Chapter 22

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"Come in," Jane called out, curious at the sudden visitor.

The door creaked open, revealing her lady's maid. "Good day, Your Grace." There was an awkward expression on the maid's face as she walked forward, "A… letter has arrived for you."

"A letter? Not an invitation?" Jane's eyebrows furrowed in surprise. She hardly got any letters. She peered at the item, "And who is it from?"

However, her maid's response only added to the enigma, "It is most surprising, but there are no sender details or further explanations, Your Grace; only that it was meant to be urgently read."

She hesitated with the envelope in hand. "It was delivered by an unusual mailer. It had been unclear… if it was right to hand it over to you."

A sense of confusion mingled with curiosity clouded Jane's mind as she reached out to accept the letter. But she maintained her composure, and with a soft-spoken thank you and a nod, she sent the maid on her way.

In the quiet of her room, feeling suddenly surrounded by secrecy and unanswered questions, she unfolded the mysterious letter, her hands moved quickly, curious of what message lay inside. Her eyes began to skim the delicate paper, the words on the page seeming to jump out at her, sending a chill down her spine instantly.

"My Dearest Lady Jane,

I trust this message finds you well, for the same cannot be said for your dear adopted nieces; Louisa and Margaret. Fear not, they are quite fine at the moment. However, should you fail to heed my words, they shall bear the consequences of your defiance.

Meet me at the abandoned churchyard by the old oak tree the moment the sun dips below the horizon, or soon witness the fate I have in store for them.

Your absence will not be tolerated, for my patience wears thin. The shadows of dusk shall reveal the price of your disobedience. Remember, my Lady Jane, your actions have consequences, and the lives of your loved ones hang in the balance.

Yours faithfully,

The One."

The sinister tone of the letter sent shivers down Jane's spine as she read each threatening word. Her hands trembled as she clutched the ominous letter, her heart pounding in her chest like a drum of dread. The words leaped off the page, each line a chilling picture of her loved ones in danger.

Jane couldn't stop reading it over and over as if the words would suddenly change.

The girls! My girls…

Her feet started to move before she could even realize what she was doing, leading her to the end of the hallway.

"Your Grace, is anything the matter?" Margaret's eyes were wide with worry when Jane appeared, a picture of fright and panic.

Only then did Jane let go of the breath she'd been subconsciously holding. From what she had heard earlier, both girls were having their last piano lessons for the day, as usual.

"All is well, my darling." She answered with as little tremble as she could muster. The demand to meet at the specified location within an hour never left her mind.

With the weight of the ultimatum pressing down on her psyche with each passing moment, she ended up having to excuse herself, a suffocating sense of helplessness enveloping her as she grappled with the harrowing decision she had to make.

Colin's absence only added to the turmoil in her mind. The uncertainty of his whereabouts amplifying her isolation in this moment of peril. The seconds ticked by relentlessly, hanging over her like a dark cloud.

Without a moment longer wasted, with her nerves on edge and her shoulders tense, she slunk out of the house. Heading straight to her carriage.

Arriving at the desolate location under the cloak of darkness, she felt a shiver run down her spine as the chilling isolation of the place enveloped her. The shadows danced menacingly around her, casting eerie shapes in the dim moonlight.

This feels like a nightmare.

At last, her eyes spotted a figure looming in the darkness, sending a jolt of fear through her.

"Who's there?" Her voice trembled as she called out.

It was all happening too fast. Way too fast.

The silence that greeted her plea only added to the sinister atmosphere, pushing her to the brink of panic. Summoning courage, she continued her approach, the tension thick in the air as she drew closer.

As the features of the person slowly emerged from the shadows, her breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening in disbelief at the revelation before her.

"Greetings, my dear Lady Jane."

In the eerie glow of the moonlight, the Marquess' countenance twisted into a menacing visage as he greeted her with a chilling single phrase. The familiarity of his address sent a shiver down her spine, disbelief and fear warring within her.

Jane stammered in shock, her voice barely above a whisper as she questioned him, "I don't… Wha-What is going on?"

"Be quiet," Graham's command to silence her with a raised hand struck Jane nearly like a physical blow, dropping a rock in her stomach. His eyes gleamed with a manic intensity that sent a new wave of terror crashing over her.

"Here is how it shall go. You will either get an annulment or I will harm Louisa and Margaret, it is that simple."

As he laid out the ultimatum with such cold determination in his tone, Jane felt the ground shift beneath her feet.

"But, I do not understand, this makes no sense, you're threatening… children? Why… How…?"

She could not accept this was happening, her mind raced as she stared at the man before her, his once esteemed facade now a mask of malevolence.

The discrepancy between the public image of the beloved Marquess and the sinister figure before her left her reeling, questioning how he had managed to deceive society for so long.

Desperate to voice her protest, her words died on her lips as his menacing presence loomed over her, cutting her off before she could speak any more.

"Yes, I am. Must I repeat myself?" His eyes were soulless as they stared back at her, seeming to dare her to utter another word.

"You're handling this well. I'm so excited to finally be able to say this," Pleased at her silence, Graham's voice quivered with excitement as he confessed, "I've been in love with you for a long time, my Lady Jane."

Her heart pounded in her chest, disbelief mingling with dread at his revelation.

"It was crystal clear, everyone, and I mean," He cackled again, making a round gesture with his hands, "Everyone, knew you were to be my wife. But of course…That bastard duke stole you from me!"

His sudden outburst, reverberated through the night, a sharp accusation that pierced the air and made Jane take a small step backwards. As she quivered in fear, his demeanor shifted, his voice lowering as he attempted to reassure her with a smile that sent a shiver down her spine, "I'm here to make things right, you do not need worry or fear."

The false sense of security in his words only heightened her unease, the darkness of the night seeming to close in around her like a suffocating cloak.

Taking a menacing step forward, Graham extended a hand towards her, his intentions clear, but Jane's instinct for self-preservation kicked in, propelling her to jump back in terror.

With a quivering voice, she mustered the courage to warn him, "I have one of my husband's valets waiting for me in the distance. If I scream, he will hear it."

The threat of exposure hung heavy in the air, a fragile lifeline in the face of Graham's menacing advances.

In a chilling turn of events, his anger simmered beneath the surface. "Get the annulment before I lose my patience. I can be a very angry man!" His tone turned sharper as he taunted, "Or is it that you do not believe me?"

His gaze darted around before he leaned in with a sinister whisper, "Your sister would be proof enough for you to believe. Would you like me to leave a bruise for you to find on her?"

Jane's breath caught in her throat, a gasp escaping her lips as she recoiled in horror. "You would not dare."

, "Oh yes, I will. Your sister is a doormat, she will not say anything."

His callous disregard for her sister's well-being sent a shiver down Jane's spine.

"Even if she did, your father shall not care to do anything about it anyway, would he? Nobody likes damaged goods."

The weight of his words crushed Jane's spirit, her heart sinking with despair as she realized the depth of her helplessness in the face of his cruelty.

Her world spun out of control. Her heart raced with fear, a primal instinct urging her to fight or flee, yet she was paralyzed by the sheer horror of the situation.

"You wouldn't dare…"

"You can test that theory if you want."

His words hung in the air for a moment. Her heart ached with the weight of her sister's sacrifices, realizing that Sarah had likely been masking her discomfort to shield her. It was just like Sarah to do such, the knowledge, only igniting a fierce determination to protect her from any further torment.

Forced into a corner, Jane found herself reluctantly agreeing to Graham's proposal. With a trembling voice, she said, "I promise to get an annulment. But you stay away from them all, my sister, my nieces, too."

The words tasted bitter on her tongue. But she refused to let him see her cry. "Give me a bit of time to get everything in order."

Graham's eyes gleamed with a twisted sense of triumph, his gaze filled with a sickening sense of victory. "You made the right choice, dear Lady Jane. You will be mine soon."

Her entire being was shaken by the terror of being bound to a monstrous threat of a man like Graham.

The mere thought of marrying him brought her to the brink of tears, yet, the thought of any harm befalling her loved ones pierced her heart with a sharp ache, solidifying her resolve to sacrifice her own happiness for their safety.

But Colin…

The realization that Colin's feelings might not mirror her own brought a bittersweet acceptance.

Jane found the strength to move her body again as she quickly made her way back to her carriage.

I never managed to escape my cruel fate after all…