ROMANCE: MAIL ORDER BRIDE: The Other Man’s Baby (A Clean Christian Historical Western) (New Adult Inspirational Pregnancy Romance) by Joyce Wright Read Free Book Online Page B

into the hall.
    As soon as they were outside, Clara relaxed. She could almost imagine they were at a public park, or in her own grounds without the magnificence of the living room crowding her. A light breeze hit her face, though it wasn’t cold.
    A pale blue blanket rested on the grass, close to a small fountain of stone birds with water gushing from their beaks. A large wicker basket sat beside it, filled with who knew what delicious foods.
    Clara settled herself, shaking out her skirts so her legs remained hidden while she sat cross legged. Oscar sat beside her, busying himself with the basket.
    “So, miss Clara, what do you think of my manor?”
    “It is wonderful, ” she replied honestly, glancing at the towering building from the corner of her eye, “much grander than I could have pictured myself.”
    He chuckled lightly. “It is not so much more than yours. Your family has a wonderful house too, do they not?”
    “Perhaps it is wonderful, but that does not mean yours is the same.”
    The food was now laid across the blanket. Sandwiches, fresh fruit, wine, and just about everything else Clara had expected. It was hard to imagine so much had fit inside a single picnic basket.
    She took an apple and bit into it carefully, aware that Oscar was so close. She had embarrassed herself with careless words before - she did not want to embarrass herself more by messy eating.
    “How is your family doing?” Oscar questioned as he poured the wine.
    “As good as expected. Father is at work now, and mother is visiting my sister Ruby and her husband.”
    “And Jessie?”
    She felt a pang as her sister’s name was mentioned. He was so invested in Jessie, and yet he had never seen her for more than a moment. Why she cared she didn’t know. “Jessie is fine. She has her studies. I believe mother is trying to find her a husband too.”
    “Any man will be lucky to have her.”
    Clara’s eyes narrowed. Her hands rested on her knees, still clutching the half-eaten apple. “Yes, they will,” she answered, a bite to her voice. There was no mistaking it now - Oscar was only interested in Jessie - and Clara was much more invested in him than she first knew. Funny, how she was so adamant not to marry, and now she was falling for the Duke.
    Oscar looked at her then, lips pursed. “We should not be focusing so much on your sister. It is you I would like to know. Tell me something about yourself?”
    “Such as?” Clara raised a brow, trying to bury all thoughts of Jessie into the back of her mind.
    “What are your interests, your hobbies? A favourite book or food. Anything you feel will give me an insight into who you are.”
    She bit her lip, thinking about it for a moment. She had several interests - many of which her mother considered unsuitable for a young woman of her standing. Engineering, for one - that was a man’s interest, not a woman’s.
    “I enjoy painting,” she finally said, taking another small bite of the apple, “my matron taught me when I was young, though I fear I am not so good at it.”
    “Painting? I have known many people who say the cannot paint, and yet they are excellent at it. I am sure you are the same.”
    Clara laughed, feeling the corners of her mouth tug upward despite herself. “I assure you, while I find it fun it is certainly not a talent I own.”
    “Nonsense! I must see your work some time, if you permit it.”
    Biting her lip, Clara nodded. “If you wish.”
    Nobody had ever taken an interest in her paintings before - or in any of her activities, really. She attended horse riding lessons with her sister, but that seemed to be the only thing she had in common with anyone. For someone to genuinely be interested in her art - it seemed too good to be true.
    “I am sure they will be the best paintings I have seen.”
    Her heart skipped, and she couldn’t stop the smile that graced her full lips. “Thank you. That is a very kind thing to say.”
    “There is something else I would like