THE RELUCTANT BRIDE
Book 1, Brides Along the Chisholm Trail
She ran from a killer and into the
arms of a man with secrets of his own.
That morning, they’d continued to argue and then came the scream.
The horrible sound of a body tumbling down the stairs, and Mr. Griswold
standing at the top of the landing with smug indifference on his face. When he
turned and saw her, the look in his eyes when they locked on hers was dark,
dead and cold as a winter’s frigid night, promising retribution if she said
anything. She’d shivered and dashed back up the servant’s staircase,
hiding in her room until the other maids began to move about the house. Then a
scream rang out from the scullery maid and Rose knew the mistress had been
found.
So far there hadn’t been any question as to how Mrs. Griswold
came to be at the bottom of the staircase. Mr. Griswold told the doctor and
police officers that she’d tripped over a rug at the top of the landing. She
hadn’t had a lantern with her so she could see in the hallway. And since Mr.
Griswold was a wealthy man, his explanation had gone unchallenged. Even so,
Mrs. Griswold’s family threatened to hire an investigator for all the good that
would do Mrs. Griswold now.