Page 4 of Escape Clause

“No doubt he would, except he needs an heir, and alas, I have no desire to birth offspring.”

And she was past the age when she could, Hope thought. Besides, her stepmother wasn’t stupid. No woman in her right mind would voluntarily have anything to do with Ivan Gleezer.

“Well, you two are going to have to make other arrangements. I’m twenty-six years old, a legal adult, and I don’t have to marry anyone I don’t wish to.”

“You’re right. You don’t. And you also don’t have to live here. You can pack up your stuff and get out.” With a toss of her head, she swept out of the vestibule.

That’s what I’ll do, then.Hope was shaking in reaction to everything that had transpired, but a feeling of relief swept over her.I don’t have to live with this horrible woman. I can leave. I have a job. If I’m not giving half my money to Rose, maybe I canafford my own cottage. I can probably stay with Prudence and her family while I save some money.

The horrific marriage non-proposal had been a blessing in disguise. It had given her the impetus to do what she should have done a long time ago.

Chapter Three

“Gleezer the Geezer? Are you kidding me?” Prudence clapped a hand over her mouth and snorted through her fingers. “Sorry. It’s not funny. It’s unbelievable. I mean, ew!” She reached out and squeezed Hope’s hand. “Of course, you can stay with us. Our sofa is your sofa.”

“Thank you. You’re the best friend in the whole world. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” Hope said. “Are you sure it won’t be an imposition? You’re busy with the wedding and all.” They’d been schoolmates and had remained friends even after Rose had forced Hope to drop out. Hope had gotten Prudence a job at the Flour Power Bakery after her graduation.

Taking advantage of a lull in business, they huddled at a corner table. Mornings were crazy busy as people rushed in for sweet rolls, scones, and coffee cakes, but then they got a break before the lunch crowd came in for the meat and vegetable hand pies.

“Don’t be silly! The wedding is more than a year away. You being at the cottage won’t affect the wedding planning at all. And after I get married and move out, you can have my room, or you can come live with William and me if you still need a place to stay,” Prudence said.

“It’s wonderful of you to offer, but I would never impose that long. You newlyweds need the place to yourself, and your parents don’t need a long-term squatter. A few months ought to be enough time for me to save up for a place of my own.”

The eviction turned out to be a blessing in disguise.With her friend’s help, she could finally break free of her stepmother and live her life the way she wished.

“Maybe I can find a furnished place, and, if not, I don’t care. I’ll sleep on the floor. To be free for the first time in my life will be like sleeping on a cloud,” she mused.

Prudence’s mouth twisted wryly. “Not if you’re lying on a cold, hard flagstone floor.”

Hope laughed. “Okay, maybe not, but getting away from Rose will be worth it. I still can’t believe she tried to pimp me out to Gleezer!”

“You have another option,” Prudence said. “Besides moving out, I mean.”

“Like what?”

“You could try Cosmic Mates.”

“What’s that?”

“Didn’t you see the flash mail?”

“I guess not.”

“Let me grab my tech-tab. I’ve been doing a lot of wedding planning stuff, but I still have some time left this month.” Her friend got up and went behind the counter where she’d stowed her multipurpose device.

Government controlled technology usage, distributing tech-tabs and limiting the time spent on the devices. Each individual was allotted a certain number of hours per month. Once the limit was reached, the device shut down until the next period.

Prudence came back to the table.

“Don’t use your tech time on me,” Hope said. “You need it for the wedding. I’ll check my device for the flash mail after work.” She rarely brought her tech-tab to Flour Power because she was too busy to use it. When not serving customers, she was in the kitchen baking.

“Don’t worry about it. As soon as William and I got engaged, I started saving time. Besides, the new month is about to start, and I’ll get a new allotment.”

“All right. If you run out, you can borrow my tech-tab and use my minutes.”

“Fair enough!” Prudence grinned, opened up the flash mail, and handed her device to Hope.

She scanned a few pages, getting the gist of it. “They’re seeking human females of childbearing age to become the wives of men on…Caradonia? I’ve never heard of that planet. Why do they want humans?”

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