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Nora would have happily married the Highlander instead, but she knew their father would never let them switch places.
What if he didn’t have to know?
Nora grinned. It was perfect! She ran up to her sister and grabbed her by the arm. “We switch places!”
“You don’t mean—” Amelia snatched her arm away. “Oh, no! No, Nora! I could never. Father is monstrous, but McKay is a whole other beast! I couldn’t let you endure such a horrid fate.”
“But one of us must. We must survive this, Amelia. Perhaps after we have been married a while, our husbands would let us visit one another.”
“We will be living so far apart…” Amelia said tearily.
“I don’t want to leave you,” Nora said, feeling her heart break. The empty hollowness inside her hurt more than anything else. Amelia was a part of her—a significant part of her. What was she going to do without her? “Oh, Amelia… one of us must marry the brute. Let it be me. You know that I am better equipped to deal with horrid men.”
“But Henry hates you, as does Father!”
“My point exactly,” Nora said, making Amelia smile through her tears. “Besides, Lord Bennet is a friend of ours. I do not remember much of him, but I know we liked him as children. He was the son of one of Father’s officers. Do you remember?” Nora hadn't particularly enjoyed playing with him, but he had paid frequent visits until they were seven. He'd been an odd fellowat the time, but anything had to be preferable to marrying McKay. “He will treat you with kindness,” Nora added. “I have no doubt.”
“It doesn’t matter. You do not want to marry the Highlander!” Amelia said.
Nora didn’t want to marry anyone but that wasn’t an option. “We must do this, Amelia. And you must promise me one thing.”
“What?”
“You will stay safe, my darling sister. You must take care of yourself the way I would.”
“I’m not sure that I can.” Amelia began to tear up again.
“And I fear how much trouble I will get in without you by my side.”
They hugged each other once more. Nora realized how precious this moment was. She was terrified by the intensity of her ache. Even though she closed her eyes as tightly as she could, tears streamed down her cheeks.
Later that evening, shebegan packing her belongings. She traded trunks with Amelia and stuffed them full of her sister's clothes.
Except they were Amelia's no longer.
They were hers.
The next morning, Nora awoke with an overwhelming sense of impending doom. It was still dark outside. She lay in bed in silence, realizing she had slept in her father's house for the last time.
How could things change so fast?she wondered. And what about Nathan and Naomi? She worried they would starve without her help.
“Nora? Are you awake?”
“Amelia!” she gasped. “I didn’t know you were awake.”
Amelia sat up in her bed. “I woke up a while ago, but I didn’t want to disturb you.”
Nora slipped into her sister’s bed. “How long do you think we have?”
“An hour? I think—”
The twins were interrupted by a knock on the door. It was one of the maids. “Lady Nora, Lady Amelia. You must wake up, now. Your weddings await!”
Nora gave a deep sigh. “She seems happier than we do.”
Amelia nodded. “Come on! Let us get ready.”
“Wait,” Nora called out. “Does our agreement still stand?”
