ood in the middle of the town squ

ng fancy had just been broken

ce, a mask of distraught i

nce, a familiar coldne

it began la

n Prescott, my f

was a study in p

ice smooth as Southern

n our family's garden, th

ire," he said,

ated, threate

how fragil

kn

ipulations far bett

ation is r

are beside

save her, to save them fr

y heart a b

what wa

s, his grip sur

o marry h

e it

rushed to say, seeing the flicker in m

e you,

ays be the

, to satisfy propriet

mpanion, my

change between

, I had screame

led him a

re's supposed suicide attemp

eing blamed, s

roof, false accusations when I was pregnant with

d, lost

emory was a shie

, I knew

han, his earne

, my voice surprisingly

Claire to save her, then we

ng over his face so quic

pected it to

breathed, pulling me int

so under

stood p

perate, audacious plan to marry Captain Jack S

d chance, and I w