Read Online Journey of the Bride by Mary Fox - Free Book Online
Authors: Mary Fox
Tags: Romance, Historical, Historical Romance, Western, Westerns, Victorian, Two Hours or More (65-100 Pages)
Ads: Link
guessed she should have been grateful of. It meant answering fewer questions. She could only imagine her father ’ s reaction to that short-lived adventure.
“ Young Simon Talbert here has asked for your hand in marriage, ” her father said brightly.
“ Excuse me? ” The response exited her mouth before she could stop it. Her eyes widened and she swiveled her head from her father to Talbert, who stood before her with a smug look on his too-handsome face. Brandon had been rugged, rough and all man. The man whom her father wanted her to marry was too pretty and pompous. It disgusted Courtney to think of having sex with the man.
A memory of Brandon ’ s hands on her skin, his cock buried inside her, flashed through her mind. It had been wild and frantic, needy and desirable. Somehow, she knew sex with Talbert would be boring and disgusting.
Nausea rose up in her, but she held it back with one hand to her mouth and the other to her stomach. Her father didn ’ t notice. He was too busy explaining how he and Talbert had come to the conclusion that the best decision for her life was for the young accountant to marry her. He had the finances to support her, a good home, decent standing within the community.
All of his words went in one ear and out the other unheard. She looked down at the floor, her breath coming out in heavy pants. Her blood roared in her ears. She had known the possibility of Talbert asking for her hand were high, but she hadn ’ t expected him to go through her father in order to ask for her hand. She ’ d been prepared to turn him down herself.
Her eyes darted frantically from man to man, but neither noticed her panic, which was climbing higher and higher, threatening to swallow her whole. Inside her mind, she felt herself drowning and although she clawed at the edges of the darkness, she could not find her way to the light.
Talbert and her father continued speaking of terms and negotiations in good cheer. Her agitation continued to go unnoticed by either.
“ I can ’ t marry, Talbert, ” she whispered, staring down at the floor.
“ What was that dear? ” her father asked, turning his attention back toward her for the first time. “ Courtney! ” He lunged to her side just as she swooned.
It was Talbert who carried Courtney to her room. All the while, she mumbled the name, “ Brandon, ” in a low voice.
After laying her down in bed, Talbert turned toward her father, confusion mixed with anger clear on his face. “ Who ’ s Brandon? ” he demanded.
Looking down at his daughter, the senior le Brush had no answer. “ I … I honestly don ’ t know. We shall ask her when she awakens. ”
It was later in the evening when Courtney came to, but by then her actions had been dismissed as a result of the heat as well as that of excitement towards her engagement. Neither man brought up the name of the cowboy she ’ d been calling for in her sleep.
Preparations for the wedding had started that evening. Talbert wanted a short engagement. Her father didn ’ t seem to mind so much. In his mind, it meant a sooner possibility of seeing grandchildren.
So for a week, Courtney was pushed and prodded. Flowers, food, and a dress fitting. Her mind spun and she felt sick to her stomach. There was no way she could go through this. She had to stop the wedding. She had to tell her father the real reason Talbert wanted to marry her.
Her father would never believe her about Talbert ’ s involvement with their finances. She knew that before her father announced the engagement. Now, it was set in stone as her father ’ s fortune had begun miraculously re-appearing in his accounts. Talbert, of course, blamed the bank, claiming there had been mistakes. Her father believed him. Courtney did not.
Now, it was too late. She glared at the wedding gown she was supposed to wear in the morning, wishing it would burst into flame, but knowing it
“ Young Simon Talbert here has asked for your hand in marriage, ” her father said brightly.
“ Excuse me? ” The response exited her mouth before she could stop it. Her eyes widened and she swiveled her head from her father to Talbert, who stood before her with a smug look on his too-handsome face. Brandon had been rugged, rough and all man. The man whom her father wanted her to marry was too pretty and pompous. It disgusted Courtney to think of having sex with the man.
A memory of Brandon ’ s hands on her skin, his cock buried inside her, flashed through her mind. It had been wild and frantic, needy and desirable. Somehow, she knew sex with Talbert would be boring and disgusting.
Nausea rose up in her, but she held it back with one hand to her mouth and the other to her stomach. Her father didn ’ t notice. He was too busy explaining how he and Talbert had come to the conclusion that the best decision for her life was for the young accountant to marry her. He had the finances to support her, a good home, decent standing within the community.
All of his words went in one ear and out the other unheard. She looked down at the floor, her breath coming out in heavy pants. Her blood roared in her ears. She had known the possibility of Talbert asking for her hand were high, but she hadn ’ t expected him to go through her father in order to ask for her hand. She ’ d been prepared to turn him down herself.
Her eyes darted frantically from man to man, but neither noticed her panic, which was climbing higher and higher, threatening to swallow her whole. Inside her mind, she felt herself drowning and although she clawed at the edges of the darkness, she could not find her way to the light.
Talbert and her father continued speaking of terms and negotiations in good cheer. Her agitation continued to go unnoticed by either.
“ I can ’ t marry, Talbert, ” she whispered, staring down at the floor.
“ What was that dear? ” her father asked, turning his attention back toward her for the first time. “ Courtney! ” He lunged to her side just as she swooned.
It was Talbert who carried Courtney to her room. All the while, she mumbled the name, “ Brandon, ” in a low voice.
After laying her down in bed, Talbert turned toward her father, confusion mixed with anger clear on his face. “ Who ’ s Brandon? ” he demanded.
Looking down at his daughter, the senior le Brush had no answer. “ I … I honestly don ’ t know. We shall ask her when she awakens. ”
It was later in the evening when Courtney came to, but by then her actions had been dismissed as a result of the heat as well as that of excitement towards her engagement. Neither man brought up the name of the cowboy she ’ d been calling for in her sleep.
Preparations for the wedding had started that evening. Talbert wanted a short engagement. Her father didn ’ t seem to mind so much. In his mind, it meant a sooner possibility of seeing grandchildren.
So for a week, Courtney was pushed and prodded. Flowers, food, and a dress fitting. Her mind spun and she felt sick to her stomach. There was no way she could go through this. She had to stop the wedding. She had to tell her father the real reason Talbert wanted to marry her.
Her father would never believe her about Talbert ’ s involvement with their finances. She knew that before her father announced the engagement. Now, it was set in stone as her father ’ s fortune had begun miraculously re-appearing in his accounts. Talbert, of course, blamed the bank, claiming there had been mistakes. Her father believed him. Courtney did not.
Now, it was too late. She glared at the wedding gown she was supposed to wear in the morning, wishing it would burst into flame, but knowing it
Similar Books
