The Possessive Lord's Contract Wife

Chapter 262: Tearful reunion [1]

In the morning, Eloise was the only one awake in the chamber. She moved softly across the floor, trying not to wake Damien, whose body had felt a little too warm during the night.

Eloise feared that Damien might be coming down with the flu, since he had been running about far too much for the past few days. For now, she wanted him to rest undisturbed.

She quietly tidied the chamber so the maids would not need to enter and risk disturbing his sleep. As she shifted their belongings, she murmured to herself, deciding where each item should be placed, her hands lingering on familiar objects with care.

Her gaze kept drifting back to the bed, checking that Damien had not stirred from what little noise she was making.

Before anyone else could intrude, Eloise slipped out of the chamber, intent on warning the others not to disturb him.

"Lady Hawthorne," Hannah greeted with a graceful curtsy. "Good morning."

"Good morning to you as well. I don’t want anyone entering the chamber until my husband has awoken. Tell the maids to tread silently when they roam this floor. It is of the utmost importance that my husband rests," Eloise instructed Hannah.

"As you wish. I shall pass on the order. I believe there are letters addressed to Lord Hawthorne. I shall instruct the butler to hold them until he wakes," Hannah replied, planning to run off the second Eloise dismissed her.

"Good. Have you seen any of his siblings nearby? I must warn them," Eloise asked, glancing down the corridor. "They are more likely to wake my husband than anyone else."

"I have only seen Miss Jane in the library near her chamber. Shall I send for her?"

"No, no," Eloise replied, not wanting to add more to Hannah’s tasks. "I will find her. If my husband wakes and asks for me, please come to fetch me."

Just as Eloise stepped forward, another maid approached.

The maid said the morning greetings and curtsied before saying, "Lady Hawthorne, a guest is waiting for you in the drawing room, along with a guest for Lord Hawthorne. It is Miss Iris Wilkins and-"

"Iris?" Eloise cried out before the maid could finish, forgetting all about keeping her voice low for Damien’s sake.

Gathering her skirts, Eloise ran off to find Iris. She prayed this wasn’t some cruel dream and that she truly would see Iris again.

Eloise’s mind raced with thoughts at the news of Iris’s arrival.

Where had Iris now come from?

Servants cast her strange looks as she hurried past, but Eloise ignored them, her mind consumed with the thought of Iris.

When she reached the drawing room, she burst inside, breathless. Eloise didn’t care about appearances or proper greetings, as all she wanted was to see Iris. To hold her and confirm that this was real.

Iris, startled by her sudden arrival, rose at once and rushed to meet her halfway.

The two women collided, clutching each other tightly, almost stumbling, but refusing to let go.

Eloise squeezed Iris with trembling arms, overwhelmed with relief to see her cousin safe after so many silent days.

Iris returned the embrace, resting her head against Eloise’s shoulder, her own tears spilling freely.

No words came at first. Only the sound of their quiet sobs.

Eloise was the first to pull back, wiping her damp cheeks. "Where have you been all this time? Reece, Damien and I have been searching for you."

"Reece? My brother is here in town again?" Iris asked, astonished. "I did not know he was in town. Did he come to search for me?"

Eloise nodded, catching movement in the corner of her eye. "Why are you here with Zayne? Have you always known each other?"

"He is my employer. Since I ran away from home, I have been working as his maid. I had shelter and plenty to eat there," Iris explained, clutching Eloise’s hand.

Eloise looked between them, her mind racing with suspicion. "You have been there all this time? Right under our noses? Zayne, did you know Iris is my cousin?"

"I discovered it, and that is why I escorted her here. I gave her a ride in my carriage. While she has been away, I have paid her well and ensured she was cared for," Zayne assured her.

Eloise struggled to take it in. "Why didn’t you visit sooner? Or write to tell me you were safe? I have been so worried."

"Well, you were out of town at first, and then I needed time to come to you. I know I was wrong not to send a letter. I didn’t want to trouble you, nor did I want my mother to find me," Iris admitted, guiding Eloise to a chair.

"You can always come to me, Iris. I would never see it as troubling me. I want you to come whenever you need help, as I would do the same. What happened that made you run away?" Eloise asked, needing the entire story.

"I thought I could marry for the sake of helping the family, but when I realised my mother didn’t care what became of me, I couldn’t bear it," Iris confessed.

Zayne rose quietly, deciding to give them privacy, and slipped away towards Damien’s bedchamber.

"Did she present someone for you to marry?" Eloise asked, confirming her theory.

Iris nodded. "Yes, a man who had been married before. I knew she chose him not only to ease the debt but to punish me for siding with you. All she cared about was finding Reece a wealthy wife, while I would be left serving a man far older than me."

"I sometimes envied how carefully she treated Reece, the effort she put into finding him a wife. What?" Iris asked, noticing Eloise’s hesitation. "Has she found a wife for Reece? Is that how she plans to escape the debt?"

Only then did Eloise realise Iris could not have known about the fire. If she had, she would have been frantic about Agatha.

"I have two important matters to share. First, Reece has told me he was married all this time, which is why he struggled to return. There is more news, but he should tell you himself. As for Agatha..." Eloise paused, dreading the words.

"There was a fire at your home, and so far, your mother has not been found. No one was injured," Eloise said softly, reaching for Iris’s hand. "Damien told me that there wasn’t a body found. It seems she may have fled town or is hiding somewhere. That is what we have concluded."

Iris was struck silent, her heart sinking. Guilt and sorrow washed over her as she realised she had been absent while her childhood home was destroyed.