Marriage Under False Pretense: The Three Wainright Sisters Looking For Love, #1

By Lillis Lawson

The year is 1832 and heartbroken Felicia decides to become a Mail Order Bride.

Felicia is grieving for her dead boyfriend Mark when her mother probes her and her sisters to find themselves a suitable match for a wedding through Matrimonial Advertising. Felicia is least interested in tying the knot, but she finds it the only way to get herself away from her homeland Tampa which reminds her of her lost love, her fiancé who died in the war. That’s when she finds Rocky Caldwell, who is straight with the words and doesn’t give much away. She writes to him and in his reply he sends her a ticket to Louisiana.

Once married, Felicia finds out that Rocky wants a contract marriage of six months which was mandatory for him to get his hands on the family assets. Felicia is surprised by the revelation but keeps up with their marriage. Soon she finds herself loving her life as Rocky’s wife. He is able to make a home in her heart with his distant and reserved personality.

When the six months are over, Felicia is suffering from a broken heart and lost dreams. Is she about to board a ship back to Tampa or will Rocky convince her to stay?

***These Books Are Sweet, Clean, Christian Historical Western, Short Romance Stories ***

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lillis Lawson
• Release date: Sep 20, 2015
• ISBN: 9781513006307

Book preview

Introduction

This is the first book in The Three Wainright Sisters Looking For Love Series. This is Felicia's story. All three books can be read alone. They are complete stories but if you would like to read them in order:

●  Felicia's story is book one. Read Felicia's story here: "Mail Order Brides: Marriage Under False Pretense."

●  Magdalena’s story is book two. Read Magdalena’s story here: "Mail Order Brides: Adventurers Bride Meets Crippled Groom."

●  Adelina’s story is book three. Read Adelina’s story here: Mail Order Brides: Unwanted Bride Meets French Connoisseur

All books are just $ 0.99.

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Old West Slang

According to Hoyle ~ Correct, by the book

Bosh ~ Nonsense

Calaboose ~ jail

Curly wolf ~ real tough guy, dangerous man

Dinero ~ a word for money

Doxology works ~ a church

Gospel mill ~ a church

Fine as cream gravy ~ very good, top notch.

Flannel mouth ~ an overly smooth or fancy talker

Flush ~ prosperous, rich

Gospel sharp ~ a preacher

Granger ~ a farmer

Played out ~ exhausted

Shin out ~ run away

Stumped ~ confused

Twig ~ understand

Chapter One

March 18, 1832 – Tampa

It was almost midnight by the time Marguerite had wrapped up her chores and was heading for bed, where her husband already lay snoring. She dragged herself up the stairs, her exhaustion pulling her down, weighing heavier with each step she took. She passed by her daughters’ room, expecting them to be asleep by now, but found all three of them awake. She watched them from beyond the doorway, as they continued with their activities oblivious to her presence. The younger two, Magdalena and Adelina, were giggling over a book that they were reading together by the candle-stand. The eldest, Felicia sat by herself on the large window-sill, framed by the pale moonlight that filtered into the room. She was ignoring the incessant giggling, and had turned her large blue eyes heavenwards, as a faintly disturbed expression played out on her strikingly beautiful face- as though she were searching the stars for a long-long secret.

The sight of Felicia sent a dull ache through Marguerite’s chest- she couldn’t stand to see her daughter so forlorn, but she knew that it would be best to leave the girls as they were; and she continued on to her bedroom. She entered the room without bothering to be soft- a stampede couldn’t wake her husband. She looked at him, snoring away happily, his enormous belly rising and falling; and she sighed to herself. Marguerite didn’t want her girls to make the same mistake she had made all those years ago, by choosing to stay in her hometown and marrying the first man who had asked her. She longed to ride on a horse and travel the country- but she was stuck cooking and cleaning for a man whom she loved, but the way one would love a favorite pair of slippers. She wanted her daughters to leave and to make something of their lives, or they’d be stuck with slippers of their own.

She was about to blow out the candle on the bedside table when a pile of newspapers caught her eye, open to the Matrimonial Advertisements section. An idea started to take shape, and she scooped up the paper and scanned it thoroughly, and when she was done, her idea had fully formed and she smiled to herself, proud of