“I sent you a note, you old cuss, telling you I was safe.”
Buckets clasped Patrick around the back and hugged him to him. “We never got it. And when the undertaker showed us your grave, we thought the worst.”
Matt, who had hung back to allow Sabrina and Patrick some privacy, came bounding into the church after hearing the noise.
He ran up to his sister and hugged her. Sabrina, proud of Matt’s new maturity, clasped him to her. “Thank you, Matt.”
Matt gazed in surprise at his sister. “What for?”
“For saving Patrick and for helping him.”
A sheepish grin filled Matt’s face as he looked at his future brother-in-law. “He ain’t so bad once you get to know him.”
Sabrina squeezed her brother. “I missed you and I’m glad you came home.”
Matt held his sister away and looked into her eyes. “I can’t promise I’ll always be the man you want me to be, Sabrina, but I’m working at it.”
“All I want is for you to be happy and to be honest with me and the people who love you.”
Matt hugged Sabrina tightly. “I’m trying.”
“Just because we’ve become friends, doesn’t mean that I’m willing to share your sister with you.”
Sabrina and Matt separated. Sabrina looked at both men. “I think there’s room in my life for both of you.” Patrick smiled at Matt and took Sabrina’s arm to lead her out of the church.
What’s Next? Faith: Scandalous Suffragette Brides
Faith Warren heard the clink of the jail cell doors and prepared herself for the storm that was about to erupt around her. Stepping into the waiting room, her father approached her, his face taught with barely concealed rage. He’d been angry with her before, but she knew there would be consequences for her actions today.
He took her by the arm. “Don’t say a word until we are in the carriage.”
The door swung open and several reporters from the Boston Evening Traveller greeted them. “Miss Warren do you think your father’s bank treats women unfairly?”
“Miss Warren, why don’t you go to work in your father’s bank?”
“Mr. Warren, what do you think of your daughters involvement in the suffragette movement.
Her father gripped her elbow almost dragging her to the waiting carriage. He didn’t say a word and she knew from his rigid body, he was the angriest she’d ever seen him.
When the reached the carriage he opened the door and she crawled in, followed closely by her father.
The driver clicked to the horses and away they went, with the reporters standing there laughing.
She sighed. She knew better than to say anything. Long ago, she’d learned that nothing embarrassing or revealing was discussed when a servant was nearby. She glanced out the window at the passing homes, knowing her activities with the ladies would be curtailed. Six long months and then she could walk out of her family home and hopefully into the school she hoped to create for young girls.
The carriage turned and came to a halt in the prosperous neighborhood on Beacon Street. She could see reporters milling around the front of the house close to the street. The door opened and her father waited holding out his hand. She had no choice, though she wanted nothing more than to escape to her room and avoid the confrontation she knew awaited her.
The reporters were making a mad dash across the street. “Miss Warren, Miss Warren.”
Taking her elbow her father pulled her towards the steps leading into the house. Reluctantly she followed, feeling like she was walking to the gallows. Their maid opened the door. “Good evening, Mr. Warren, Miss Warren.”
“Good evening, Martha,” her father said.
Faith nodded her head, but kept her lips closed, knowing that was what was expected of her.
Not releasing her elbow, he took her straight into his office and closed the door.
Then he sighed. “Sit.”
She took a seat in the chair across from him as he went behind his desk. A tick tock of the clock could be heard, but nothing else as they sat there staring at one another.
“If your mother were alive, she’d be quite disappointed in you.”
Faith knew better than to argue and she didn’t believe his statement. Her mother had been the one who encouraged her not to define her life by marriage, but rather to learn and grow. And she had in honor of her mother and then slowly for herself. But she knew better than to argue. It didn’t really matter what she said because her father didn’t listen.
“While I’m glad it wasn’t my bank you marched against, but still it’s my competitor.”
Next weekend they were slated to march against her father’s bank. And she’d known there was no way she could be seen marching with the women, so she’d gone this weekend. But she wasn’t about to tell her father that his bank was on the schedule.
“Attending college was the worst thing I’ve agreed to. Since you graduated, you’ve become involved in this women’s movement. You’ve embarrassed the family, my business and we have reporters out in front of our home. I should have married you off years ago.”
He sighed and gazed at her. “In your own best interests, I’m sending you out of town for awhile until this scandal dies down.”
“No,” she cried knowing she wasn’t suppose to speak, but unable to stop the word from coming out of her mouth.
He frowned at her. “Silence.”
She couldn’t be sent away from Boston. She was working with the ladies to find a location for her to start a boarding school and begin to teach young women. They were scheduled to look at property next week and when she received her trust fund in February, she would have the school ready by the next fall. There was too much to prepare if she wanted to start on time.
“Your aunt told me that Cal Anderson is searching for a teacher for his grand-daughter, Lilly Anderson. You know the little girl your cousin had with the rancher from Montana.”
Cousin Beth was the girl who should have been her father’s child. She was the one who enjoyed parties and shopping and dancing the night away. She was the one who flirted with every available man and had gotten caught in more than one compromising position. Until she’d eloped with the rancher from Montana shocking them all. A rancher hadn’t seemed the right fit for her.
“I have your train ticket to Sweetwater Springs, Montana. You’re leaving on the train with your aunt Edwina in the morning.”
Look for Faith Scandalous Suffragette Brides coming in February 2016
Thank You For Reading
Dear Reader,
Thank you. This book is actually the first book I ever wrote and I centered it around a little town where my grandparents lived when my mother was a little girl. None of the characters are my family, but the town had an old courthouse in the center of town that was a unique building.
As always, if you’re inclined, I would appreciate your letting everyone know by leaving a few words on your favorite vendors website. Whether or not you loved the book or hated, it-I’d enjoy your feedback. Here is a link to my author page on Amazon. You can find all my books listed there along with a video on My Lipstick and Lead series. Click the follow button to learn when a new book is released.
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Thanks for venturing into my world and may I see you here again soon.
Yours in Drama, Divas, Bad Boys and Romance!
Sincerely,
Sylvia McDaniel
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Sylvia McDaniel is a best-selling, award-winning author of over thirty western historical and contemporary romance novels. Known for her sweet, funny, family-oriented romances, Sylvia is the author of The Burnett Bride
s a historical western series, The Cuvier Widows, a Louisiana historical series, Lipstick and Lead, a western historical series and several short contemporary romances.
Former President of the Dallas Area Romance Authors, a member of the Romance Writers of America®, and a member of Novelists Inc, her novel, A Hero’s Heart was a 1996 Golden Heart Finalist.
Married for over twenty years to her best friend, they have two dachshunds and a good-looking, grown son who thinks there’s no place like home. She loves gardening, hiking, shopping, knitting and football (Cowboys and Bronco’s fan), but not necessarily in that order.
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Books by Sylvia McDaniel
Western Historicals
A Hero's Heart
The Burnett Brides Series
The Rancher Takes a Bride
The Outlaw Takes a Bride
The Marshal Takes A Bride
The Christmas Bride
Boxed Set
The Burnett Brides
Lipstick and Lead
Desperate
Deadly
Dangerous
Daring
Determined
Deceived
Scandalous Suffragette Brides
Abigail
Bella —Coming Soon
Callie – Coming Soon
Southern Historical Romance
A Scarlet Bride
American Brides Series
Katie
The Surprise Brides
Ethan
The Cuvier Women
Wronged
Betrayed
Bequiled
Boxed Set
The Cuvier Women
Contemporary Romance
My Sister's Boyfriend
The Wanted Bride
The Relationship Coach
Boxed Set
Kisses, Laughter & Love
Christmas Romance
The Reluctant Santa
Short Sexy Reads
Racy Reunions Series
Paying For the Past
Her Christmas Lie
Cupid’s Revenge
Second Chance Cowboy Page 23
