Evanly Bodies by Rhys Bowen

Pakistan to marry her off to a man more than twice her age," Bronwen said. "A man she's
     never even met."
    "Surely not?" Evan shook his head in disbelief. "I could believe that your brother might want to do something like that, but
     your father seems like a sensible man, perfectly westernized in his ways."
    "You'd have thought so, wouldn't you?" Jamila pressed her lips together to prevent herself from crying again before she went
     on. "But now he's turned into the worst kind of old-fashioned Muslim father, practically overnight. Rashid was spying on me,
     you see. I stayed at my friend Rhian's house to work on a school project, and some boys from our class stopped by to say hello.
     There was nothing wrong with it. They're nice boys. We just had some soft drinks and chatted. But Rashid made it sound as
     if I'd tricked our parents and gone there deliberately to drink with boys. So now I overheard Daddy and Mummy talking, and
     they have been in touch with relatives in Pakistan and these relatives have found a suitable man for me."
    "But they can't marry you off against your will," Evan said. "You're underage to get married anyway."
    "Not in Pakistan," Jamila said. "They force girls to get married when they are eleven or twelve there."
    "But surely your parents can't think that you'd go to Pakistan to get married. If you refuse to go, they can't drag you there,
     kicking and screaming, can they?" Evan asked, glancing at Bronwen.
    "They were going to trick her, Evan. That's what's so horrible," Bronwen said. "They were going to make it seem like a family
     holiday over Christmas. And then, when Jamila was there, it would be too late and she'd be helpless."
    "And are they planning to just leave you in Pakistan with this man?"
    Jamila spread her hands in a hopeless gesture. "I don't know. I don't know any details or what they're planning to do. I just
     heard Daddy say, 'Don't tell her anything, just that it's going to be a lovely family holiday.'
    "And Mummy said, 'But the poor child. It's not fair to her.'
    "And Daddy said, 'You and I had an arranged marriage, didn't we, and I'd say it turned out well enough for both of us. He's
     a good man and he's rich. She'll have plenty of clothes and a chauffeur to drive her around. What more should she want?'
    " 'But she's so keen on her education,' Mummy said. 'Shouldn't she be allowed to finish that, at least?'
    " 'And wind up running with a bad crowd or pregnant or on drugs? Is that what you want for her?' Daddy shouted. I crept away.
     I didn't want to hear anymore."
    Bronwen put a comforting arm around the girl. "I'm sure they're just upset at the moment, and they're overreacting, Jamila.
     If you like I'll go and talk to them tomorrow. I'll tell them that you've found out what they have planned for you, that you
     are extremely upset, and absolutely refuse to go. I'll make them see that this is blighting your future, and that they are
     not behaving in a reasonable manner."
    Jamila's face lit up. "Oh, would you do that for me? That would be so wonderful. I can't thank you enough."
    Bronwen squeezed her shoulder. "Who else would I have to help me carry my shopping up the hill?"
    Later that night, after Jamila had gone home and the meal had been cleared away, Evan sat with his arm around Bronwen on the
     sofa in front of the fire. Fierce rain peppered the windows, and wind moaned in the chimney. Bronwen gave a sigh of content
     and rested her head against Evan's shoulder.
    "This is the first time I've really appreciated our little cottage," she said. "A haven of peace, shutting out the horrible
     world."
    "Is the world so horrible?" Evan asked. "I thought you were the one who always saw the glass half full."
    "I did. It just seems that everything is difficult at the moment. Poor little Jamila. I feel so angry when I think of those
     stupid people, that I'll have to be careful I don't let them have it."
    "I think you need to be very tactful when you talk to her parents," Evan said.