Dacey: Bride of North Carolina (Amercan Mail-Order Bride 12) by Shanna Hatfield
Authors: Shanna Hatfield
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical, Saga, Western, Short-Story, Religious, Christian, Inspirational, Bachelor, Marriage of Convenience, Faith, north carolina, Past Issues, misunderstanding, victorian era, Forever Love, Single Woman, Fifth In Series, Fifty-Books, Forty-Five Authors, Newspaper Ad, American Mail-Order Bride, Factory Burned, Pioneer, new beginning, Conniving Mother, Reluctant Groom, Family Plantation, Asheville, Simple Farmer, Unknown Existence
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she was the loveliest creature Braxton could ever recall seeing. Yet far more than her outward appearance captured his interest. A large part of the attraction he experienced came from how happy and light his heart felt in her presence.
Fully aware of the wolves dressed in expensive clothing inside the ballroom, Braxton planned to keep Dacey near his side throughout the evening.
A few of his close friends had met her and been thoroughly charmed. The rest of his crowd, though, would do their best to eat her alive, particularly some of the girls he’d spurned.
Concerned that Dacey enjoy her evening, Braxton had taken the liberty of filling her dance card. Although he wanted to claim every dance, he added the names of his friends, his father, and a few others he could trust to treat the girl kindly.
His mother had also promised to keep an eye on her. Between the two of them, he hoped she would make it through the evening unhurt.
“Are you ready to go in?” Braxton asked as they stood outside the ballroom door.
Entranced by the sight of the room, filled with a rainbow of colors from the autumn decorations to the women in gowns of every hue imaginable, Dacey merely nodded her head.
Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead while soft lights glowed from wall sconces. Tables placed around the edges of the room held centerpieces of gold, orange, burgundy, and red leaves and flowers with white candles.
The overall effect was spectacular.
“Oh, Brax. It looks so…” She struggled to find a word to do the vision before her justice. “Magical.”
He chuckled and nudged her forward. “Well, you helped make it that way. Mother said they’d never have finished the decorations if you hadn’t taken charge of gathering leaves and branches.
“Shoot. That was easy. Cornelia and the others made it all look so pretty.”
Braxton caught his mother’s eye and the woman hurried their direction as they entered the ballroom. “Be that as it may, we couldn’t have done this without you.”
Dacey smiled as Beatrice wrapped her in a warm hug then kissed her cheek.
“Both of you look just splendid,” Beatrice said, patting Braxton’s cheek as she slipped her arm around Dacey’s waist. “Dacey, darling, you must meet my dear friends. They live over near Knoxville and come every year for the ball. Olivia and I were childhood playmates and…”
Dacey glanced over her shoulder at Braxton as his mother led her off to meet her friends. He winked at her and a becoming pink blush highlighted her cheeks.
Lost in watching her walk away, he failed to notice the woman sidling up next to him until she wrapped her hand around his arm.
“Braxton, I thought she’d never leave you alone. Who is that odd creature?”
Barely suppressing an annoyed sigh, he skillfully removed his arm from her grasp and took a step away from Miranda, the girl he’d once been stupid enough to court for a very brief, unpleasant time.
She hadn’t taken it well when he’d told her he no longer wanted to see her. In fact, she’d screamed, slapped his face, and behaved like an enraged harridan. She’d sent him notes, followed him if he set foot in town, and begged him to reconsider. As a final effort to control him, she’d concocted a lie that he’d compromised her. Since she’d tried that ploy before, no one believed her outlandish claims.
Braxton had begged his mother to leave Miranda and her family off the guest list for the ball, but she insisted it would be unforgivably rude to leave them out.
He should have known the conniving woman would immediately notice Dacey.
“That beautiful, intelligent girl is a friend of the family, Miss Beaudry.” Braxton overlooked the sneer on Miranda’s face as she glared at Dacey.
“Why is she here?”
Braxton looked around for a means of escape. He spied Ernie Howell heading Dacey’s direction. Hastily, he took Miranda’s elbow in his hand, propelling her forward. “She’s visiting through the holidays.
Fully aware of the wolves dressed in expensive clothing inside the ballroom, Braxton planned to keep Dacey near his side throughout the evening.
A few of his close friends had met her and been thoroughly charmed. The rest of his crowd, though, would do their best to eat her alive, particularly some of the girls he’d spurned.
Concerned that Dacey enjoy her evening, Braxton had taken the liberty of filling her dance card. Although he wanted to claim every dance, he added the names of his friends, his father, and a few others he could trust to treat the girl kindly.
His mother had also promised to keep an eye on her. Between the two of them, he hoped she would make it through the evening unhurt.
“Are you ready to go in?” Braxton asked as they stood outside the ballroom door.
Entranced by the sight of the room, filled with a rainbow of colors from the autumn decorations to the women in gowns of every hue imaginable, Dacey merely nodded her head.
Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead while soft lights glowed from wall sconces. Tables placed around the edges of the room held centerpieces of gold, orange, burgundy, and red leaves and flowers with white candles.
The overall effect was spectacular.
“Oh, Brax. It looks so…” She struggled to find a word to do the vision before her justice. “Magical.”
He chuckled and nudged her forward. “Well, you helped make it that way. Mother said they’d never have finished the decorations if you hadn’t taken charge of gathering leaves and branches.
“Shoot. That was easy. Cornelia and the others made it all look so pretty.”
Braxton caught his mother’s eye and the woman hurried their direction as they entered the ballroom. “Be that as it may, we couldn’t have done this without you.”
Dacey smiled as Beatrice wrapped her in a warm hug then kissed her cheek.
“Both of you look just splendid,” Beatrice said, patting Braxton’s cheek as she slipped her arm around Dacey’s waist. “Dacey, darling, you must meet my dear friends. They live over near Knoxville and come every year for the ball. Olivia and I were childhood playmates and…”
Dacey glanced over her shoulder at Braxton as his mother led her off to meet her friends. He winked at her and a becoming pink blush highlighted her cheeks.
Lost in watching her walk away, he failed to notice the woman sidling up next to him until she wrapped her hand around his arm.
“Braxton, I thought she’d never leave you alone. Who is that odd creature?”
Barely suppressing an annoyed sigh, he skillfully removed his arm from her grasp and took a step away from Miranda, the girl he’d once been stupid enough to court for a very brief, unpleasant time.
She hadn’t taken it well when he’d told her he no longer wanted to see her. In fact, she’d screamed, slapped his face, and behaved like an enraged harridan. She’d sent him notes, followed him if he set foot in town, and begged him to reconsider. As a final effort to control him, she’d concocted a lie that he’d compromised her. Since she’d tried that ploy before, no one believed her outlandish claims.
Braxton had begged his mother to leave Miranda and her family off the guest list for the ball, but she insisted it would be unforgivably rude to leave them out.
He should have known the conniving woman would immediately notice Dacey.
“That beautiful, intelligent girl is a friend of the family, Miss Beaudry.” Braxton overlooked the sneer on Miranda’s face as she glared at Dacey.
“Why is she here?”
Braxton looked around for a means of escape. He spied Ernie Howell heading Dacey’s direction. Hastily, he took Miranda’s elbow in his hand, propelling her forward. “She’s visiting through the holidays.
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