Chapter 379: Better mood [1]

Inside Iris’s bedchamber, Eloise had not long arrived to join her.

"That is such heavy news to place upon them after they have only just gathered. I hope they are all doing well. Why are you not with them?" Iris wondered.

"The moment of seeing their parents’ belongings does not need to include me. They should bond and bring up old memories to help with the news. I hope their bond comes out stronger," said Eloise.

"It is still quite unfortunate that someone so close to them was behind all their sorrow. Why are so many families turning on each other? It frightens me how often it is happening," Iris said, fearing it would happen again. "I have not received news about my father’s state."

"Or my mother’s," Iris added bitterly. "She surely doesn’t care for me anymore. I shouldn’t bother myself."

"It is natural you would feel hurt to be excluded from her conversations with Reece. Perhaps she doesn’t reach out to you because she knows you are in good care," Eloise said softly, though she doubted her own words. She spoke solely for Iris’s comfort.

"Perhaps. I won’t trouble you with speaking about my mother or father. I know you push yourself to be kind on these topics for my sake. Now, what should we do to cheer up the siblings?" Iris asked, changing the subject. "What would help?"

"They learnt their parents’ deaths were all a plot, not an accident. Though it is kind to want to help them feel better, I think only their company will help them now. We should continue to give them some time together," Eloise suggested.

"Then, I will follow your lead. It would also be best to stop any visitors from coming today, which means Zayne will not be able to come. I will tell him in my letter," Iris said, turning back to her table, her hand already reaching for the quill.

"Zayne is welcome to visit. He helped Damien every step of the way, so he should be thanked. Seeing a friendly face should ease them a little, and you two should get your time together. It would be wrong to keep a newly engaged couple apart," Eloise said with a smile.

"It is only for the siblings that I am telling him he may continue to visit. I am curious if he has already spoken to his parents about our engagement," Iris said, stuck on the coming meeting.

"We will know when he gets here. Fortunately, the drama in our lives is slowly starting to settle down. Damien no longer has to worry about Hayden, and Camille might not show herself so often. I hope there isn’t more," Eloise said, touching her forehead.

"Because you wish to have children soon? If there is trouble and you two are away from each other, then there won’t be time for children to be made," Iris teased.

"Iris, your mouth has become so filthy as of late," Eloise said, reaching for a pillow to strike her cousin with, though laughter threatened to escape her lips.

"But it is true. Poor Lord Hawthorne went through all the trouble of emptying the chamber just for all of this to take up his time. Maybe that is what you should do to cheer him up," Iris suggested slyly.

"I hope you are speaking of decorating the chamber for him. Since you might have forgotten, children don’t just magically appear, or do you still believe they are brought by birds?" Eloise asked, recalling Iris’s old childhood beliefs with a smirk.

"I was a child when I thought that, Eloise. All the adults were convincing us it was so," Iris defended herself.

"I did not think it was so," Eloise said, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Because you were fortunate to have a father who wanted you to know how the world worked. Mine wanted to convince me babies came from birds. To think they withheld so much from us, then thrust us into a season to find a husband," Iris sighed.

"Well, since we understand the pressure, we can make changes for our children one day. I do hope that after all our efforts, we can have a child," Eloise said, her thoughts drifting to Rosalie’s struggles. "I don’t want the excitement to be all for nothing. He will need an heir."

"It seems to me that Damien merely wants to have a child with you. Not for the sake of having an heir, but because you are a family. Since I have been here, I have not heard him speak about an heir," Iris said, finding it odd.

Iris turned around to face Eloise and said, "Surely he remembers that a man with his status is to have an heir."

"He does. We speak about it in private. I am not going to use a child to take his mind off this news about his family. I intend to spend time with him," Eloise planned.

"Like how you spent time in the garden with him, and I had to stop Jane from coming to see the two of you?" Iris asked, causing Eloise to cover her face.

"That was not my plan. Damien managed to sway me into it, and must I remind you that I had a little to drink that day? We were to be having fun, and I did have fun," Eloise said, lowering her hand to reveal her flushed cheeks.

"I don’t doubt that you had fun. I do wonder what the gardeners think when they see you and Damien entering the gardens. They must know by now to make themselves scarce," Iris joked, her laughter filling the chamber.

"I might not be able to help with the siblings, but at the very least, I am keeping you in a good mood for when you meet with Damien. I do hope they will all be well after this and stay together. Kyle and Quinn should spend the night," Iris said.

"That would be wonderful. We should all have dinner together. I can hardly wait for when Reece will bring his wife to meet us. For the next outing, we should go to see Reece. I’m sure he will enjoy the company," Eloise said, eager to get away from town.

"That would be lovely to surprise him. I do hope he will consider returning to town to live. Since I won’t need your father’s home, could Reece take it? I do not think our childhood home is in a good state. I must go see it," Iris said, remembering the state. "All my belongings might be ruined."

"Reece can take the home. The only problem is that his wife would have to part with her family if they move here. The positive is they wouldn’t need to buy a home. It will all work out," Eloise said, deciding not to worry about the future.