My father clears his throat, filling the awkward silence. “This is my eldest daughter, Mr. Reed,” he explains.
“The one they lock away in the attic for fear of scaring visitors,” I say. There’s a beat of tension as everyone seems lost for words, then I laugh as if I’m only joking. Hathwell just blinks at me, stunned.
“But she can’t stay, unfortunately,” Ada trills while staring daggers in my direction. “You’re a busy girl, aren’t you, Leah?”
“Not so busy I can’t spend a moment with you all,” I say cheerfully, accepting the proffered teacup from Hathwell. He steps aside to offer me his chair. He’s staring between Evie and me with a look on his face that I can’t quite parse.
“Forgive me, but I wasn’t aware you had two daughters, Mr. Polaris,” Hathwell says, running a hand through his light brown hair. Now the surprise has gone, his eyes are sharp, calculating—maybe trying to figure out the undercurrents in our family. If Ada wants us to come across as normal and happy, then she’s not helping herself by glaring at me like she wants to murder me right now. In answer to her death stare, I take a sip from my tea and make myself comfortable.
“I didn’t mention it?” my father asks vaguely, and though I have much bigger problems, I can’t escape the stab of resentment that runs through me. It’s not surprising that he pretends I don’t exist outside this house, but it still stings like hell to have it confirmed.
“I’m sure you did, Mr. Polaris,” Hathwell jumps in hastily with an apologetic smile at me. “I must’ve just forgotten you telling me you had two lovely daughters, rather than one.”
It’s not true, I’m sure of it, but I think Hathwell is trying to make me feel better—to make my father look less dismissive of me. He’s trying to be kind.
“Seeing as I’m here now,” I say, still keeping my tone light, “I have to admit I have a few questions for you, Mr. Reed. Like what kind of man accepts a bride in payment for a man’s debts?”
“Leah!” Ada goes bright red. Her hand quivers in her lap, and I suspect she’s fighting the urge to throw the teacup she’s holding at my head. “That is not?—”
“It’s quite all right, Mrs. Polaris,” Hathwell cuts her off, his blue eyes fixed on me. He looks like he’s making several calculations in his head at once, and I refuse to break his gaze as I take another sip from my teacup. “I agree that this arrangement has come about rather swiftly, Miss Polaris, but I respect your father deeply. While at first glance the terms might seem unusual, I do believe they might satisfy all parties…eventually.” He takes a step closer toward me, examining my face intently, as if hoping to find the answer to some question there.
“But why get married so quickly?” I demand, not satisfied at all. “Excuse my frankness, Mr. Reed, but my sister hasn’t even had a week’s notice.”
“Don’t interrogate the poor man, Leah,” my father chastises. Miraculously, Ada seems to be so furious she’s lost the power of speech altogether.
Hathwell ignores my father, his attention flicking to Evie and then back to me. “My father wants me to go on a trip for his business. It’s a long journey, and I’ll be away from Pax for some time.” Hathwell offers an apologetic gesture. “I confess it’s expedited my plans to remarry. I would like to take my new bride with me for companionship.”
Remarry. The word rings in my mind like a bell.That’show I know Reed’s name. Back in my disastrous marriage market days, he was a bachelor one of the other society girls had set her sights on. I’d heard something tragic happened to her, though…
I study Hathwell, hair prickling on the back of my neck as the story comes back to me. The rumors were her husband hardly ever let her leave the house. She died in childbirth about a year ago, and apparently at the funeral, hardly anyone could recall the last time they saw her. That detail isn’t so unusual, but my will hardens as Hathwell turns to my father and asks some question I don’t hear. Maybe that first part about keeping his wife under lock and key is just rumors—or maybe underneath Hathwell’s gentlemanly exterior lurks a controlling brute.
Evie would never survive a husband like that. She can barely even stand up to her own mother. She’s too sweet and good and kind.
But me, on the other hand…
“…died when she was five,” my father finishes explaining as Hathwell gives me a sympathetic look.
Even if he is what the rumors say, I’ve faced monsters much more terrifying than men like Hathwell Reed. And I’ve survived worse things than a bad marriage.
My heartbeat lurches at the idea forming in my mind, thudding behind my ribs like fists banging on the bars of a cage.
Putting my future in someone else’s hands goes against everything I’vefought for. All I’ve ever wanted is to be free. For meand Evieto be free. But if this is the only way to keep her and her baby safe…
“I’m sorry to hear that, Miss Polaris,” Hathwell addresses me, his voice gentle. “It must’ve been hard to lose a mother so young.”
“Yes, it’s very sad,” Ada sighs unconvincingly at Hathwell’s condolences, finding her words again in time to redirect his attention. “But on the other hand, Evie here?—”
Hathwell cuts her off like she hasn’t spoken, his gaze still on me. “I imagine you must be a very strong person, given everything you’ve been through.” I lift my eyebrows. He looks genuinely interested in hearing my response. And just like that, I can see the path clearly ahead of me. How I’ll save Evie. How I’ll make this right.
“I try to be strong,” I say, surprised by the earnestness in my tone.
“I find that very admirable,” Hathwell replies, moving a little closer to where I’m sitting.
Even as the decision settles in my stomach, part of me screams inside my head about what I’ll be throwing away, begging me not to do this. I shut it down, looking at Evie to strengthen my resolve. She has obviously noticed Hathwell’s interest in me too, because her eyes widen a little when they meet mine. She can guess what’s coming, and she gives a little shake of her head, but I turn back to Hathwell, the words coming before I can think twice.
“Take me,” I blurt out, rising abruptly from my chair and hurrying to fill the stunned silence that follows. “Excuse my bluntness, Mr. Reed, but with this trip of yours, it seems like you’ll need a wife with a particular set of qualities.”
He blinks. I’ve surprised him again, but a small smile forms on his lips. “That’s true, but I’m interested to know what qualitiesyou’rethinking of, Miss Polaris.”
