The Lassoed by Marriage Romance Collection

507 Pages·2015·1.38 MB·english

by  Connealy

The Substitute Bride © 2015 by Angela Bell
Bridal Whispers © 2015 by Angela Breidenbach
Mule Dazed © 2015 by Lisa Carter
The Sweetwater Bride © 2015 by Mary Connealy
A Highbrow Hoodwink © 2015 by Rebecca Jepson
Not So Pretty Penny © 2015 by Amy Lillard
All’s Fair © 2015 by Gina Welborn
The Colorado Coincidence © 2015 by Kathleen Y’Barbo
Railroaded into Love © 2015 by Rose Ross Zediker
Print ISBN 978-1-63409-120-6
eBook Editions:
Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-60742-572-4
Kindle and MobiPocket Edition (.prc) 978-1-60742-573-1
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial
purposes, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without written permission of the publisher.
All scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the
author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is
purely coincidental.
Published by Barbour Books, an imprint of Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio
44683, www.barbourbooks.com
Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical
encouragement to the masses.
Printed in Canada.
Table of Contents
The Substitute Bride
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Bridal Whispers
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Epilogue
Mule Dazed
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
The Sweetwater Bride
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Epilogue
A Highbrow Hoodwink
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Not So Pretty Penny
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
All’s Fair
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Epilogue
The Colorado Coincidence
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Epilogue
Railroaded into Love
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
The Substitute Bride
by Angela Bell
Chapter 1
London, England
On a Sunday in June of 1865
G
wen’s husband suffered quite the shock upon lifting her Brussels
lace veil at the conclusion of their wedding ceremony. A most
natural response, when taking into consideration that Lord Carlyle
had rather expected to see her sister.
Cynthia, his betrothed.
Poised at the altar of St. James’s Church, dressed in a gown of white and a
veil of falsehood, Gwen held her breath. Lord Carlyle’s complexion dulled.
Mouth agape, his brown eyes gawked at her as if he had unveiled a diseased
hag, not a bespectacled spinster. She clutched her white rose bouquet, hands
trembling. Please God, don’t let there be a scene.
Clearing his throat, the bald vicar repeated himself. “I have pronounced
thee man and wife, Lord Carlyle. God will not take offense if you kiss your
bride.”
Gwen’s cheeks flamed under expectant gazes. God might not object to
such a display of affection, but Lord Carlyle appeared to object more than she
had feared. A furrow entrenched along his brow, deepening by the second.
She never should have allowed Mamma to push her into this scheme. Yet
now it was too late. Here she stood, before a hundred guests, at the mercy of
a man whom she’d met but twice and never shared a word.
Would Lord Carlyle expose her sham?
With visible effort, Lord Carlyle closed his mouth into a firm line. He
thrust a rigid elbow in her direction. Gwen’s head lowered as she slipped an
arm through Lord Carlyle’s. There would be no kiss. Not today, not ever. In
silence he led her up the church’s middle aisle bookended with smiling faces,
feathered bonnets, and wildflower garlands.
Once concealed in the vestry, Lord Carlyle broke free of her arm and paced
the diminutive room. He seemed to have forgotten Gwen’s presence—not
speaking, avoiding eye contact and physical touch. Nothing she wasn’t
already accustomed to after seven seasons in London society. After all, why
would anyone notice her while stunning young Cynthia flitted about on a
cloud of mirth and light?
Heaving a sigh, Lord Carlyle leaned against the wood-paneled wall. Gwen
pursed her lips. The poor man seemed so distressed, so utterly disappointed.
She ought to say something. Some sort of apology. He deserved better than
this, better than her.
Before Gwen could muster the courage to speak, the vicar entered,
accompanied by her twittering mother, beaming father, and Lord Carlyle’s
esteemed aunt, Lady Agatha Carlyle, social pillar of the ton. The clergyman
handed Gwen a quill, issuing orders as to where she ought to sign the
register. After writing her name, she offered the pen to Lord Carlyle.
For a moment Lord Carlyle remained still. Gwen swallowed. What would
she do if he refused to sign? Please, please, just end this.
Lord Carlyle snatched the quill, plunged it into the inkwell, and hastily
scrawled his name. Dropping the pen upon the register, he struck her with a
glare and strode out of the vestry. Gwen’s shoulders drooped, the surrounding
voices fading into a droll hum. What must he think her? A fortune hunter?
Conniving social climber?
If only she could tell him the truth, that she had never wanted this. She’d
only wanted to fulfill her duty as a daughter by making a good match and
save her family further embarrassment. With a gloved finger, Gwen pushed
her wire frames up the bridge of her nose. Lord Carlyle wouldn’t believe
anything she said. Not while blinded with love for Cynthia—an infectious
malady caught by every man in her younger sister’s sphere, which resulted in
the illusion of reciprocated feelings. None of them knew that only Cynthia’s
mirror enjoyed her affections.
“Gwendolyn.” Mamma’s high-pitched voice shattered all thought. “How
wonderful it is to see you rescued from the shelf. I thought the day would
never come. But here you are. A bride.” Sighing, Mamma clasped her hands
together. “Finally.”
“Yes, Mamma.” Finally married—to a man who despised her. Every girl’s
dream.
Papa caught her up in an embrace warmed by the aromas of sandalwood,
turmeric, and cinnamon. The spices of his merchant trade. “I’m glad to have
found a smart chap who appreciates my special girl.”