Free A British Bride by Agreement by Therese Stenzel

of sausage, bacon, and coffee, her
mouth watered.
    “Some pancakes?”
    “Please.” She sat down, cut into a
butter-laden stack and took a bite. Apple pancakes. Warmth spread across her chest.
She pressed her fingers to her lips. Was the Lord trying to remind her she was
the apple of His eye?
    “I want to apologize about the—the
sleeping arrangements.” He waved a fork-impaled sausage toward the bedroom. “I
know I promised—”
    “Please, I understand—”
    “I didn’t—you know, bother…er, you?” He
avoided her gaze.
    Her face heating, she fixed her
attention on her food. “Me? No, you were sleeping quite peacefully.”
    “Good. So, what should we do today? I
can arrange for a private tour of the Schloss Neuschwanstein Castle, the one that was the inspiration for
the Disney World Castle. Or we could fly by helicopter to the Eagles Nest in
Bavaria. Or I could see about shutting down the Nymphenberg Palace just for us. Or I could book a private boat tour down the Danube River—”
    “Could we just…walk around?” She poured
a cup of coffee for him and then tea for herself. “I mean, I’ve never been to
Germany before, and I’d love to just experience it.”
    A slow smile spread across his lips as
if the simple concept had never occurred to him. “Sure, yes, that’s a good
idea. We’ll walk around.”
    “Like an old—”
    “Married
couple.”
    She swallowed. “Yes.”
    He picked up a glass of orange juice.
“Shall we toast? To us?”
    Tenderness seeped like honey into her
soul, easing all her earlier concerns. Jonathan would be a good husband. “Yes,
to us.”
    As their glasses clinked and they both
took a sip of fresh squeezed juice, his eyes never left hers. Happiness infused
her entire being. For a moment, she closed her eyes. Thank you, Lord. For the first time in a long time, hope welled in
her heart.
    ***
    Jonathan and Emma strolled toward the Marienplatz , the city center of Munich. Cherry-red
geraniums bloomed in window boxes and overflowed from hanging baskets on the
street lamps. Everywhere, people were outside cycling or strolling, enjoying
the late morning.
    Fall was Jonathan’s favorite time of the
year. The crisp air had a slight nip to it. The cool temperature invigorated
him, and the beautiful woman beside him made all the stress of the weeks leading
up to the wedding slip away like a bad dream.
    The tension that gripped his shoulders
twenty-four/seven was gone and all that lay before him was five gorgeous days
in his favorite city with his wife. Wife. The word still shocked him like a hockey puck to the
chest. But so far, he had been pleasantly surprised, even amazed by her upbeat
attitude and thoughtfulness.
    They mingled amidst all of the tourists
enjoying the fresh air. He was glad to see for now, there had been no paparazzi
following them. At the sound of the foreign words around him, he regretted not
ever attempting to learn German, but he’d always been here with his family who
had tours, events, meals, arranged by their staff. Very
insulating. This mixing with all the other visitors was a completely
different experience.
    Emma paused on the street and pulled out
a guidebook from her large purse. “I think this is where Richard Strauss, the
composer, once lived.”
    Jonathan smiled. Clever
girl. “I never knew that.”
    “Could we tour the house?”
    “Sure.”
    The two stepped into a cozy room with
the sound of a coo-coo clock chiming in the background.
    “ Guten abend , Good day,” greeted the older gentleman in
traditional leather lederhosen.
    Emma pulled another small book from her
purse and flipped through the pages. She pointed to a tour sign. “ Wieviel ?”
    Jonathan’s eyebrows rose. She knew
German?
    She leaned in toward him. “I just wanted
to ask how much it cost to tour the home.”
    He choked down a chuckle at her refreshing
naiveté. His family owned millions and she was worried about a few Euros. “You
have mastered German?”
    “I think