To Have and To Hold (33 page)
Read To Have and To Hold Online
Authors: Tracie Peterson,Judith Miller
When they reached her childhood swing, Marshall assisted her to sit. “Won't you miss this?” he asked, giving her a gentle push.
Audrey held on to the old rope and closed her eyes against the rhythmic sway. “I will miss this, but then I thought it might be possible to have someone . . . someone who is capable of working with wood and rope . . . someone who perhaps is trained in construction of houses and such, build me a swing in Colorado.” She opened her eyes and cast a quick glance over her shoulder to see Marshall laughing.
“You already have jobs figured out for me, eh?”
“Just one or two.”
The swing slowed and after a few moments, Marshall took hold of the swing and halted it all together. He pulled Audrey up and into his arms and wrapped her delightfully close against him. She felt emboldened, despite the fact that it was broad daylight, and clasped her hands around his neck.
Without waiting for him to initiate, Audrey leaned up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. Marshall needed no urging. He lowered his head and deepened the kiss. Audrey could scarcely draw a breath, but she didn't care. A lifetime of sorrows were lost forever in that moment.
However, as Marshall tightened his hold, Audrey could feel every inch of the spoon busks in the center front of her corset. They dug in painfully against her tender flesh until she could no longer stand the pain. “Ouch!” she squealed in protest.
Marshall was so surprised he dropped his hold. “Did I do something wrong?”
“It's just this . . . well . . . I have . . .” She felt her cheeks again grow hot. Lowering her face she whispered, “It's my corset.”
Marshall's roaring laugh was not at all what she had expected. Nor was his action of pulling her along the path.
“What are you doing? Where are we going?”
“Back to our room at the clubhouse.”
“Our room?” She looked at him oddly as she hurried to keep up with his long strides.
“You don't intend to do something about your corset out here, do you?”
She stumbled at his words and would have fallen flat, but he pulled her close and lifted her into his arms.
“You are positively scandalous, Mr. Graham. Imagine if our guests knew what you'd just said. Imagine if they saw you doing this.”
His voice came low and husky. “Imagine if they knew what else I was thinking of doing.”
Audrey giggled. “It's four flights up to our room. Do you intend to carry me all the way?”
He glanced at the distant building and stopped midstep. “We couldn't get a room on the second floor? How about we just make our way back to Bridal Fair? After all, everyone else is at the party. The house will be empty, at least for a time, and I'd only have one flight to climb.”
“You forgot about Samson. He will be there,” Audrey said seriously. “My guardian is quite protective. He would hardly tolerate our not including him in our . . . celebration.”
Marshall laughed, set her down gently, and swatted her playfully on the bustled back of her gown. “Then the resort will have to do. Get a move on, Mrs. Graham. Four flights are a lot of stairs to climb. We might well have to rest on the way. Perhaps we can make it by nightfall.”
Audrey giggled again and took hold of his arm. “The length of the journey doesn't matter, so long as you are at my side.”
“Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you.”
She leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed as Marshall put his arm around her waist. “Imagine that.”
Dear Reader,
The idea for this independent series was born when a reader attended one of our book signings for the Broadmoor series set in the Thousand Islands. She'd stated that now that we had written about the Thousand Islands, we should consider a series set on one of the islands along the southeastern coast of the United States. She mentioned both St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island as possibilities. We tucked away the idea, and when the time came to develop another series, we decided the rich history along the southeastern coastline would provide another unique setting for us.
As in most of our books, there are fictional characters and settings, as well as authentic people and places. While Jekyll Island is an amazing resort in the southeast, we decided we would enjoy creating our own island, just as we had in the Broadmoor series.
Bridal Veil Island is fictional, as are Bridal Fair and the Argosy River. However, we do make many references to Jekyll Island, so we wanted to point out that because our books are set prior to 1929, you'll notice that the spelling appears as “Jekyl” Island rather than “Jekyll” Island. It wasn't until the summer of 1929, at the instigation of club members, that the Georgia legislature passed a resolution to correct the spelling of Jekyl by adding a second “l.” The resolution noted that the island had been named by General Oglethorpe in honor of his friend, Sir Joseph Jekyll, and the correct spelling had been corrupted by omitting the last letter. Thereafter, Jekyll became the proper spelling for the island.
The city of Biscayne is also fictional, although loosely based upon Brunswick, Georgia. However, never doubt that the live oaks are very real and exceedingly breathtaking trees.
In the second book of the series,
To Love and To Cherish,
you'll discover President McKinley makes a visit to both Jekyl Island and to Bridal Veil. The president did visit Jekyl Island, and it was, of course, the highlight of the season for those wintering on the island. Names of some well-known wealthy industrialists and entrepreneurs of the time period are sprinkled throughout the series, but the characters we hope you will come to know and love are the fictional ones that we have developed in our imaginations.
If you'd like to learn more about Jekyll Island, please visit their Web site
http://www.jekyllislandhistory.com/
and consider a visit in the future. You'll fall in love with yet another part of our beautiful country.
We hope you'll enjoy this new series.
~Tracie and Judy
No book is written without the help and support of many people. The entire Bethany House staff constantly amazes me with their creative talents and ability to make each book shine. Special thanks to editors Sharon Asmus and Charlene Patterson for their encouragement and assistance. It is a genuine privilege to work with such talented editors as well as every member of the Bethany House family.
Thanks to Mary Greb-Hall, Lorna Seilstad, and Mary Kay Woodford for their prayers, critiques, expertise, and friendship.
Thanks to Gretchen Greminger, curator of the Jekyll Island Museum, for her speedy replies and helpful responses to my questions.
And special thanks to you, dear readers, for your e-mails and letters of encouragement, your expressions of kindness and love, your prayers, and your eagerness to read each book.
Above all, thanks and praise to our Lord Jesus Christ for the opportunity to live my dream and share the wonder of His love through story.
~Judy
JUDITH MILLER is an award-winning author whose avid research and love for history are reflected in her bestselling novels. Judy makes her home in Topeka, Kansas.
TRACIE PETERSON is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 80 novels. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Belgrade, Montana.
For more information on Tracie and Judith's books, including behind-the-scenes details and photos from the
Bridal Veil Island
series, check out the Writes of Passage blog at
writespassage.blogspot.com
.
Books by Tracie Peterson & Judith Miller
Bells of Lowell
Daughter of the Loom
A Fragile Design
These Tangled Threads
Lights of Lowell
A Tapestry of Hope
A Love Woven True
The Pattern of Her Heart
The Broadmoor Legacy
A Daughter's Inheritance
An Unexpected Love
A Surrendered Heart
Bridal Veil Island
To Have and To Hold
www.traciepeterson.com
www.judithmccoymiller.com
