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

her daughters by their arms, and practically dragged them out of the study. The heavy front door slammed shut a moment later. The sound of the carriage wheels churning the frozen gravel faded into the distance.

The silence they left behind was suffocating.

Norah stood by the desk. Her hands were shaking. She pressed them flat against the cold wood to continue reading …