Noelle Marchand - Unlawfully Wedded Bride

“Who are you and why are you here?”

He frowned and released her hand. “What do you mean, who am I?”

“While we’re at it, how do you know my name?”

“Why shouldn’t I know your name? I am Nathan Rutledge and you are Kate—”

“O’Brien,” she finished. “Yes, I know that—”

“Rutledge,” he reminded her.

“What?”

“Rutledge.”

“Why do you keep saying that?”

He looked at her for a second. “You mean to tell me that you, Kathleen O’Brien, have never even heard my name before today?”

“That’s exactly what I mean.”

He began to speak then shook his head and strode over to where his saddlebag rested near his horse’s stall. “I suppose you’d better have a look at this.”

She took the piece of paper he extended to her. “What is this?”

“It’s our marriage certificate,” he replied quietly.

“What?” Her gaze held his before she stared down at the certificate. “You don’t mean—”

“I mean,” he interrupted with quiet authority, “that you, Kate O’Brien Rutledge, are my wife.”

Dear Reader,

I began writing this story at the tender age of sixteen. It all started with a simple question. What if you found out that, through no fault of your own, you were married to a stranger? I’ve lived a lot of life since I asked that question. Just like me, this story has grown and evolved in ways I never expected. I’ve had the most creative co-writer along the way—God. He is not only the Author and Perfecter of my faith, but also of this book.

He taught me that it all comes down to trust. I learned that life doesn’t always make sense, it isn’t always comfortable, and sometimes is downright painful. Yet, like Kate and Nathan, I also discovered that if I hold on long enough and allow God to lead me, then I will end up in a moment like this. A moment when my dreams have come true, my work is complete and His glory is revealed.

Thank you for stepping back in time with me to the fictional town of Peppin, Texas. I hope you enjoyed reading Kate and Nathan’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Sean’s story is next so look for more of the O’Briens’ marriage mayhem soon. In the meantime, I would love to hear from you. Please contact me at www.NoelleMarchand.com or check out my Facebook page.

Blessings!

NOELLE MARCHAND

Her love of literature began as a child, when she would spend hours reading beneath the covers long after she was supposed to be asleep. Over the years, God began prompting her to write by placing ideas for stories in her head. Eventually, those stories became like “fire shut up in her bones,” leading her to complete her first novel by her sixteenth birthday. Now, at the age of twenty-two, that fire of inspiration continues to burn.

Noelle is a Houston native and a student at Houston Baptist University, where she is pursuing a double major in mass communication with a focus in journalism and speech communication. Though life as a college student keeps her busy, God continues to use her talent for writing as a way to deepen her spiritual life and draw her closer to Him.

Unlawfully Wedded Bride

Noelle Marchand

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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To God for completing this good work in me.

The righteous shall live by his faith.

— Habakkuk 2:4

Thanks to my family for fostering a spirit of

creativity. Special thanks to Mom for being my first

and most avid reader. To my sister, for believing I

actually could write a novel, thus allowing me to

believe it, too. Thanks to the Butterfly Sisterhood for

being you and allowing me to be me.

God bless you, Elizabeth Mazer, for all of your

encouragement, advice, patience and expertise!

I am so proud of what we accomplished together.

August 1877

Peppin, Texas

“We ordered a husband for you.”

At the sound of her little brother’s voice, Kate O’Brien’s finger froze on its trek down the page of her financial ledger. Her gaze shot to the kitchen doorway where twelve-year-old Sean stood next to their ten-year-old sister, Ellie. She met their serious stares blankly. Surely, she’d heard wrong. “I’m sorry. You did what?”

Sean exchanged a look with Ellie, then met Kate’s gaze before carefully repeating himself. Kate’s heart began to beat faster in her chest. She placed the ledger on the kitchen table and tried to swallow the sense of foreboding that skittered down her backbone. “What exactly does that mean?”

“Something wonderful,” Ellie exclaimed with a smile before slipping into a chair across from Kate. “I heard Mr. Johansen talking about mail-order brides at his mercantile. I knew that was what we needed so we put an advertisement for a mail-order groom in a few newspapers.”

She glanced from Ellie to Sean, hoping for some indication that they were joking. They both looked perfectly serious.

“We received a lot of responses,” Sean said as he pulled a small pack of letters from behind his back and placed it on the table in front of her. She spared the packet a brief glance before meeting her little brother’s sincere green eyes. “One response was special. We knew he was perfect for us so we wrote back.”

“Oh, Sean,” she breathed in dismay.

His gaze faltered for an instant before he continued. “I knew he wouldn’t respond if we told him we were children so we just told him all about you and took a few passages from Ma and Pa’s love letters to make it sound more grown-up.”

Her heart froze in her chest. “You forged letters from me? That’s against the law.”

His eyes widened and he shook his head adamantly. “We didn’t forge letters. We just never said which Miss O’Brien was doing the writing.”

“Why did you do this?”

“We wanted to help,” he insisted quietly.

She widened her eyes imploringly. “How does this help?”

“You do a lot, Kate,” Sean said. “We don’t always say thank you for it, but when we stop to think about it we know.”

“I do what has to be done.”

He nodded. “That’s just it. Ma’s and Pa’s deaths were just as hard on you as they were on us but you were strong. You had to be. We wanted you to have someone who would do for you what you do for us.”

Kate was astounded at the maturity in his voice but still shook her head in disbelief at their actions. “I appreciate that, Sean, but what you two did was wrong.”

Ellie leaned forward earnestly. “We knew what you needed and that you would never get it for yourself. You’re too shy around handsome men.”