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Marianne recovered, “He means to marry her this evening at midnight, at the church! We must hurry!”
Jamie face was crossed in confusion and anger. “What? Why would she agree tae such a thing?”
“Because he has promised tae pay all her debts, now that he has access tae the Kinnaird wealth, and she has had tae pay money to heal her mother, so she is now almost penniless and desperate. And…” Marianne paused. “She feels that if she cannot have you, then it does not matter who she marries. She plans to flee from Donald at the first chance after they are wed, and the debts have been repaid and her father’s release is secured.”
William grumbled, “That bastard will not let her go that easily. He will find a way tae trap her and keep her tae him until he’s done with her.”
“Aye,” Jamie agreed beside him. Amelia wed to Donald Kinnaird? He could not even stomach the thought. It was far worse than believing Amelia had betrayed him. He knew she had debts, but was her duty so strong, that she would sacrifice herself to restore her family to each other and give her father his undeserved dignity back? It softened his heart, and he knew what he had to do.
“Come, we must ride tae the church. I pray we will not be too late.” The clock had already struck half past eleven, so it would be a race against the minutes to arrive in time to stop the wedding.
Marianne touched his arm. “We will accompany you.”
William said, “‘Tis too dangerous, lass. Who knows what could ensue?”
Marianne cast her angry eyes on them both, and they looked sheepish. “She is my dearest friend. I will be there to help stop her from ruining her life. And, it will be far more dangerous for you both if you try and stop me.” She strode from the room, expecting to be followed. Jamie glanced at William and raised an eyebrow. William shrugged, and they rushed behind her, donning their coats before they left to head towards the stables.
