Mistletoe Mommy. Danica Favorite

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СКАЧАТЬ their wives to cover their debts. Slavery might have been abolished, but it didn’t stop men from making backroom deals to hand over their wives for financial compensation.

      Married to a man who’d had no part in the arrangement, Nellie would be protected from them coming after her. She’d run away when Ernest died, but they’d found her at her sister’s and dragged her back to the horrible place they’d been keeping her.

      Where she’d seen cruelty in the faces of other men, she saw a kindness in Mr. Jeffries, a gentleness, and a deep sadness at having lost his wife. She didn’t expect him to love her in that way, but knowing that this man had a heart made it seem safer somehow to trust him. Even though there was still so much to learn about him.

      Glancing up at Mr. Jeffries, she smiled. “Since we’re to be married, might I trouble you for your name? I heard Mrs. Heatherington refer to you as Mr. Jeffries, but we should discuss what I am to call you.”

      “Luke.” He smiled back at her and squeezed her hand. “And I hope you will allow me to call you Nellie.”

      “Of course.” She returned his smile, though part of her wished she hadn’t made the effort. Luke had a pleasantness of manner, and the way he looked at her almost made her feel like a schoolgirl.

      But she’d long ago lost any of those schoolgirl dreams.

      Nellie hated the thought that she needed a man. But the police only shook their heads pityingly and told her they couldn’t help her when she’d gone to them to escape the men who’d bought her.

      “Go to your husband or father,” they’d said. What was a woman without either to do? Especially since one of the men Ernest sold her to had claimed he was her father, and at that point no one would listen to her story. A father had the right to do what he wanted with his errant daughter. A husband could force his wife into unspeakable things, and no one would lift a hand to help her. Nellie’s only chance was to find a good man who would give her the protection of his name.

      As they crossed the street and headed toward the restaurant Nellie remembered passing on the way here, she stole a glance at Luke. He didn’t seem the sort to hurt a woman. Though Mrs. Heatherington’s words might have provoked a lesser man, he’d remained calm and polite, and Nellie hadn’t seen any signs of a temper.

      Still, when she found herself seated across from Luke at a table, she had to wonder whether she could really trust him. He’d been a man looking to get what he wanted; therefore, he’d shown only his most pleasing side.

      When the waiter came and poured her a cup of tea, Nellie couldn’t help herself.

      “What do you think of the roast beef?” she asked, pointing at the menu but leaning forward enough to spill the tea. All over Luke.

      “Oh!” He jumped, but his gaze immediately went to Nellie. “You didn’t burn yourself, did you?”

      She stared at him for a moment. She’d spilled the tea on him. On purpose. Well, not so he would know she’d done it on purpose. But when she’d accidentally spilled things at home, Ernest would yell at her, call her obscene names, and sometimes...

      Nellie shook her head. “No. I’m terribly sorry. I was so engrossed in the menu, I’d forgotten the tea was there. I didn’t mean to be so careless.”

      Kind eyes looked back at her. “Accidents happen. You’ll find, in a house full of children, we have our share of spills.” He dabbed at the mess with his napkin. “And it’s only tea. Easy enough to get out in the wash.”

      The waiter rushed over with more tea and napkins.

      “I do apologize,” Nellie told him. “I’m usually not so clumsy.”

      With a smile, the waiter said, “It’s all right, miss. Happens all the time.”

      “That’s just what I was telling her.” Luke sent another warm look her way. “I believe she’s a little nervous, as she’s just accepted my proposal of marriage.”

      A broad smile lit up the waiter’s face. “Congratulations to you both.”

      “Thank you,” Nellie said, feeling some of the heaviness leave her chest.

      As soon as the waiter left, Luke leaned in. “I hope it’s all right that I said that. It occurred to me that you might be nervous about marrying me, which accounts for your accident. I know we’re strangers, but I hope that over the next couple of days, you can get to know me and feel more comfortable with your decision.”

      His words already made her feel better about marrying him. After all, Ernest had wooed her with sweet words about her beauty and how much he loved her. Luke was more focused on making her feel at ease with him and the situation. Nellie couldn’t recall a time when Ernest had done the same. Even in public, he would have said something to belittle her.

      “I appreciate that,” she said, smiling. “I hope I can do the same for you.”

      He nodded slowly. “I just need to know you’ll be good to my children. Love them like your own. Keep the household running smoothly.”

      Luke paused, looking around the room before bringing his attention back to her. “And I hope it’s not too much to ask, but I would dearly love a clean house. I hate to speak ill of the dead, but Diana was not much of a housekeeper.”

      For a moment, Nellie looked at him, unsure what to make of the twinkle in his blue eyes. “What do you mean by not much of a housekeeper? My late husband was most particular, and I—”

      Nellie gave an involuntary shudder, hating the memories that came to her, unbidden.

      Luke leaned forward and placed his hands over hers. “We’ll come to an agreement, don’t you worry. I learned to do the dishes Diana left in the sink because she’d gotten carried away with visiting her friends, and I imagine if you can’t do things to my liking, I can do it myself. That’s what marriage is about. Finding ways to compromise and figuring out what’s most important.”

      He gave her hands a squeeze, then leaned back in his chair. “The world didn’t end because the dishes didn’t get done in a timely manner. And now that Diana’s gone, I’m grateful her friends got that extra time with her. When you lose someone you love, you figure out that the battle you thought worth fighting shouldn’t have been fought at all. I’d do the dishes every single day if it meant having her back.”

      With a slight shake of his head, Luke continued. “No disrespect to you, of course. I’m just saying that you don’t have to bend over backward to please me. All I ask is you do your best, and I promise to do the same for you.”

      Tears filled Nellie’s eyes. She’d thought herself immune to a man’s sweet words. But these words held a different kind of sweetness—the hope that not all men were monsters. And perhaps even an answer to all the prayers she’d said on this journey. That she’d find someone who would be kind to her.

       Chapter Two

      When they’d finished their meal, Luke escorted Nellie across town to the hotel where she’d been staying. Because she was a woman traveling alone, the respectable establishments had turned her away. Too many women of ill repute came under the guise СКАЧАТЬ