Be My Bride by Regina Scott Read Free Book Online Page A

out her hand in entreaty. “Please don’t let anyone know. Nathan tried to take care of us. He always brought enough money home from his trips to see us through a year or two. He was hoping this last trip would put him in a position to share in some prize money. It also put him in more danger. When he was killed in battle, I was sure he’d put something aside for us in his belongings, but the Admiralty swears there was nothing. Jonathan will do what he can for us, I’m sure. It’s just that three growing boys . . .”
    Daniel nodded in understanding. “Then we should marry.”
    “Well, I like that,” Cynthia exclaimed, drawing back in surprise. “Don’t I have something to say in this matter?”
    He had the good sense to look abashed. “I’m sorry if I seem to be making decisions for you, but can’t you see our marriage would be for the best? This place is huge, I’ve got plenty of blunt with nothing useful to spend it on, and truth be told I think I’ve always been lonely. Don’t you see – we both get what we need.”
    It was quite logical. She could see that. Jonathan and his sisters would be delighted with the match – in fact, one of the reasons she had teased him so unmercifully when they were younger was that their parents kept insisting he would one day offer for her. Sometimes she thought she had just been building up an excuse as to why he wouldn’t offer. But now he had offered, and if she accepted him, the boys would have a father, one who would dote on their every act, and a steady, reliable source of income. It was perfect for the boys and for Daniel. But would it be perfect for her?
    She smiled politely at him. “You’ve given me a great deal to think about, Mr. Lewiston.”
    He raised an eyebrow. “ Mr. Lewiston? I was just plain Daniel at the start of this conversation. Have I been demoted for my audacity?”
    “No,” she said with a laugh. “I’m sorry, Daniel. It’s just that this is a very serious decision. I need time to think.”
    “Take all the time you like,” he replied, returning her smile. Another cheer went up from the bowlers. “Just so long as you allow them to visit while you think.”
     

Chapter Six
     
    For the next week, she thought. She thought on long walks through the Kinsle/Lewiston fields while the boys were studying with Tims. She thought while she sat up rocking Adam to sleep. She especially thought every time the boys disappeared for Daniel’s house. The logic of his proposal seemed flawless. The benefits to him and the boys were numerous. The benefits to her were not inconsiderable.
    Daniel had made it plain that he would take an active part in raising the boys. While she could not gainsay Nathan’s love for their sons, his voyages, which usually kept him away from them for eighteen months or longer, made it impossible for him to help raise them. A part of her couldn’t wait to share the burden. And a very selfish part of her couldn’t wait to live in a house with servants at her beck and call. She could not say she would be sorry to never darn another sock, never plead with the authorities for money, never cook her own dinner from food that was barely fit to eat in any circumstance. She could have fine clothes again, someone to fix her hair, a rose garden! And the boys would have the schooling that befitted gentlemen.
    And what would she have to give up to provide this life of luxury for herself and her sons? Every time she reached that point in the argument she found herself shivering. Nathan may not have been home much, but the eleven months in total they had spent together had given her a pretty good idea of what daily life was supposed to be like between husband and wife. She had run away with Nathan because she was madly in love. She could not make the same claim about Daniel, for all that she admired his character. Could she be intimate with a man for whom she held no romantic feelings? And if she found that prospect daunting, did that give