Mail Order Bride: Deception (Historical Western Romance): Clean Romance Series (Western Mail Order Brides Book 1) by Samantha Price Page B
Authors: Samantha Price
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practice her walking. Violet had taken three steps, but then she usually collapsed. Leah was sure that if she had the soft, green grass to fall on rather than bare floorboards, she would be bolder in her efforts to walk. Leah stopped the carriage, got out, and tied Night to the railing.
“Let’s go, Violet.” She pulled Violet out from where she’d been sitting in the carriage, and hoisted her onto one hip. “My, you’re a heavy baby.”
With her free hand, Leah pulled a quilt out of the back of the carriage. “Now, we’ve got something nice to sit on.”
Once they were both sitting on the unfolded quilt, a sense of peace washed over Leah. This would be what it would be like to have her own child. Maybe, Austin would fall in love with her, and it wouldn’t matter that she wasn’t Victoria. That way, she could be a real mother to Violet. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Violet? Would you like me to be your mother?”
Being too young to understand Leah’s words, Violet squinted at her, and scrunched her nose, causing Leah to laugh. “You’re so precious, Violet. Just so precious.”
Violet giggled, and set about babbling to herself. She seemed to know exactly what she was talking about, but Leah did not understand one word of her babbles. Leah was pleased to have the whole park to herself. Her birthplace of Chicago had been overcrowded, and the best thing about the west was its huge open spaces. There were miles and miles of wide-open plains with no buildings or people. The prairie was just one huge, open space.
The park was at the edge of town, bordered by the Arkansas River, and was the greenest place she’d seen since she’d arrived in Dodge City. There was a large fountain in the center of the park. Some folk had told her that if you threw a coin in the fountain, you could make a wish. “Let’s walk over to the fountain, Violet.” Leah pulled Violet to her feet, and supported her by her arms as she walked her over to the fountain.
She looked into the dark water, and couldn’t see any coins. “I don’t believe what they say about making a wish. You make your own luck anyway. You remember that, little one,” she said, as she looked down at Violet.
Violet put her hand into the water, and splashed around.
Leah pulled her back. “You’ll get your clothes all wet; your father won’t be happy if you arrive home in wet clothes.” She walked Violet back over to the quilt, and they both sat and enjoyed the warmth of the sun.
Violet yawned, and lowered herself from her sitting position. Leah patted Violet on her back, and soon the baby was asleep. “What am I to do, Violet? I’d like nothing better than to stay here, and be your mother, and marry your father, but I know that won’t happen. Soon, I’ll have to leave you.” Desperation led Leah to think of all kinds of ways she might be able to stay.
What would she do; continue her fake life as Victoria forever? No, the truth would have to come out, and she’d be better off if she were long gone when it did. Maybe she should stay and marry him, but it wouldn’t be a proper and legal marriage if she weren’t using her own name.
At that moment, Leah knew she’d left things too late already. Tomorrow was the Fourth of July, and the next day she was to get married to Austin. Leah bit her lip, wondering when she should leave. If she didn’t disappear tonight, she would have to leave on the Fourth of July or the wedding day.
“I must tell everyone the truth. Otherwise, Austin will be badly hurt like James was. It will cause everyone less worry if I tell the truth now. I will take the shame and face my wrongdoing.” She spoke out loud to herself. There was no one to listen to her, but she was used to having no one to talk to; she was always alone.
She looked back down at Violet, and stroked her soft hair. “I hope that one day you have a good mother to love you, sweet child.” Leah chewed on a fingernail as she wondered whether she had
“Let’s go, Violet.” She pulled Violet out from where she’d been sitting in the carriage, and hoisted her onto one hip. “My, you’re a heavy baby.”
With her free hand, Leah pulled a quilt out of the back of the carriage. “Now, we’ve got something nice to sit on.”
Once they were both sitting on the unfolded quilt, a sense of peace washed over Leah. This would be what it would be like to have her own child. Maybe, Austin would fall in love with her, and it wouldn’t matter that she wasn’t Victoria. That way, she could be a real mother to Violet. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Violet? Would you like me to be your mother?”
Being too young to understand Leah’s words, Violet squinted at her, and scrunched her nose, causing Leah to laugh. “You’re so precious, Violet. Just so precious.”
Violet giggled, and set about babbling to herself. She seemed to know exactly what she was talking about, but Leah did not understand one word of her babbles. Leah was pleased to have the whole park to herself. Her birthplace of Chicago had been overcrowded, and the best thing about the west was its huge open spaces. There were miles and miles of wide-open plains with no buildings or people. The prairie was just one huge, open space.
The park was at the edge of town, bordered by the Arkansas River, and was the greenest place she’d seen since she’d arrived in Dodge City. There was a large fountain in the center of the park. Some folk had told her that if you threw a coin in the fountain, you could make a wish. “Let’s walk over to the fountain, Violet.” Leah pulled Violet to her feet, and supported her by her arms as she walked her over to the fountain.
She looked into the dark water, and couldn’t see any coins. “I don’t believe what they say about making a wish. You make your own luck anyway. You remember that, little one,” she said, as she looked down at Violet.
Violet put her hand into the water, and splashed around.
Leah pulled her back. “You’ll get your clothes all wet; your father won’t be happy if you arrive home in wet clothes.” She walked Violet back over to the quilt, and they both sat and enjoyed the warmth of the sun.
Violet yawned, and lowered herself from her sitting position. Leah patted Violet on her back, and soon the baby was asleep. “What am I to do, Violet? I’d like nothing better than to stay here, and be your mother, and marry your father, but I know that won’t happen. Soon, I’ll have to leave you.” Desperation led Leah to think of all kinds of ways she might be able to stay.
What would she do; continue her fake life as Victoria forever? No, the truth would have to come out, and she’d be better off if she were long gone when it did. Maybe she should stay and marry him, but it wouldn’t be a proper and legal marriage if she weren’t using her own name.
At that moment, Leah knew she’d left things too late already. Tomorrow was the Fourth of July, and the next day she was to get married to Austin. Leah bit her lip, wondering when she should leave. If she didn’t disappear tonight, she would have to leave on the Fourth of July or the wedding day.
“I must tell everyone the truth. Otherwise, Austin will be badly hurt like James was. It will cause everyone less worry if I tell the truth now. I will take the shame and face my wrongdoing.” She spoke out loud to herself. There was no one to listen to her, but she was used to having no one to talk to; she was always alone.
She looked back down at Violet, and stroked her soft hair. “I hope that one day you have a good mother to love you, sweet child.” Leah chewed on a fingernail as she wondered whether she had
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