Ashley Merrick - India_Bride of Indiana by Ashley Merrick

Author:Ashley Merrick [Merrick, Ashley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical, Romance, Fiction, Forever Love, Victorian Era, western, Fifth In Series, saga, Fifty-Books, Forty-Five Authors, Newspaper Ad, short story, American Mail-Order Bride, Bachelor, Single Woman, marriage of convenience, Christian, Religious, Faith, inspirational, Factory Burned, Pioneer, Indiana, sisters, South Bend, widower, Two Children, Burn Scarred, No Romance, Name-Only Marriage, Financial Security, Best Friends Daughter, Mother Disappointed, Adversary, Community, Family Life
Goodreads: 28114988
Publisher: Virtual Bookpublishing, LLC.
Published: 2015-12-06T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Richard was in a foul mood. It was three o’clock in the afternoon and he was sitting in his office at the factory surrounded by a stack of papers, all urgent matters that needed his attention as soon as possible. He had been too busy to stop for lunch and he knew he was as grouchy as a bear when he wasn’t fed regularly. His secretary, Elda, who was an older woman in her mid-fifties, had knocked on his door at half-past noon to see if he wanted her to get him something for lunch and he’d just barked at her that he was too busy to think about food. He wasn’t hungry enough at that point. He felt badly for a moment, because he rarely raised his voice, but she’d worked with him for over ten years now and knew him well. Sure enough, at 3:15, the door opened and it was Elda carrying a tray with a bowl of soup and a grilled cheese sandwich, both from the pub around the corner. She had a no-nonsense look upon her face as she set the tray down on a file cabinet by his desk and then faced him head on.

“I know you too well, Richard. You’re starving by now and you’ll eat. I’ll leave you to it.”

She turned to go and he called after her, his voice much softer than before. “I’m sorry I was such a grouch earlier. Thank you. You’re too good to me.”

She smiled as she backed out of the office and prepared to close the door. “You’re welcome. Now take a break and eat.”

He did just that, shoving some papers to the side to make room on his desk for the food. He was on his last bite of the sandwich when there was another knock on the door. He knew it wasn’t Elda this time. She wouldn’t be back to bother him any time soon, and the only people she would let by her would be one of his brothers or his father.

“Come in,” he called.

Ed walked in and made himself comfortable in a leather-backed chair that faced his desk.

“What do you need? I’m busy,” Richard said.

Ed yawned. “You’re always busy. Besides, you’re taking a break now. I picked a good time to pop in.”

Richard frowned. He had him there.

“What going on?” he asked again.

“I met a girl,” Ed began.

Richard sighed. Ed was always meeting someone new.

“That’s nice. Is it anyone I know?”

Ed thought for a moment. “I don’t think so. She moved to town recently with her family.”

“How old is she?”

“She’s old enough. Twenty-two.”

That was fine. Ed had only recently turned thirty, so it was a respectable age difference.

“Thing is, her father was promised a job at the new mill, but they lost a big account and they can’t bring him on now.”

“You want us to find him something?” Richard asked.

“Well, with Rick Spooner being out for a few months with his leg, we are down a man.”

“That’s true.” Richard thought for a moment.

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