your father. When I saw Clive, I wanted to grab my broom and hit him, but then he would suspect you were here," Millie said, relaxing her clenched fist.

"Thank you for allowing me to stay here. I will move to the Hawthorne estate, but I will come visit you from time to time," Eloise promised.

"As lovely as that is, do not come here, or to your father’s home. We know what your uncle is capable of. I cannot trust that he won’t try to harm you, so please, stay in the safety of the estate. Do not be so trusting with your family right now," Millie advised Eloise.

"I know this is a lot for you to bear, but you must stay safe. No matter how much you yearn for family, you must always be on your guard. I do not want to wake up to the news that I have lost you as well. Be wise," said Millie.

"I will be careful," Eloise replied, taking hold of Millie’s hand to squeeze it. "I will be careful with every step I take and every plan I come up with. I am grateful to have you at my side."

"You mustn’t cry," Millie said, wiping a tear before it fell. "You will have justice, and then, I believe love will blossom out of his union."

Eloise chuckled. "I do not believe so. Damien and I are only friends."

"Friends? I might not be a young hen, but I know all the gossip. He is one of the season’s most eligible bachelors. You want to convince me he is only marrying you to help a friend? There is nothing for a man in his shoes to gain from this marriage. He could help you without marriage," Millie said, having her suspicions.

"I do not want to get ahead of myself, so I shouldn’t fill my head with these thoughts. Falling in love is not on my mind. Getting justice for my father is," Eloise said, pushing the other thoughts to the side.

"Perhaps I am wrong. He could simply want to help an old friend. I have also heard tales that men in his shoes would marry ladies to have a cover."

"Cover?" Eloise asked, confused by what Millie meant.

Millie thought of the best way to explain it without sullying Eloise’s mind. "You know, if a man of his status has a lover who would not be accepted by the town."

"I have heard of such stories, but marrying me wouldn’t be so helpful to him," Eloise responded. "A lady of his status who is in the same position would be more suitable."

"I speak of a man who has a male lover."

"Oh," Eloise blushed. "I do not get that feeling."

"But there is no other explanation. You must mentally prepare yourself for this if this is the case. Look at us chattering away while time is going by quickly. I must do your hair and find myself a suitable dress before your carriage returns."

Eloise smiled as she watched Millie run around to help prepare her in so little time. She thought of Millie’s assumption about Damien, but then shook her head. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

’He wouldn’t go through all this trouble to hide his secret,’ Eloise thought.

Now that she was about to wed Damien and go to his estate, she would learn the reason for his actions eventually.

An hour later, Eloise was dressed in a wedding dress that Damien sent with the carriage. It was beautiful. Almost too beautiful for Eloise to wear.

It was what Eloise imagined a princess would wear.

Eloise spent a few minutes staring at her reflection after Millie was finished getting her dressed. Only when she put on the wedding dress did it dawn on her that she was getting married to Damien.

Once completely dressed, Eloise and Millie entered the carriage, which then set off for a church.

Eloise entered the church with only Millie as her guest. She sat on a chair, waiting for a priest to be ready.

"Where is he?"

Eloise looked up from her lap in the direction of a young girl’s voice. It wasn’t familiar.

Eloise relaxed since it wasn’t Agatha’s voice.

"Oh, dear. It sounds like someone is angry," Millie said, trying to get a glimpse of who had arrived.

"It must be his siblings. Think nothing of it. This is all new for them as well," Eloise said.

Eloise gripped the bouquet in her hands. It was prepared with flowers from Millie’s precious garden.

"Brother!"

"You are right that it is his siblings. I know it must be surprising for them, but I hope they do not ruin the wedding. Should I try to calm them or let them know they can be heard?" Millie asked, worried the siblings would make Eloise nervous.

"No," Eloise shook her head. "I was the one who told Damien to invite them. If it is not too much as well, I require your presence with me now. It feels as though I have a parent present with me."

Millie’s gaze softened. "Then I will stay. Should I tell you the story of when I got married? I was so nervous that I almost ran out of the church. Fortunately, my sister knew me well and blocked the door. Should I lock the door for you?"

"No," Eloise laughed, her mood changing for the better.

"So, it is true."

Eloise looked away from Millie when she heard a man’s voice. Standing at the door was a gentleman with a stark resemblance to Damien.

"Quinn? Quinn!" Eloise excitedly called for Damien’s brother.

Eloise remembered Quinn, the second son in the Hawthorne family, who would follow her around during the days she visited the estate with her father. She was almost as close to Quinn as she was to Damien in her childhood days.

"I was hoping to," Eloise’s excitement died down as Quinn walked away. "See you," she finished, her shoulders slumped.