Iris took a moment to let all that Eloise shared settle in her mind. She thought she was only visiting to let Eloise know that she was well, but there was far more news than she expected.
"I didn't know about any of this at all because I was hiding away," Iris said, pressing her right hand to her forehead. "She would be mad to destroy our childhood home. Do you think my running away pushed her to do it? I just didn't want to marry the man she selected."
"It wouldn't be fair to place the blame on you," Eloise replied gently, her heart aching for her cousin. "I think she burned the home to escape what her life had become. I don't believe the house has burned to the ground, so it can be repaired, but I imagine she thought it would."
"We don't know for certain if your mother was the one, or if it was one of the men to whom your father owed a debt. I don't want to accuse her without knowing, because she is still your mother," Eloise added, careful with her words.
