Falling in Love With Her Husband Read Online Free Page B

Falling in Love With Her Husband
Book: Falling in Love With Her Husband Read Online Free
Author: Ruth Ann Nordin
Tags: Romance, Western
Pages:
Go to
replied.
    “He"s not what he appears to be.”

    “Have you met his parents? You always told me that
    I should judge a man by his parents.”

    “Ann, I am the voice of experience and wisdom. You
    have to trust my judgment.”

    “No one else is appealing to me, Father. I have
    been paraded through this town in front of countless
    bachelors who are only interested in my dowry. And a
    couple of those men were old enough to be your age. What
    kind of life am I going to have if I"m confined to a loveless
    marriage? All these men care about is what I can give them
    instead of who I am. At least Kent doesn"t know about the
    dowry, and he enjoys my company.”

    My mother sighed. “What about Todd?”

    “We"ve already had this discussion. I don"t want to
    marry him.”

    “Ann,” Father began, “marriage is more than fleeting
    emotion. It is best built upon a foundation of friendship.
    You aren"t looking at things clearly. Kent may be charming
    but there"s something wrong with him. Todd, on the other
    hand, is stable, trustworthy, and loyal. You can be sure that
    he won"t do anything to harm you.”

    “What proof do you have that Kent would do that?”

    He stared at the fork in his hand. “I don"t have proof.
    I just have a bad feeling about the boy.”

    My mother nodded. “You should consider Todd. I
    see the way he looks at you during church and when we"re
    at the Brothers" home. He loves you. Why, a boy like that
    will treat you as you deserve to be treated. What you and
    Todd need is to spend time together. Then you might see
    him the way he real y is.”

    “I spent time with him in October. He"s alright but
    he"s not... Wel , to be frank, he"s not exciting.”
    21

    Falling In Love With Her Husband

    My father set his fork aside. Picking up his pipe, he
    looked at me. “So you are opposed to Todd?”

    “Yes! I don"t love him.”

    “Alright. Your mother and I wil speak with Kent"s
    parents so we can get a better idea of what he is like.”

    He kept his promise and both he and my mother
    concluded that his parents were respectable people, so they
    allowed the courtship. I was ecstatic. Kent did mention
    marriage and the possibility of checking Europe out on our
    honeymoon. He said he had an uncle in Ireland who could
    give us a personal tour. He even brought over brochures
    and pictures. He frequently told me I was pretty and bought
    me little gifts for no reason at all. I loved surprises, so this
    was a treat. He took me to symphonies and the theatre. He
    would only kiss me on the cheek and occasionally hold my
    hand, so I knew he respected me.

    Debbie, Rachel and Agnes sat with me and planned
    out my future wedding. Agnes would be my maid of honor
    while Debbie and Rachel would be my bridesmaids. They
    were excited for me and it was fun to look forward to the
    future instead of dreading it.

    ***

    Then April came.

    I got ready for Kent"s arrival at my house.

    “Miss Ann, you have a caller,” Ginny announced.

    I turned from my bedroom mirror in anticipation.

    Ginny giggled.

    “Do I look alright?” I asked her. I wore a dark blue
    satin dress. He liked the color blue the best.

    “You look as beautiful as usual. Come along. It
    wouldn"t be right to keep him waiting.”

    I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. When I
    entered the parlor, my heart raced with excitement. He
    looked to be larger than life with his broad shoulders and tall
    22

    Falling In Love With Her Husband
    frame. “Good afternoon, Kent,” I greeted warmly as I
    approached him. “It"s good to see you. Will you sit down?”

    “No thank you, Miss Ann.”

    Surprised by his formality, I stood awkwardly. Out of
    the corner of my eye, I noticed Ginny shrug, just as
    bewildered as I was. I waited for him to speak but he
    refused to look at me. I knew something was wrong, so I
    took great care in asking my question. “Did you have a bad
    day?”

    “No. I...I have to tell you something,” he mumbled,
    staring at the lace

Readers choose

Sharon Shinn

Cambria Hebert

Rachel Rossano

Robert Aickman

David Moody

Larry Bond

Jilly Cooper