The Bastard (Darling #2) [complete]

Chapter Thirteen

" W H A T  I S she doing here?" Louelle blurted out once walking into the queen's quarters. She was anticipating the usual group: Thatcher, Dane, the queen, and oftentimes Mister Albernathy. But she was not expecting the other body to be there, especially because it was her sister, someone she thought they all deemed to be untrustworthy.

She was frozen in the doorway, shifting from foot to foot as she uneasily stared at her sister. Maryann was gazing back at Louelle with a similar expression on her face, but she appeared to be more nervous than anything. She had every right to be anxious, unknowing how the youngest sister would react to her being there.

They hadn't spoken to each other since the night Louelle was brought back to the castle. It was mostly Louelle seeming to be uncomfortable while Maryann hung all over her, going on and on about how happy she was that Louelle was back safely. She understood it would take time for everyone to fully trust her - especially Louelle - but she was willing to do whatever it took to gain it. She had always wanted to see her sister happy, but after everything that occurred the night of the Harvest, she had come to realize she was going about her sister's happiness the wrong way. This time, she promised, she'd do things differently.

Maryann warily stood, fumbling her thumbs. "I am here to help," she replied calmly.

"To help?" Louelle narrowed her eyes at her sister scrutinizingly. Queen Dione shifted in her seat by the lit hearth as she watched the interaction play out before her. She had her reservations with Maryann's sudden voluntary assistance as well, but after witnessing the worry the sister eluded the night of the Harvest as they waited for news on Louelle's whereabouts, she wasn't as reserved. But she understood that Louelle was not there for it, and the sisters had a lot of history that could not be easily overlooked. It would take time for Louelle to completely trust Maryann.

Frankly, it would take everyone time to fully trust the eldest Clemens sister.

"I understand my presence to you may be unwelcoming -"

Louelle raised a brow, holding back a scoff to allow Maryann to say her piece.

"- but I am here to offer assistance. There is not a soul in this room King James will trust except for me. And we all wish for this wedding to not happen. He would not expect you to have a secret weapon," Maryann explained in a haste.

Louelle stared at Maryann with uncertainty for what felt like an eternity. She was waiting for Maryann to crack - to show some sort of sign that she was there under false pretenses.

She had thought an awful lot about Maryann coming to greet her and Thatcher in the courtyard when they first arrived back at the castle. Maryann seemed to be so pleased that Louelle was well and safe. It had severely confused her. It was as if a ghost possessed her sister and made her behave like someone else, because the Maryann she was met with that night, the night of the Harvest, and standing in front of her in the queen's quarters - it was not the Maryann she grew up with and was accustomed to.