Rebellious Heart by Jody Hedlund

Author:Jody Hedlund [Hedlund, Jody]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Romance, Christian, Fiction, Historical, General, Massachusetts—History—Colonial period (ca. 1600–1775)—Fiction, Young women—Fiction
ISBN: 9780764210488
Google: Xa58AAAAQBAJ
Amazon: 0764210483
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2013-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter

14

The wedding feast was grander than any Susanna had ever seen before. She stood next to Mary, who couldn’t stop smiling, even after nearly every gentleman in attendance had come by to kiss the bride in the usual tradition—that is, every gentleman except Benjamin Ross.

Susanna searched the dining room for him again. But amidst the crowd of guests—the men with their powdered wigs and the women in their ribbons and rosettes—she couldn’t locate him.

Of course she’d seen him in the parlor earlier when Father had performed the wedding ceremony. Ben had stood in the back of the room, dressed in his finest like everyone else. In dark blue broadcloth and a white satin waistcoat, he’d been striking and difficult to miss.

From time to time during the Psalm reading and her father’s short lecture, she’d felt the intensity of his attention upon her, but anytime she’d chanced a glance at him, he’d been otherwise occupied.

She desperately needed to talk to him. After Lieutenant Wolfe’s visit two days ago, she hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that something terrible was going to happen to Dotty. Susanna could only pray their charade had thrown him off the girl’s trail.

She hadn’t admitted the truth to her parents, even though Tom had urged her again to tell them about Dotty, especially since Sergeant Frazel had almost caught sight of the runaway before Tom could finish burying her in the soiled hay behind the mare’s feedbox.

Phoebe had insisted the lieutenant wouldn’t dare attempt another search—not after both Father and Mother had made a point of speaking out so publicly against the unlawful search. And Susanna had decided she wouldn’t take any more action until she’d had the opportunity to confer with Ben.

If she could ever find a way to speak privately with him . . .

She fanned herself, the heat of the room and the tightness of her stays stifling her. The scents of smoked ham and roasted squabs stuffed with dressing and wrapped in bacon wafted across her face and would have tantalized her had not the worry been mounting inside her.

The dining room table had been pushed against one of the walls, allowing room for all the guests—the Quincys, Smiths, Mr. Cranch’s family, along with friends from the parish. The table, arranged with the glimmering freshly polished candelabras, was also laden with apple dumplings, plum tarts, and spicy puddings that Phoebe had spent the week baking in the spare moments Mother hadn’t demanded her assistance with the cleaning.

Grandmother Eve’s servants mingled among the guests with trays of nuts, raisins, cakes, and punch. Even though Phoebe had worked nonstop all week, they had still required the extra help.

Mr. Cranch approached Mary and reached for her hand. “Mrs. Cranch,” he said with a dashing smile, “since we’ve fulfilled our obligation to kiss our guests, I’ve come now to claim a kiss from the one I most desire.”

Mary smiled in return and her eyes lit with an eagerness that made Susanna smile.

When Mr. Cranch bent his

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