Page 8 of Highland Vows of Betrayal

“She was a doting mother,” Eloise explained, “the kindest soul. She always played games with me, even when our father told her the staff should do so instead. She was my best friend.” Her smile began to falter.

Scarlett disturbed the quiet by nervously moving the glass back and forth across the table between them.

“If she was the kindest soul, why am I here working in a tavern?” Scarlett asked bleakly.

“Ye dinnae hold back yer thoughts, do ye?” Eloise said in her sweet voice.

“Never. I believe in speaking my mind.” Scarlett took a gulp from the glass. “Ye said she was kind, Eloise.”

“She was, and she did what she did tae protect us.”

“Protect!” Scarlett spluttered, at a complete loss for words.

“Aye, I realize that sounds absurd.” Eloise leaned her elbows on the table, resting her head in her hands. She stayed there for a minute in silence before lifting her head, her large blue eyes never blinking. “I didnae ken ye existed, nae until she lay dying with her sickness.”

“What was it?”

“They called it the white plague.”

Scarlett hung her head. She’d heard much of the illness that infected the lungs. She’d seen it once in someone who came to the tavern, their skin the color of fresh milk, unnaturally so. It was an unpleasant illness to bear.

“I stayed with her as she lay dying, holding her hand, and she told me the truth of what passed.” Eloise eagerly sat forward. “When she went into labor, she bore me first,” she placed her hands over her heart. “Then everyone in the room was shocked when a second baby came.” She motioned toward Scarlett. “They all kent what that meant, what people said of bearing twins looking alike.”

Scarlett lifted her hands and covered her mouth, fearing she knew what would come next. How many times had she heard talk of witches and specters walking the earth? How often had she heard such superstitious tales herself?

“They thought only a witch could bear twins,” Scarlett whispered.

“They did.” Eloise nodded. “The midwives panicked, as did our mother. If they showed both children to our father, they feared he would send our mother away, perhaps even trying her for being a witch.”

“He would have done that?” Scarlett swallowed around a sudden lump in her throat. So far, she’d had no description of their father, but this news was nothing good to hear. It suggested he believed such superstitions over the word of his own wife.

“They feared he would,” Eloise whispered as if there were still people in the tavern to overhear the horror of her tale. “She kent she couldnae keep us both. She could end up dead, as could both of us. She’d heard stories of unwanted twins before. She couldnae let it happen.”

“Aye, calm yerself, Eloise.” Scarlett reached out her hand and laid it over Eloise’s. Her sister exhaled, as if the touch meant everything, and bowed her head.

“She did the only thing she could do. She kept ye a secret for two days in the palace, swore the midwives to secrecy, then made arrangements for ye tae be sent away. She thought ye would be looked after and loved.” Eloise swallowed uncomfortably as she looked around the tavern. “She painted a dream of ye being loved by a family, and cared for. I shudder tae think what she would say now tae see ye here.”

“I shudder myself just being here,” Scarlett attempted humor, trying to assimilate the shocking truth between them. Eloise smiled, but it was only brief. “So… our mother is dead.”

“Aye.”

“Yet I have a sister?” she murmured, finding herself believing it more and more.

“Aye, ye do.” Eloise laid a hand over Scarlett’s, a warm touch across the table. “We have a brother, too.”

“A brother?” Scarlett asked, amazed. Any smile she wished to offer was tempered when she heard a sound overhead. “Oh nae,” she whispered.

“What is it?”

Scarlett shot a look to the ceiling; Athol was moving about. “He’s awake.”

“Who?”

“The tavern owner.” Scarlett got to her feet. “He is a foul-tempered man; he willnae like anyone being here at this time of night.

“Scarlett… nae one can ken I am here,” Eloise paled.

“Then come with me. Quickly.” Scarlett beckoned her to follow. In the distant regions of the house, she could hear the stairs creaking under Athol’s feet as he lumbered about, coming to the bar.