Read Freedom For A Bride: A clean historical mail order bride romance (Montana Passion Book 2) for Free Online Page A

Russell, may I present Miss Ekaterina Noryeva?” Moira began with forced cheer, turning to Nathaniel and gesturing to the woman. “She is the young lady you’ve been corresponding with, and she is pleased to make your acquaintance.”
    Nathaniel and Pryor both looked from Ekaterina to Moira and back again, waiting for something more to happen. Moira leaned closer to the men and said quietly, “And it appears as though she can naw speak English.”
     

Chapter Six
     
    “What? That’s can’t be true, we’ve written a few letters, I have them right here,” Nathaniel said, the distress coloring his voice. He reached into an inside pocket of his heavy coat and pulled out a few pages. By the looks of them, he’d read them over and over in anticipation of finally meeting his bride. Instead, he held them up almost as evidence. “See? Look right here. There’s her name at the bottom and everything.”
    Moira and Pryor peered at the letters, and sure enough, it was as Nathaniel said. The chunky script, the same as the handwriting on the letter Moira had just read, filled several pages before ending with Ekaterina’s name in the closing.
    “Is it possible someone wrote the letters for her? And read your letters to her?” Pryor asked, casting a quick warning glance at his wife. He needn’t have silenced her, as she would never have told anyone that he’d needed the same courtesy when he wrote off for a wife. She’d been working with him more on learning his letters now that the winter season gave them more time indoors, but there was no time or energy to study more when chores called throughout the rest of the year.
    “I ‘spose that could be,” he answered slowly, disappointment clear on his face. Gone were his hopes of having a friendly companion to keep him company. Instead, he was faced with a woman who might as well not have been able to speak at all, such was the difference between them.
    Moira was the one to recover first. She squared her shoulders and forced a broad smile on her face before turning the Ekaterina. She took the young woman’s hand and linked it through her arm, then said slowly, “Welcome to New Hope, Miss Noryeva.”
    “Katia,” the woman said in a shy, but melodious voice. She looked down as she spoke, but peeked up for Moira’s approval after telling them her name.
    “Oh, Katia then! And please call me Moira,” she said brightly, enunciating her name and feeling hopeful for the first time in this uncomfortable meeting. She made introductions, pointing to her own husband and introducing him simply as “Mac,” as that was how Nathaniel called him, then pointing at Nathaniel and gesturing between the two of them as she spoke his name slowly several times.
    Katia risked a glance at Nathaniel, her dark eyes finally locking with his. She smiled in the briefest way, barely a movement at the corners of her mouth, but it was enough to melt Nathaniel’s heart and give him the slightest feeling of optimism. He started to reach a hand toward her in greeting but remembered how skittish she’d been of Moira’s handshake, but he was unable to keep from grinning like a fool when she eventually held out her own hand to him.
    The four of them headed toward Jorgenson’s shop and Nathaniel jumped forward to hold the door open for Katia, pointing above her to tell her to watch her head as she entered the low building, built down into the ground to conserve heat. They looked through the wares quietly, and Pryor shook his head slightly at the shopkeeper when he asked if they’d forgotten anything from their earlier purchases.
    “Mr. Jorgenson, this is Miss Noryeva,” Nathaniel began proudly. “She’s just arrived on the train, and I wanted to show her around.”
    Jorgenson smiled at her and began to speak, but his words trailed off when he saw the lack of comprehension on her face. He turned to Nathaniel, who simply returned his pleasant but blank expression.
    Moira began leading Katia around