Mail Order Bride: Deception (Historical Western Romance): Clean Romance Series (Western Mail Order Brides Book 1) Read Free Page A
Author: Samantha Price
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Violet, wasn’t old enough to be aware of what was happening.
He looked back to the man at the ticket counter. “Thank you, Warren.”
“Do you want me to try again?” Warren asked.
Austin looked around the train station to see that the crowd had thinned. “I’m sure if she were here she would have shown up after the second announcement. Thanks, anyway.” He turned away, and nearly ran into the young woman from earlier.
“Hello,” she said.
“Hello. You’re still here?” He was pleased that the decision of whether he should speak with her again or not had been taken out of his hands.
“Yes.” She laughed, raising her arms slightly.
He smiled, looked at the ground, and then his gaze settled back to her bright eyes. “Might I drive you somewhere?” He looked around about him. “It looks like whoever was supposed to collect you isn’t here.”
She leaned forward slightly. “I have a confession to make.”
He drew his eyebrows together. “Yes?”
“I’m the one that you’re looking for. I’m Victoria,” she blurted out.
He tried to process the information. He was hesitant, because he did not know what reason she would’ve had to say she wasn’t Victoria in the first place. “Hmm… interesting,” was all that he said.
“I don’t know why I didn’t tell you straight away that I was Victoria. I’m just scared, that’s all.” Leah blinked rapidly, and looked down.
He thought her a strange woman, but in his heart he was glad that she was Victoria. Why hadn’t she told him? He thought himself a fool for not realizing it before; he could’ve saved himself a good fifteen minutes. “Well, it is very nice to meet you, Victoria Hadley. I’ve heard many good things about you.”
“You have? What have you heard, exactly?” She tipped her head slightly to one side.
He held out his hand, and she shook it. The moment their hands touched, he knew that he’d done the right thing by finding a new wife.
“What have you heard about me, then?” she asked again.
He laughed. “I’ve heard nothing about you except from your letters. I’ve read your letters more than a few times, I must say. I like what you’ve told me about yourself.”
Leah breathed out. “Oh, good.”
He leaned down and took hold of her satchel. “Is this all?”
She nodded. “I don’t need much.”
He rubbed his chin. “I thought from your letters that you were bringing much more than this.”
“Yes, that’s right. I was, I mean, I did, but it was stolen on the way, along with the money I brought with me.” She blinked rapidly, as she stared at him.
“It was?”
She nodded.
He shook his head and breathed out heavily. “There’s more of that happening all the time. Did you see who robbed you?”
“I was asleep and when I woke, I saw that there was only this satchel. All my other cases had gone. I asked those nearby, but they didn’t remember seeing anything.”
He nodded in the direction of the carriage as he started to walk. “Did you report it to anyone?”
She walked quickly to keep up with him. “I didn’t think that anything could be done.”
“I’ll let my brother, Hank, know; he’s the Marshal.”
“Really? Having a brother who’s a Marshal must come in handy.”
“Sometimes.” He glanced at her. “I suppose you’re tired?”
“I am. I’ve been traveling a long time.”
“We don’t need to go see Hank straight away. We’ll see him tonight at dinner anyway.”
“We will; at dinner?”
“Yes, and you can tell him all about it then. My mother is cooking dinner for the whole family tonight, and all my brothers will be there, the five of them, along with my brother-in-law, and one of my sisters.” Austin helped her up onto the carriage, and then he joined her. He was sure that they would get along just fine. “You’ll stay at my mother’s house until after our wedding if that suits you. My sister, Beth, lives there temporarily with her
He looked back to the man at the ticket counter. “Thank you, Warren.”
“Do you want me to try again?” Warren asked.
Austin looked around the train station to see that the crowd had thinned. “I’m sure if she were here she would have shown up after the second announcement. Thanks, anyway.” He turned away, and nearly ran into the young woman from earlier.
“Hello,” she said.
“Hello. You’re still here?” He was pleased that the decision of whether he should speak with her again or not had been taken out of his hands.
“Yes.” She laughed, raising her arms slightly.
He smiled, looked at the ground, and then his gaze settled back to her bright eyes. “Might I drive you somewhere?” He looked around about him. “It looks like whoever was supposed to collect you isn’t here.”
She leaned forward slightly. “I have a confession to make.”
He drew his eyebrows together. “Yes?”
“I’m the one that you’re looking for. I’m Victoria,” she blurted out.
He tried to process the information. He was hesitant, because he did not know what reason she would’ve had to say she wasn’t Victoria in the first place. “Hmm… interesting,” was all that he said.
“I don’t know why I didn’t tell you straight away that I was Victoria. I’m just scared, that’s all.” Leah blinked rapidly, and looked down.
He thought her a strange woman, but in his heart he was glad that she was Victoria. Why hadn’t she told him? He thought himself a fool for not realizing it before; he could’ve saved himself a good fifteen minutes. “Well, it is very nice to meet you, Victoria Hadley. I’ve heard many good things about you.”
“You have? What have you heard, exactly?” She tipped her head slightly to one side.
He held out his hand, and she shook it. The moment their hands touched, he knew that he’d done the right thing by finding a new wife.
“What have you heard about me, then?” she asked again.
He laughed. “I’ve heard nothing about you except from your letters. I’ve read your letters more than a few times, I must say. I like what you’ve told me about yourself.”
Leah breathed out. “Oh, good.”
He leaned down and took hold of her satchel. “Is this all?”
She nodded. “I don’t need much.”
He rubbed his chin. “I thought from your letters that you were bringing much more than this.”
“Yes, that’s right. I was, I mean, I did, but it was stolen on the way, along with the money I brought with me.” She blinked rapidly, as she stared at him.
“It was?”
She nodded.
He shook his head and breathed out heavily. “There’s more of that happening all the time. Did you see who robbed you?”
“I was asleep and when I woke, I saw that there was only this satchel. All my other cases had gone. I asked those nearby, but they didn’t remember seeing anything.”
He nodded in the direction of the carriage as he started to walk. “Did you report it to anyone?”
She walked quickly to keep up with him. “I didn’t think that anything could be done.”
“I’ll let my brother, Hank, know; he’s the Marshal.”
“Really? Having a brother who’s a Marshal must come in handy.”
“Sometimes.” He glanced at her. “I suppose you’re tired?”
“I am. I’ve been traveling a long time.”
“We don’t need to go see Hank straight away. We’ll see him tonight at dinner anyway.”
“We will; at dinner?”
“Yes, and you can tell him all about it then. My mother is cooking dinner for the whole family tonight, and all my brothers will be there, the five of them, along with my brother-in-law, and one of my sisters.” Austin helped her up onto the carriage, and then he joined her. He was sure that they would get along just fine. “You’ll stay at my mother’s house until after our wedding if that suits you. My sister, Beth, lives there temporarily with her