Michelle: Bride of Mississippi (American Mail-Order Bride 20) Read Online Free

the station’s landing. He put her smaller suitcase under his arm and picked up the larger one, extending his free arm to her.
    “Well, I was, actually.” She reached out for one of her hatboxes and threaded her arm through his as she looked up into deep brown smiling eyes. She looked around at the other arriving parties who had young boys follow them, juggling their bags. “Do you need some help?” she asked as he led her away from the train and toward the waiting buggies.
    He stopped in front of the buggy he’d been eying and set the suitcases down. Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket, he tipped his hat back from his head and dabbed at the sheen on his brow. He looked quickly over at her and smiled, extending his hand to help her into the buggy.
    “No, but thank you. It’s good exercise.
    She spread the yellow skirt she’d chosen for the journey out across her lap--not too fancy for travel but not too plain, and she hoped that he’d like what she’d chosen.
    He placed her luggage in the back and stepped around, climbing in beside her. He let out a breath and sat for a moment, then turned to look at her.
    Her cheeks flushed and she tugged at her gloves, aware that she looked exactly as she felt--travel-weary and in need of a bath.
    “Mattie and Missy are too much of a handful in a crowded place like this. They end up going every which way, and I can’t keep up with them on my own.”
    “I thought you had some help. A nanny and a housekeeper? That it wasn’t as if I’d be on my own with them. You’ll need to go to work, won’t you?” She could hear her voice rising a little bit as she spoke.
    Anthony cleared his throat as he flicked the reins and urged the horses forward. “Oh, about that...”
    Michelle frowned. In his letter, he’d mentioned a nanny and a housekeeper and that he was a man of means. Although she enjoyed children--the few she’d been around--she didn’t have a lot of experience since she was an only child. Would she know what to do to help?
    “I did employ a nanny and I do have a housekeeper. Mable has been with the family for years and would never leave, I don’t think, for any reason at all.”
    “And the nanny was responsible for their schooling?” Michelle said, trying to remember if she’d paid enough attention when she was at school to teach them. Her stomach tightened.
    Anthony looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “That was the expectation, yes, but the girls are still rather young and schooling isn’t an urgent prospect at the moment.”
    Michelle let out a breath, relief washing over her. She gripped the hatbox on her lap tighter and hoped that she’d be up to the task with the girls--whatever it was. Mr. Chandler had made it plain that he had no expectations of a marital union, so at least she could comfort herself with that. She may be in a strange city in a state she’d barely heard of, but at least she’d have her own room.

Chapter 5
    A nthony pulled at his collar as they approached the Robbins’ Nest. He was surprised at how he’d felt when he saw this lovely young woman. He’d scanned the windows of the train as it approached and hadn’t seen her until she stepped down, but he had been looking for a young lady with red hair.
    He just hadn’t expected for his stomach to flip as she turned toward him when he’d said her name. Her brilliant smile and twinkling blue eyes had him fumbling for words. And then he’d had to tell her the truth--that there was no nanny, he felt awful.
    Miss Blake had grown quiet as they’d driven from the train station, through town and into the outskirts, eventually pulling up the long drive to the Robbins’ Nest. He hadn’t quite known what to say, so he’d said very little. She’d get a better picture soon enough when she met the twins.
    It was sooner rather than later that she did, in fact, meet the twins. Just as he pulled the buggy to a stop in front of the porch, they barreled down the steps and around the