Last-Minute Bride
Widowed reverend Samuel Montgomery is excited to start over with his daughter in Natchez, Mississippiâuntil he learns heâll lose his job if he doesnât marry. His solution: a marriage in name only to heiress Clarissa Adams, who needs a husband to win her inheritance. Though the beautiful music teacher will make a good wife, Samuel doubts he can ever truly capture her heart.
Marriage satisfies only the first provision of Clarissaâs grandfatherâs will, which pits her against her cousin. And fulfilling the remaining stipulations wonât be easy between caring for Samuelâs rebellious daughter and managing an orphanage. But Samuel seems determined to stand by her side...and maybe even prove their marriage could be more than just convenient.
CHRISTINA MILLER has always lived in the past. Her passion for history began with her grandmotherâs stories of 1920s rural southern Indiana. When Christina began to write fiction, she believed God was calling her to write what she knew: history. A Bethany College of Missions graduate, pastorâs wife and worship leader, Christina lives on the familyâs farm with her husband of twenty-nine years and Sugar, their talking dog.
ISBN: 978-1-474-08045-3
AN INCONVENIENT MARRIAGE
© 2018 Christina Miller
Published in Great Britain 2018
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
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âWhatâs so funny?â Samuel couldnât keep a smile from his face, enjoying the sound of her laughter.
âYou are.â She smiled. âWith your formality. Although Grandfather used to tell me stories of Grandmother calling him Reverend, even when they were alone.â
âAnd what did he call her?â
âDucky dearest.â
He could just imagine the dowagerâs response. He grinned at Clarissa. âHmm...it has possibilities.â
The warmth in Samuelâs heart shot a grim warning, reminding him that romantic love was not for him. Sure, the dark-haired beauty before him was his wife, but only because she needed to hold on to this home, and he needed to keep his pastorate. He couldnât treat her as if they had a real marriage, a real relationship.
She laughed again. âLetâs leave Grandfatherâs terms of endearment in the past. At home, you may call me Clarissa.â
âAnd please call me Samuel.â
Clarissa smiled, settling this issue, if nothing else. Although the arrangement seemed too casual,
too intimate, for a wife who would never truly be his wife.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading my second Natchez story! Since my first visit there many years ago, Natchez has been an inspiration to me. The wealthiest city in the country before the War, Natchez has since struggled to survive. But its citizens decided to give it a second chance, working hard to restore the grand old homes there. Their Garden Club Spring Pilgrimageâthe inspiration for Camellia Pointeâs Spring Festivalâdraws droves of history lovers each year as the town opens their antebellum mansions for tours.
God offers us all a second chanceâfor eternal life, for love, for peaceâas we place our trust in Jesus. My prayer is for you to discover that second chance as Samuel and Clarissa did, and to rest in Godâs love, knowing you are restored to Him.