The Debutante's Escape by Peggy McKenzie

Author:Peggy McKenzie [McKenzie, Peggy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Columbine Publishing Company
Published: 2020-09-01T05:00:00+00:00

John pushed Regina behind him to hide her accidental near nakedness.

“How dare you enter my home uninvited. Sheriff, do you have a warrant to be here?” John demanded.

“Ummmm, well, no, I don’t. But Mr. Beckett here seems convinced that his daughter is here against her will. And as a lawman, it is my duty to—”

“I thought I made myself clear last night, Henry. Regina and I are married. A legal and binding marriage. And you sir, are embarrassing yourself, as well as my wife.

“Sheriff, if you will escort my wife's parents to the door, perhaps we can make other arrangements for a familial visit. At a more decent hour.” John’s voice carried authority. He knew his rights and could have the town council remove Sheriff Wiley from his post if he chose to. He would rather not resort to that, but he would if the man continued to jump every time Regina’s father said boo.

“Yes, Mr. Kingston. I'm sorry to have intruded on what is clearly a private moment with your new bride, but he and Mrs. Beckett convinced me their daughter was in trouble and needed my help.”

John still stood between Regina and her parents. “I understand Sheriff, but as you can see, we are in no need of a third party. Now, if you all will be so kind….He let his words hang in the tension-filled air.

The implication was clear. They did not require an audience.

John saw the sheriff hesitate. “I would be remiss in my duties if I took your word for it, Mr. Kingston. If you don’t mind, I’d like the lady to answer for herself.” The sheriff then directed his question to Regina. “Are you in distress, ma’am?”

Still hiding herself behind John, he felt her shake her head and answer. “No, Sheriff. I’m fine. My husband and I were, as he said, having a private moment. And I would appreciate it if you would all leave.”

John raised one eyebrow in question to the sheriff. He nodded and turned to Regina’s parents. “Let's go, Beckett. It's obvious that your daughter is not in distress and this was all a big mistake.” The sheriff tried to escort them out, but Henry refused to go.

“I will not! He's holding her against her will. Can't you see that, you imbecile.” Regina's father's face was mottled by his rage. This was nothing unusual for the man, but John could see Regina's mother was genuinely distressed and he felt he needed to put her worries to rest.

“Mrs. Beckett, I offer you my sincere apology for cheating you out of seeing your daughter wed. The truth of the matter is that Regina and I have been in love for quite some time and she feared she was being used as a pawn for your husband's financial dealings. We felt it was time to take a stand.”

Neither of Regina's parents denied his words, so he continued, “I assured her that, although her father was misguided in his intentions, her devoted mother would not wish her to be married to a man she didn't love.

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