A Bride for Adam by Barbara Goss (speld decodable readers .TXT) 📗

A Bride for Adam

Barbara Goss

Copyright © 2019 Barbara Goss

All rights reserved.

Ebook cover by Virginia McKevitt

Audiobook cover by Samantha Fury

All Scripture is quoted from the King James version of the Holy Bible.

All the characters described in this story are fictional. They are not based on any real persons, past or present. Any resemblance to real persons, living or deceased, is coincidental and unintended.

A Clipper ship similar to Adam’s ship “Eve.”

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Epilogue

Chapter One

Greta Hanson walked down the aisle of the church, wishing it was Adam Sutherland waiting for her at the altar instead of his brother, Seth. She felt guilty when Seth smiled lovingly at her, but she smiled back. At the altar, Seth took her hand and squeezed.

Reverend Holloway stood before them, reading from the Bible and Greta’s mind wandered. Ever since she’d arrived in Fort Worth, her heart had throbbed for Adam. He was tall with hair as black as chimney soot. His mother was Greek and he’d inherited her coloring, while Seth, thin and with brown hair, looked more like his American father.

As the minister read, she thought about how she’d ended up in Fort Worth and at this altar. Her parents had died in a train accident along with her brother, James. At age thirteen, her grandmother, Tilde Hanson, brought Greta to Fort Worth to live with her. Tilde just happened to be the housekeeper for the Sutherlands, the wealthiest family in Fort Worth. Greta kept house and cooked for her grandmother so that when she came home from a hard day at work, she could relax.

Reverend Holloway recited the vows, and Greta concentrated on repeating them as sincerely as she could. Seth did the same. Before she knew it, Seth kissed her, as the minister had instructed. They turned to face the congregation and the entire Sutherland family congratulated them. Rhea Sutherland crushed Greta with a hug, while Samuel clapped his son on the back.

Greta knew the family could be smothering, but she also recognized it was exactly what she needed. Rhea and Samuel ran the family like their shipping business: forcefully.

“We must hurry back to the house. I have a party waiting there for you newlyweds,” Rhea said, pushing Greta forward. “You’ll stand in the parlor doorway, and I’ll have everyone walk past you and Seth for a greeting.”

Greta stood with Seth greeting people she didn’t know and would never remember, wishing Adam were there. Seth’s two brothers, Isaac and Levi, had come from Philadelphia with their wives, but Adam was somewhere out in the open sea, captaining one of the family’s ships.

Greta was hustled back and forth for hours, meeting people and grabbing bites of the delicious food her grandmother had prepared the day before whenever she could. Fortunately, the Sutherlands had allowed Tilde a day off to attend the wedding. Greta scanned the room for her grandmother and found her sitting alone by the French doors leading out to a patio, and she hurried over to sit beside her.

Tilde was wearing her church dress, an orchid chiffon with a lace collar.

“Why are you sitting here all by yourself, Grandmother?”

“Hmph,” Tilde said. “I guess these people all think they’re too good to sit with the housekeeper.”

“I often feel that way, too. How fortunate that Seth proposed to the housekeeper’s granddaughter. I’ll see that you’re taken care of, Grandmother.”

Tilde patted Greta’s hand. “You did good, child. I want you to show them all that this housekeeper’s granddaughter happens to be better than any of them.”

Greta nodded, causing a few stray golden curls to fall from the fancy up-do the French maid had given her. “I’ll show them, Grandmother.”

Tilde tried to put the stray hair back into place. “I’m serious, child. I taught you everything I learned while working for these rich people. You can rub elbows with any of them.”

“Thank you, Grandmother.”

Tilde pointed to her left. “Isn’t that your new husband running out the back door? His face is white as a sheet. Is he all right?”

“Oh, dear,” Greta moaned. “I hope someone didn’t pour whiskey in the punch again.” Greta stood. “I’d better check on him.”

Greta found him behind the outhouse, vomiting. She could see it now: a wedding night of horrors.

“Seth? Are you all right?” she asked, keeping a safe distance in her white satin dress.

Before he could respond, Rhea was lifting his head and wiping his face. “Come, Seth—I’ll take you up to your room.”

“But it’s my wedding night,” Seth replied.

“Not tonight, it isn’t.” Rhea gave Greta a sympathetic look. “You can wait one night until Seth is feeling better, can’t you?”

Greta let out a breath of relief. “Of course. Seth’s health is more important.”

As Greta undressed for bed in the spare room, she thought about how she’d come to Fort Worth six years prior.

It had always been Adam for her, even at thirteen, but he’d hardly noticed her. His younger brother, Seth, had begun to pursue her when she turned sixteen. She thought that if she allowed Seth to court her, she’d be able to get closer to Adam, but that didn’t happen—Adam had left for Philadelphia to captain one of the family’s ships soon after her courtship with Seth had begun.

Rhea Sutherland had inherited her father’s shipping company in Philadelphia, but the weather there hadn’t agreed with her and Seth’s delicate health. They both suffered from asthma, and the winters there were cold and damp. Isaac