Read Online Wedding at Wildwood by Lenora Worth - Free Book Online Page A

preserve.
    Like tonight. Being here in Eli’s excessively furnished home only reminded her of being with Dillon in the sparse, ragged remains of Wildwood. Like Dillon, Isabel didn’t feel any tuggings toward the new house. No, her heart would always belong to the old mansion across the way.
    And her heart was strongly leaning toward the man who’d taken up residence inside that old house. She’d much rather be there, trying to decipher Dillon, than here watching her friend tear open the silver-and-white patterned paper of yet another shower gift. Here amid the belles and matrons of the local society, Isabel felt out of sorts and at odds. She’d never been a part of the inner circle. No, she’d been more of a curiosity for Miss Cynthia’s rich friends—someone to patronize and tease. And because of that, she now felt as if she’d been on display all evening.
    With comments ranging from, “My, my, it’s Isabel Landry, the world traveler. Whatcha doing back in the boonies, sugar?” to “Isabel’s gone and got herself citified. I do believe I’ve never seen shoes like those. And that hair—your poor mama, rest her soul, would take a pair of scissors to that tangle right away, darlin’,” she only wanted to finish her pictures and escape the sugary-sweet facade of southern blue-blood wedding shower mania.
    “Want a cup of punch, Isabel?” Martha Landry, who’d been hired to help serve, asked from behind her granddaughter. “You look drained.”
    “Thanks, Grammy.” Isabel took the rich red juice concoction laced with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. The creamy mixture felt cool and smooth on her throat. “I am tired. I didn’t sleep very well last night.”
    “I know, honey,” Martha said above the din of feminine chatter. “I heard you roaming the house. You used to do that when you were little, remember?”
    Isabel smiled, then dipped her head. “Yes, and I’d usually wind up sneaking into your room.”
    Martha winked. “Grammy’s quilts are guaranteed to calm any nighttime fears away. You could still stop in for a visit—you’ll never be too old for some comfort.”
    Tears misted Isabel’s eyes. “I might take you up on that offer, Grammy. I’m having a hard time being back here.”
    Concerned, Martha said, “But your pictures…Isabel, they’re all so pretty. Susan is real pleased so far.”
    “Then that’s worth the trip,” Isabel replied, meaning it. “I wouldn’t want her to be disappointed, in me or this wedding.”
    “Don’t sound so cynical, dear,” Martha whispered. “Just look at the girl. Even if you can’t find it in your heart to soften toward Eli, at least be happy for Susan’s sake. She’s glowing.”
    “Yes, she is,” Isabel said, deciding she wouldn’t share the rest of her doubts with her grandmother just yet. “And don’t worry, I wouldn’t dream of bursting Susan’s bubble.”
    “It’s more than a bubble, Isabel,” Martha replied, patting her granddaughter’s slender arm. “It’s a lifelong commitment between two human beings.”
    “It’s downright scary,” Isabel admitted, her thoughts automatically slipping to Dillon. “What makes a good marriage, Grammy?”
    Martha sighed, then took a sip of her own punch. “Well, that’s a loaded question. I guess it’s both simple and complicated—it takes love, faith, hope, commitment and compromise. A really good marriage always includes that very important element—the firm belief in God as a guiding force. You know, your parents had all of those things.”
    “They did adore each other, and they did rely on God’s help.”
    “But?”
    Isabel shifted on her chunky sandals. “They just seemed so…resigned. They didn’t try to make a better life for themselves. They worked so hard, and for somebody else. I’ll never be able to understand that.”
    Martha’s keen eyes scrutinized Isabel’s face. “Child, have you ever stopped to consider that your parents had everything they wanted right