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Prologue

“I suppose she’ll do,” Vince Fiddick hissed the words He looked at Julianne like she was a tolerable prize He may have wanted Annabelle Portwood, but he would settle for her Oh, Julianne knew she wasn’t the et

“Oh, hoonderful Lovely news, isn’t it?” Julianne’s father rubbed his hands together, no doubt thinking of the betrothal fee Vince would be paying for the honor of wedding her

“No,” Julianne shook her head She could not do it She would not consent tothe man her parents had chosen for her She would be his fourth wife, and Julianne knew she would fare no differently than they had

“Julianne,” Margaret Rye glared at her daughter Julianne knew the look well She had always been a disappoints be any different now? Margaret and Williahter to wed this ht for their daughter’s opinion on the matter

Julianne looked at herelse, but Margaret simply stared at her

“Don’t worry, darling,” Vince said, turning his attention to Julianne “It’s natural to be nervous before your wedding, but you have nothing to be concerned about You’ll see” He shook hands with Julianne’s father, and then the two ements for the ceremony

Julianne sat in silence with herroom felt stuffy and small Suddenly, the entire roo decided for her and she had no say in theby now, but somehow, this was different

This was her entire life

This was her whole future

“I won’t marry him,” she said finally

“You don’t have a choice You were raised for this, bred for this” Margaret did not hter’s eyes Julianne stared at her

“This is e should be to so apart from It shouldn’t be some financial transaction”

“You know nothing of the world,” Margaret said, sipping a cup of tea Her face rinkled and she had dark circles under her eyes Julianne knew herolder, and restless While Julianne suspected her aret had too hter

“I knohat the world should be,” Julianne told herbrave “And I know this is not what it should be”

“If only you were aret shook her head Julianne bit back a cough Oh, if only her parents knehat her sweet brother was up to They believed he had gone off to Ellensworth to work as an apprentice They had no idea where he really was They had no clue the things her brother did