Her Stepmother Sent Her to the Duke as a Joke – He Offered Her a Chair Before He Said a Word

£10,000—a pittance for you. You pay me, I leave her here to rot, and I publicly declare she is dead to me.”

The extortion hung in the air, ugly and bare.

Alistair stared at her. The ticking of the mantel clock seemed abnormally loud. He slowly lowered his hands. He pushed his chair back and stood up. He did not favor his bad leg; he drew himself up continue reading …