Mail Order Bride: Deception (Historical Western Romance): Clean Romance Series (Western Mail Order Brides Book 1) by Samantha Price Page A
Authors: Samantha Price
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carriage all ready for you. There’s a rug and a picnic basket.”
“Thank you, Austin, that’s thoughtful.” Leah noticed Beth and smiled. “Hello, Beth. I left the house early this morning without telling anyone, I hope that was okay.”
“Hello. We guessed where you’d be. Have a good time on your picnic.”
“Thank you.” Leah hoisted Violet onto her other hip.
“I’ll walk you out.” Austin secured Violet in the carriage, and made sure they were right to go. Then, he watched his future bride and his baby daughter go on their first outing together. A feeling of peace washed over him, and he knew all his doubts about finding a wife had been for nothing. He took a deep breath, and walked back into the house to speak to his sister.
When he walked into the sitting room, Beth arched an eyebrow.
“What?” he muttered.
She laughed. “I can see how fond of her you’ve become. You’re like a bumbling idiot around her.”
“Thank you,” he replied, with a lopsided smile.
“Austin, I mean it out of the utmost love. You care for her and it hasn’t even been two weeks. I’ve only seen that one other time.”
He nodded. “Yes, I know, with Charlotte.” He was tired of feeling that he was betraying his late wife. “This is nothing like that.”
She smiled. “You’re right; it’s not. Back then you were both in love, it was easy, you were both young. This isn’t like that, but it doesn’t mean that it can’t be like that over time.”
Austin stared at Beth. He was confused because she had disapproved of him writing to a woman. “You didn’t want me to have Victoria come here.”
“I know!” She nodded as he sat down across from her. “I’m not above admitting when I’m wrong. If you can be this happy so soon after meeting her, I can’t even imagine how close you two could become.”
Austin had wanted to have love for someone again, but he had never expected it to happen. “Well, we will have to wait and see.”
“You deserve love again,” Beth said.
He couldn’t believe he was even thinking about love, or that his sister was urging him to love a woman he had only just met. “I appreciate you coming here and saying that. Is that why you came here today?”
“I’m just checking on my little brother.” Beth stood up, and Austin walked her to the door. Before she walked out, she turned to face him, and leaned in toward him. “Love and marriage sometimes do go together,” she whispered against his ear.
He pressed his lips together to suppress a smile. “Thank you, I will try to remember that.”
“I’ll talk to you later.” Beth walked out the door.
Austin sat back down, and turned his attention to his mail. He leafed through the stack until his gaze fell on an envelope that had no return address, and yet, the handwriting was familiar. He opened it and read:
Dearest Austin,
By now, I am sure that you are wondering why I didn’t come to meet you as arranged. I am not normally a woman to go against my word once I have given it. Perhaps it was nerves, or the fact that I didn’t feel that it was right for me. I have not heard good things about your hometown. I have heard that there are many gambling establishments and houses of ill repute.
Forgive my boldness, but I must tell you that those are my reasons for not coming to marry you. After more prayer and contemplation, I was led to remain behind in my home. I believe you will think that I did the right thing. I hope that you find happiness, and I hope that you and Violet live a wonderful life. I just feel that, in my heart, I am doing what’s best for both of us. I hope that you believe that, too.
Yours sincerely,
Victoria
He stared at the letter, flipping it over, and trying to discover a hidden meaning. It couldn’t be true, because if it were, who had just left the house with his daughter?
Chapter 8.
Leah had seen the green park at the town’s edge. It was a perfect place for Violet to
“Thank you, Austin, that’s thoughtful.” Leah noticed Beth and smiled. “Hello, Beth. I left the house early this morning without telling anyone, I hope that was okay.”
“Hello. We guessed where you’d be. Have a good time on your picnic.”
“Thank you.” Leah hoisted Violet onto her other hip.
“I’ll walk you out.” Austin secured Violet in the carriage, and made sure they were right to go. Then, he watched his future bride and his baby daughter go on their first outing together. A feeling of peace washed over him, and he knew all his doubts about finding a wife had been for nothing. He took a deep breath, and walked back into the house to speak to his sister.
When he walked into the sitting room, Beth arched an eyebrow.
“What?” he muttered.
She laughed. “I can see how fond of her you’ve become. You’re like a bumbling idiot around her.”
“Thank you,” he replied, with a lopsided smile.
“Austin, I mean it out of the utmost love. You care for her and it hasn’t even been two weeks. I’ve only seen that one other time.”
He nodded. “Yes, I know, with Charlotte.” He was tired of feeling that he was betraying his late wife. “This is nothing like that.”
She smiled. “You’re right; it’s not. Back then you were both in love, it was easy, you were both young. This isn’t like that, but it doesn’t mean that it can’t be like that over time.”
Austin stared at Beth. He was confused because she had disapproved of him writing to a woman. “You didn’t want me to have Victoria come here.”
“I know!” She nodded as he sat down across from her. “I’m not above admitting when I’m wrong. If you can be this happy so soon after meeting her, I can’t even imagine how close you two could become.”
Austin had wanted to have love for someone again, but he had never expected it to happen. “Well, we will have to wait and see.”
“You deserve love again,” Beth said.
He couldn’t believe he was even thinking about love, or that his sister was urging him to love a woman he had only just met. “I appreciate you coming here and saying that. Is that why you came here today?”
“I’m just checking on my little brother.” Beth stood up, and Austin walked her to the door. Before she walked out, she turned to face him, and leaned in toward him. “Love and marriage sometimes do go together,” she whispered against his ear.
He pressed his lips together to suppress a smile. “Thank you, I will try to remember that.”
“I’ll talk to you later.” Beth walked out the door.
Austin sat back down, and turned his attention to his mail. He leafed through the stack until his gaze fell on an envelope that had no return address, and yet, the handwriting was familiar. He opened it and read:
Dearest Austin,
By now, I am sure that you are wondering why I didn’t come to meet you as arranged. I am not normally a woman to go against my word once I have given it. Perhaps it was nerves, or the fact that I didn’t feel that it was right for me. I have not heard good things about your hometown. I have heard that there are many gambling establishments and houses of ill repute.
Forgive my boldness, but I must tell you that those are my reasons for not coming to marry you. After more prayer and contemplation, I was led to remain behind in my home. I believe you will think that I did the right thing. I hope that you find happiness, and I hope that you and Violet live a wonderful life. I just feel that, in my heart, I am doing what’s best for both of us. I hope that you believe that, too.
Yours sincerely,
Victoria
He stared at the letter, flipping it over, and trying to discover a hidden meaning. It couldn’t be true, because if it were, who had just left the house with his daughter?
Chapter 8.
Leah had seen the green park at the town’s edge. It was a perfect place for Violet to
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