His behavior was certainly odd. In retrospect, when he had fallen, it looked as if he had walked into an invisible shield thatbounced him backwards, which had happened the instant they locked eyes.
The only plausible explanation was that he had been so stunned by his mark that he thought to flee, except that his body could not keep up with the sudden command. His greying hair disappeared when she lingered outside Elize’s door.
Now her sister was acting like a rabid dog guarding a steak. So Emily marched across the room, the door left open, and tried to yank her away from whatever she was hiding.
“Elize, ye hypocrite!”
Elize did not relent, but her hoard was just large enough. She was holding a gilded chest overflowing with jewelry to her breast.
Just yesterday, she had scolded her for accepting jewelry from Adair. Now she was guarding a whole treasury. Worse, she was displaying such selfish possessiveness.
Where had she learned it?
“I am guilty of nothing!” she cried.
The only man responsible for such a feat could only be Adair, whether she denied it or not.
“Then how did this”—Emily snatched a pearl bracelet and held it up by her index finger—“come into yer possession?”
“I might have made a complaint!” Elize’s voice rose with the last word as she swiped at Emily’s hand to no avail.
Emily smirked, then decided to tease her, lowering the bracelet to her reach, only to snatch it away.
“Ye mocked the comb the Laird gave me, then ye go and demand a whole loot for yerself?”
“I didnae voice me complaints to the Laird.”
“Then who was the poor victim of yer tirades?”
Elize paused, which was suspicious.
Emily had stepped away from the dresser when her sister had risen, as if ready to wrestle her. Now, the fire had gone out of her eyes, and she stood there, albeit still cradling the chest.
“It doesnae matter.”
“It matters a great deal, since ye used me engagement, which ye are so against, for vanity.” Emily stood akimbo, partly angry but mostly worried that her sister had overstepped again. “Ye need to return this.”
She balled up the bracelet and stuffed it in her bodice.
Elize stepped toward her. “I daenae, and I willnae. I will only admit that someone tried to bribe me into tolerating their presence, but I am nae inclined to do so.”
“I wasnae giving ye a say in the matter, Elize,” Emily said, taking a step back.
“Ye ken I am faster than ye, Emily,” Elize warned, stepping forward. “Daenae think ye can outrun me.”
Emily took off before Elize could prepare herself. She was older, therefore smarter in a sense. She sidestepped when Elize came close enough to touch, and when she pushed forward, Elize lost her footing. She used the advantage to snatch the chest.
“What was that about ye being faster, Elize?” she teased.
Elize rose to her feet, pouting.
“Ye cheated!” she accused.
“On the contrary,” Emily retorted. “I only used what I ken about ye to me advantage. Now, what have we here?”
She pulled out a studded pearl hairnet and raised a brow at her sister.
“Anythin’ but that!” Elize protested, hooking her fingers into the square-shaped holes.
