Bonds of Matrimony Read Free Page B

never moreso than in the past two weeks.   It broke her heart to leave him.   And the thought of never seeing him
again brought threatening tears to her eyes.
                “Don’t
you dare,” he scolded.
                “Take
care of Artemis,” she choked.
                “You
needn’t even ask,” he reminded her.   “I plan to purchase her from your father.   I happen to have an open stall for her in my own stables.”
                “And
give your mother a kiss for me.”
                He
smiled wryly and replied, “To a passerby, Sir ,
that might sound a bit lewd.”
                She
laughed sadly, already missing his jokes and humor.
                “So
long, Chase.”
                She
took the hand he offered her and returned his firm handshake.   “Take care of yourself, James.   And do write us soon.”
                “I
hope the three of you can finally find some peace and happiness in
America.   Truly.   And who knows, maybe someday, we’ll
meet again.”
                “I’d
like that.”
                Having
said their good-byes, Chase cleared her throat, lifted her chin, and began the
ascent to the deck of the ship.
                “Chase,”
he called after her.
                She
stopped in mid-stride and turned to see him one last time.
                “Remember
what I told you,” he warned ambiguously.
                “Everything,”
she assured him.
                “Especially
the part about Webb.”   It was something
that James would typically say with a playful grin, teasing her for last
night’s fascination with the attractive Texan.   Today, his eyebrows were drawn together, a telling sign of
the seriousness of his warning.  
                She
nodded at him, frowning a bit, and then followed her sister and grandmother to
the decks of the Mauretania.
    ***
                Once
on board, the porter directed them to their cabins.   Chastity prepared herself for the worst as Reese opened the
door to the room they were going to share.   Instead, she was shocked to see the elaborate mahogany
woodwork and furniture.   The double
bed was covered in dark blue velvet that looked particularly inviting after her
late evening.
                “It’s
gorgeous,” Reese gasped.
                “It’s
not quite as awful as James led us to believe, is it?” Chase joked.  
                A
knock sounded on their door, and they let their grandmother in.  
                “It’s
worth the two-hundred pounds per ticket, isn’t it?” Lady Colchester asked with
a flush in her cheeks and a light in her eyes.  
                “Suddenly,
staying locked in my room for five days doesn’t sound awful,” Reese admitted
with a smile.  
                Her
final words were drowned out by the booming horn of the ship, signaling to its
final boarders.  
                “Should
we go out to the main deck and try to find James?   We could wave good-bye one last time,” Reese suggested.
                “We’ll
never see him in that crowd,” Chase pointed out.   “I’m going to lie down for a bit and let everyone settle
in.   I could use a mid-morning nap
after last evening’s excursion.”
                “Oh
yes.   How did it go?” her grandmother
asked.
                Chase
thought of Colton Webb’s laughing brown eyes and beautiful blond mane.   She remembered his tan forearms resting
on the table and his big tanned hands holding his cards.   “It was quite a success,” she
commented, certainly thinking of her meeting with Colton Webb as much as she
was her successful impersonation.
                “So,
what was it like?” Reese whispered, as though there were others around to hear
what they were