His Chosen Bride. Rhonda Gibson

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СКАЧАТЬ ahead and help yourself to breakfast. We aren’t formal here.” Beth waved toward the table lined with food.

      Millie did as she was asked. The food looked and smelled wonderful. Once more, she thanked the Lord for the new job and the benefits it had to offer. She chose a little of everything on the table. Last night, she’d picked at her food; this morning, she intended to enjoy it. A genuine smile touched her lips; maybe today she wouldn’t have to deal with any of the Westlands and could just take pleasure in her first Sunday in Granite.

      Millie poured herself a cup of coffee before picking up her plate and turning back to face the table. The rich aroma of the hot beverage soothed some of the prickles she’d been feeling.

      There were four people present: Beth, Mark, an older woman who looked to be about seventy and a man with brown hair and soft brown eyes. Thanks to the coffee and their welcoming faces, Millie felt as if she could relax.

      “Please, sit by me. I am so anxious to get to know you,” the gray-haired woman invited. Her steely blue eyes twinkled up at Millie.

      How could she refuse such a kind offer? “Thank you.” Millie pulled out the chair beside the woman and sat.

      “My name is Mrs. Englebright. I believe your room is right next to mine.” She picked up her cup and took a sip. When she set it back down, Millie noted that the older woman had added either cream or milk to the coffee.

      “I’m Millie Hamilton.” She reached for the butter. Millie thought the woman already knew who she was, but she didn’t know what else to say.

      Beth smiled about the table. She nodded to the gentleman, who sat up a little taller in his seat.

      He cleared his throat and then announced, “Miss Hamilton, my name is Gerald Lupin. I work for the newspaper office. We will be printing our first issue one day next week.” He returned to his eggs.

      As Millie buttered her biscuit, she replied, “It’s nice to meet you all. I didn’t know Granite had a newspaper office, Mr. Lupin.” She picked up a napkin and placed it in her lap.

      He laid his fork down and then wiped his mouth before speaking. “We’ve been here about a month, but until recently didn’t have all the equipment we needed to print our paper.” Mr. Lupin tore his biscuit in half and reached for a small jar of honey.

      Millie wondered who “we” and “our” were but didn’t ask. She was afraid she might disturb Mr. Lupin with further questions. He seemed a little preoccupied with his meal. She looked down the table at Beth, who simply shrugged.

      “Sorry I’m late,” Levi Westland said as he entered the room. His hair was damp and he wore a crisp white shirt with dark trousers and black boots. “I wanted to finish Mrs. Lewis’s table before we went to church. You know she will be asking me about it this morning after services. It’ll be nice to tell her it’s done.” Levi continued on to the buffet and began filling his plate up with food.

      Millie thought she was going to choke on her bread. What was he doing here? Was he stalking her? Or did he normally eat his meals at Beth’s Boardinghouse? But Beth had told her the day before that the house wasn’t open to customers on Sunday, only residents.

      “You are fine,” Beth said as she wiped jelly off Mark’s mouth.

      Levi scooted into the spot across from Millie, between Mark and Mr. Lupin. “I take it introductions have been made.”

      It was Mark who answered around a mouthful of eggs. “Yep, they been talkin’ and talkin’. Miss Millie hasn’t even had her first bite of Ma’s wonderful biscuits yet.” The six-year-old grinned up at Levi.

      “Thank you, Mark, for that nice compliment but don’t talk with your mouth full.” Beth beamed.

      The little boy swallowed. “Yes, Ma.”

      Levi looked across at her. “You have to try them, Millie. They are very good.”

      Her hackles rose. There he went, telling her what to do again. Millie offered him a sweet smile and said, “All right, but do you think Beth’s rolls will be as tasty as Emily’s cinnamon buns?” She was rewarded with Levi’s sudden choking cough.

      * * *

      Levi sloshed coffee down his throat to wash down the suddenly dry biscuit. Millie took a dainty bite of hers, looking as innocent as the day she was born. Why did she have to bring up the mail-order bride?

      Mark asked, “Who’s Emily?”

      “She’s one of the mail-order brides we met last night.” Millie smiled sweetly at Gerald Lupin.

      Did she hope Gerald would think he had a front-page story and start asking questions? Wouldn’t that set the little town of Granite into a tizzy? He could see the headlines now: Mail-Order Brides Descend On Granite, Texas, Thanks to the Westland Family. Levi wiped his mouth off and proceeded to eat his breakfast.

      Mark asked, “What’s a mail-order bride?”

      Levi wanted to groan and crawl away at the same time.

      He was shocked when Gerald answered, “Mark, a mail-order bride is a woman who answers an advertisement in a newspaper, magazine or catalog. The ad is usually placed by a man who is looking for a wife or a bride. It’s a fairly common practice in some places.” As if speaking to himself he added, “I wonder if we should consider offering that kind of ad in our paper.”

      “Oh.” The little boy sounded as if he had more questions.

      Gerald placed his napkin on the table and stood. “If everyone will excuse me, I need to get ready for church.”

      Beth picked up her plate and Mark’s. “We need to finish getting ready, too, son.”

      Thankfully, Mark hurried after his mother with no further mention of mail-order brides. Levi sighed and tucked into his eggs.

      Mrs. Englebright pushed her almost-empty plate back. “How many brides were there?” She directed her gaze to Millie.

      Millie lowered her roll. “There were three.”

      “And they all came to marry our Levi?”

      Levi felt her gaze upon him but decided to ignore both Mrs. Englebright and the heat he felt burning in his ears.

      He heard the laughter in Millie’s voice. “They sure did. I think they are smitten with him.” She was really enjoying his discomfort. What could he do to stop her?

      The question filled his mind as Mrs. Englebright continued with questions of her own. “And what did you think of the young ladies, Millie?”

      Millie picked up her coffee and blew on it. “They seemed nice enough. I’m sure whichever one Levi chooses he’ll be happy with.”

      “You’re probably right. After the war, women from my hometown were answering those ads. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. When Harvey didn’t come home and I heard he’d died in battle, I thought about it, but, well, I wasn’t ready.” She paused as if deep in thought and then turned a brilliant smile on the both of them. “But most of them gals that did get new husbands were happier than seasoned punch. I asked them to write me after СКАЧАТЬ