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  Table of contents

  1. THE Infatuated Bride

  2. THE OUTLAW’S MONTANA Bride

  3. THE cALIFORNIA Bride

  4. THE DISHONEST Bride

  5. THE SECRETIVE BRIDE

  6. THE ABANDONED Bride

  7. THE DESTITUTE Bride

  8. THE HEARTBROKEN BRIDE

  9. THE PREGNANT ARIZONA Bride

  10. THE mONTANA Bride

  11. THE BAKER’S Bride

  12. THE NEW MEXICO Bride

  13. THE BARGAIN FOR BRIDE

  14. a match for the bookish Bride

  15. THE convenient BRIDE

  16. THE TOMBSTONE Bride

  17. THE TARGETED BRIDE

  18. THE CHERRY ORCHARD Bride

  19. THE STORYTELLER’S bride

  20. THE Decieved Bride

  EPILOGUE

  KEEP IN TOUCH!

  1. THE Infatuated Bride

  Copyright © Hope Sinclair 2018

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher and writer except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a contemporary work of fiction. All characters, names, places and events are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously.

  For queries, comments or feedback please use the following contact details:

  hopesinclair.cleanandwholesomeromance.com

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  Contents

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  SEVEN

  EIGHT

  NINE

  TEN

  ONE

  Loraine Fuller sat alone in her bedroom, with a book of fiction set out in front of her. She turned the page and sighed. Indeed, it was a very interesting book, and the tales in it were very exciting. But, Loraine had read it a half-dozen times already, and it just didn’t “do anything” for her anymore. In fact, if anything, it made her sad and a bit jealous, for she longed for the type of adventure, and relationships, found inside.

  As it was, Loraine’s life was quite boring. She lived in a big house, on a big parcel of property, in the wealthiest neighborhood of Baltimore. But, for all the property and money her family had, the poor girl lacked friends. Her neighbors were few and far between, and the bulk of them were elderly couples, whose youngest children were at least twice Loraine’s age.

  Alas, things were just as lonesome for Loraine on the home front. She was an only child and had no siblings. What’s more, her mother had passed away when she was just a toddler. So, the only other person that lived in that big house on that big parcel of property was her father—and, he was a strict, cold man, who spent most of his days working, with his nose buried in uninteresting, unexciting books filled with numbers.

  Loraine pushed her book aside and went over to her window. She gazed out of it with a heavy, yet hopeful heart. Today’s the day, she thought to herself. I’ll finally have someone to play with.

  Loraine was but 12 years old, you see. And, like all children her age, she had a natural impulse to frolic, be free, and have fun. She yearned to play make-believe, dance, and sing; to climb trees, dig up dirt, and pile up sticks only to knock them down. Sure enough, she did some of these things some of the time. But, she always did them on her own, and, when she tried to draw her father into her activities, he turned his nose up and told her he couldn’t be bothered with such childish things.

  But, today, things were set to change, at least for a short while. One of Mr. Fuller’s powerful business associates was coming from Dallas, Texas, to Baltimore, to work on his fiscal-year report, and he was bringing his family with him—including his two children. The family was slated to stay at the Fuller house for two weeks while the men worked, and Loraine hoped this meant good times, and companionship, were in store for her.

  Is that them? Loraine asked herself, spying a covered carriage in the distance. Her heart raced inside of her chest, and she wished the horses would pick up their pace to match it in stride. It must be them! She assured herself as the carriage passed the roads that led to a few of the other, smaller houses.

  Loraine didn’t know much about the children who were coming with her father’s associate. She didn’t know whether they were boys or girls, or exactly how old they were. But, the fact that her father had used the word “children” was promising, and she knew—she just knew—that, unlike him, they were sure to enjoy “childish things.”

  “Yes, yes! It is them!” Loraine sang out a few minutes later. She’d said the words aloud, even though there was no one in the room to hear her, but for her dolls.

  Loraine ran over to her mirror to check that her face, hair, and clothes were in order. Her father had always told her, “First impressions are very important,” and she wanted to make sure she looked her best for their guests.

  Several seconds later, after pushing her long brown hair over her shoulders and pulling at her soft-pink dress, Loraine stepped away from the mirror and left her bedroom. She hurried to the long spiral staircase that led downstairs. But, before she could get her foot on the top step, her father spoke up from below.

  “Stay in your room, girl,” he said in a brisk voice. “I’ll meet our guests myself, then call for you when the time is right.”

  “But, Father—” Loraine whined.

  “But nothing, child,” Mr. Fuller interrupted. “This is above all a business call, remember. And, I’d like to meet Mr. Lawrence on my own first, rather than be distracted by family matters.”

  Loraine sighed a defeated sigh, turned, and went back to her room. She knew well enough that debating the issue with her father was pointless. When his mind was set on something, it was set, and there was no changing it.

  Once she was in her room, Loraine rushed over to her window again—though she knew that was pointless too. The way the entrance to her home was set up, it would be impossible for her to see their guests as they got off of their carriage and made their way to the house. But, nonetheless, she perched herself against the sill and tried to see something… to no avail.

  A few minutes later, she heard noises from the floor below, and she went to her door, cracked it open, and listened. The booming voices of her father and Mr. Lawrence were the loudest of all she heard, and they drowned out any other sounds.

  Loraine continued to eavesdrop as the two men discussed Mr. Lawrence’s travels and the like. Then, she heard Mrs. Lawrence say something as well, though her voice was muffled and she couldn’t make out the woman’s words.

  In any event, a few seconds later, she heard her father say, “Right this way”—and, then, she heard movement toward the staircase.

  Loraine jumped to her feet, gently pushed her door shut, and ran over to her bed. She sat down on the edge of it, smoothed out her dress, and straightened her posture. A moment later, there was a knock on her door.

  “Come in,” Loraine said politely, holding back the eagerness she felt.

  The door slowly swung open, and Loraine’s eyes lit up. But, then, just as quickly, her face went flat.

  “Good afternoon darling,” Mr. Fuller said in a sweet tone that was very unlike him.

  “Good afternoon father,” Loraine responded with a nodded. She could see two smaller figures standing behind her papa, and she tried to inconspicuously appraise them.

  “Mrs. Lawrence is tired from her travels,” Mr. Fuller replied. “And, she’s asked to lie down for a bit
. So, I’m showing her to one of the guest rooms.”

  Loraine nodded again.

  “While she rests, I’d like for you to entertain her daughter,” Mr. Fuller added.

  “Of course,” Loraine replied with a smile.

  Mr. Fuller stepped aside, and the figures behind him came into view.

  The first person Loraine saw was Mrs. Lawrence. She was tall, thin, and appeared very proper—and very tired. She smiled at Loraine and nodded, then looked to Mr. Fuller and bowed her head at him.

  “The two of you behave,” Mr. Fuller said, turning to leave. He and Mrs. Lawrence walked away, and it was then that Loraine saw the other girl. She looked to be the same size, and age, as Loraine, but she wasn’t as “dainty” in comparison. Whereas Loraine was wearing a girlish dress, this other girl was wearing a tunic top and short pants, and her hair was pulled back in a lose ponytail that, clearly, hadn’t been recently combed.

  The girl stepped into the room and shut the door behind her, then went and took a seat at Loraine’s desk. She stared at Loraine with no particular expression on her face, but kept her lips sealed and didn’t say a word. Loraine stared back at her, smiling. But, alas, she didn’t speak either, for she simply didn’t know what to say.

  TWO

  The two young girls sat and stared at each other for a few minutes, though it felt like much longer to Loraine. But, eventually, the silence got the better of Loraine, and she decided to break it. Now that she had a playmate, she didn’t want to waste any more time.

  “Do you like to play with dolls?” Loraine asked, reaching back to grab her favorite doll from the top of her bed.

  “Ha!” the other girl laughed loudly. “I won!”

  “What?” Loraine asked, looking at her curiously. “You won? Won what?”

  “You talked first, so I won,” the girl smiled proudly.

  “I…I… I didn’t know we were playing a game,” Loraine replied with a frown.

  “Well, we were, and I won,” the girl clarified. “When two people sit there, staring at each other in silence, the game starts… And, whoever can stay quiet the longest wins—or, in other words, whoever talks first loses. You talked first, so you lost.”

  “Oh,” Loraine said softly, blushing. “I didn’t know.”

  “Haven’t you ever played that with your friends?” the girl asked.

  Loraine shook it from side to side. “I don’t really have any friends,” she answered.

  “What?” the girl laughed. “Surely you jest! Everyone has friends… What about your classmates at school? What about the kids that live in the nearby houses?”

  Loraine shook her head again. “There are no children that live nearby, just old people,” she said. “And, I don’t have any classmates in school, because I don’t go to school. I learn my lessons through a private tutor my father hired. She comes here to teach me… I’ve never even seen the inside of a schoolhouse, you know.”

  Loraine sighed and bowed her head in sadness, and the other girl wiped the smile off of her face. She could tell that Loraine was very unhappy about her situation, and she felt compassion for her.

  “Well, that’s rather unfortunate,” the girl said, standing up from the chair and walking over to Loraine’s bed. She sat down beside Loraine, and took the doll from her hand. “But worry no longer,” she added. “My name is Amy Lawrence, and I’ll be your friend.”

  Loraine looked up at Amy and smiled the broadest smile she’d ever smiled. Without another word on the matter, the two girls started playing with Loraine’s dolls, and it wasn’t until over an hour later that they spoke of more “practical” things again.

  “I thought there were two of you,” Loraine said at a dully moment in their make-believe.

  “Huh?” Amy asked.

  “My father said that Mr. Lawrence had two children,” Loraine answered. “So, where’s your—”

  “Yes, yes,” Amy interrupted, rolling her eyes. “There are two of us. But, take my word for it, you’re playing with the better one. My brother is nothing but a bother, and a bore. He’s not very much fun at all, and I often finding myself wishing my parents had had another girl instead of him.

  “He doesn’t like to play with dolls, draw, put on skits, or anything like that. He’s a stick in the mud, just like my father. And, I guess that’s why my father is grooming him the way he is…Sometimes, when Father conducts business, he takes John to his meetings with him, hoping he’ll learn a thing or two about his trade. So, that’s where John is now—downstairs with our fathers. And, he can stay there for all I care! We’ll have a much better time without him dragging us down.”

  Amy stopped talking and started playing again, and, for a brief moment, Loraine considered sharing her thoughts on the matter. But, that brief moment passed, and Loraine decided it was best to keep her thoughts to herself. She picked up her doll and returned to play.

  Another hour or so passed, and the girls grew tired of playing with their dolls. So, Amy suggested that they go outside to run around and explore. Loraine was all for the idea, and she quickly ushered Amy out the door and out of the house.

  Within no time, the girls were engaged in lively, active play. They chased each other, play hide-and-seek, and challenged each other to see who could collect the most rocks. Ah, Loraine had such a jolly time! Sure enough, Amy did too. But, for Loraine, their play was novel and had great meaning. It was the first time she really “let lose” with another child her age, the first time she truly experienced all the fun and frivolity of youth.

  Before long, Loraine’s pink dress got dirty and took on a darker, inconsistent hue. He stockings tore in a few places and turned green from the grass, and her shoes became so soiled that her father would likely never let her wear them again. Her ivory face glowed red and glistened with sweat, and strands of her hair, along with a few blades of grass and specks of dirt, clung to it. By some standards, one might say she looked a “mess,” but Loraine simply didn’t care how she looked, because she felt wonderful.

  An hour passed, then two. The girls were so lost in their playing that time came to mean nothing to them. But, alas, it meant something to the adults who were in the house. When suppertime came around, Mrs. Kingston, the Fuller’s housemaid and cook, came out and called the girls in for dinner. Of course, they didn’t want to stop playing, and they tried to ignore her. But, after she called out to them two more times, they had to heed her and return to the house.

  “It’s about time,” Mrs. Kingston said critically when the girls ran in through the back door. She looked at the state the girls were in and shook her head disapprovingly, as adults are expected to do when they see a child in disarray. But, in her heart, Mrs. Kingston was actually quite pleased to see Loraine so tussled, for she knew it meant she was having the fun she deserved.

  Loraine and Amy started toward the dining room, but Mrs. Kingston cut them off. “Stop!” she shouted. “You two need to stay here… You kids will be eating dinner here in the kitchen with me, while the grown-ups eat theirs in the dining room.”

  The girls stopped in their tracks and turned around. “Good,” April said. “I don’t want to eat with them anyhow.” Loraine smiled and nodded in agreement.

  The girls started toward the kitchen table, but, again, Mrs. Kingston cut them off. “No, no, no,” the older woman said, shaking her head. “You both are an awful mess. Go wash up before you sit down.”

  Loraine and Amy both rolled their eyes, then they went off to the downstairs water closet, where they did little more than clean their hands.

  When the girls returned to the kitchen a couple of minutes later, Loraine’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest. There was someone else in the kitchen with Mrs. Kingston, and the sight of that person took Loraine’s breath away.

  “Oh no,” Amy sighed. “You mean he’s eating in here with us too?”

  Loraine looked at Amy curiously.

  “That’s my brother, John,” Amy clarified, rolling her eyes.

 
; Loraine looked over at John again, unable to speak. Though he was “young,” he was not a “child.” He looked to be about 16 years old, and he was the most fetching fellow Loraine had ever seen. She found herself staring at his big blue eyes, his locks of curly dark-blonde hair, and his soft, yet manly face. He was almost a foot taller than her, and his body was defined and strong.

  “You must be Loraine,” John smiled, ignoring his sister’s attitude. His smile made Loraine swoon, and, suddenly, she became aware of her disheveled state.

  “Yes, I am,” Loraine answered, trying to push the hair back from her face. “Its… it’s nice to meet you.”

  Mrs. Kingston was a wise woman, and she could sense what Loraine felt. “Come now, kids,” she said, holding back her snicker and smile. “It’s time to eat.”

  The meal that Mrs. Kingston had prepared was, as usual, very delicious. But, Loraine could hardly pay attention to her food. She was far too preoccupied with the handsome young man who sat across from her, and far too concerned with hanging on his every word.

  As the meal progressed, just as Mrs. Kingston had sensed Loraine’s enchantment with John, so, too, Amy began to sense it too—and, perhaps, John did as well, though he did nothing to indicate as much. Amy, however, tried to sabotage her new friend’s infatuation. Whenever she had the chance, she’d point out one of John’s flaws or cite on of his previous mishaps or ill treatments of her.

  But, despite whatever Amy tried to do, by the time dinner was over, Loraine was even more smitten with John than she’d been when the meal started. And, she continued to talk to him, and admire him, as Mrs. Kingston cleared the table and did her chores.

  But, soon enough, Loraine’s time with John came to an end, when Mr. Lawrence called him out to the main part of the house and asked him to help him calculate some figures for his work. Loraine was very sad to see John leave, but Amy was quite pleased.