The Heart of a Hero by Janet Chapman

Author:Janet Chapman [Chapman, Janet]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Romance
ISBN: 9780515153200
Amazon: 0515153206
Goodreads: 15808401
Publisher: Jove
Published: 2013-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Julia stood in the center of the gazebo pretending she knew exactly what she was doing, while also pretending Rana’s eyes weren’t shining with barely restrained laughter as Mrs. Rauch explained to Miss Rauch—for the fifth time in ten minutes—that no daughter of hers was getting married wearing jeans and hiking boots.

Well, that’s what Rana had told Julia they were discussing, as the majority of the conversation was in German—which, thankfully, her mentor spoke.

“Frau Rauch,” Rana said, stepping up to the mother of the bride with an utterly serene smile. “Ms. Campbell apparently shares your sentiment, as she told me just before you arrived this morning that she plans to have a wardrobe tent set up right over there,” she said, pointing at the stunted pines on the western edge of the windswept ledge. Rana then turned all that regal serenity on the glowering bride. “She felt an experienced hiker such as you are, fräulein, wouldn’t have any problem negotiating the granite ledge in heels. Is that not what you said this morning, Ms. Campbell?” Rana asked, turning that serene smile on Julia.

Was her mentor going to Hades for lying, Julia wondered, or was she going there for compelling the woman to lie on her behalf? “Yes,” Julia quickly agreed with a nod at her two clients, also trying to exude serenity as she boldly compounded the lie. “Actually, I plan to set up two tents, so the groom and his men can also change out of their formalwear after the ceremony. Because,” she further compounded, “I thought it quite . . . venturesome of you, Miss Rauch, to wear traditional wedding attire juxtaposed with such a rugged and powerful backdrop. In fact, I saw it as an even more defining statement than your reception,” she added, gesturing at the surrounding landscape, “as I pictured your wedding portrait hanging over your mantel, showing everyone how your marriage embraces both the civilized world and the wilderness that you and your soon-to-be husband obviously love so much.”

“Oh, but that was exactly my intention,” the young woman said excitedly, even clapping her hands as she turned to her mother. “Is that not perfect, Mutti? Our portrait will say to everyone, ‘This is who we are—civilized and wild.’” She turned back to Julia. “You may set up the tents, but please make sure they can’t be seen from the gazebo and the bonfire, yes?”

“Not a problem,” Julia assured her as she furiously wrote in her beautiful leather calendar book. She stopped and looked up. “And the horse?” she asked. “You still want to ride off into the sunset in the arms of your new husband?”

“A gentle steed,” the girl said with a laugh. “As my dear Berdy is no horseman.”

“Not a problem,” Julia repeated, again making a note to ask their lady wrangler—Sally, she thought her name was—for the horse that Reggie was right now riding with . . . For crying out loud, what was her brother doing with Nicholas? “We have

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