Liberty Hill (Western Tide Series) Read Online Free

that,” he shrugged.
    There was nothing he could do about it now.
                Evelyn grunted in disgust.
    Lucius moved silently towards her in the dark. She tried to soothe the rapid beating of her heart, for she did not want him to know how utterly unnerved she was at his sudden, untraditional, and improper appearance.
    She sat up straight, lifting her chin to peer questioningly down her nose at him, and Lucius almost snorted at her immediate adoption of defiance.
                “I’m sorry to wake you,” he whispered gently, one hand stretched out peaceably in an effort to put her at ease. “Forgive me if I have caused a disturbance.”
                He congratulated himself, for despite the overall discomfort of the situation, he thought he sounded rather debonair. Speaking with Evelyn always required an extra measure of charm, for she was never anything but cold towards him. He suspected this was on account of their years of avoidance, in addition to the rather deserved suspicion that Lucius was at fault for her father’s death. Evelyn had built up quite a case against him, and he knew if he wanted a listening ear, much less two, he needed to thaw her out a little.
    He waited stupidly for some kind of response, but she did not give him one. Instead she watched him, her eyes unblinking in the fading dark.
                Lucius’ resolve wavered. He fumbled for words, struggling to remember why he had planned this unconventional encounter in the first place. Evelyn, shocked from sleep by a man she had only known as a boy, wondered the same thing.
                “I know it isn’t proper for a man to see his bride before the wedding,” Lucius sighed, “but I wanted to speak with you before the ceremony. I imagine you are quite frightened by this whole ordeal, and I assure you I am not at all at ease, myself. The truth is I have dreaded this day since I was informed of it. Not by any fault of yours, of course. But you see, I never aimed to marry. Yet you can understand the great responsibility I bear as the only son of my most ambitious father.”
                He said this with a sliver of sarcasm, but Evelyn was not amused. 
    Beneath her sharp glare, Lucius’ eyes dropped to the floor, for her gaze lacked the warmth he sought and caused him to falter. Her appearance was distracting as well. He had never seen her like this, hair a little askew and braided to one side, cheeks flushed, eyes bright from waking. For once she did not look like a mannequin. She seemed like a real woman, capable of emotion and soft to the touch.
    Lucius cleared his throat.
                “It is true that you and I haven’t known much of each other these past few years,” he continued. “But we were like brother and sister once, growing up together the way we did. And to be promised to one another just before your da passed away… well, that was a terrible thing that happened. To him, I mean. Well, to the both of you. I truly respected him, you know. He was a good man, and I want to do right by him. He would have wanted the best for you and as much as I have fought it, that responsibility has fallen to me. It means that today, of course, we must marry. He wished it, and he must have had a good reason.”
    He set his jaw firmly, as if this statement was the closing verdict of an argument he had with himself. Evelyn listened, her face flushed at the mention of her father. She recalled the day he had come to her with the news of this betrothal. She had fought hard to remain composed before him, waiting to come undone until after he had left. She had given no argument, had only nodded her head in quiet acquiescence, though fear and disappointment caused her every muscle to tremble with tension.
    She was a dutiful daughter. Obedient. She had never once lied to her father, dishonored him, or refused him; and in consequence, she was now required to surrender her