His Remarkable Bride
Page 19
“I’ll bet you’ll have even more children running around this yard before too long,” Emma shifted the conversation, looking across the running, climbing, giggling mass of children to find her own kids.
“We’ve only been married for about eight weeks.” Elspeth grinned, glancing across the lawn to where Athos was standing with Solomon and all three Montrose brothers. From the gestures they were using, they were discussing last week’s baseball game, in which Athos had hit a homerun for the Eastside Eagles. The fact that he was finally able to take the time to play baseball was just another way that their lives had improved since the new station assistant, Roman Danville, had moved to town.
“Eight weeks was more than enough for me,” Katie laughed.
“It’s more than enough for plenty of women,” Emma agreed with a wink.
Elspeth tilted her head to the side in thought. “I don’t know what the future will bring. I was involved with a man for almost a year, and not once was there a hint of a baby.” She’d been open with her new friends about her past, figuring they all knew the pitfalls that women could fall into.
“Do you think you’d be happy if you didn’t have any of your own?” Wendy ventured to ask, snuggling her own baby.
Elspeth’s smile returned as she watched Lael gather a group of younger boys together to climb trees as part of whatever game they were playing. Off in another corner of the yard, Ivy and Heather were having what appeared to be a dignified discussion with Freddy Chance, Noah Kline, and a few of the other boys that were just a tad too old for them. Meanwhile, Geneva and Millicent were helping Muriel Chance and some of her friends with babies that various party guests had handed over to them so they could have grown-up conversations. Vernon and Hubert seemed to be discussing baseball techniques with some of the other older boys. And Thomas was still tearing around, telling everyone he was five years old.
“I think I would,” Elspeth concluded. “We’re so blessed with a loving family already.”
Across the yard, Athos glanced up and caught her eye. Elspeth thought back to their early morning shenanigans, the way they’d tried hard to keep silent and not wake the children. He must have been thinking the same thing. His face flushed, and he left his friends to stride over to join her, like a conquering hero returning home.
“But I wouldn’t say no to more,” Elspeth added for her friends before he reached her.
“More what?” Athos asked, slipping an arm around her waist and kissing her cheek.
At that moment, Elspeth spotted Honoria hurrying down the street. She looked pale and hugged herself as if she was cold, even though the sun was blazing above them. One quick glimpse and Elspeth could see she was crying.
“More…” Her answer to Athos’s question faded as she broke away and rushed through the yard.
She met Honoria a few feet past the edge of the Strong property.
“Honoria, what’s wrong?” she called, getting close enough to touch Honoria’s arm.
Honoria stumbled, then spun toward Elspeth, hurling herself against her for a hug. Alarmed, Elspeth embraced her tightly. Honoria was trembling.
“What’s wrong?” Elspeth repeated.
Honoria tugged away. She turned this way and that, looking confused, lost. She started forward, then hung back as if she didn’t know what do to. Her erratic behavior was cut short by a bout of wracking coughs that nearly doubled her over. She started crying all over again.
“Oh dear.” Elspeth rushed to hug her again. “Please, please tell me what’s wrong, Honoria.”
“I…I…” Honoria hid her face against Elspeth’s shoulder, then whispered, “I’m dying.”
Panic struck Elspeth’s heart. “What? No, there must be some mistake.”
“Elspeth?”
When Elspeth twisted to answer Athos’s questioning call, Honoria broke out of her arms and started running down Prairie Avenue.
“Miss Honoria?” Solomon—who had come to investigate along with Athos—called out in his deep baritone.
The two men sped out into the street. Athos caught Elspeth in his arms.
“What’s wrong? You look upset.” He hugged her.
“Honoria…Honoria just told me she was dying,” Elspeth said, barely above a whisper.
Solomon frowned, glancing between Athos and Elspeth and Honoria’s retreating back. “I’ll go after her,” he said, then jogged on to catch up with her.
For a moment, Elspeth’s spirits lifted. For the past six weeks she’d been trying to orchestrate another meeting between Solomon and Honoria. But after what Honoria had just whispered, what could possibly come of it now?
“Come back to the party,” Athos encouraged her in a tender voice. “Solomon will get to the bottom of it. I’m sure things aren’t as bad as all that.”
Heart still aching with worry, Elspeth tried to put on a smile. “I’m sure you’re right.”
“I’m always right.” Athos smiled, kissing her tenderly right there in the street. “Except when you’re right. Which is most of the time,” he added with a laugh.
She tried to laugh along with him, but ended up hugging him for all she was worth. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Athos.”
“Lucky for you, you don’t have to find out.” He squeezed her tight. “And I’m sure whatever it is can’t be as bad as all that.”
“No.” Elspeth inched back so that she could look into her husband’s eyes, cradling the sides of his face with her hands. “And if there is something wrong, we’ll be there to help her.”
“We will,” Athos agreed. He stole one more kiss, then smiled. “I should have listened to advice and sent away for you, my lady love, so much sooner than I did.”
“I’m here now,” she reassured him, happiness filling her heart once more. “And that’s all that matters.”
* * *
Wait, what? What just happened to Honoria? Is she really dying? And how could Solomon possibly help something so dire? You’ll just have to come back for more in a few weeks when His Forbidden Bride comes out! Honoria and Solomon had much, much more story to be told!
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About the Author
I hope you have enjoyed His Remarkable Bride. If you’d like to be the first to learn about when new books in the series come out and more, please sign up for my newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/RQ-KX And remember, Read it, Review it, Share it! For a complete list of works by Merry Farmer with links, please visit http://wp.me/P5ttjb-14F.
Merry Farmer is an award-winning novelist who lives in suburban Philadelphia with her two cats, Butterfly and Torpedo. She has been writing since she was ten years old and realized one day that she didn't have to wait for the teacher to assign a creative writing project to write something. It was the best day of her life. She then went on to earn not one but two degrees in History so that she would always have something to write about. Her books have topped the Amazon and iBooks charts and have been named finalists in the prestigious RONE and Rom Com Reader’s Crown awards.
You can email her at merryfarmer20@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter @merryfarmer20.
Merry also has a blog, http://merryfarmer.net,
and a Facebook page, www.facebook.com/merryfarmerauthor
Acknowledgements
I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my awesome beta-readers, Caroline Lee and Jolene Stewart, for their suggestions and advice. And a big, big thanks to my editors, Cissie Patterson and Jackson D’Lynne, for doing an outstanding job, as always, and for leaving hilarious comments throughout the manuscript. Also, a big round of applause for my marketing and promo mistress, Sara Benedict.
And a special thank you to the Pioneer Hearts group! Do you love Western Historical Romance? Wanna come play with us? Become a member at https://www.facebook.com/groups/pioneerhearts/
Click here for a complete list of other works by Merry Farmer.
mer, His Remarkable Bride