Chapter 70: Aftermath

Damon headed for the bathroom, leaving Eleanor to recover in the bedroom.

The encounter had left him in a good mood, though not for any particularly sentimental reason.

Eleanor had surprised him with her willingness to ask for what she wanted, especially after how hesitant she’d been at first. He hadn’t expected her to be so bold once she finally made up her mind.

By the time he finished washing up, he was ready to get on with the rest of his day.

He stepped out of the bathroom, drying his hands with a towel, and found the bedroom empty.

THUD

A faint sound came from the other bathroom down the corridor. The door had closed in a hurry, and Damon caught a glimpse of Eleanor disappearing behind it just before it shut completely.

He paused, then let out a quiet laugh.

Apparently, she needed a little more time to collect herself.

He tossed the towel aside, straightened his clothes, and left the bedroom.

Breakfast had already been laid out in the dining room. The table held a selection of freshly prepared dishes, along with coffee and juice.

Eleanor’s staff had evidently anticipated that she would be staying in for the morning, and everything was ready before he arrived.

Damon took a seat and began eating.

He was halfway through breakfast when Eleanor finally appeared.

She looked considerably more composed than she had when she’d hurried out of the bedroom, with her hair arranged neatly and her clothes in order. The faint rosiness in her cheeks, however, hadn’t disappeared entirely.

What caught his attention was the way she walked.

Her steps were careful, and she seemed reluctant to put too much weight on her legs. She tried to conceal it by maintaining her usual posture, but the slight stiffness gave her away whenever she moved.

He watched her approach the table, his expression settling into a faintly amused smile.

Eleanor noticed.

"Don’t," she said before he’d even opened his mouth.

"Don’t what?"

"You know what."

"I’m afraid you’ll have to be more specific."

She gave him a look that would probably have been more effective if her cheeks weren’t turning pink again.

Rather than argue, she pulled out the chair beside him and sat down, moving with considerably more care.

Damon returned to his breakfast, allowing her to settle herself.

For a few minutes, they ate without much conversation.

Eleanor seemed determined to behave as though the morning were entirely ordinary and he had no objection to letting her try. He wasn’t in the habit of comforting people simply because they found themselves embarrassed by choices they’d made willingly.

By the time they finished breakfast, the rosiness in her cheeks had begun to fade.

Damon had enjoyed watching her struggle to maintain her composure, but there were more useful things to discuss, and one of them had been on his mind for a while.

"How’s Lily doing?"

Eleanor’s hand paused briefly above the table.

For a brief moment, she felt an unexpected pinch of disappointment.

She had shared something deeply personal with Damon this morning, and part of her had wanted to remain in that private world a little longer.

Instead, his attention had already shifted to another girl.

She knew she had no reason to resent it. Damon had never promised to give her his undivided attention, and she had understood that their relationship came with its own complications.

Still, knowing the situation clearly didn’t stop the feeling from appearing.

Eleanor let it pass without allowing it to affect her expression.

She set her cup down and looked at him.

"Lily?"

"The fashion design training. I sent her to you because you offered to help her find a place to learn. You were going to arrange something through Velour, weren’t you?"

"Of course." Eleanor adjusted her position in the chair.

"She’s doing well, actually. She has a good eye for clothing, and she’s more observant than she first appears. She notices details that some people overlook."

"Is she learning from you?"

"Not directly. I’ve been rather busy with the expansion and the Sterling transaction, so I asked one of our professional designers to take her under her wing. She’s much better suited to teaching Lily the practical side of the work than I would be at the moment."

"That sounds sensible."

"She should be at one of the other branches today. I wanted her to have some time away from the main office, where there are too many distractions. The designer can give her more attention there, and Lily will get to see how the boutique operates without being caught up in everything happening here."

Damon nodded. That was a better arrangement than having Eleanor attempt to supervise Lily herself while managing the rest of her responsibilities. He had sent Lily to learn a skill, not to become another task on Eleanor’s already crowded schedule.

He also wanted to see whether Lily could turn her interest in fashion into something useful.

Eleanor rested her hands beside her cup, thinking about Lily’s first few days with the designer.

"She has been enthusiastic so far," she said.

"She pays attention to how things are put together, not just how they look. The designer mentioned that she notices small details and isn’t afraid to suggest changes. Of course, she still has a lot to learn."

"That sounds like a decent start." Damon said.

"It is. But the work involves more than having good taste. She’ll need to learn about materials, fitting, production, and the business side of things. I don’t know yet whether she’ll enjoy all of it."

He nodded.

He could easily imagine Lily becoming impatient with the less exciting parts, but he wasn’t going to decide she would fail before she had a chance to prove herself.

"Let her keep learning," he said. "She can decide what she wants to make of it once she understands the work."

Eleanor nodded, then studied him with a trace of curiosity.

"Were you planning to meet her?"