Free The Bride Price by Tracey Jane Jackson Page B

Net?
    Elizabeth and Christine had brought their
gowns over to join in the fun of them all getting ready together,
so Sophie helped them dress. Elizabeth’s hair was a deep, rich,
auburn and perfectly straight. Women in the twenty-first century
would have been envious. She chose an emerald green velvet dress,
with matching satin slippers, and was also well endowed, so Sophie
didn’t feel as self-conscious, since Elizabeth seemed to be
spilling out of her dress too.
    Christine’s periwinkle blue satin gown
complemented her strawberry-blonde hair and the dress fit her to a
T. However, she didn’t appear to be spilling out anywhere, which
seemed a bit unfair to Sophie.
    There was a knock at Sophie’s door and Nona
poked her head in. “Elizabeth, Adam is here. Are you ready?” And
then, “Oh girls, you all look beautiful.”
    “You do too, Nona,” Sophie said.
    Nona wore an ivory gown with blue flowers
embroidered around the neckline and hem. Her dark strawberry blonde
hair was pulled up into a simple style, with matching blue ribbon
woven into her chignon.
    Sophie’s heart raced with excitement, despite
her earlier reservations.
    What woman didn’t like a good occasion to
get dressed up for? It’s always fun, especially when you have
girlfriends to share in the night . She froze, suddenly
terrified.
    She couldn’t dance. She had tried to learn
for the reenactments but was hopeless. Two left feet and all that.
The team would give her some other responsibility when it came to
demonstrate the old dances. What was she going to do? Would she be
expected to dance? Now she really did just want to shut the door
and lock out the world.
    “Sophie, what’s amiss?”
    “Will I have to dance? I’m really bad at it.
I have two left feet and I’m always tripping over my partner’s
feet, or stepping on his toes. Seriously, I suck at it.”
    “Suck? What does sucking have to do with
dancing I wonder?” Nona asked.
    Christine nodded toward the door. “Nona,
we’ll meet you downstairs in a few minutes.”
    Nona followed Elizabeth out of the room and
gave the girls a few minutes of privacy.
    “Sophie, don’t concern yourself. You won’t
have to dance. I don’t typically like to dance at these functions
either. It’s just not the same without Peter. You can be my partner
tonight and we will both refrain from any dancing.”
    “Thanks, Christine, I really appreciate it.”
Sophie took a deep breath. “I think I’m ready now. Are you
ready?”
    “I’m ready.”
    “All righty, then. Let’s hit it!”
    Christine frowned. “Why do we need to hit
anything, Sophie?”
    “Never mind. Let’s join the party.”
     
     
     

CHAPTER SEVEN
     
    Sophie, deep in conversation with Christine
as they descended the stairs, hadn’t noticed anyone yet, however,
when she raised her head, she frowned. Consciously forcing the
scowl away, she replaced it with what she hoped was a serene smile,
as Richard made his way toward her. “Good evening, Mrs. Ford.”
    Sophie dipped her head in response.
    “Christine, you look stunning.” He took
Christine’s hand and gallantly bowed over it.
    “Thank you, Richard.”
    Sophie followed Christine to where Michael
and Nona stood. They greeted a handsome young man with red hair
reminiscent of Christine, and Sophie knew he must be Andrew. He
stood next to a woman, an older version of Nona, so she could only
be their mother. Andrew turned, leaning on an ornately carved cane,
and welcomed the girls with a huge smile. “Teeny, how are you?” He
grabbed Christine and chastely kissed her on the cheek. Andrew then
turned toward Sophie. “This must be Mrs. Ford. How are you handling
my sisters?” Leaning down, he added in a whisper, “They are
notorious for being bossy, so please don’t let them push you
around.” Taking her hand, he kissed it gently, and Sophie loved him
instantly.
    “I’m holding my own, thank you for asking.
And please call me Sophie.”
    Andrew reminded her of Lucas, and