"However, his brother, Gabriel Fleming, is a decent man. We've discussed it and, to protect your reputation, you'll be marrying Mr. Gabriel Fleming instead."
My smile vanished, my face falling. "What?!"
Before I could protest, Ashley pressed on, "Amy, in a family, we fight for what we want. If we can't win, we'll just add a few concubines for him. Men are easy to handle; you just have to treat them like children."
That was Ashley's philosophy for dealing with life.
I was led into the main hall, where a man stood at the center, strikingly handsome with sharp features that could cut glass.
His eyes were fierce, but there was something captivating about his face that made it hard to look away.
His wedding attire didn't quite fit right, and there were odd stains on his shirt, speckled with red.
As I approached, I noticed no one was watching us. I gently tugged on his sleeve, using my fan to obscure my face, and stood on my tiptoes to lean closer.
"Are you doing this willingly?" I whispered, my heart racing.
Gabriel didn't respond.
Undeterred, I nudged him with my elbow.
"What are my chances of escaping this marriage?"
I rephrased my question, determined to find a way to give him his freedom.