Cruel Shame (Knights of Templar Academy #3) - Sofia Daniel Page 0,12

is going to convince me that Elizabeth wasn’t behind her actions.”

Kendrick rubbed the back of his neck and winced. “Of course, she was.”

Words weren’t enough, and neither were platitudes that they would help me get even. This trio had been part of the problem. For goodness knows how long, they helped dispose of the girls who fell out of favor with Elizabeth and had even tried to do the same to me.

I spun around, leveling Maxwell and Orlando with a glare. “You two were going to contact those girls you got expelled.”

Maxwell frowned. “None of them will reply to our texts.”

Orlando raised his shoulders. “They despise us.”

“Give me their numbers.” I clicked my fingers. “Maybe I’ll have better luck.”

“You’re not thinking of clearing Myra’s name?” asked Kendrick.

“The enemy of your enemy is still your enemy.” Maxwell stood and placed his hands on my shoulders.

Maybe this was his attempt to stop me from exploding, but I couldn’t relax until we had a plan in place. That wretched Elizabeth was already on national television, distancing herself from the shooting to everyone who would listen.

I stared up into Maxwell’s silver eyes. “If I can dredge up enough dirt on the Liddell family, I might be able to get them to hold off their attacks until I work out what they’re trying to hide.”

“Come on, then.” He slung an arm over my shoulder and guided me to the suite’s huge dining table. “You can write them an email while you eat.”

A long breath whooshed out of my lungs. Progress, at last.

Hello,

You don’t know me, but I joined Templar Academy last September. Elizabeth Liddell has been harassing me since the moment I joined. At the end of the autumn term, she planted flour in my room, saying it was cocaine and got me dragged out of bed half-naked by the drug squad.

Over the Christmas break, we had a fight. She wrestled me into the snow and kissed me on the mouth. Did she ever try that with you? After I rejected her, things turned even nastier. She has trashed my room, came after me with the most bizarre accusations, and got her mother to send Myra Highmore after me with a gun.

You don’t have to reply to this email, but if there’s any information you can share about Elizabeth and the Liddell family, it might help me to stop them from ruining other girls’ lives.

Let’s get this bitch,

Lilah Hancock

Orlando rubbed the tip of his nose over the shell of my ear. “Do you think that will work?”

I shrugged him off. “Right now, I’m willing to try anything.”

He pulled back his chair, placed his hands on my shoulders and dug his fingers into my tight shoulder muscles. “You’re still so tense.”

“I won’t be able to relax until I put down those rabid dogs.” I dipped a hunk of garlic bread into my tomato soup.

My phone buzzed, snapping my attention away from Orlando’s questing fingers. I glanced down at the screen to find Gideon’s name flashing.

I put him on speakerphone. “Hey—”

“Lilah, did you see Elizabeth on television?” he asked.

My lips formed a tight line. “I can’t believe she’d disown her so-called best friend. Actually I can—”

“Scotland Five,” he said, his voice rising with panic. “Are you watching?”

Kendrick picked up the remote control and turned on the television. A moment later, he found the channel. Elizabeth sat on the sofa of a cozy living room, holding a handkerchief to her face. Next to her on the sofa, Lady Liddell wrapped an arm around her spawn and murmured words of encouragement.

“How incredibly brave,” said the television presenter, an elderly woman with gray hair styled like the queen’s. “Thank you, my ladies, for exposing such a danger to our children.”

The credits rolled, leaving us staring at my phone. My pulse fluttered in my throat. Gideon wouldn’t have interrupted his steamy weekend with two studs to tell me Elizabeth was distancing herself from Myra.

“What did she say this time?” I asked.

“Myra’s family released a statement telling everyone that Lady Liddell gave her the gun,” said Gideon, his voice dripping with disgust. “They say there’s a recording.”

“Okay…” I turned to Maxwell, who shrugged. Anything that incriminated the Liddells had to be good.

Gideon blew out a long breath. “They’re trying to obscure the issue by saying Mr. Burgh abused Elizabeth. They’ve even produced a birth certificate on television, claiming that the headmaster fathered you with his own daughter.”

Chapter Seven

Cold shock radiated out from my heart and spread across my lungs and chest. I