The Bride Price Read Online Free Page A

in the snow. Wait a
minute.” Her hand flew to her forehead. “Snow? Where am I? There
wasn’t any snow in Portland yesterday. Just rain.”
    Richard frowned and Sophie didn’t miss his
patronizing tone as he drawled, “You couldn’t possibly have been in
Maine yesterday, ma’am.”
    “Maine?”
    “Yes, ma’am. It would have taken you several
days to travel here to Harrisburg, especially in this weather. Not
to mention it wouldn’t be safe,” Richard said.
    “Harrisburg?” Sophie’s stomach roiled. “As in
Pennsylvania?”
    “Yes ma’am.”
    Pennsylvania? What is going on?
    “What’s the date?” Sophie asked.
    “January 31.”
    Okay, same date. Why are these people in
costume?
    “It’s been a mild winter this year, although
not mild enough for you to be in what you’re wearing.” Nona sounded
a bit like her old pastor’s wife, who insisted on dresses and hair
pulled away from the face.
    “I was sleeping.” Sophie didn’t know why she
should feel defensive about her pajamas.
    “We are in the middle of a war, and one of
the soldiers could have seen you in your state of undress.” Nona
shuddered. “Who knows what could have happened.”
    Sophie’s panic raised its ugly head again.
She laid her hand over her stomach, in an effort not to puke.
“War?”
    “Excuse me?”
    “You said, ‘war.’ What war?”
    Nona whipped her head toward her husband.
“What a strange question. Michael, she must have hit her
head. Are you certain you checked her thoroughly?”
    Sophie pushed herself up with limited breath.
“What war?”
    Nona tsked and said slowly, “The War between
the States.”
    Unable to stop the screech that escaped her
lips, Sophie squeezed her eyes shut and whispered, “The 1860s War
between the States?”
    “Well, it’s 1863. Of course it’s the 1860s
War between the States.” Nona turned back to Michael. “You must
check her again.”
    “If I’m not dead…am I dreaming? I must be
dreaming. How long have I been here?”
    Nona’s eyebrows knitted together. “We just
found you...in the snow.”
    Sophie’s throat closed and her eyes filled with
tears. Taking a deep breath, choosing to limit her words, lest men
in white coats suddenly arrive to take her away, she decided to
work out her confusion later. “I think I’m all right, Mrs. Wade.
Perhaps I do just need to rest.”
    “Please, dear, call me Nona.”
    Sophie took a moment to appraise her
surroundings. The parlor appeared exactly as she had always
envisioned an authentic nineteenth-century room would look like.
Right down to the American Federal sofa she lay on. Sophie noticed
the man who carried her in standing in the corner. He seemed to be
brooding.
    Wait. Brooding? I wouldn’t have a dream with
the quintessential brooding male. Okay, Sophie, think. In my world,
what would the large man be doing right now? Smiling? Joking?
Dancing? This is my dream...or my heaven, and I refuse to have
anyone brooding. Of course, the fact I’m concerned about someone
brooding, just goes to show how crazy I am. Maybe this is the
entrance point to a padded room.
    If she closed her eyes, counted to ten, maybe
she’d wake up. Squeezing her eyes shut, Sophie slowly counted the
seconds off then looked again at the man in the corner.
    Nope, still brooding.
    “Betty, prepare the blue room for our guest,”
Nona instructed.
    Sophie held her hand up. “I don’t think that
will be necessary. I’m sure my husband will be here any time now.
He must have just gotten lost, or detained. Yes, detained. That
must be it. He can’t be far away. He would never leave me. We’re
usually joined at the hip.”
    “Joined at the hip?” Nona lowered her voice.
“Perhaps we shouldn’t speak of those things in mixed company.”
    Sophie swung her legs around and settled them
on the carpet. “Oh, sorry. Um, it’s an expression...from home. Um,
we spend a lot of time together.”
    The doctor laid his hand on her shoulder.
“Why don’t we just take