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“Wherever did you find those hideous clothes, daughter?” Lord Clayton asked, his beak-like nose wrinkled in disgust

“Sir Reginald gave them to me, sir” She didn’t kno Eleanor usually addressed her father, but ‘sir’ felt right Lara tried to give Eleanor’s consciousness free reign, but the gentlewoht before Lara wasn’t sure if the fantastic sex had frightened Eleanor or soothed her She had all but vanished from Lara’s perception

Lord Clayton scoffed “This is the way he provides for hter? I have a h with my oord Look at what he did to your sister,” he demanded “Alyssa is heartbroken”

Lara looked at the young woly at Lord Abbot Alyssa started and diverted her gaze “She always looks like that, father,” Lara said “She didn’t want to irl is in love with Lord Abbot”

Over in her corner, the girl in question made a small sound of displeasure

“You are to wed Lord Abbot, Eleanor You’ve the character to be a lady worthy of running a castle You’ve the beauty to attract a powerful husband Alyssa is uson at birth She has little hope of ood match on her own”

Geez, what a dick He didn’t have to say it in front of the young woman like that Lara’s dislike of Lord Clayton was more than that of her own Eleanor was in her sos Lara just wished Eleanor would co now that she was messed up with this weird family situation Lara had no idea how to handle it

“That’s not true, father,” Lara said “Lord Abbot said himself that Alyssa would make the better wife”

She glanced at Alyssa The frail-looking young wo at Lord Abbot ide eyes Lara could see her trying to find her tongue to voice the question she was bursting to ask, but Lord Abbot shifted in his chair to sit up properly and Alyssa’s gaze dropped again

Lord Abbot spoke, his words slightly slurred, likely from lanolin He had to be in a lot of pain “Your father has convinced me that you are the prize, Eleanor, and after the huinald, there is no way I will hand you over to hiht”

“You are injured, ht for a few days so that you can recover”

Abbot scoffed “This wound This wound is nothing I’ve fought and won battles with a sound that went clean through my side”

Lara breathed a frustrated sigh “If Sir Reginald wins, I am to wed him, isn’t that correct?”

“He will not win”

“But if he does—”

Lord Clayton cleared his throat “Daughter, go find soht of you in that filthy peasant garb Alyssa, help your sister”

Alyssa sprang to her feet like a marionette “Yes, Father”

She nearly sprinted to Lara’s side, took her by the wrist, and tugged her towards the door She was strong for someone so small Lara doubted she was even five feet tall Lara followed Alyssa out into the corridor and towards a set of stairs

“I brought so for you fro voice “You’ll need to dress well for the tournament”

“Thank you, Alyssa, that was thoughtful of you”

Alyssa hurried up a set of stairs and pushed open the door of a room halfway down a corridor It turned out to be a bedchamber Lara was ushered inside, and Alyssa closed the door

“You idiot! How could you get caught?” Alyssa bellowed the moment the door was closed “My plan should have worked perfectly I never thought Lord Abbot would go after you” She sighed “Dainald has to win this tournae so we can do so about this”

Lara stared at Alyssa in disbelief Eleanor’s meek little sister was a schemer? Had she lived inactress Alyssa own

“You have to look stunning,” she said “Lord Abbot was always easily distracted by your beauty He won’t be able to concentrate by the tih with you”

Lara was too stunned to voice a protest as the chore of dressing began Alyssa worked like an artist creating her Magnus opus The quantity of fabric in Eleanor’s dress could have supplied an entire army with tents After Eleanor was dressed, Alyssa went to work on her hair Lara sat before aall of this happen to the woman in the eous wo against her neck and seductively drawing attention to her bosom, Lord Asshat, erm, Abbot, was sure to be distracted

“Manners, Eleanor,” Alyssa hissed as they left the rooether “You’d set the world on its ear if only you’d stifle your infinite opinions on things best left to men”

“I think you’re already setting the world on its ear Why do you want to marry Abbot, anyway? He’s a bully”

“A bully with a title And we’ve had this discussion before, sister You know I can handle him He treats me like a delicate flower You stir up his temper at every occasion No wonder he treats you the way he does”

“You make it sound like it’s my fault”