Oliver couldn’t believe he was still arguing about this. How many times did he have to say no before Mr. Collins accepted it? How could he possibly be any clearer about his refusal? Something hot and itchy rose in his chest, flooding his mind and soul with the impulse to leave this room immediately before Mr. Collins trapped him in it forever. He needed out. He needed Collins to leave. And most of all, he needed to make it abundantly clear that he would never be anyone’s wife—let alone Collins’s. “My answer is no,” he said, fighting to keep his voice calm. “There is nothing you can say or do
...more
