Chapter 260: Friends [2]
"Once again, thank you for the light. I’ve stumbled more times than I care to admit, even though I thought I had memorised the chamber. I’ll try to get out of your way quickly," Iris promised, moving towards the bed.
"You haven’t answered whether you would allow me to take you to see Eloise. Rather than wait and pay for a carriage, I could take you there swiftly," Zayne offered, eager to ride with her. "I have business with Damien, so it would be fitting."
"What kind of business?" Iris inquired, certain that Zayne was lying.
"You are questioning your employer?" Zayne promptly replied. "Isn’t that out of line?"
"It is. My apologies," Iris said, tapping her mouth. "I would join you if only you would allow me to enter the carriage away from the home. I don’t want gossip to spread. I’m already the daughter of a murderer. I don’t want to be branded as a woman who entertains her employer."
"If only they knew you’ve been referring to me as a vampire and plotting to kill me in my sleep. Shall we put on an act where I scold you aloud, making it evident I have no interest in you?" Zayne suggested, his lips curling faintly.
Though, as of late, Zayne wanted to do the opposite.
"It would be a waste of time to put on such a show. I suppose I need to stop worrying about it getting out of hand. If the maids were to discover my family’s past and my name became tarnished in town, then I would simply leave," Iris said, missing Zayne’s reaction.
Zayne frowned, disliking the thought. "You would leave everything you know instead of clearing your name?"
"What use would there be in clearing it? People will think as they wish, and I believe a new start in another town would be good for me. I’m already saving plenty of money, and I could visit my brother. He has settled down out of town, and I long to see him," Iris shared, her eyes softening at the thought.
"I think it would be worth defending your name so you could stay. This is your home, and I’m sure you have friends who would miss you. What about your dear cousin?"
"Eloise has her own life, but I would not leave forever. Why are you getting so worked up about this when it isn’t as though I must leave tomorrow? These are only plans if I am forced to escape the gossip. I hope it doesn’t come to that," Iris said, laughing lightly at Zayne’s dramatic concern.
"One would think you are the one who would have to leave," she added.
"I would defend your name if it ever came to it. I know your heart, and surely anyone with a decent mind would not hold your father’s sins against you. I have not," Zayne assured her. He always wanted Iris to remember that she had him. That he was a friend.
"That is kind of you. Perhaps we should move on, because I don’t like to dwell on the thought of leaving. I enjoy working here, especially because of the food," Iris said, a chuckle escaping her parted lips at Zayne’s wounded expression.
Zayne placed his hand against his chest, feigning injury. "You wound me, Iris. Haven’t I been a good employer?"
"My employer has been standing in his trousers before a lady who is not yet married," Iris replied, her cheeks warming as she tried to keep her gaze away from him.
"Nothing about that should make me an awful employer. I am providing you with a service. A good figure to look at," Zayne teased, turning to prove his point. "You won’t need to glance at me from the corner of your eye. Do not deny that you have looked."
"I have looked," Iris admitted, her voice hushed. "You are a well-sought-after bachelor. Of course, I’ve looked to see what all the fuss is about, but do I lust for you as the women do?"
Zayne smiled, awaiting her honesty.
"No," Iris answered firmly. "I don’t look more than I should because I am your maid, and I don’t want to be disrespectful. I hated when men at balls would stare at me, as it felt inappropriate. I won’t do the same to you," she said.
"Not even if I permit you to look? If I can get you to show some interest in me, then surely I will be desirable to other ladies. I’ve begun to wonder if I’ve lost my touch," Zayne said, half in jest.
Iris chuckled, shaking her head. "You are wealthy and handsome. There will always be ladies desiring you, so do not worry. I think your problem lies in always staying home."
"So, you are saying that if given the chance, you would marry me?" Zayne asked, his eyes narrowing with curiosity.
"If given the chance, I would not have been able to marry you. Have you forgotten that I came from a very simple family? A man like you would not have married me," Iris said, only realising the truth after her failed season. "It doesn’t bother me. My mistake was always aiming too high."
"I am not like the other men who turned you away. If you had come to me and entertained me as you have thus far, I would have married you," Zayne said with certainty.
"You would have married a woman far below your status? Damien and Eloise, I understand, since they were childhood friends, but I don’t see you doing that. Especially when you value peace in your home. Marrying a woman beneath your station would only bring headaches," Iris pointed out.
"Don’t tell me," Iris said suddenly, realising. "Is there a woman below your station who has caught your eye? Is that what this is about?"
"Yes," Zayne answered honestly. He doubted Iris’s wisdom in matters of the heart as she could not piece together what was unfolding now.
"Then you should have said so. I’m certain a determined man like you might succeed, but considering you’ve had offers to marry a princess, wouldn’t your family be upset about you marrying beneath your status?" Iris inquired.
"No woman should have to bear the burden of going up against your family. I urge you to be careful," Iris said, her hands busy with the chamber work.
"Hmm."
Zayne watched her for a moment longer, his expression unreadable, before looking away. "I will heed your advice."
"You must," Iris said softly, her thoughts heavy with concern for the well-being of the young woman in question.
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