Read Online Amelia (The Marriage Market Book 1) by Stevie MacFarlane - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Stevie MacFarlane
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position?"
Duncan patted him on the back.
"You'll fall in love one day, son and then you'll understand how hard it is to say no to someone like your mother."
"I may fall in love, but I'll never let my wife run roughshod over our family the way you have. I'll never sit calmly reading the paper while she screams and upbraids me in front of our children," Hugh insisted firmly.
"What would you have me do?" Duncan demanded. "She's only a bit of a thing."
"I can't tell you what to do, Father, but if my wife ever speaks to me like Mother speaks to you, she'll be over my knee so fast she won't know what happened. I will take great pride in my accomplishment if she doesn't sit comfortably for a few days."
"Hugh, son, you must never strike a woman," Duncan rebuked him. "We are big men, and women are such fragile, delicate creatures. You could cause her great harm."
"The only things I'm going to hurt are her pride and her bare bottom as I'm spanking it cherry red. She'll learn soon enough what behavior I will and will not tolerate."
Duncan walked away shaking his head sadly.
Thankfully, Amelia was nothing like his mother, but he did see a few signs she could be stubborn. One moment she was shy and demure, and the next she could be sassy and opinionated. Already he felt something more for her than he'd expected. He found he cared what she thought of him.
It bothered him that she was worried about the physical side of marriage and he wanted to show her there could be pleasure involved. Now he lay in bed, uncomfortably hard. He could have taken her tonight, what was the difference? Soon he would have the right to avail himself of all of her charms. But he hadn't and it concerned him a little. He was usually decisive, quick to take stock of the situation and respond accordingly. For some reason, with Amelia he felt uncertain. She was lovely, everything he'd advertised for and more. And she was honest, A rare trait in a woman as far as he was concerned. Amelia told him how she felt about equal rights for women and he still sent for her. What harm could a few speeches do, or a little marching? Now he wondered how far she was willing to take it. Some men didn't take kindly to that sort of thing. Would she be foolish enough to put herself in danger, just to make her point?
Ach, there was no point in worrying about it. There were barely enough women to rally to any cause. In a few days he would make her his wife, teach her the pleasures associated with the marriage bed and head home the day after. If she had any ridiculous notions regarding her position in the chain of command, he would easily disabuse her of them. He would be the head of his household, and as long as she wasn't exposed to the kind of havoc his mother wrecked on a regular basis, he had no doubt she would be a well-behaved wife. Either well behaved or well punished, in the end the choice would be hers. It was best not to let all that love nonsense get in the way.
Chapter Seven
Alice Baker held tightly to her young daughter's hand as they carefully walked up the gangway and boarded the ship. Emotions warred within her, each vying for supremacy. Fright, exhaustion, excitement, doubt, they all wanted their piece of her, but she forced them down and took Delia to the ship's rail.
"Look at all the ships, darling. Did you ever see so many at one time before? We're having a grand adventure, aren't we?" she asked, smiling with a confidence she didn't feel. What if Mr. Henderson wasn't what he claimed to be? Yes, his picture was nice, showing a young man who appeared to be of good character. But photographs could be deceiving. Suppose the fine house he said he had turned out to be nothing but a hovel? Where would she go? What would she do? If she married him immediately upon arrival as he requested, and he turned out to be a fraud, she'd be stuck, she and Delia.
Maybe she could find a hotel for a few days and get to know him a little. She was seeing his home before the
Duncan patted him on the back.
"You'll fall in love one day, son and then you'll understand how hard it is to say no to someone like your mother."
"I may fall in love, but I'll never let my wife run roughshod over our family the way you have. I'll never sit calmly reading the paper while she screams and upbraids me in front of our children," Hugh insisted firmly.
"What would you have me do?" Duncan demanded. "She's only a bit of a thing."
"I can't tell you what to do, Father, but if my wife ever speaks to me like Mother speaks to you, she'll be over my knee so fast she won't know what happened. I will take great pride in my accomplishment if she doesn't sit comfortably for a few days."
"Hugh, son, you must never strike a woman," Duncan rebuked him. "We are big men, and women are such fragile, delicate creatures. You could cause her great harm."
"The only things I'm going to hurt are her pride and her bare bottom as I'm spanking it cherry red. She'll learn soon enough what behavior I will and will not tolerate."
Duncan walked away shaking his head sadly.
Thankfully, Amelia was nothing like his mother, but he did see a few signs she could be stubborn. One moment she was shy and demure, and the next she could be sassy and opinionated. Already he felt something more for her than he'd expected. He found he cared what she thought of him.
It bothered him that she was worried about the physical side of marriage and he wanted to show her there could be pleasure involved. Now he lay in bed, uncomfortably hard. He could have taken her tonight, what was the difference? Soon he would have the right to avail himself of all of her charms. But he hadn't and it concerned him a little. He was usually decisive, quick to take stock of the situation and respond accordingly. For some reason, with Amelia he felt uncertain. She was lovely, everything he'd advertised for and more. And she was honest, A rare trait in a woman as far as he was concerned. Amelia told him how she felt about equal rights for women and he still sent for her. What harm could a few speeches do, or a little marching? Now he wondered how far she was willing to take it. Some men didn't take kindly to that sort of thing. Would she be foolish enough to put herself in danger, just to make her point?
Ach, there was no point in worrying about it. There were barely enough women to rally to any cause. In a few days he would make her his wife, teach her the pleasures associated with the marriage bed and head home the day after. If she had any ridiculous notions regarding her position in the chain of command, he would easily disabuse her of them. He would be the head of his household, and as long as she wasn't exposed to the kind of havoc his mother wrecked on a regular basis, he had no doubt she would be a well-behaved wife. Either well behaved or well punished, in the end the choice would be hers. It was best not to let all that love nonsense get in the way.
Chapter Seven
Alice Baker held tightly to her young daughter's hand as they carefully walked up the gangway and boarded the ship. Emotions warred within her, each vying for supremacy. Fright, exhaustion, excitement, doubt, they all wanted their piece of her, but she forced them down and took Delia to the ship's rail.
"Look at all the ships, darling. Did you ever see so many at one time before? We're having a grand adventure, aren't we?" she asked, smiling with a confidence she didn't feel. What if Mr. Henderson wasn't what he claimed to be? Yes, his picture was nice, showing a young man who appeared to be of good character. But photographs could be deceiving. Suppose the fine house he said he had turned out to be nothing but a hovel? Where would she go? What would she do? If she married him immediately upon arrival as he requested, and he turned out to be a fraud, she'd be stuck, she and Delia.
Maybe she could find a hotel for a few days and get to know him a little. She was seeing his home before the
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