“He will be,” her brother vowed grimly.
She shuddered against the thought of Dev attempting to force Lord Ashley into marrying her. But of course, she already knew Lord Ashley was willing since he had proposed. The problem was, she did not know if he wanted to marry her for her share of the Winter fortune or for a different reason. And she still did not want to marry at all.
Or did she?
“Dev,” she entreated, “please do not force us into a marriage. If his reputation is so horrid, you refuse to speak of it with me, surely you do not want to see me bound to him for the rest of my life. Do you?”
Dev looked more grim and determined than she had ever seen him before. His expression was harsh. Unyielding.
“You are marrying him, Pru. Your betrothal will be announced today, and that is the very best I can do for you at this point.” He paused, his nostrils flaring. “The damage has already been done. There is nothing left for us now but to ameliorate it however we are able. Now kindly dress yourself and await me whilst I have a discussion with your future husband.”
“No,” she cried out, leaping to her feet, holding the fur against her as if it were a shield. “You cannot mean to do this, Dev.”
“I can,” he told her, and for a moment, there was a hint of the brother she loved in his countenance and his voice before it disappeared. “And I must.”
Without waiting for her to respond, he turned and quit the chamber.
