Regency Romance: The Rake's Fake Marriage (Historical Arranged Marriage Romance) (19th Century Victorian Romance) by Sarah Thorn Read Free Book Online
Authors: Sarah Thorn
bore a great shame because of it. He felt sorry for her. Before he could say anything, she continued.
“So for most of my life, though I did not know it, my father was dealing in corruption in the government.”
“I am sorry you had to discover that about your father, ” Tyler said in a genuine voice. She caught the sincerity, and it made her pause. She looked at his profile, and he turned his eyes to her. “You aren’t your father, Beth.”
She stared at him. No one had called her Beth in her entire life. She liked it when he said it.
He saw the look on her face relaxing a little but could tell she was fighting inside. He didn’t know whether she was angry or just extremely sad. He gave her a comforting look. “It’s going to be okay, Beth. You’ll see. I don’t have a lot of riches, and I’m no politician, that’s for sure. I just work my farm and try to survive and make some money on the side for my…wife and future children.”
Elizabeth bit her lips together. She hadn’t even thought about having children. She had always had someone taking care of her. She couldn’t imagine having to take care of someone else, especially a helpless baby.
She nodded at him and turned her eyes to look straight in front of her. He reached over and took her hand. At first, she stiffened and stared at his hand on top of hers. After her initial shock had passed, she turned her hand over and grasped his with it. She looked up at him, and he smiled.
“It’s going to be okay. You’ll see.”
The good feeling she had for the last five minutes of the ride evaporated when they turned onto the long dirt road that led to the farm. She could feel herself becoming tenser as they got closer to the farmhouse.
It was large, two stories with an attic and it stretched back, with a wrap-around deck. It was only a little smaller than the house she had grown up in, but it was in much worse shape. There were shingles falling off the roof, exposed beams, broken steps leading up to the porch and the column on one side of the porch that was holding up the deck looked like it might be about to give way.
There were two young men working with tools on that column. They were covered in plaster already. She wondered if they had any idea what they were doing.
“That’s Jake and Teddy, ” Tyler said. “Jake is the one with the bright yellow short hair. Teddy is the dark-tanned one with the light brown hair.”
Both the young men had taken their shirts off. Their chests and arms bulged with muscles that she could only see reflected off the flickering gas lamps they had set up all around them.
“Why are they working so late into the evening?” She asked.
“Well, I’m sure you can see that column is about to give way.” He looked at her with a pleasant expression on his face. “I don’t want the roof to come crashing down on my lovely woman, do I?”
She blushed and hoped it was too dark for him to see it. “No, I suppose not.”
He hopped down from the buggy and scooted around it to open the small door for her. She was amused and gave him a smile when he held up one hand to her. He felt a rush of relief and held her hand gently as she got down.
Jake and Teddy had stopped working and were wiping their hands on cloths as Elizabeth and Tyler walked up the steps. One at a time, they introduced themselves to Elizabeth and nodded at Tyler.
“It’s nice to meet you, ” Elizabeth said formally.
“How’s it coming along, fellows?” Tyler asked, stepping away from her to examine the work they had done.
“We’re just about to apply the first layer, Ty, ” Jake answered, walking with him to the column. Teddy followed quickly, giving Elizabeth a friendly look and a nod. “We set up the lamps so that we could see when it gets dark out here. I think we can finish up before nine. That okay with you?”
“Yes, ” Tyler said. “That sounds fine. I appreciate it, boys. It’s looking good so far.”
“We haven’t done much
“So for most of my life, though I did not know it, my father was dealing in corruption in the government.”
“I am sorry you had to discover that about your father, ” Tyler said in a genuine voice. She caught the sincerity, and it made her pause. She looked at his profile, and he turned his eyes to her. “You aren’t your father, Beth.”
She stared at him. No one had called her Beth in her entire life. She liked it when he said it.
He saw the look on her face relaxing a little but could tell she was fighting inside. He didn’t know whether she was angry or just extremely sad. He gave her a comforting look. “It’s going to be okay, Beth. You’ll see. I don’t have a lot of riches, and I’m no politician, that’s for sure. I just work my farm and try to survive and make some money on the side for my…wife and future children.”
Elizabeth bit her lips together. She hadn’t even thought about having children. She had always had someone taking care of her. She couldn’t imagine having to take care of someone else, especially a helpless baby.
She nodded at him and turned her eyes to look straight in front of her. He reached over and took her hand. At first, she stiffened and stared at his hand on top of hers. After her initial shock had passed, she turned her hand over and grasped his with it. She looked up at him, and he smiled.
“It’s going to be okay. You’ll see.”
The good feeling she had for the last five minutes of the ride evaporated when they turned onto the long dirt road that led to the farm. She could feel herself becoming tenser as they got closer to the farmhouse.
It was large, two stories with an attic and it stretched back, with a wrap-around deck. It was only a little smaller than the house she had grown up in, but it was in much worse shape. There were shingles falling off the roof, exposed beams, broken steps leading up to the porch and the column on one side of the porch that was holding up the deck looked like it might be about to give way.
There were two young men working with tools on that column. They were covered in plaster already. She wondered if they had any idea what they were doing.
“That’s Jake and Teddy, ” Tyler said. “Jake is the one with the bright yellow short hair. Teddy is the dark-tanned one with the light brown hair.”
Both the young men had taken their shirts off. Their chests and arms bulged with muscles that she could only see reflected off the flickering gas lamps they had set up all around them.
“Why are they working so late into the evening?” She asked.
“Well, I’m sure you can see that column is about to give way.” He looked at her with a pleasant expression on his face. “I don’t want the roof to come crashing down on my lovely woman, do I?”
She blushed and hoped it was too dark for him to see it. “No, I suppose not.”
He hopped down from the buggy and scooted around it to open the small door for her. She was amused and gave him a smile when he held up one hand to her. He felt a rush of relief and held her hand gently as she got down.
Jake and Teddy had stopped working and were wiping their hands on cloths as Elizabeth and Tyler walked up the steps. One at a time, they introduced themselves to Elizabeth and nodded at Tyler.
“It’s nice to meet you, ” Elizabeth said formally.
“How’s it coming along, fellows?” Tyler asked, stepping away from her to examine the work they had done.
“We’re just about to apply the first layer, Ty, ” Jake answered, walking with him to the column. Teddy followed quickly, giving Elizabeth a friendly look and a nod. “We set up the lamps so that we could see when it gets dark out here. I think we can finish up before nine. That okay with you?”
“Yes, ” Tyler said. “That sounds fine. I appreciate it, boys. It’s looking good so far.”
“We haven’t done much
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