“Well, thank you for—”
“Evie! You’re home early!” Her little sister’s voice cut through the air, startling her.
Oh, for the love of—
Evie groaned as Lyssa came into view, black hair disheveled and covered in dirt. “Emmaline said she saw you in a fine carriage, and I said that couldn’t be you but—” Her sister stopped when she caught sight of the two of them side by side.
“Oh, hello.” Lyssa bobbed a curtsy, and Evie was beginning to wonder if she had died and this was some sort of torturous afterlife.
The Villain stood tall, stepping down from the carriage, turning back toward Evie to offer his hand. After both her feet were firmly planted on the ground, Evie said, “Um, Lyssa, this is my— I mean he’s— Um—”
“Trystan Maverine.” His deep voice was a calm, steadying sound, though hearing a name come from his lips was jarring. How did he make that up so quickly?
Bowing low, he continued. “I am your elder sister’s employer. She had a small accident at work, so I escorted her home.”
Lyssa’s brown eyes widened, then she dipped into a curtsy. “Oh! Yes, Evie has accidents a lot.”
How funny that her sister was about to have one as well…when Evie throttled her.
But her boss didn’t seem to be as annoyed by the presence of her ten-year-old nuisance as she was, because she could see a light upward tugging of his lips. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Lyssa didn’t slow. “Oh yes, she falls all the time. She fell down the well once! Can you believe it? An actual well! She was trying to save a bird and she fell right in. She was stuck there for hours, and when we finally got her out, she was soaked and pruning like dried grapes!”
Her boss slowly turned to her, a strange satisfaction on his face at hearing this piece of news.
“It was a very cute bird,” Evie said defensively.
He nodded, unfazed. “I’m sure it was.”
“Are you a prince?” Honestly, had her sister found a pound of sugar before they’d arrived here?
“I am not.” His voice was flat. He somehow didn’t seem irritated by this interaction, but then again, she supposed, he was used to dealing with her ramblings every day.
Lyssa didn’t seem to hear him, staring at him with quiet wonder on her face.
Evie narrowed her eyes at her sister’s bedraggled clothes. “Aren’t you supposed to be at school?”
“It’s a holiday,” her sister said quickly, looking guilty.
“Oh, really?” Evie tapped her chin, crouching down to look her sister in the eye. “What holiday is that?”
“Your hair is a mess, Evangelina,” Lyssa said, scrunching her nose.
“You’re changing the subject.”
“So? You do it all the time.”
“Not on purpose!” Evie threw her hands in the air, abruptly remembering their audience. The Villain, or Trystan, was eyeing them like a zoo exhibit, a faint twinkle in his dark eyes.
“We’ll discuss this later. Where is Papa?” She rubbed her temples, trying to stave off the beginnings of a headache.
“He went into the village to have a drink with some of his friends.”
“A drink?” Evie asked incredulously. His mood and health had been noticeably better the last couple of days, but he hadn’t had the energy or the will to venture into the village for anything other than visits to their local healer in years.
It wouldn’t last, and Evie wouldn’t let herself hope for it. But she could see the joy radiating from Lyssa, finally seeming to have one healthy parent, and she refused to be the one to take it away from her merely because of her suspicions. “That’s…wonderful.”
Lyssa nodded, tossing a wide grin at The Villain like a weapon. “Are you staying for dinner, Mr. Maverine?”
The magnificent horses with the carriage chuffed impatiently, drawing her boss’s eye toward them.
“I cannot, I’m afraid. There is much work to be done, and the day is not yet over.” He removed one of his black gloves and reached out a hand toward Lyssa. She immediately put her hand in his as he bowed over it.
“It was a pleasure to meet you, Lady Lyssa.”
She giggled, and Evie felt like her chest was about to erupt for all the fluttering going on inside it.
A stray “ribbit” from the carriage caught Lyssa’s attention as she leaned past both Evie and The Villain to look. Her face scrunched, but her young eyes were delighted. “Is that frog wearing a crown?”