Page 34 of Austen, Edited

Chapter 20

The week was both fast and slow for Abby as she tried to get everything she needed for classes and work done. She and Greyson had gone on the swan boats in downtown Boston Sunday afternoon, something she’d found exciting given the fact that they were normally closed up for the season at that point. As per usual, Greyson said he had a friend who owed him. She just wasn’t sure why he was using up favors for her if Hannah was still on the radar.

They’d kept things light, and she’d been somewhat disappointed when he hadn’t tried again to kiss her, but it was something she just needed to wait for if it was ever going to happen.

Wednesday afternoon, she drove back to her aunt and uncle’s house to retrieve one of the books she’d used during the last spring semester. Her teacher had asked for them to write a paper on it, and she needed to brush up on some of the concepts to finish her paper by the next day.

On her way back through the kitchen to head outside, she heard her uncle call out, “Abigail.”

She stopped in her tracks, surprised she hadn’t seen him on her way in or out. Turning around, she asked, “Yes, sir?”

He strolled up to her, his face a mixture of emotions. “I need your help with a very important matter.” He stroked his chin with his thumb and pointer finger, something Abby had learned to be wary of. Since she’d moved in, he’d really only had a few serious discussions with her, but she usually had an inkling of what he would ask. This time, she was going in blind, and she had to focus to keep from shaking.

“What do you need, sir?”

“Jeff Summers has expressed great interest in you. I need you to go on a few dates with him.”

Abby’s eyes flew open, and she shook her head, a shiver creeping up her spine. “I can’t do that, sir. I have no interest in being with him at all. What about Gwen?”

Anger flared on her uncle’s face, a deep red rolling up his neck. “Gwen is concentrating on her studies, and Stacy is supposedly engaged. It was not a question of whether or not you will do this. Have I not provided for you all these years?”

“Y-yes, sir, but—”

“I need this contract with the Summers family to further our stores. Jeff is interested in you. We need an alliance with the family so we can negotiate the deal.”

After taking a deep breath, Abby let it out slowly, hoping to have a persuasive answer. “Uncle, I sincerely appreciate all you’ve done for me over the years and with all your help with college. But I can’t do this. I can hardly be in the same room with him, and to go on a date? That would be—”

“Why?” he asked, anger slicing through the word. “Don’t you feel you owe our family for all that we’ve given you?”

“I don’t trust him, sir.”

“I’m not asking you to marry him, Abigail.”

“Yet.” She bit her upper lip, surprised she’d said the word out loud. “This isn’t the nineteenth century. Isn’t there a way to sway the deal without involving me in it?” Desperation rolled through her words, and her breakfast threatened to come up.

Her uncle took a step closer, his hand waving near her. “You will do this, or you’ll be on your own when it comes to college tuition for the rest of the year.” His words echoed in the kitchen and seemed to pound down on her as he hit the most vulnerable spot she had at the moment.

Tears formed, and she sniffed, doing her best to hold them back until she could escape his presence. Tilting her head back, she swallowed before speaking. “Will two dates be enough?”

Her uncle rubbed at his chin again, his gaze on the floor for several seconds. As each moment passed, she worried he’d find some benefit to her marrying a billionaire’s son.

“I’ll tell him you’ll be available tomorrow night for a date. Expect a call from him later tonight.” With that, her uncle turned and walked out of the room.

She walked out to her car, tears streaming down her face. How was she going to survive an hour or more with the guy? She’d had a hard enough time during the brunch.

But she had to do it. How would she pay for college if she didn’t? She could get loans and other things, but with nothing to back her up, she decided she could sit through a couple of awkward dates. Her uncle hadn’t promised he wouldn’t force her to marry Jeff, but that was a line she wasn’t going to cross, no matter what threat he posed.

She set the book on the passenger seat and drove off, ready for the afternoon to be done.

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