Marry an elderly peer, raise your social standing, collect your plump widow’s jointure when the time comes. Her mother had made the same choice, twice over. Jane could not reply. The scream stuck in her throat. How could she find a way out of this? Jane had always known she lived in a gilded prison. She just hated that every time she rattled the lock and tried to step into the light, her gaolers reminded her exactly how strong the bars were.
