Rían reached for my arm. “It was a foolish suggestion made in desperation. You don’t have to leave.”
“Yes, I do.”
His fingers grazed mine. “Stay with me.”
“I’m choosing not to.”
His expression hardened. He held my hand while we evanesced back to my bedroom. The moment my feet met the carpet, I threw his hand aside and stomped to my bed.
“I was only trying to help,” he confessed, still standing next to the window.
The only person Rían had been trying to help was himself.
I turned down the covers to the cold sheets beneath. “Thank you for tonight.” For the first part of it, anyway.
“That’s it? That’s all you have to say to me?”
The things I wanted to say would fill the ocean. But saying them when I was going to die tomorrow was pointless. “You got your ride. What more do you want?”
Like a candle being blown out, the fire in his eyes vanished, leaving only vacant blue.
Turning my back so he couldn’t see me wince, I climbed onto the bed and drew the covers to hide my trembling and let my tears melt into the pillowcase.
The air felt lighter. Colder. I didn’t have to check to know he had gone.
20
The entire townof Graystones had squeezed into our ballroom, filling the space with useless chatter and false laughter.And yet it felt like no one could see me. They spoke to me, sure. But none of them saw the misery beneath my smile. I’d been forced to stand between Robert and my father while guests arrived, each one more resplendent than the last. I’d never felt so alone.
The moment the doors fell closed, I excused myself, escaping to one of the curtained alcoves in the ballroom to gather myself before my final performance.
Two more hours.Just two more hours.
And then all of this would be over.
My father must’ve spent a fortune of Lord Trench’s money on this soiree, extending invitations to every person he’d ever met. He should’ve been ashamed that his poor investments and bad business ventures had ruined us. Instead, he stood in the corner gloating with his friends over the fine match he’d made for his eldest daughter.
And he expected me to sit back and smile about being sold to the highest bidder like a pawn.
“Aveen?” My sister’s voice went through me like a dagger as she squeezed herself into my alcove. The frilly pink dress she wore had been a birthday gift from our father last year.
“What do you need?” I asked. Tears welled behind my eyes as I committed the scent of her lavender perfume to memory.
“You said you weren’t going to marry him.” Keelynn’s voice broke on the final word. Silver tears gathered along her thick lashes. “You swore you’d fix this.”
“Keelynn, please keep your voice down.” These could be the last few minutes I spent with her alone. If someone found us, it’d be over. I closed my eyes so I didn’t have to face her pain, saying a silent prayer for strength. “I will fix it, but you have to be patient.” I couldn’t say more than that without giving myself a splitting headache.
“Father announced your betrothal two weeks ago, and you’ve donenothing.”
If only I could tell her all that I had done to ensure her happiness. Trunks full of beautiful dresses waited for her in the spare room, an ivory gown made to her measurements hung in my closet, and cartloads of hydrangeas were ready for the church. She and Robert would be off to Iodale on their romantic honeymoon getaway the day after they wed. “Delicate matters take time to resolve.”
She continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “I’m the one who loves Robert. I’ve always loved him,” she sobbed. “Why didn’t you tell Father to pair him with me?”
I wanted to be the one to wipe away her tears. To tell her the truth.
To tell her that Ihadtried.
I had done everything within my power to avoid this fate. And it had been all for nought.