Ashley Merrick - India: Bride of Indiana (American Mail-Order Bride 19) by Ashley Merrick Page B
Authors: Ashley Merrick
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical, Saga, Family Life, Western, Short-Story, Religious, Christian, Indiana, Inspirational, Bachelor, Sisters, Marriage of Convenience, Faith, Community, widower, victorian era, Forever Love, Single Woman, Fifth In Series, Fifty-Books, Forty-Five Authors, Newspaper Ad, American Mail-Order Bride, Factory Burned, Pioneer, Two Children, South Bend, Burn Scarred, No Romance, Name-Only Marriage, Financial Security, Best Friends Daughter, Mother Disappointed, Adversary
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more. But, now she found herself heading toward the bar at the furthest end of the room, as far away from the dance floor as she could get. She ordered a new glass of wine and then walked to the edge of the room near the silent auction items, and pretending look at those while she sipped her drink and felt sorry for herself.
“It can’t be that bad.” Smith was back by her side and looking at her curiously.
“I don’t know. I really don’t know.” India realized she wasn’t making much sense and she didn’t really care. She wasn’t interested in Smith. The only man that she would ever be interested in was on the dance floor with another woman and she wasn’t sure what to do about that.
“You love him.” It was a statement with a bit of surprise to it.
“What?” She looked at Smith then and paid closer attention to what he was saying.
“It’s obvious to me. I didn’t see it earlier and for that I apologize. I don’t typically make a move on married women, but I’d heard that you had an arrangement of sorts. I can see now that I was misinformed.”
“Who told you that?” India asked sharply.
“Who do you think?” Smith glanced toward the dance floor as Olivia and Richard twirled by.
“Olivia.”
“None other than. I think it’s wishful thinking on her part. She quite clearly has designs on your Richard, I’m sorry to say.”
“That’s all right. It’s not your fault. But what do I do about it?”
Smith chuckled. “It’s clear to me what you need to do.”
“What’s that?” India was feeling confused and her thoughts were a bit muddled from the wine.
“Well, it’s quite obvious that he’s in love with you, too. I half expected him to deck me when he came out to take my place on the dance floor. Every time I looked up, he was watching us. I felt like a jerk. Your husband is a good man. Just tell him how you feel.”
“I don’t know.” India took another sip of wine and felt miserable as she saw Richard laugh at something Olivia said.
“Trust me. He’s not interested in her. He probably can’t wait for the song to end.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I am.” Smith grinned. “But if things don’t work out, you know where to find me.”
India smiled. She knew that Smith was just trying to lighten the mood. She watched as the song ended and another one began and Olivia tried to get Richard to stay on the dance floor, but he shook his head and headed back to the table. He was looking all around and then saw her standing next to Smith and she saw him frown.
“It was nice talking to you,” India said as she headed toward to table and to Richard.
“You’ve been talking to that Smith fellow quite a bit tonight,” Richard commented as India reached the table.
“I just ran into him when I was getting another glass of wine. While you were busy dancing with Olivia.”
“You got another glass of wine?” Richard sounded surprised.
“I guess I was thirsty,” she said.
“Yes, well. Do you want to finish it? Or are you ready to head home?”
India took a small sip of the wine, set it on the table and then pushed it away. It tasted sour to her now and she didn’t want any more. She just wanted to go home.
“I’m ready to go.”
They said their goodbyes and then drove home. Neither one of them spoke much. It was late and India was feeling a bit foggy from the wine and confused about Richard. He was just so hard to read. She had no idea if he had feelings for her or not, and the thought of telling him how she felt was terrifying.
----
W hen they arrived home , India went inside while Richard brought the horses to the barn and settled them for the night. While he was doing that, India decided to put a kettle of water on the stove for a cup of hot tea. It gave her something to do and she thought the warmth of the tea would be soothing. She knew that Richard liked a cup of tea as well, so she went ahead and poured one for both of them and added sugar to both. He
“It can’t be that bad.” Smith was back by her side and looking at her curiously.
“I don’t know. I really don’t know.” India realized she wasn’t making much sense and she didn’t really care. She wasn’t interested in Smith. The only man that she would ever be interested in was on the dance floor with another woman and she wasn’t sure what to do about that.
“You love him.” It was a statement with a bit of surprise to it.
“What?” She looked at Smith then and paid closer attention to what he was saying.
“It’s obvious to me. I didn’t see it earlier and for that I apologize. I don’t typically make a move on married women, but I’d heard that you had an arrangement of sorts. I can see now that I was misinformed.”
“Who told you that?” India asked sharply.
“Who do you think?” Smith glanced toward the dance floor as Olivia and Richard twirled by.
“Olivia.”
“None other than. I think it’s wishful thinking on her part. She quite clearly has designs on your Richard, I’m sorry to say.”
“That’s all right. It’s not your fault. But what do I do about it?”
Smith chuckled. “It’s clear to me what you need to do.”
“What’s that?” India was feeling confused and her thoughts were a bit muddled from the wine.
“Well, it’s quite obvious that he’s in love with you, too. I half expected him to deck me when he came out to take my place on the dance floor. Every time I looked up, he was watching us. I felt like a jerk. Your husband is a good man. Just tell him how you feel.”
“I don’t know.” India took another sip of wine and felt miserable as she saw Richard laugh at something Olivia said.
“Trust me. He’s not interested in her. He probably can’t wait for the song to end.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I am.” Smith grinned. “But if things don’t work out, you know where to find me.”
India smiled. She knew that Smith was just trying to lighten the mood. She watched as the song ended and another one began and Olivia tried to get Richard to stay on the dance floor, but he shook his head and headed back to the table. He was looking all around and then saw her standing next to Smith and she saw him frown.
“It was nice talking to you,” India said as she headed toward to table and to Richard.
“You’ve been talking to that Smith fellow quite a bit tonight,” Richard commented as India reached the table.
“I just ran into him when I was getting another glass of wine. While you were busy dancing with Olivia.”
“You got another glass of wine?” Richard sounded surprised.
“I guess I was thirsty,” she said.
“Yes, well. Do you want to finish it? Or are you ready to head home?”
India took a small sip of the wine, set it on the table and then pushed it away. It tasted sour to her now and she didn’t want any more. She just wanted to go home.
“I’m ready to go.”
They said their goodbyes and then drove home. Neither one of them spoke much. It was late and India was feeling a bit foggy from the wine and confused about Richard. He was just so hard to read. She had no idea if he had feelings for her or not, and the thought of telling him how she felt was terrifying.
----
W hen they arrived home , India went inside while Richard brought the horses to the barn and settled them for the night. While he was doing that, India decided to put a kettle of water on the stove for a cup of hot tea. It gave her something to do and she thought the warmth of the tea would be soothing. She knew that Richard liked a cup of tea as well, so she went ahead and poured one for both of them and added sugar to both. He
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