She looked between them and backed away. “You cannot make me marry him. And especially not when I love someone else!”

Uncle Alfred let out a sigh. “Have you no self-respect, girl? Alec has made his choice. If he wanted you, you wouldn’t be here.”

“But he didn’t know. He never would have agreed to this.”

Mr. Wetherby decided to cut in. “He was informed of these plans,” he said dryly. “He knew what would happen upon your return.”

Lottie turned to him with wild eyes. “You’re lying.”

Mr. Wetherby raised his brows, startled by her outburst, but did not answer. Instead, he looked helplessly at Uncle Alfred.

“Now, Lottie. No need for such dramatics.” It was the smooth tone he had used all through her childhood. You are being a silly, willful girl. “Think of it as a sacrifice, if it helps. I know it helped his mother.”

The large man advanced on her and dragged her from the room. A cry rose in her throat. There was no way out of this. And, whether he knew or not, Alec had led her here. Her panic increased to a fever pitch, and she didn’t notice the cloth in his hand until it was placed over her nose as she gasped for breath. Mr. Wetherby caught her shoulders as she began to crumple to the floor.

Lottie came round on her bed as Mr. Wetherby waved a vial under her nose. The feel of his arm around her shoulders made the bile again rise in her throat. She shoved him away.

“What did he give me?”

Mr. Wetherby tried to mask his graceless stumble by straightening his jacket. “A mild anesthetic to calm you. How do you feel?”

Lottie shot him a glare. “Like I was drugged.”

“I’m sorry you found out like this,” he said with a decent amount of guilt. “I wanted to tell you last night.”

“As if that would have been any better.” She turned away from him. “Leave me alone.”

“If that is what you want,” he said and moved toward the door.

The words filled her with anger. Nothing about this was what she wanted. Lottie bolted from the bed. “Have you no shame, sir?”

He faced her fully. “I certainly don’t wish to force you, Miss Carlisle. But it is a well-known fact that women are not capable of making logically sound decisions, especially when it comes to marriage.”

“That is hardly a fact based on science.”

He looked quite put upon. “I don’t mean to insult you. Or your intelligence, of which I have the utmost respect.” Lottie let out a sizable snort, which he ignored. “But your actions have been thoroughly reckless as of late. If nothing else, think of your fortune—”

“Yes, I’m sure that is of great concern to you,” she snapped.

A flush crested his cheeks, but his eyes remained hard. “My father was bankrupt when I was a boy, you know. Being poor is a tedious business. I intend to avoid it at all costs. And I’ve three younger sisters who, unlike you, pray for the safety of marriage.”