Page 29 of In Bed with a Highland Liar

“Because he’s lyin’ tae ye, Freya!”

For all Lilith had tried to keep the truth hidden from her sister, her stubbornness and her refusal to see him for who he truly was on her own made it impossible to hold her tongue. In the end, it mattered little if their reputation was destroyed. Freya would be miserable either way.

At least if she knew Evander for who he was, she wouldn’t be humiliated by his actions.

“He is always tryin’ tae bed lasses,” Lilith said through gritted teeth. Freya was ready to argue, Lilith saw, her lips parting as she drew in a sharp breath, so she interrupted her before she could speak. “I saw him. I saw him with a maid an’ so did Aaden. He was kissin’ her an’ he was tryin’ tae convince her tae go tae his chambers.”

There was no hesitation in Freya’s voice as she spoke. “I dinnae believe ye. Ye simply dinnae wish tae wed Aaden or anyone else, so ye’re tryin’ tae make me change me mind about Evander.”

“It isnae true!” Lilith was rather quick to deny it, though. Part of it was true; she didn’t want to marry Aaden or anyone else. But that didn’t mean she didn’t want her sister to find happiness. “I am only tellin’ ye this because I care about ye, Freya, an’ I dinnae wish tae see ye hurt. Evander will hurt ye. He is lyin’ tae ye, dinnae ye see? Everythin’ he has told ye is a lie so he can trick ye intae a marriage.”

The betrayal in Freya’s eyes was something Lilith didn’t expect to see. Her heart lurched, dread washing over her like a cold tide as she realized that no matter what she said, Freya would believe Evander over her.

How had he managed to fool her like this? Lilith had never lied to her sister, so why would she take his word over hers now? What kind of spell had he put her under?

We were always so close. How could she think I am lyin’ tae her?

Pursing her lips into a thin line, Lilith stomped out of the room. If Freya wasn’t going to believe her, then perhaps she could convince the maid to support her claims, regardless of her insistence that she couldn’t tell the truth to anyone. If Lilith assured her that no one would send her away, then perhaps she would be more inclined to tell it and save her sister from this marriage.

It didn’t take her long to track down the girl, though the moment she saw Lilith, she tried to flee. Lilith was quick to step in her way, blocking her escape, and she tried to ignore the pang of guilt that speared through her at the terrified look the maid gave her.

“Come with me,” she said, turning around and expecting her to follow.

The maid had no other choice, Lilith knew, and before long, she was back in the morning room with her in tow. Freya was still sitting there, picking at the threads of her embroidery idly, her lips pulled into a deep frown. When she heard them approach, she looked up in confusion.

“What is this?” she asked.

“Ye didnae believe me, so she can tell ye the truth herself,” Lilith said, before turning to the maid, giving her the strictest glare she could manage. She felt bad for the poor girl. She doubted Evander had given her much of a choice in the matter and with her status, she surely felt compelled to obey him, but Lilith couldn’t have her faltering now. “Tell her what happened. Nae one will send ye away, ye have me word. Ye willnae be punished fer this.”

The maid looked between Lilith and Freya several times, her hesitation and fear palpable in the air around them. Freya simply sat on the couch, arms crossed in front of her and face impassive, as though she already knew the maid would have nothing to say.

“Please,” Lilith urged her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “She needs tae ken the truth.”

“I cannae believe ye are involvin’ the maids in this,” Freya said with a sigh. “Are ye askin’ them tae lie fer ye?”

“I’m nae!” Lilith insisted, but the maid still refused to speak. Lilith couldn’t help but wonder if Evander had threatened the woman like he had threatened her and Aaden, if he had told her that he would be personally responsible for her demise if she spoke. “How can ye be so blinded?”

“How can ye be so cruel?” Freya spat back. She sprang up from the couch and walked over to the maid, her gaze scrutinizing as she took in her fair features. “Well? Is there somethin’ ye wish tae tell me?”

Finally, the maid spoke, but it wasn’t what Lilith wanted to hear. “Nay, me lady,” she said. “I dinnae ken what it is that I should tell ye.”

“Very well,” Freya said. “Thank ye. Ye may go now. Please, forgive me sister’s behavior.”

The maid fled out of the room without another word and when Lilith was left alone with Freya, her sister turned to face her, triumphant. There wasn’t just the pleasure of being proven right in her expression, though; there was also a grief behind it, and profound disappointment.

“Why dae ye wish fer me tae be alone?” Freya asked. Lilith would have preferred her anger over this quiet sorrow; it would be less jarring, less cruel. “Is it because ye cannae find happiness fer yersel’? Dae ye wish fer both o’ us tae be alone?”

For a moment, Lilith was stunned into silence. She could hardly believe that was how her sister saw her: a sad, desperate woman who wished to make others around her miserable because she didn’t want to be the only one who was unhappy. But Lilith wasn’t unhappy, at least not until the suitors began to show up at her doorstep.

“If that is what ye truly believe, then I have naething tae say tae ye,” she told Freya, her expression hardening. “I only wish ye would find a good man. Evander isnae a good man. There are so many others ye could have chosen over him. There’s Cameron, who adores ye an’ ye dinnae even see it.”

That seemed to catch Freya by surprise, as though she truly didn’t know about Cameron’s feelings. Her surprise was soon eclipsed by indifference, though whether it was real or manufactured, Lilith couldn’t tell.

“Cameron an’ I are only friends,” she said. “Good friends, but naething more. It is Evander I want an’ he wants me, too, Lilith.”

“Simply because ye want him, it doesnae mean he is a good choice,” Lilith insisted. “Ye should ken better than that.”

“Why cannae ye be happy fer me?” asked Freya, her bottom lip trembling just slightly. “Maither would be happy. She would want me tae wed someone who brings me joy.”