Free Bride School: Mary (The Brides of Diamond Springs Ranch 4) by Bella Bowen Page A

soberly. “Oh, I've been warned, Miss
Fontaine.”
    She nodded once, then stared, showing no signs of
going inside out of the cold. Obviously, the woman took her guard duties
seriously. Maybe after he was gone, she could go get warm.
    He took pity on her, tipped his hat again, and
prodded his horse on. When he reached the turn that would take him out the
south end of town, he looked back. Fontaine was still standing where he'd left
her, still watching him.
    Yes, the next time he came to Sage River, his
parents—both his parents—would be happy to see him. But apparently Fontaine
would not.

CHAPTER TWELVE
     
    Breakfast at Mrs. Kennedy's hotel that morning was
chaos.
    Lots of bodies. Lots of men and women pairing up.
Lots of chatting. It was just like the dance the night before but the music in
the air had been replaced by the smell of food. Lots of food. The heavy aroma
of spicy sausage made Mary’s stomach turn in uncomfortable ways and she
suspected her appetite had left town with John Tanner at first light.
    No one paid her much mind, for which she was
grateful. She was in no mood for the kind of small talk filling the
high-ceilinged room. The velvet paper on the walls could only absorb so much of
the tinkling of fine utensils and high pitched merriment. But the women were
barely familiar to her—nothing like the sleepy-eyed grumps she usually served
breakfast. They’d all reversed roles and now she was the cantankerous one. Most
mornings, she was the only female with a smile on her face until after the
brides and students had emptied their coffee cups and filled their bellies.
    In the aftermath of the storm, the morning was
cast in a gray-blue light that seemed a little more blue and a little less gray
each time she looked at the large south-facing windows. Perhaps the roads would
clear sooner than Fontaine had predicted and they could all return to the ranch.
    Mr. Sparks moved quickly away from the window. “She’s
coming!”
    The room fell silent while at the same time, a
number of people jumped to their feet. Suddenly there were men settling into
the seats beside Mary, and they immediately tried to engage her in
conversation. The murmur of voices resumed all around her and everyone acted as
if nothing at all had just happened.
    She wondered what crucial conversation she might
have missed while she’d been lost in thoughts of John Hermann.
    “Tell me about your father,” Mr. Sparks urged from
her left. Then he gave her elbow a little squeeze.
    She looked pointedly at his hand, but he didn’t
remove it. “You’re interested in my father?”
    The man’s eyes widened slightly. “I am. I’d like
to know what kind of family you come from. Of course, it doesn’t really matter
in the end. I mean, you are an intelligent, lovely girl. And I’m sure you’d be
able to get along with just about anyone, wouldn’t you?”
    “Do you like children?” Mr. Charleston interrupted
from the right. Across the table, a glance at Mr. Harris told her he was
interested in the answer as well. “Children?” the first man asked again.
    “Yes.” Mr. Sparks frowned at her. “You do want
children…someday?” His eyes darted to the door and back, numerous times, like
he was warning her that someone was listening.
    “Of course I’d like to have children someday.” She
tried not to let her tone reveal how silly she considered his question to be.
At the sound of someone clearing her throat behind her, she turned and found
Fontaine frowning at her from the doorway. It was a warning. She was to play
the role of a bride.
    And apparently, her answer to Mr. Charleston’s
question was not enthusiastic enough for someone trying to land a husband.
    “I’d like to have as many children as possible,”
she amended.
    Fontaine nodded.
    Mary rolled her eyes and turned back to her strangely
attentive audience. How could she sit still for this madness when she clearly
didn’t understand the game? Then she decided to play a game of