Williams looked at her, wondering why she was so surprised. "Didn't you realize that earlier?"
"Lance? Interested in me?" She shuddered. "That is so... disgusting," she said with a grimace.
"However it is, we have to use that to our advantage. I do not want to do this either, but we don't have a choice. And I am going to be with you whenever you have to speak with him, so you don't have to worry about being alone with him," Williams assured her.
They both stopped walking when they saw Beth's father, Sir Rager, walking toward them. He looked angry. Susan turned to Williams and whispered, "Perhaps I should try to convince him that..."
"No! Are you out of your mind? What do you think our parents would do if they heard of it?" Williams whisper-yelled and glared at her.
"We can't act carelessly. Father wouldn't listen to mother or Harvey if Sir Rager made him believe we were on Princess Amber's side. The only way we can help her is to make everyone believe we are not on her side..."
"You mean we should be friends who appear as foes? We shouldn't try to defend her to anyone?" Susan asked, and Williams gave her a nod.
"Don't say anything and just listen," Williams said as he walked towards Sir Rager.
"What are you doing?" Susan asked in a hushed tone.
"Just play along. We need to make him believe we are not on Princess Amber's side. He saw us carry her away. If he tells the Queen or father, we are doomed, remember?" Williams whispered back as they got closer to the angry man.
Sir Rager stopped walking when he saw them approaching, and his gaze narrowed in on them suspiciously.
Before he could say a word, Williams bowed politely and said, "We have been meaning to find time to pay our condolence visit to you. We are deeply sorry about what happened to Beth. She was my sister's tutor and she was very dear to us. We would like to assist you in whatever way we can to get justice for her," Williams said, and immediately Susan sniffled dramatically as she broke into a sob and covered her face with both hands.
Okay... she was being too dramatic now. Williams thought as he tried not to glare at her.
"I still find it hard to believe that Princess Amber could do that to Beth and Princess Tyra. If she could do that to even Princess Tyra, then she could have done that to me too," Susan cried, and Williams handed her his handkerchief and used that moment to glare at her again while communicating with his eyes. His glare could be interpreted as, "I said do not say anything. Why did you say all that? Are you trying to get her killed by making him angrier with her?"
She returned a look that could be interpreted as,
"I thought we were trying to make him believe that we were not on her side?"
Williams shook his head before turning to face Sir Rager, who still hadn't uttered a word but just kept staring at them.
"I'm sorry we had to take them both to my painting room. As you must know she was our friend. Princess Amber and Susan were tutored by Beth. We haven't been able to question her or see her since the night of the banquet, as our parents wouldn't let us. We wanted to give her a chance to see if she would confess to us in private, but she is not willing to speak to us either. Please send your men to take her from there. We want nothing more to do with her," Williams said with a polite bow.
Sir Rager gave them both scrutinising looks that made the two uncomfortable. Maybe it was because he was the head of the warriors that made him scary like this even without saying a word.
"I believe I do not look stupid to the two of you." He said in a quiet voice. "You don't believe what you just said."
The twins looked at each other and tried to hide how alarmed they were. Before Susan could lie, he spoke again.
"Do you think Princess Amber or her maid did that to Beth?"
They both didn't answer immediately, as they tried to weigh the answers they had in mind.
His prying eyes continued to look at them, and without waiting for an answer, he walked away, leaving them to catch their breaths.
"You are not very smart at coming up with plans," Susan said as she looked at Sir Rager's retreating figure.
"Should we be worried about that?" Williams asked as he also stared at the man's back before he took a corner and disappeared from their line of sight.
"If he asked us that, maybe he also believes she was not responsible?" Susan asked hopefully as they resumed walking.
"Let's hope so."
They were just about to get to the chamber where their parents stayed when Susan suddenly stopped walking, and Williams turned to look at her.
"What?" he asked when he noticed the thoughtful look in her eyes.
"I think you should ask Harvey to meet father instead."
"What?"
"If father wants us to leave, it is because he doesn't trust us and is angry because we showed up there today. Harvey is an official of the court just like his father. If he speaks on our behalf with the excuse of getting to know me better, father is going to listen and mother is going to do her best to convince him."
"We can do that after hearing what Father has to say," Williams said as he turned to move, but she didn't follow him.
"Are you not coming in?" Williams asked suspiciously.
"No. I have to go somewhere else," Susan said, and Williams raised a brow.
"Where?"
"I have to meet Tyra."
"I don't think you will be allowed to see her." Williams reminded her.
She smiled at him as she said, "Let me worry about that. All you have to do is take care of father," Susan said before walking away.
And Susan was correct. One person was indeed telling a lie.
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