There's Always Tomorrow by Darlene Mindrup

Author:Darlene Mindrup
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-09-10T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Adrella stood beside Dathan in her borrowed wedding finery. The dress was one Mrs. Evans had lent her after helping Adrella wash the grime from her tired body. The soft blue color did nothing for her complexion, her white face almost as pale as the material. It hung loosely on her petite frame, Mrs. Evans being a much more robust lady. Still, she wouldn’t complain. Anything was better than the tattered green dress she had worn for two weeks now. If she never saw a green dress again, it would be too soon.

She was grateful to the minister’s wife for arranging a hot bath for her, allowing her a few minutes to settle her turbulent feelings. The bath and clean garments had refreshed her body, but her mind was still dull with fatigue and sorrow.

What was she doing? Like any girl, she had dreamed about what her wedding would be like. After a few years, she had really given up hope, but the dreams were still there. They had always included a bridegroom standing beside her, smiling at her with love in his eyes. Not a taciturn man, mouth pressed tightly together as though to hold back the words he was expected to express.

Dathan might not have been the smiling groom she envisioned in her dreams, but he was everything else she could have wished for. He had changed into clean clothes that Mr. Evans had procured for him somewhere, and he had taken the time to shave. Could a man be more breathtaking?

Several of the people from Apalach who were staying in the church were here to witness her binding of herself to a man who apparently could barely stand to look at her. His grim countenance was hardly encouraging.

The whispers around them made Adrella flinch inwardly. She had known these people for most of her life. How could they believe that she and Dathan would do something improper? How could they be willing to judge her so? After all that had happened to this town, after the things her father had done for them.

“Adrella?”

Adrella started at the minister’s voice. She stared at him uncomprehendingly. He coughed slightly.

“I said, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

She glanced at Dathan’s set face, his eyes dark and unreadable. If only he would give some indication that he had some kind of feeling for her besides a chivalrous desire to protect her from gossip. She hesitated a moment too long and Dathan lifted a persuasive eyebrow.

“I...I do.”

He asked the same of Dathan and Dathan’s voice answered him loud and clear, unlike her own soft, stuttering reply.

Mr. Evans glanced from one to the other. “Do you have a ring?”

Adrella did. Her father’s ring. A ring that signified a loving commitment between two people who adored each other. How could she do this? Her father meant for that ring to go to the man she married, a man who would love her as her Da had her mother.

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