CHAPTER 16 RUNAWAY

For the past few days, Jane had been plagued by a persistent, looming dread. Her impending visit to Somerset, which had once been a distant event in the future, was now looming over her like an ominous thundercloud, threatening to consume her at any moment. She could hardly eat or sleep, her thoughts consumed by the idea that this wasn't just a visit, but her wedding. She would not be returning to the Fitzwilliam estate, but rather, Somerset would become her new home. Jane lay still in her bed, her eyes closed and her body rigid, feigning the signs of a feverish illness. Every breath was a ragged gasp, her chest rising and falling with the effort of pretending to be ill. She could hear the faint sounds of her family stirring about downstairs, the clinking of silverware against china, the murmur of conversation. The normalcy of their daily routine only served to highlight the gravity of her situation. "She's still not up yet?" she heard her mother ask, the trepidation in her voice un