Page 63 of A Highland Lass for the English Duke

Annice's eyes danced, but Lissie struggled to see their meaning.

"Opportunity?" she said, straightening up. She looked Annice straight in the eye. "I see no opportunity here except for humiliation an' pain!"

She looked in despair at her cousin, but she had picked the wrong confidante. Brassy Annice did not care. Scoffing, she bustled over to Lissie and picked at her hair.

"Tut," she muttered, teasing the knots out from Lissie's thicket. "You need to look your best for the wedding!"

"The wedding?" said Lissie, mouth agape. "Have ye lost yer reason?"

Lissie's heart started thumping like a drum. Inside, she felt sick. She could not believe Annice was so callous. But Annice just gave her a look of disdain.

"Sweeting," she said, in a tone that did not suggest sweeting at all. "The wedding will be the best thing to happen to London all year. It is a chance for you to shine and find a match. Already, I know a merchant, Carruthers, who is eligible and⁠—"

"Nay," said Lissie flatly. She looked point-blank at Annice. "I will nae do it. And I am nae marrying any tinker, tailor, or fisherman either!"

Inside, a heat surged in Lissie. Marry a merchant? She might as well move home and marry the buckle-toothed Donald. At least he was the son of a laird.

Annice fixed her dark eyes on Lissie. "Talbot is a fishmonger, and a master fishmonger at that!"

"Och, who cares!" Lissie just rolled her eyes. "All ye need to ken is that I am nae going to any wedding, nae making a match wi' any merchant."

Lissie set her lips petulantly in a frown, but her peevishness belied the blackness she was feeling. It was all around, as if night had entered the room.

It was bad enough that Will had been dancing with Lettie. But now marriage?

Lissie's heart truly was at rock bottom. The last thing she felt like doing was attending his wedding.

Scowling deeply at Annice, Lissie yawned. "Well, if this is all ye have come to say, Cousin," she said sharply.

Annice's brows nearly blew off her head.

So she is shocked, thought Lissie. Good. She had had more than enough and was done with pretending.

"Very well," said Annice through pursed lips. "I just came to tell you—oh, and to give you this."

As an afterthought, Annice produced a sealed parchment. Through the gloom of the bedchamber, Lissie's sharp eyes immediately spotted its logo. It was from the Duncan clan.

"Thank ye," said Lissie, almost ripping it from Annice. She was about to unfurl it when she stopped. The watchful eye of Annice was upon her.

Not wanting to share her business, Lissie folded the parchment back into its seal. She smiled at Annice.

"I take it you will not be receiving guests this morning, Elisabeth?" asked Annice imperiously.

Lissie just nodded. She had run out of steam for arguing with Annice. Even compared to Fiona, she had a capacity for bickering that knew no bounds. To Lissie's surprise, Annice did not tut but simply gathered her skirts behind her—a large and expensive houppelande from Paris—and gracefully rustled off. Just before she reached the door, she turned. A servant had appeared, who whispered some news to her. Annice's face changed. Now she looked amused.

"Well, that's a shame. Should I tell the duke of Iverst? He has just appeared outside the door!"

Lissie flinched. All of her wanted to run the length of the bedchamber and fling herself down to the entrance hall to greet him. But inside, battle raged. From the edge of the bed, she caught Will haughtily arriving at the gate. There, she watched him dismount and come to the door. Inside, something twisted; a shard of pain.

"Well, there he is," said Annice smugly. "There's your chance to tell him what you think of his betrothed."

Annice's eyes flared pointedly. Of course, she knew Lissie would do no such thing. All the same, she was watching, playing with Lissie like a kitten with a string.

Why is she doing this? snarled Lissie to herself. It was true; Annice seemed to be especially enjoying herself this morning. It was as if she were determined to bring her down.

More to the point, Lissie looked at Will. And what is he doing here? Come to rub it in?

Fastening her robe, Lissie went to the window. There, she sat, unobserved, as Will inquired at the door. From the window, she hissed to the servants, "Send him away," as she stared down at Will. Really, she wanted to add an' leave me alone, but it wasn't necessary.