Read Online Heidi Vanlandingham - Lucie: Bride of Tennessee (American Mail-Order Bride 16) by Heidi Vanlandingham - Free Book Online
Authors: Heidi Vanlandingham
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical, Saga, Western, Short-Story, Religious, Christian, Inspirational, Bachelor, Marriage of Convenience, Faith, Brother, Tennessee, widower, victorian era, responsibility, Forever Love, Single Woman, Fifth In Series, Fifty-Books, Forty-Five Authors, Newspaper Ad, American Mail-Order Bride, Factory Burned, Pioneer, Single Father, Little Girl, Twelve-Year-Old, Train Travel, Chattanooga, Groom Deceased, Hotel Owner
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man’s arms made her want to take a hot bath, scrubbing the filth from her skin. She held her hands out in front of her, almost seeing the grime. Her hands shook. She did her best to be a good person, putting her brother’s needs above her own and surviving the best she knew how…so why did bad things keep happening to her?
The door opened and she glanced up. Martha’s smile slipped into a concerned frown as Lucie’s chin wobbled. The tears she’d tried so hard to blink away fell in rivers as she launched herself at the older woman, almost knocking her over. Martha closed the door and gently led her to the chaise and sat her down. Lucie felt the thin arm wrap around her shoulders, Martha’s hand rubbing her arm in comfort, as she cried out the pain and frustration of the last three years.
“There, there, nothing better than a refreshing cry, now is there,” her soft voice cooed.
Strong fingers ran through her hair, brushing the dark wayward strands away from Lucie’s face. Finally, the tears stopped, and she wiped away the remnants with her hands. Not wanting to leave the comfort of Martha’s embrace, she forced herself to sit up and move away, determined to get her emotions under control.
“I’m sorry,” Lucie said in a shaky voice.
“Pshaw. No need to apologize. Crying is a woman’s right. We shoulder many burdens and sometimes those feelings just come tumbling out whether we like it or not.” She reached over and patted Lucie’s hand. “Take a moment—you feel much lighter already, don’t you? Like a burden has been lifted from your shoulders?”
“It does. I feel so much better.”
Martha rounded up the dainty floral teapot sitting on the stove in the small kitchen and poured them both a cup of steaming tea. Placing the cup in Lucie’s hands, she sat down again on the chaise beside her. “Now, tell me what happened to get you all worked up so.”
Staring into the dark brown liquid, the image of Sebastian’s furious expression filled her mind. She closed her eyes and cradled the warm porcelain against her knees, praying she wouldn’t start crying again. Why it was so important to her for him to think of her in a positive way, she didn’t understand.
“I was trying to take lunch orders when a man grabbed me and pulled me onto his lap.” With each word, her chin lowered until it almost rested against her collarbone. She pressed her lips together for a moment, trying to stop them from trembling. The last thing she wanted to do was cry again. She could barely breathe as it was.
With a dainty sniff, she forced the rest of the story out with the hopes she’d feel better afterward. She didn’t. “The look in Sebastian’s eyes—he was so disgusted and angry.”
Martha reached over and gently patted her arm. “Drink up. Tea is a wonderful remedy for nerves, especially if it’s nice and warm. I’ve found that if I drink one or two cups after a particular trying moment, I’m much calmer afterward and can look back and realize things weren’t as horrid as they seemed.”
Lucie drank the now lukewarm liquid and placed the cup on the table in front of them, licking her lips. Sitting back, she gave Martha a small grin. “Are you always right?”
The older woman nodded with a large smile. “Most of the time.” She laughed, the tinkle filling the room and relaxing Lucie’s jumbled nerves even more. “And don’t you worry about Sebastian. He was probably furious at the imbecile causing the problems in the first place. He knows none of this was your fault.”
Lucie shook her head sadly. “Yes, but why does it keep happening? Do I have a sign somewhere I can’t see telling them to take advantage of me? That I’m young and naive?”
“No, my dear. But there are a lot of people in the world who don’t think of others or their feelings. They only want satisfaction for themselves.”
Lucie leaned back in the comfortable chaise. “You sound as if you know what you’re talking
The door opened and she glanced up. Martha’s smile slipped into a concerned frown as Lucie’s chin wobbled. The tears she’d tried so hard to blink away fell in rivers as she launched herself at the older woman, almost knocking her over. Martha closed the door and gently led her to the chaise and sat her down. Lucie felt the thin arm wrap around her shoulders, Martha’s hand rubbing her arm in comfort, as she cried out the pain and frustration of the last three years.
“There, there, nothing better than a refreshing cry, now is there,” her soft voice cooed.
Strong fingers ran through her hair, brushing the dark wayward strands away from Lucie’s face. Finally, the tears stopped, and she wiped away the remnants with her hands. Not wanting to leave the comfort of Martha’s embrace, she forced herself to sit up and move away, determined to get her emotions under control.
“I’m sorry,” Lucie said in a shaky voice.
“Pshaw. No need to apologize. Crying is a woman’s right. We shoulder many burdens and sometimes those feelings just come tumbling out whether we like it or not.” She reached over and patted Lucie’s hand. “Take a moment—you feel much lighter already, don’t you? Like a burden has been lifted from your shoulders?”
“It does. I feel so much better.”
Martha rounded up the dainty floral teapot sitting on the stove in the small kitchen and poured them both a cup of steaming tea. Placing the cup in Lucie’s hands, she sat down again on the chaise beside her. “Now, tell me what happened to get you all worked up so.”
Staring into the dark brown liquid, the image of Sebastian’s furious expression filled her mind. She closed her eyes and cradled the warm porcelain against her knees, praying she wouldn’t start crying again. Why it was so important to her for him to think of her in a positive way, she didn’t understand.
“I was trying to take lunch orders when a man grabbed me and pulled me onto his lap.” With each word, her chin lowered until it almost rested against her collarbone. She pressed her lips together for a moment, trying to stop them from trembling. The last thing she wanted to do was cry again. She could barely breathe as it was.
With a dainty sniff, she forced the rest of the story out with the hopes she’d feel better afterward. She didn’t. “The look in Sebastian’s eyes—he was so disgusted and angry.”
Martha reached over and gently patted her arm. “Drink up. Tea is a wonderful remedy for nerves, especially if it’s nice and warm. I’ve found that if I drink one or two cups after a particular trying moment, I’m much calmer afterward and can look back and realize things weren’t as horrid as they seemed.”
Lucie drank the now lukewarm liquid and placed the cup on the table in front of them, licking her lips. Sitting back, she gave Martha a small grin. “Are you always right?”
The older woman nodded with a large smile. “Most of the time.” She laughed, the tinkle filling the room and relaxing Lucie’s jumbled nerves even more. “And don’t you worry about Sebastian. He was probably furious at the imbecile causing the problems in the first place. He knows none of this was your fault.”
Lucie shook her head sadly. “Yes, but why does it keep happening? Do I have a sign somewhere I can’t see telling them to take advantage of me? That I’m young and naive?”
“No, my dear. But there are a lot of people in the world who don’t think of others or their feelings. They only want satisfaction for themselves.”
Lucie leaned back in the comfortable chaise. “You sound as if you know what you’re talking
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