Faith stood. Grace handed her the beautiful bouquet Mrs. Craddock at the general store had insisted on making for her. She smiled to herself when she smelled the sweet fragrance of the flowers.
Charity and Hope led the way downstairs. Aggie followed. She and Grace were last. She reached the bottom of the stairs and stopped, remembering her first kiss with Liam happened right in this very spot.
“What’s wrong?” Grace’s concern was etched across her face.
“Nothing. Nothing at all.” She smiled at her happiness.
Everyone grabbed their wraps against the chilly September air. Hiram was waiting in the six-passenger carriage with the steadfast Angus at the reins. One by one they climbed into the fancy carriage. Aggie sat next to Hiram. Faith sat next to Aggie. Grace, Hope, and Charity sat across from them. The wedding party was complete. Faith expelled a wistful sigh.
Grace inquired of her mood. “What is it, Faith? You seem a little bit melancholy. That’s certainly not the emotion a bride should feel on her wedding day. Are you having second thoughts?”
“No, of course not. It is just that I had wanted to get married in the Hanovers’ home like you did. Maybe start a family tradition. But once the news broke that my mother was a descendant of a royal family in India and my father was a lord from England, everyone suddenly wanted to attend my wedding. I suppose I should be overjoyed to be the belle of Creede, considering the way my life here started.” She shrugged.
There was a time when no one wanted her because of who she was. Now everyone wanted her—because of who she was. But none of that mattered any longer.
After Liam’s friend didn’t hear anything back from him regarding the information he had sent, Mr. Patterson followed his first telegram with a second, much more detailed telegram. Liam had read it to her many times since she had recovered from being shot by Lavinia Markham. Now she knew who she was.
She was a little girl born of a royal from India who married an English lord. She had been saved from certain death by a loving nanny during a troubling time in India’s history. During the Rebellion, her mother and father were murdered. Her nanny snuck her out of the country with the help of a loyal housekeeper. But prejudice hadn’t shown favoritism. Her English grandmother shunned her because she was not English and told the nanny to keep the little girl and take her somewhere that she wouldn’t have to look at her.
The telegraph went on to report the nanny kept the little girl and went home to America where her family lived in Kansas City, only to find everyone had moved on with no word as to where. Then the nanny grew ill and died. When she passed, friends brought the little girl to the orphanage where she spent her days learning to be ashamed of the labels people hurled at her.
The telegram revealed Faith’s real name was Aastha, which meant faith or trust. That was the most ironic part of her past. Had Reverend Baker known something more than he admitted or was the name he gave her God’s way of helping her find her way home. While she was happy to know her past, she’d decided to keep the name Faith. It just felt right.
Lost in her thoughts, she was startled when the carriage neared the church. There were horses and buggies as far as the eye could see.
“Good Lord. Has everyone in the country come to our wedding?”
Hiram helped her down from the luxurious carriage and whispered in her ear. “Are you alright, my dear? You seem a little preoccupied about something.”
“Yes, everything is fine. I was reminiscing about the past and how things have come about for me and Liam.”
Hiram looped her gloved hand into the crook of his elbow and patted her hand with love. He was the father she never knew, and she had asked him to walk her down the aisle to her future with Liam.
“I think everything has worked out as God intended. Now let’s get you married. The last time I saw Liam, he was so nervous he was about to wear out his britches from the inside.”
Hiram laughed at his own joke, and Faith laughed right along with him. There was so much joy in her heart, it was nearly bursting at the seams.
Epilogue
Liam lay in bed with his beautiful bride asleep at his side. He could feel her breathing, and he reveled in his new-found happiness.
It had been a long, hard road he traveled from his parents’ death, through his revelation that all things are not created equal, and his salvation all because of the dark-haired, dark-eyed beauty next to him. He smiled at his good fortune.
Faith’s voice startled him from his musings. “What has you so happy?”
“Like you have to ask, my wife.”
He turned and gazed into the soulful eyes of the beauty beside him.
“There are so many things to be happy for.” She snuggled deeper into the bed to get closer to him.
“For instance?” He was teasing her.
“Well, for one, I was glad Lavinia Markham admitted she stole my sewing scissors from my desk the day—well, you know.”
“You mean when that horrid woman threw herself into my arms during the middle of the day so you and Hiram would witness it, hoping once the rumors started she and I were having an affair, she would have witnesses to back up her claim?”
“Yes, that’s the day I shall never forget.”
Faith shuddered next to him. He pulled her closer into his warmth.
“Sheriff Grayson had no problem getting a confession out of her about her killing Mrs. Magar. She finally admitted she stole the scissors. The woman is beautiful, but she has a black heart.”
Faith slapped him on the chest.
“Oh, you think Lavinia Markham is beautiful, do you?”
Liam laughed at his wife’s play at jealousy.
“Only in a superficial way. You, my beloved, are truly beautiful inside and out.”
He loved the innocent blush on his wife’s face. He loved everything about her. Thoughts of last night’s lovemaking had his nether region awake and clamoring for more.
The sultry look in his wife’s eyes told him she had noticed his need and was not opposed to his suggestion. He waggled his brows and moved closer, loving the tinkling sound of her laugh. He leaned in to kiss her. His fingers caressed her arm, grazing the whelp of the scar on her arm.
“Damn that woman. She was determined to remove any threat of competition.” He leaned in and kissed the angry scar.
“Was I in competition? With her?”
Liam saw the doubt cloud her dark eyes.
“Never. Not once did I ever consider the woman. First, she was married. Second, she was a little bit scary. And third, there was never any chance once I laid eyes on you, my wife.”
Faith leaned in and kissed him. His heart soared with gratitude and happiness.
“Wait. I haven’t given you your wedding gift yet.”
“Don’t you think it can wait until after the morning after our honeymoon?”
“Ah, my brave little wife has developed a craving for her husband’s lovemaking. That’s very good to know. But, to answer your question, no, it can’t wait.”
He hopped out of bed in all his nakedness. He was aware of his wife watching his every move and he delighted in her interest in his…manly attributes.
He opened the bureau drawer and pulled out the ornate box holding his gift to his wife.
“What an unusual box. Where did you get it?”
“Just open it,” he urged.
Faith opened the lid on the box and sat motionless for a full thirty seconds before she could speak. Liam could see her emotions racing across her expressive face. Shock. Realization. Awe. Gratitude.
“Do you recognize it?” He needed to know what she was thinking and feeling at this moment.
“Of course, I recognize it.” Breathless, she dipped her hand into the unusual box and lifted the diaphanous scarf she had drawn from memory since childhood. The delicate material sparkled with precious gems.
“It’s exactly as I remembered. So I did have memories. They weren’t just the dreams and fantasies of a li
ttle girl lost.”
“No, they are real. Look inside. There’s something else for you.”
He watched her peek inside the box. It took her another moment, but she realized what it was.
Reverently, she pulled out two photos. A man. And a woman. Liam watched his beautiful wife meet her parents for the first time she could remember.
Tears glistened in her eyes as she caressed each picture, tracing the faces with her fingers, holding them close to her heart. He kept quiet, giving her time to reconcile her past with her future.
“Are you okay, sweetheart? Should I have waited to give these to you another day?”
She flung herself at him and held on to him as if her life depended on him. He would hold her close as long as she needed him.
The sounds of the milk cart clanked its way down the alley in front of his house. He used to hate that damned thing, but now it reminded him of how far he had come from the angry young attorney who defended a young woman he thought he could only hate.
He had told Faith that a name meant something. It spoke about who you were and where you came from. It let people know you belonged. To a place. To a people. To a culture. He and Faith belong to each other’s cultures now. And their hearts belonged to each other.
The sun grew high in the sky and still he held his wife to his chest, giving her time to grieve for the parents she’d lost as well. His friend, John Malone, had pointed out he and Faith were more alike than different. He owed John a round of drinks for the man’s sage advice.
He pulled his wife into his arms and kissed her soundly. From the sultry gaze he elicited in those dark eyes of hers, it was obvious to him she had ideas of her own as to how they would spend their first day of marriage.
If you enjoyed this book, please take a moment to let others know. Word of mouth and online reviews are essential to an author’s success.
If you have comments about this book, I would love to hear from you. Please email me at [email protected]. I’m interested in what you think.
If you enjoyed this book…
If you enjoyed this book, please take a moment to let others know. Word of mouth and online reviews are essential to an author’s success.
If you have comments about this book, I would love to hear from you. Please email me at [email protected]. I’m interested in what you think.
More books in the series…
To read more about the residents of Creede, Colorado, look for these other books in
The Brides of the Rio Grande Series
Grace-Book One – Available now on Amazon
Faith-Book Two – Available now on Amazon
Hope-Book Three – Available now on Amazon
Charity-Book Four – August 2019
Mary-Book Five -November 2019
Aggie-Book Six – December 2019
All of Peggy McKenzie e-books are exclusive with Kindle Unlimited
All of Peggy McKenzie paperback books are distributed wide
Peggy McKenzie & Friends
Langley's Legacy
Finn's Fortune-Kathleen Ball-Book One
Patrick's Proposal-Hildie McQueen-Book Two
Donovan's Deceit-Kathy Shaw-Book Three
Aidan's Arrangement-Peggy McKenzie-Book Four
Heath's Homecoming-Merry Farmer-Book Five
Colin's Challenge-Sylvia McDaniel-Book Six
The Angel Creek Christmas Brides
Charity-Sylvia McDaniel-Book One
Julia-Lily Graison-Book Two
Ruby-Hildie McQueen-Book Three
Sarah-Peggy McKenzie-Book Four
Anna-Everly West-Book Five
The ABC Mail Order Brides
Olivia’s Obligation-Peggy McKenzie-Book Fifteen
And Twenty-Four other authors
Available at Amazon.com
About the Author
ABOUT THIS AUTHOR
Peggy McKenzie was born and raised in Oklahoma. She has been in love with books since as far back as she can remember when her earliest memories are of her summers spent roaming the Ada Public Library. Cool marble floors and polished oak tables transformed the quiet halls into the perfect place to fuel a young girl's imagination.
Fast forward to a few decades later when a move to the romantic southwest of Colorado lit the fire to write once more. Now, she is living her dream in the beautiful mountains surrounded by Ponderosa pines in her home she shares with her husband, Jim, and their three fur babies, Augustus McCray (Gus), Miki (Mickie) and Maddie.
Please follow Peggy on her journey of writing happy endings and second chances one story at a time. She is always excited to hear from her readers. Email her at [email protected]. Visit her website for updated news and releases-www.peggymckenzie.com.
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Twitter: @pegmckenziebook
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Hope-Brides of the Rio Grande - Book 3
Hope Anderson has been in love with Creede’s bad boy since the first moment she laid eyes on him. And now, he’s given her every indication he’s going to propose. So what’s the problem? He confessed in front of the whole town that he cheated with his best friend’s wife and that he’s the reason she and her newborn son are dead. Hope loves Billy in spite of his obvious flaws, but can she ever trust him to be her devoted husband or forgive him for betraying his friend?
Billy Buchanan knows what most people think about him. He can see it in their faces. And yet, he would do everything all over again if he could keep his best friend from knowing the ugly truth about what really happened that day. But now the only other person who knows the truth is back in town and itching to cause trouble. Can Billy win Hope’s love and keep his secret, or will he have to choose between his best friend’s happiness and his own?
Available Now on Amazon
Hope
The End
Faith Page 19
