Snippet – New Release – Rejected Bride – Margaret Tanner

REJECTED BRIDE

Sweet Western novella.

Jilted the day before her wedding in favor of a rich older woman, Jemma Holbrook is left in dire circumstances.

In desperation she pretends to be a boy and sneaks on board a freight train bound for Texas. Her situation becomes even grimmer on discovering the rail wagon she’s been hiding in has been shunted off the main line and left in the wilderness.

Marshal Kyle Lovitt is ambushed and left for dead by outlaws. Jemma comes to his rescue and nurses him back to health.

When Kyle discovers her gender, he insists they get married because he has compromised her.

Will Kyle only ever feel gratitude and an obligation to do the gentlemanly thing by her, or can Jemma win his love?

SNIPPET:

“Jemma! What are you doing here?” Viola put aside her cup of coffee and rose to her feet.

“I came to see you and to check on arrangements for tomorrow.”

Viola wore a flowing lacy robe over a matching nightgown with pretty bows and ribbons down the front. Unless she was going out Viola often didn’t bother getting dressed.

“Things have changed,” Viola snapped. “I’d like you to leave my house immediately.”

“What!” Jemma rocked back on her heels. Something was terribly wrong here, but she couldn’t understand what. The older woman had never spoken this harshly before.

“Leave here now. You are no longer welcome under my roof.”

The words, heavy with animosity, almost felled her. “What’s wrong? Wha….”

“Which one do you think I should wear, darling?” Rupert strode into the room holding a cream and pale blue cravat in his hand. He skidded to a halt on seeing her. Every vestige of color drained from his face. He grabbed the ends of his burgundy silk dressing gown, but not before she realized he was naked.

Pain clawed her heart to threads. She pressed her hand against her mouth, her legs buckled, and she sank to her knees.

“You stayed with….” she managed to croak. “The day before our wedding. How could you?” Tears sprang to her eyes.

“We, we….”

“We’re married,” Viola snapped the words out. “Didn’t the hotel give you the message?”

“No!” Jemma screamed the word out frantically glancing from one to the other, desperately praying this was a hideous nightmare and she would soon wake up from it.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0851GVQ7W