Read Online The Runaway Bride by Noelle Marchand - Free Book Online
Authors: Noelle Marchand
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relationship with Sean.”
Sean nodded. “I was about to explain that to your father when we decided to send for you. Perhaps it would be best if we all sat down.”
Once they all pulled out a chair, a moment of silence echoed through the room as everyone seemed to calm down and collect their thoughts. Her father let out a tired sigh. “Start from the beginning.”
* * *
Sean leaned forward slightly in his chair, not enough to heighten the mood, but enough to call attention to himself. “Sir, when I finally met up with Lorelei she was traveling with a preacher, his wife and their children. After four days with them, I convinced Lorelei to come home to Peppin with me. The couple took umbrage with our leaving to travel in the wilderness by ourselves for a few days and insisted we find a chaperone. One of the local women offered to chaperone us for a wage, which we agreed upon. We set off with her in good faith, but we were only two days into our trip when she ran off with our money and Lorelei’s valise. We considered turning back and rejoining the preacher and his family, but by that point, we thought they’d probably moved on, and that it would be faster to push on to town rather than trying to track them down. We finished the trip alone.”
“In the wilderness, alone for a few days, you say?”
“Yes, sir.”
The man looked as if he’d aged a few years since entering the office, but he nodded. “I see. Continue.”
“Well, that’s it.”
“What do you mean ‘that’s it’?”
Sean shrugged. “There’s nothing more to tell.”
Lorelei pinned her father with her blue gaze and a raised eyebrow. “Were you expecting more, Papa?”
“Don’t be smart with me, young lady,” he said even as his skin appeared to flush a bit.
“In defense of my honor as a gentleman and Lorelei’s as a lady, I would like you to know our behavior was circumspect on the trip home. She slept on one side of the campfire and I slept on the other.” He met Richard’s gaze. “I mean this as no insult to your daughter’s sensibilities, but I want you to know I never touched her.”
“All right, I get the point and I appreciate you making it.” Richard shook his head. Rising to his feet again, he began to pace. He turned to face them. “I understand what happened wasn’t your fault, and I believe you when you say you began the trip with a chaperone. I do, but I’m afraid that Mrs. Drake’s account…”
“It’s embellished, to say the least,” Sean said.
“Perhaps so.” He agreed. “That isn’t the only thing that concerns me. This letter was hand-delivered to me by Mrs. Greene. She is aware of the contents and was quite adamant that I do something to fix the predicament.”
“No wonder she glared at me in the bank,” Lorelei muttered.
Sean grimaced. Mrs. Greene and his family didn’t have the best history. After his parents’ death, she’d taken it upon herself to guide their orphaned family on the straight and narrow. Unfortunately, that somehow translated into her being rather harsh and overly critical in her judgment of them. She was hardest on Ellie but wasn’t particularly fond of Sean, either. He cleared his throat. “Surely you can just explain to her that there has been a mistake.”
Richard shook his head. “I suggested that idea in my office, but she stood by her niece’s account and painted a picture of the incident that whipped me into a fury. Sorry about that, Sean.”
“It’s understandable, sir. I reckon I’d act the same way if I had a daughter.”
He stopped pacing to face them. “Even if we could prove your chaperone abandoned you, the fact remains that you traveled alone for days in the wilderness.”
“It wasn’t our fault,” Lorelei insisted.
“No, but can you imagine the scandal? It could easily be construed that you two had some sort of affair only days after you were supposed you marry another man. If word gets around about this…” He shook his head and sat
Sean nodded. “I was about to explain that to your father when we decided to send for you. Perhaps it would be best if we all sat down.”
Once they all pulled out a chair, a moment of silence echoed through the room as everyone seemed to calm down and collect their thoughts. Her father let out a tired sigh. “Start from the beginning.”
* * *
Sean leaned forward slightly in his chair, not enough to heighten the mood, but enough to call attention to himself. “Sir, when I finally met up with Lorelei she was traveling with a preacher, his wife and their children. After four days with them, I convinced Lorelei to come home to Peppin with me. The couple took umbrage with our leaving to travel in the wilderness by ourselves for a few days and insisted we find a chaperone. One of the local women offered to chaperone us for a wage, which we agreed upon. We set off with her in good faith, but we were only two days into our trip when she ran off with our money and Lorelei’s valise. We considered turning back and rejoining the preacher and his family, but by that point, we thought they’d probably moved on, and that it would be faster to push on to town rather than trying to track them down. We finished the trip alone.”
“In the wilderness, alone for a few days, you say?”
“Yes, sir.”
The man looked as if he’d aged a few years since entering the office, but he nodded. “I see. Continue.”
“Well, that’s it.”
“What do you mean ‘that’s it’?”
Sean shrugged. “There’s nothing more to tell.”
Lorelei pinned her father with her blue gaze and a raised eyebrow. “Were you expecting more, Papa?”
“Don’t be smart with me, young lady,” he said even as his skin appeared to flush a bit.
“In defense of my honor as a gentleman and Lorelei’s as a lady, I would like you to know our behavior was circumspect on the trip home. She slept on one side of the campfire and I slept on the other.” He met Richard’s gaze. “I mean this as no insult to your daughter’s sensibilities, but I want you to know I never touched her.”
“All right, I get the point and I appreciate you making it.” Richard shook his head. Rising to his feet again, he began to pace. He turned to face them. “I understand what happened wasn’t your fault, and I believe you when you say you began the trip with a chaperone. I do, but I’m afraid that Mrs. Drake’s account…”
“It’s embellished, to say the least,” Sean said.
“Perhaps so.” He agreed. “That isn’t the only thing that concerns me. This letter was hand-delivered to me by Mrs. Greene. She is aware of the contents and was quite adamant that I do something to fix the predicament.”
“No wonder she glared at me in the bank,” Lorelei muttered.
Sean grimaced. Mrs. Greene and his family didn’t have the best history. After his parents’ death, she’d taken it upon herself to guide their orphaned family on the straight and narrow. Unfortunately, that somehow translated into her being rather harsh and overly critical in her judgment of them. She was hardest on Ellie but wasn’t particularly fond of Sean, either. He cleared his throat. “Surely you can just explain to her that there has been a mistake.”
Richard shook his head. “I suggested that idea in my office, but she stood by her niece’s account and painted a picture of the incident that whipped me into a fury. Sorry about that, Sean.”
“It’s understandable, sir. I reckon I’d act the same way if I had a daughter.”
He stopped pacing to face them. “Even if we could prove your chaperone abandoned you, the fact remains that you traveled alone for days in the wilderness.”
“It wasn’t our fault,” Lorelei insisted.
“No, but can you imagine the scandal? It could easily be construed that you two had some sort of affair only days after you were supposed you marry another man. If word gets around about this…” He shook his head and sat
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