His Remarkable Bride Read Online Free Page A

shooed the kids as if they were cattle, with a bright smile and a teasing wink. As soon as they’d all backed up by several feet—Thomas only stepping away unwillingly from where he had grabbed onto Elspeth’s skirt—Virginia let out a happy breath. “Welcome to Haskell.”
    At last, an interaction that had some sort of context in Elspeth’s experience. She belatedly took Virginia’s hand. “Thank you. I am most pleased to be here.”
    “Ooh, did you hear the way she talks, Papa?” the other of the younger twin girls asked, turning to her father.
    “Yes, I did, sweetness.” Athos smiled and rested a hand on his daughter’s head.
    A small portion of the tension that had been growing in Elspeth’s whole body released. Athos smiled at his daughter, at all of his children, with such kindness and affection that emotion squeezed her throat. Her own parents would never have dared show such attention in public. Anyone who showed that much consideration for children must be a gentleman, and she was not afraid to marry a gentleman. Not after being buffeted about by so many un-gentlemanly men.
    “Well then,” Virginia went on, throwing up her hands. “The timing of this whole introduction has been blown to smithereens, so there’s no point in beating around the bush. Elspeth Leonard, I’d like you to meet Athos Strong. Athos, here’s Elspeth, your bride.”
    Virginia stepped out of the way, clearing the space between Elspeth and Athos. Elspeth stiffened her spine and called on all of her courage to face the man she’d pledged to marry. Only instead of marching up to her and laying claim on her in any way, Athos Strong stood where he was, a bashful flush coming to his cheeks and a warm smile lighting his face. Another measure of the anxiety that the entire journey had built up in Elspeth melted away. The man was shy.
    “Go on, Papa,” one of the older twins whispered.
    “She’s waiting,” the second twin added.
    Together, the two of them pushed his back, causing Athos to take a faltering step forward. The other children giggled.
    That simple action seemed to break the spell. Athos cleared his throat and shook himself, then walked amiably forward, extending his hand. “I’m very pleased to meet you, Miss Leonard.”
    Once again, Elspeth found herself on familiar footing. She could do this. She’d met new men in ballrooms and drawing rooms across London all the time. She could greet a widowed father on a train platform on the frontier.
    “Call me Elspeth, please.” She took his hand with her gloved one and began to execute a perfect curtsy before grasping how inappropriate that was. “We are to be married, after all.”
    “Yes.” Athos’s expression lit even more. He tightened his hand around hers in a handshake that showed his strength and his tenderness. After he let go of her hand, he continued to smile at her without moving.
    “I think Papa likes her,” the younger of the two middle boys, Lael, whispered.
    “I like her,” Thomas said in full voice.
    Athos laughed and backed up, shaking himself out of whatever thoughts he’d had. “Miss—Elspeth, I’d like you to meet my pride and joy, my wild brood of scamps and ruffians.”
    “Papa!”
    “We are not!”
    “No fair!” The children protested, laughing.
    “This is my eldest, Hubert.” Athos crossed to the other side of the cluster of children to the young man with pimples. He then turned to the older set of twins. “And these are my little ladies, Ivy and Heather. This one over here is Vernon.” He moved on to ruffle the next boy’s hair. “And this is Lael. These two misses are Geneva and Millicent.” He squeezed each of their shoulders as he named them. “And this little ragamuffin is Thomas.”
    “I’m the youngest,” Thomas announced, then shot on into, “My mama died when I was born.”
    Tension seized the entire group. It gradually dissolved as Athos laughed nervously. “I’m sure there will be plenty of time to talk about