With shaking hands, I sealed the letter Jane and I had written to Luke. My heart raced as I considered the boldness of our plan. Inviting Luke to stay with us was a risk, but it felt like our only chance to change my father's mind.
"Are you sure about this, Jane?" I asked, biting my lip nervously.
Jane squeezed my hand reassuringly. "Absolutely. It's the perfect way to show Uncle Matthew that Luke isn't the scoundrel he thinks he is."
I nodded, taking a deep breath. "Alright then. I'll ask Thomas to deliver it right away."
As I made my way downstairs, I could hear my parents' hushed voices coming from my father's study. I paused, my hand on the bannister, straining to hear their conversation.
"Matthew, you're being unreasonable," my mother was saying. "You can't force Bella to choose
