Josephine: Bride of Louisiana (American Mail-Order Bride 18) by Cindy Caldwell Read Free Book Online Page B

Pierre is anxious to meet you.”
    She’d laid down for a bit but was entirely too anxious to sleep. She’d eventually given up and had since been putting her new clothes into the wardrobe.
    As she’d put the last one away--a beautiful, caramel-colored velvet dress that was her absolute favorite--she looked at the time and gasped. If she didn’t hurry now, she’d be late.
    She opened up the wardrobe and took a step back, the beautiful colors and fabrics all lined up. She’d rarely had to make any other choice but between bad and worse and she found herself chewing her fingernail as she lifted the skirt of each one, trying to decide.
    With no time left, reached for the closest one--Bernadette had mentioned that they all were lovely on her--and slipped it on. She reached for the matching slippers at the bottom of the wardrobe and slipped those on, too, closing her eyes as they glided on as if they’d always been hers.
    She stood and looked in the mirror, twirling once and smiling at the feel of the full, satin skirts brushing against her, the sound one she’d not heard for a very, very long time. No wonder ladies loved to buy the garments they made in the factory. She clasped her hands together, smiling at her reflection.
    Sitting at the vanity, she brushed her hair, pulling back the top half, piling it into a bun and securing it with the tortoiseshell hairpins Bernadette had insisted she take. She fiddled with some loose strands and decided to leave them, hoping that at least Pierre might find her somewhat attractive, even if their marriage was to be in name only.
    Her stomach flipped as she thought of the beautiful ladies in the shops she and Bernadette had gone into earlier. Even now as she looked at herself, she knew that she was nothing like them. And even in this lovely dress, she still felt...not near as elegant as they were. She’d even noticed a few sideways glances at her, particularly at her dress. They’d all had fans, even in the cooler fall air, and she grabbed the one Bernadette had also insisted she needed, although she had not a clue what to do with it.
    Nothing she could do about that now. With one last glance in the mirror, she pinched her cheeks and bit on her lips a little, hoping that they both might still be pink by the time she got downstairs.
    At the top of the stairs, she gripped the bannister to steady herself as she heard two male voices in the parlor--at least she assumed it was the parlor as she’d had not time yet for a tour of the whole house. She walked down as gracefully as she could, managing to lift her long skirts, the yards of fabric threatening to topple her head over heels. That was the last thing she needed right now.
    She breathed a sigh of relief as she reached the bottom and peeked around the corner, into the room she’d heard voices coming from.
    Tall, thin Jerome stood by the tall window on the far side, the light of the lamps and fire in the hearth casting shadows around the room. In the semi-darkness, Josephine could make out the silhouette of a very tall man, his broad back to her. His long, black coat outlined muscled shoulders and his black, wavy hair fell a bit over his collar. His breeches were tucked into tall, shiny black boots as she’d seen on many of the men in New Orleans, and thought them to be most practical on a farm--or a plantation.
    “As I said, Pierre, this is something that we must--oh, hello, Josephine.” Jerome smiled and he walked toward the door, his elbow extended.
    She stepped into the doorway, struggling past her nerves to force a smile. “Hello, Jerome. How lovely to see you again.”
    She assumed from his bright smile and short bow that she’d said the right thing. She’d heard the ladies in the shops say it to each other in greeting and thought if they said it, so should she.
    “Bon soir, Josephine. You look lovely this evening.”
    She smiled and lowered her eyes, giving him a small curtsy before she took his arm, butterflies now