My Brother's Bride
Page 20
“I was thinking,” said Brigston, “that we could stop at a park for a quick game of shuttlecock before luncheon. What do you say?”
He was teasing her again, or so she hoped. Sometimes she wasn’t entirely certain, but honestly, shuttlecock? Now? In her wedding gown? Would she never hear the end of that wretched game? She’d finally conceded that he was, and always would be, the reigning champion.
“I’d say that I never liked the game and have no wish to play it ever again.”
He threw his head back and laughed, drawing the attention of several passersby. “The truth has finally come out, I see. I was wondering how much more teasing you’d endure before I wore you down.”
“Isn’t this a wonderful start to our marriage,” she said dryly.
“What did you expect when we thwarted the law by fleeing England to marry? Frankly, I see only bad luck in our future.”
“How morose of you to say such things. Never say I’ve married a cynic.”
“I’m afraid you have, my love, but perhaps you can reform me. You did say your kisses can bring about rainbows.”
The man was incorrigible and his sense of humor infectious. Abby fought her twitching lips before succumbing to a giggle. “How right you are,” she said and kissed his cheek.
His brow furrowed a moment before he shook his head. “I don’t see a rainbow. You’d best try again.”
“Wretch.” She tucked her arm through his, snuggled closer, and let the barouche carry them away. Only a year ago she’d been an expectant widow with no means, no real family to speak of, and a bleak-looking future before her. Now she was a wife, mother, and daughter.
She used to believe she was wrong to hope, that it would always let her down. How silly of her to think that. Hope was not to blame. Life was. Disappointment came to all no matter their situation. Sometimes it tripped, sometimes it shoved, and sometimes it ran roughshod over a person. What mattered was not how one fell, but whether or not he or she chose to rise again—or in Abby’s experience, hope again.
And she would. Always.
Dear Reader,
Thanks so much for reading! I hope this story gave you a break from the daily grind and rejuvenated you in some way. This is the second installment of my new Serendipity series. If you’d like to be notified when Sophia’s story becomes available (or any future release), you can sign up for my New Release Newsletter at RachaelReneeAnderson.com or follow me on Amazon.
If you can spare a few minutes, I’d be incredibly grateful for a review from you on Goodreads or Amazon. Even though I can’t thank you personally, I am always so grateful when readers take a few minutes to review a book.
May your days be filled with beauty and happiness!
Rachael
Coming next in the Serendipity Series…
The Solicitor’s Son
OTHER BOOKS BY RACHAEL ANDERSON
Regency Novels
My Sister’s Intended (Serendipity 1)
The Fall of Lord Drayson (Tanglewood 1)
The Rise of Miss Notley (Tanglewood 2)
The Pursuit of Lady Harriett (Tanglewood 3)
Contemporary Novels
Prejudice Meets Pride (Meet Your Match 1)
Rough Around the Edges Meets Refined (Meet Your Match 2)
Stick in the Mud Meets Spontaneity (Meet Your Match 3)
Not Always Happenstance (Power of the Matchmaker)
The Reluctant Bachelorette
Working it Out
Minor Adjustments
Luck of the Draw
Divinely Designed
Novellas
Righting a Wrong
Twist of Fate
The Meltdown Match
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
As always, thank you, MOM and LETHA, for brainstorming with me, listening to my ramblings, and helping me to plot out my stories. You have both been a huge blessing in all aspects of my life.
MEGAN JACOBSON, bless you for sharing your historical knowledge with me. You helped me so much with both plotting this story and fine-tuning it in the end. I’m not sure what I would have done without you.
ALISON BLACKBURN, thank you for our daily walks and being so willing to talk books with me. You also happen to be a awesome content editor! How did I get so lucky?
ANDREA PEARSON, so grateful for your friendship, as always. Thanks for always reading my stuff and pointing out both the positives and the problems. You’re the best!
KAREY WHITE, bless you for only being a phone call or text message away, for helping me come up with this series title, and for sharing your brilliant editing skills with me. I don’t even want to contemplate what I’d do without your help.
KATHY HABEL, many MANY thanks for your friendship and help with anything and everything involving marketing. That’s my least favorite aspect of this business, and I will be forever grateful for your many skills in that area.
JEFF, BRIGHTON, KENNEDY, DEVON, AND TAYCEE, you’re the best. And I mean THE BEST.
I’m especially grateful to my Heavenly Father, for challenging, inspiring, and blessing me.
LOVE YOU ALL!!!
ABOUT RACHAEL ANDERSON
RACHAEL ANDERSON is a USA Today bestselling author and mother of four crazy but awesome kids. Over the years she’s gotten pretty good at breaking up fights or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can’t sing, doesn’t dance, and despises tragedies, but she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating. You can read more about her and her books online at RachaelReneeAnderson.com.