Marrying the Major & the Texan's Twin Blessings by Victoria Bylin

Author:Victoria Bylin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-04-27T15:59:08+00:00

* * *

Tristan, Noah and the children had been on the trail for two hours when the sun rose in the eastern sky, turning it the same shade of pink as Caroline’s dress. Another hour passed, and then another.

Noah was perched on the driver’s seat, humming quietly as he steered the carriage along the road that led to the Frazier River. Tristan was in the passenger compartment with Dora asleep in his lap and Freddie next to him. The boy had scooted to the side and hadn’t budged. With hours of travel ahead of them, Tristan considered Freddie’s silence and how best to break it. He knew all about leading horses to water and getting blood out of stones. He’d been as reluctant to speak to God as Freddie was to speak to him now. In the end, it was love that had broken through to him. If Tristan had learned nothing else, he’d learned that a father’s love had no conditions. With Freddie in a pout, Tristan could show that kindness to his son.

“I think you’ll like Willoughby,” he said amiably. “It’s different from Wyoming, and it’s certainly different from the West Indies.”

The boy kept staring out the window. “Grandfather said England is foggy.”

“It is.”

Tristan had kept his voice low, but Dora yawned and stretched awake. Last night, he’d asked Evaline to dress the child for travel. She’d roused, but only barely. Tristan had lifted her into his arms and carried her, feeling the weight as she slouched against his shoulder. She’d been asleep when they’d entered the carriage. Now, startled by her surroundings, she came fully alert. “Where are we?”

Tristan made his voice jovial, though he felt no pleasure. “We’re going on a trip, my dear.”

“A trip?”

He couldn’t bear to tell her they were going to England without Caroline. He thought of the woman he loved, the dream game and Dora’s desire to be a princess. He’d use whatever he could to lessen the emotional blow he had to deliver to his little girl. “We’re going to England, Dora. You’re going to live in a castle like a real princess.”

“Where’s Mama?”

He’d heard Dora use the endearment with Caroline, and it had charmed him. Now the words were a knife to his heart. “She’s staying in America.”

“But why?” Dora’s voice rose to a shriek. Dissatisfied with Tristan’s answers, she turned to Freddie. “I want to go home! I want Mama!”

Freddie’s eyes widened with confusion, then dimmed with emotions Tristan couldn’t discern. When the boy turned abruptly to the carriage window, Tristan dared to hope his son was feeling the sting of regret for how he’d treated Caroline, and how he’d indirectly hurt Dora by pushing Caroline away. The girl was weeping copious tears, muttering that she wanted to go home. Tristan soothed her as best he could, but Dora kept crying. Caroline would have known what to say. She had a mother’s heart. If only she’d had the courage to come with them...

Dora cried herself into exhaustion. With his own heart in tatters, Tristan stared out the window.

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