Biltmore Christmas by Diane T. Ashley

Author:Diane T. Ashley [Ashley, Diane T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-60742-876-3
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2011-12-26T16:00:00+00:00

Mark Ludman enjoyed the cool afternoon breeze. He’d spent his morning at the apiary and the new orchard, and now he fixed the wheel on the wagon he used to deliver honey to the big house.

He thought himself lucky to have landed such a nice job at the Biltmore estate. Thankfully his main job, the care of the apiary, didn’t take as much time now as it did in the spring and summer. The bees were preparing for winter, giving him time to help bring in the harvest.

The sound of humming caught his attention, and he looked up from the repaired wheel. A young woman wearing a light-blue dress with a matching bonnet walked toward him. He leaned against the wagon and waited for her to draw closer. She lifted her head and allowed the cool breeze to blow the ribbons of her bonnet about her face.

Unaware of his presence, she plucked a dandelion and blew the white cap off, a smile teasing her lips as it floated on the light breeze.

“Good afternoon,” he called to her.

She startled and dropped the stem, looking his direction. “Hello.”

He knew that the jagged scar down the right side of his face, which he’d acquired as a child while playing in the barn, gave him a haggard look that frightened most women. Mark offered a smile as he asked, “Can I help you find someone?” He pushed away from the wagon and came to stand beside her on the road.

She folded her hands within the skirt of her dress, took a deep breath, and answered. “I need to see the head gardener about delivering honey to the kitchens. It seems that we don’t have enough for this evening’s meal.”

Mark extended his hand. “I’m Mark Ludman. I think I can help you with the honey situation.”

Her warm palm felt small and soft within his hand.

“I’m Miss Bradford. How can you help me, Mr. Ludman? Are you the gardener I need to see?” She pulled her fingers from his and tucked them back into the folds of her dress.

“Not exactly. I’m more of an assistant to the gardener.”

She lifted her chin. “I see. Then how can you help me?”

He admired the way she handled the situation. In his experience with women, most would have been startled by his sudden appearance, and some would have even been fearful. If this young woman were either, she didn’t show it. “I can drive the honey wagon up to the main house and since it’s loaded with honey, that should take care of your problem.”

Miss Bradford’s light-blue eyes twinkled in the sunlight. “Thank you. That would be most helpful.”

Mark walked back to the wagon. He pulled himself up onto the seat, removed the brake, and clicked his tongue to get the mares moving forward. When he came even with her, Mark stopped. “May I offer you a ride?” He waited for her to decide what she wanted to do. For a brief moment, he thought she might decline his offer. Silently he prayed she wouldn’t.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.