Page 5 of The Betrothal

And avoiding the engagement was also not an option.

Their lives and their futures weren’t similar, and Sophie was acutely aware of that. In her own way, she was trying to calm me in my reality, not offer me fake alternatives.

My future looked like a manor as a prison house, a powerful husband, a forced marriage, and several forced children. In the best-case scenario, Teddy allowed me to work in education or policy support once both children were in school. Worst-case scenario, he refused, and I would live the life of a politician’s wife, chained to the house, the children. Suffocated.

Sophie lived a different existence. Without a patriarch in her marriage, she had been assigned government guardians.

Sophie’s guardian was a man named Eric. Eric and his husband, Luke, were wonderful, kind people, and because of that Sophie lived almost entirely free of restriction under his guardianship. He signed off on her job. She travelled endlessly. He didn’t meddle in a single choice, path or opportunity she encountered.

While living within the policies and regulations set out, Sophie lived in a form of open prison. Yes, she was restricted. Given a chance, she would have done it differently, but she loved her kids, she loved her wife, and she had choices.

I had none.

And it wasn’t her fault.

Lifting another box and moving it to the stack by the entrance, my head throbbed with the effort. I hadn’t invited Sophie round to depress her.

“How are the twins?” I pivoted.

Sophie smiled. “Amazing, they loved their birthday gifts. Thank you.”

“I know. They both texted.”

“They’re both going into further education in autumn, not really a surprise.” Sophie was beaming now. “Eric has signed off on each of their options. Suzie wants to go and study in Scotland, and Troy wants to stay closer.”

“That’ll be nice for you, but Scotland, it will suit Suze down to the ground.”

“Won’t it, though?” Sophie’s daughter liked the city but thrived in the country. Scotland had enough of both, with less expectation being impressed upon her constantly. It would be a good few years of freedom for her.

“I mean, it could be an option for you?” Sophie frowned at me.

“Scotland? Teddy won’t move to Scotland.”

“Who the hell was talking about Teddy?” My shoulders were grabbed, and I found myself not resisting as I was deposited onto the sofa.

“Okay, then Teddy won’t let me disappear off to Scotland?”

“Again, did I mention Teddy?”

There was the scrape of wood on wood as Sophie shoved the footstool directly in front of me, sitting down and bringing herself eye to eye.

“Soph, what are you talking about?”

“You, in Scotland, no Teddy. That’s what,” she repeated herself, eyes widening with some undisclosed meaning.

“Is there some sort of political overhaul happening that I’m not aware of? Or am I becoming a nun? Mind you…” I trailed off, perhaps taking up the cloth was an option. My now-complete lack of faith aside, I could lie to a Mother Superior as well as I could lie to Teddy.

“No, you aren’t becoming a nun,” Sophie scoffed at me. “I’ve heard some stuff, Izzy.”

“We’re entering conspiracy theory territory, aren’t we?” I picked up the mostly empty bottle of vodka from the coffee table, shaking it; we had inflicted some serious damage.

“Shut up. It’s on the dark web.”

“Oh, yes, of course. The home of all great ideas – the dark web,” I continued, waving the vodka bottle with a flourish. “Do go on.”

Sophie scowled at me. “There’s a service, it’s like a paid guardian thing. Think fake documents, IDs, but also a husband service, marriage certificates, fake wedding photos, even phone calls or husband attendance on request.”

I could feel the horror creeping over my face as a scowl turned into utter disbelief.