A Chaotic Courtship

by Bethany Swafford

  “Why did you refuse?”

  Why were we having this conversation now? I hadn’t wanted to have it at all. “Because he was like a brother to me and not at all the man I envisioned myself spending the rest of my life with,” I said a little bitterly. I still couldn’t believe what he had done. And for money?

  John took my hand and squeezed it. “You’ll forgive him,” he said confidently.

  “Not any time soon. My head hurt for days, you know.”

  He laughed again. “And of course, you’re not one to hold a grudge at all.”

  My smile faded as I went back to thinking about what had just happened. “What will happen to him?” I asked. I hadn’t thought about it before, but highwaymen were generally hung for their crimes, weren’t they? Had I just condemned a friend to death by hanging?

  “Don’t worry yourself over it,” John said, seeming to sense my sudden panic. “I doubt there will be any real punishment. I imagine the items will be returned anonymously. Or perhaps compensated in the same way. No one will ever find out about it.”

  Perhaps it wasn’t justice that the son of the gentry would get off where another man might be punished with his life, but I did feel relief. “I only hope he appreciates what his father will do for him,” I said softly.

  “The waltz,” was announced loudly, sending a minor ripple of astonishment through the room.

  “Oh, Avonton society won’t recover from this,” I said lightly with a laugh. Only a few brave souls were stepping out onto the dance floor, Anna and her husband being at the forefront. “Though I’m not surprised the Knightons would attempt to bring the latest style of dance to the country.”

  “Only an attempt?” John asked as he rose from his seat. He kept my hand firmly caught in his as he made a low bow. “Would you do me the great honor of dancing, Miss Forester?”

  Startled, I stared up at him. “You cannot be serious! Waltzing by the pond, out of sight of everyone, is one thing but in front of every acquaintance I have—! It isn’t done!”

  Smiling, John tugged on my hand before bringing it up to his lips. “I took you for a forward thinker, Miss Forester. We cannot allow Lady Anna to have all the fun, can we? You know she will think you sadly faint-hearted if you do not.”

  What would Mother think? I opened my mouth to protest more, but couldn’t find the words. Richfield pulled me to my feet. I’m sure my cheeks were a shade of red that had never been seen on a lady’s face as he led me to the floor. Anna’s smile was proud and excited but did nothing to hide the pain in her eyes.

  “Everyone is staring at us,” I whispered as the music began. I made my curtsey, determined not to look like a fool.

  “Let them,” John said, bowing. “After this, you won’t have a choice but to marry me, Miss Forester.”

  “Is this your evil plan? To ruin my reputation completely, so I have no other choice? I might begin thinking you are a villain of a different sort.”

  We linked hands as the dance began. “You have found me out,” John said as he circled. “I beg you, do not tell your sister. I fear she would give me the same treatment she gave poor Philip Knighton.”

  I was sure he was right on that point. “Then you shall always have to behave yourself.” My cheeks flushed again. Flirting did not come easily to me.

  He laughed at me. There was a sudden shriek, and the dance came to a stop as the musicians stopped playing. “Highwayman! The highwayman was staring at us through the window!”

  Other ladies began screaming, and all the men rushed towards the windows. Anna stood with a shocked look on her face. I glanced around and couldn’t find one specific person. “Will.” I exchanged looks with my betrothed as we spoke at the same time. I added, “I’m going to kill him. Where does he get these ideas of his?”

  “With your father occupied, perhaps we should find your brother?” John asked.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Mother already moving across the hall. She seemed to have remembered what I had not: that when Will became bored at large gatherings, he tended to cause trouble. “I think Mother has it in hand,” I said with a small laugh.

  “I see she does. Should I feel sorry for Will?”

  “Yes.”

  “Will I be in trouble for giving him the idea in the first place?” John asked.

  I lifted my gaze to his in shock. “You gave him the idea?” He shrugged in response, and I shook my head. “Yes, you will be in a great deal of trouble. And not just with my mother.”

  “Then no. I did not give him the idea.”

  “Liar.”

  Laughing, John offered his arm and escorted me away from the dance floor. A different dance was beginning, ladies pulling their partners away from the windows. It was just a typical evening in my life, it seemed.

  I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

  Epilogue

  Four weeks passed in a flurry of activity. Mrs. Richfield and her two daughters, Katherine and Emma, had settled in Vanderson Cottage until the wedding. They were more than happy to help with the planning, and I believed we would be fast friends in no time.

  Invitations were sent out, and my entire family did come for the wedding. The look on my husband to be’s face when he met my family is one I will never forget. He hadn’t believed me when I had warned him about the number of Foresters there were.

  On a beautiful Friday morning, I became Mrs. John Richfield. The gold band on my left hand felt strange, but I knew I would become accustomed to it. I couldn’t keep from smiling as I walked out of the church, my hand in John’s.

  Philip Knighton had left his family home the day after the ball. We didn’t hear any more about the highwayman, and the whole matter was quickly forgotten by everyone who did not know the truth.

  As I had expected, Will was severely disappointed to have been left out of the capture of the highwayman. I fully believed he would pull some prank on my wedding day in retaliation, and had charged Emma Richfield to keep an eye on him. She thought he was adorable, and he used all his skills to keep her as far from himself as possible. Given that Emma was only a year older than Will, I thought it fitting he should be intent on avoiding her.

  I hadn’t forgotten my sister’s interest in Mr. Ward and had asked Richfield to look into it. He could find nothing against the man, but we both agreed to keep an eye on the situation. Mr. Ward was invited to our wedding, and Sarah had used every strategy to be by his side whenever she could.

  The wedding breakfast was loud with conversation and music. I was more than ready for the silence of the carriage ride to Vanderson Cottage.

  “You are unusually quiet, Mrs. Richfield,” my husband said, taking my hand in his.

  “I’m just taking it all in.”

  Smiling back, he leaned over and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Married life was definitely going to agree with me.

  Acknowledgements

  This book would not be what it is today without the help of a few other people. A huge thank you to Carissa Dillon for editing and polishing up my book better than I’d ever hoped for. Thank you to my sister for being my first reader, and my mom for being my first critic. I’m thankful to my writer’s group for always supporting me. And, of course, I can’t forget about my lovely followers on Wattpad for being with me from the beginning.

  You all rock!

  Also Available By Bethany Swafford

  My Hands Hold My Story

  For fans of A Knight of Silence and Read My Lips comes a YA historical western full of grit and heart...

  In 1874, Ivy Steele's deafness is more than a handicap. It's a disease. Surrounded by a family that doesn't understand her, she's learned to cope and find solace where she can. Then, the unexpected happens. Her aunt dies, and her uncle sends her away to rejoin her father's family in Montana.

  Left to fend for herself, after the companion hired to escort her abandons her, sixteen-year-old Ivy faces continual hardship and danger. Several men see an un
accompanied Ivy as a flower ripe for the picking, and things only get worse when masked men hold up their stagecoach.

  Barely scraping through, Ivy makes it to Montana with her nerves shaken and what little money she has in her boot. Expecting a peaceful if not affectionate welcome, Ivy finds herself in greater hardship than she's ever known.

  Surrounded by a stepfamily that hates her, and flung into a life where hearing is vital, Ivy finds solace in a handsome cowboy named Remy. But things with her new family are not what they seem. And Ivy is about to find out that the danger she faced on the journey west, has followed her to Montana...

  Bethany Swafford dazzles with her stunning young adult debut, introducing a strong heroine, the hardships of frontier life, shocking twists, and a slow-burning romance that will leave you wanting more.

  Third place winner of the 2018 Rosemary Award

  Available in paperback and ebook from Amazon and all other Retailors

  Emily’s Choice

  EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD EMILY Lawrence believes life to be simple and that the only challenge she faces is convincing her cousin and companion, Rosalind, to have more courage. This belief changes when Mr. Adrian Williams moves into the neighboring estate. Emily's father forbids her from having anything to do with the man, but when an unexpected illness throws her into Mr. Williams company, Emily finds that obeying her father is more difficult than she imagined.

  Emily struggles to understand why her father is so insistent on the matter. What happened eight years ago, when the Williams left the estate? Is it a coincidence that Emily's mother died at the exact same time?

  Available in print and ebook format on Amazon

  Coming Soon

  Not My Idea (A Gentleman of Misfortune, Book One)

  “Lucas, you must return home.”

  Twenty-two year old Lucas Bywood abandons his Grand Tour in response to those words from his father. Everything is not well at home and he finds himself in a bit of a fix. A little warning that his father had made tentative arrangements for his marriage would have been nice but Luke really wishes it had been anyone other than the young lady chosen. After all, Phoebe Ramsey had always been an annoyance and any time they had spent together had resulted in physical injuries for one of them.

  Just when Luke thinks he’s escaped that particular future, he finds himself courting a young woman he doesn’t want, a furious best friend who wants a duel to satisfy honor, and the responsibility of finding who and why someone had caused an accident for his mother.

  This was not his idea of what the summer was going to be like.

  Keeping the Past (The Lady’s Maid Trilogy, Book One)

  IMPELLED BY A NASTY rumor that implicates her late father and brother as traitors to the Crown, Juliet Sinclair embarks on a course to save her family name. Relying on her five year absence from society to keep her identity safe, she assumes the name of Julie Nelson and takes on the unlikely position as a lady's maid.

  Just what has she gotten herself into? Why is Mr. Oswyn Harper constantly on hand? Will Juliet’s heart be tempted once more by her former beau, Mr. Henry Bladen?

  There’s no doubt that Juliet’s adventure is only just beginning.

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  About the Author

  For as long as she can remember, Bethany Swafford has loved reading books. That love of words extended to writing as she grew older and when it became more difficult to find a ‘clean’ book, she determined to write her own. Among her favorite authors are Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Georgette Heyer.

  When she doesn’t have a pen to paper (or fingertips to a laptop keyboard), she can be found with a book in hand.To get notified about new releases and any news, sign up to Bethany's Newsletter here: https://bit.ly/2Hg7KJw

  Read more at Bethany Swafford’s site.