"Early fall?" Katherine repeated, fighting hard to keep the panic out of her voice. This was too surreal, and Kat just managed to keep somewhat of a smile on her face as she on her face until Macnair was out of the room. When he was her face fell and she stared at her father.
"Where are you sending me?" she asked. "I realise I can't stay so when do I leave. Early fall, that leaves us no time at all to prepare-" Her father cut her off before she could finish, the stern expression still on his face.
"Katherine, we're not sending you anywhere," he said with a sigh. "The consequences for the family would be too big. Macnair said as much, he'll kill all of us." He didn't like it, but it was the less evil of the two options.
"Then we'll all go!" It was so simple, so obvious. If they were going to be killed they'd leave, escape out of the country. "We can get a portkey out of the country stating we need to locate a wedding dress, then we'll just Disapparate to somewhere. We have money, they'll never find us." She looked at him, watched him, but his expression didn't change. "Daddy," she said, desperation clear in her voice. "Daddy, we'll go right? Please tell me we're going."
"We'd lose everything. Our home, our money, our business, our status in society." He shook his head. "I'm sorry Katherine, I really am, but we're not discussing this. You'll have to agree to this marriage." He got up from his seat, staring out the windows at the grounds outside. "I know it won't be easy, but you'll have to think of someone other than yourself for once. You're doing this for the family, and that's the last of it."
"I'll tell your mother to start preparations." With that he left her standing in the middle of the drawing room, too stunned to even speak. Even when speaking with Macnair, she had never thought it would actually happen. She'd been sure they'd find a way, only now she realised her father wouldn't even try. Dazed she left, walking up the stairs to her own room, putting one foot ahead of the other without really looking. She had to find a way out of this, had to persuade her father not to make her do this. He was just in as much shock as she was, in the end he'd come around. He'd not do this to her. He'd change his mind.