I love reading books from Bethany House. I know I’m going to get a good story without the objectionable content I might find from other publishers. “A Bride Most Begrudging” didn’t disappoint.
The year is 1643. When Lady Constance Morrow goes to the wharf to plead for the release of her convicted uncle, scheduled to be sent to the colonies to work off his sentence, the captain sees an opportunity and detains her on the boat. He locks her up with women who are being sent as tobacco brides, and she sails the ocean, far away from her father and all she knows. She’s filthy, half-starved, and furious.
When the ship lands in America, the women are put up for sale. For one hundred and twenty pounds of tobacco, the men of the colonies can purchase any bride they wish. Many of these women are convicts, but others, like Constance, were in the wrong place at the wrong time. She tries to explain that she’s a lady, but no one believes her.
When Drew O’Connor shows up to claim her, he explains he’s not looking for a bride. He won Constance’s ticket in a poker game that afternoon and figures he can make a servant out of her. She tells him that she’s not a criminal, that she has no crime to work off, but he’s not inclined to listen. He does agree to let her send a letter to her father to verify her story, but beyond that, he’s not impressed. He collects her, along with Mary, another servant he acquired from the boat, and they go home.
When the governor of Virginia learns that Drew, an unmarried man, has two unmarried women in his care, he comes to assess the situation. Morality demands that Drew marry one of the women, or he’ll lose his life. Constance makes him a deal. She’ll marry him in name only to spare his life, and then, when her father comes to fetch her, he can have the marriage annulled. He agrees and they are wed.
Neither Constance nor Drew expected to fall in love, but as time passes and she learns to work by his side, their feelings develop. But Constance is an educated woman, and Drew doesn’t like that. They don’t sit down and talk to each other, and both are under the delusion that they aren’t really wanted, that this arrangement is for convenience only and they’re the only one who feels the stirrings of romance.
The book does contain a little sizzle, of the heart-thumpy variety. I would say it’s pleasantly sizzly without being overt. Coming from Bethany House, we wouldn’t expect overt. The characters are strong and display great moral fiber, and I really enjoyed this story although it’s not something I would typically select.
(This book was published by Bethany House in 2005.)
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