Read A Bride Most Begrudging for Free Online

woman to call my own? Of course. But from what I’ve seen, they aren’t worth the trouble.”
    Unwanted images of Constance bombarded him. He hated red hair, and she was a walking beacon. Yet, heaven help him, when he’d seen her on deck and again when her kerchief slipped off, he’d felt the impact clear to his toes.
    And those unsightly freckles. They were everywhere. Still, he’d stood staring at her like a woodcock. By trow, when she’d adjusted her bodice he’d not been able to move, much less breathe.
    He glanced at Josh. “I don’t want a woman if I have to helplessly watch her, and then our offspring, die.”
    “Then if not for the benefit of an heir, why are you so set on building a grand plantation home?”
    “What would you have me do with all that timber Father had us split last year? It’s seasoned now and ready to be used.”
    “There are plenty who would purchase it from you.”
    Setting his hat back upon his head, Drew stared at the forest of trees just beyond the clearing. “Father made me promise him I’d build it. Not just any home, mind you. He made me promise to build the one he had drawn up. The one he’d purchased all those nails for. The one with three levels plus a brick cellar.”
    After a moment of speechlessness, Josh snapped his mouth shut.
    “When did he extract that promise from you?”
    Drew heaved a long sigh. “While you were away. He was on his deathbed, writhing in pain. I couldn’t deny him.”
    A soft breeze grazed his face while stirring the fuzzy leaves of the mulberry tree on his left. He plucked a cluster of dark purple fruit from amongst the sheltering heart-shaped leaves.
    A tiny stream of sweet juicy nectar trickled from his lips. Wiping his sleeve across his chin, he popped another berry into his mouth. The vibrato of a nearby frog suddenly ceased, leaving the clearing strangely quiet.
    Josh slapped his hands on his knees and indicated the bower with his head. “Shouldn’t she be here by now?”
    Drew shrugged.
    Focusing on the worn pathway, Josh squinted his eyes. “What did you think of her red hair?”
    Drew’s jaw tightened.
    Josh’s eyes lit with amusement. “Would you like to know what she’s like?”
    He offered no response.
    “Spirited. She’s very spirited.”
    Drew flipped the stem of the berry cluster away.
    “Of course, throughout the voyage the men and women were kept on separate decks so I didn’t spend as much time with them as I did the men. And the men—well, you’ll be right pleased with the men I recommended. With them, your house will be constructed before a year’s passed.”
    Drew refused to give in to the baiting. Where was she anyway? She should be here by now.
    “Still,” Josh continued, “I slipped down to the lower deck fairly often to ensure one Mary Robins was fed.” He stretched out his legs, crossing them at the ankles. “They were chained next to each other, you know. Mary and your redhead.”
    Drew glared at his brother.
    “It’s true. So, I’m in a uniquely qualified position to know exactly how spirited she is.” He pursed his lips. “Actually, she’s a bit more than spirited. Indeed, she’s a regular hoyden. But I like her. Truly, I do.”
    At that moment, Constance trudged into the clearing. Drew allowed his gaze to travel from her partially covered hair to the tips of her bare toes. Her faded tunic was coated with layers of grime and far too snug to provide decent coverage.
    His brother stood and offered a slight bow. “How do you do, Lady Constance?”
    She collapsed onto the stump Josh had vacated, glancing between the two of them. “You are relations? But of course. I should have realized. Well, how do you do?”
    The corner of Josh’s mouth tipped up. “Fine, my lady. And you?”
    “Don’t encourage her, Josh.” Scowling, Drew turned to her. “We do not use titles here in the colonies. You will be addressed as all the other servants until we hear from your ‘father,’ if we ever