There’s no way I’m letting her look after me when it’shergranddad who died. I’m supposed to be the one comforting her.
Ugh.
Margot rolls her eyes. “Yeah, but I’ve been here often enough. I know where everything is.”
“It’s fine, I can—” My vision blurs.
I double over.
“Hattie, sit down!” She grabs my arms and wrestles me back on the seat. “You’ve just had a crazy shock.”
“I’m good, no worries.”
“Hattie.” She folds her arms. “You looked lifeless a second ago. Whiter than paper.”
“Well, maybe a glass of water. Then I’ll be fine.”
She points at me and clambers to her feet. “Stay right there or I’ll yell at you. Be right back.”
While she’s knocking around in the kitchen, I open the book on my lap and look at the first few lines.
Elizabeth Bennett wouldn’t have been forced into a marriage she didn’t want. There was Mr. Collins, after all, and her mom was pretty certain Elizabeth needed to marry him. But no.
Tragically, I’m no Elizabeth Bennett.
What the actual hell am I gonna do?
Refuse. That would be the logical thing.
You don’t just marry strangers over wonky legal contracts and money anymore. At least, not overtly.
We’renotliving in a novel and I shouldn’t be forced down the aisle with a man I don’t love.
On the other hand, if I bail out, that means Ethan won’t get his inheritance.
As bad as he is, that’s a terrible consequence.
WhatwasLeonidas thinking?
Margot returns with a glass of water I slurp down in seconds. My hands are still shaking so much I spill some down my chin.
God, I’m a mess.
“We can talk this out, you know,” Margot says, sitting next to me. “I know he’s my brother. He’s also a colossal pain in the ass. I wouldn’t jump for joy at having to marry him either.”
“Yeah, well. That probably has something to do with the fact that he’s your brother.”
“Yeah, but if he wasn’t, I wouldn’t want to marry him. He’s too—”
“Appalling,” I suggest, trying to picture him in my mind.
I can’t imagine his face without a scowl or that smarmy smirk he’d always wear. Right before he decided to screw with me back when we were kids.
Has the man ever learned any other human expressions?
“Be honest,” Margot says. “How do you feel about it in general, Ethan aside?”
“Um. Like someone ran me down with a truck and backed over me a few times for good measure.”
