Read Regency Romance: The Rake's Fake Marriage (Historical Arranged Marriage Romance) (19th Century Victorian Romance) for Free Online Page A

So different from the cool, moist air in both D.C. and Virginia. It was cooler inside the building than it was outside.
    Elizabeth wasn’t sure whether she needed to speak to the clerk or not. He probably wouldn’t know Tyler. Or maybe he would. She looked at him. He was busy with a customer. She looked around the room. It took only a moment to realize she was the only woman. She swallowed and walked slowly to a bench sitting near the door. It looked new and out of place in the rickety building. She could feel the eyes of the men following her and tried to tell herself that it was just her paranoia kicking in. Tyler wouldn’t have a hard time picking her out from the crowd, at least.
    She sat down and put her bag on her lap, folding her hands over the top of it as if she would be able to hold on to it if someone grabbed it. She wasn’t a big woman and had delicate features like her mother.
    It felt like she waited forever. None of the men approached Elizabeth as she sat patiently and quietly, becoming more nervous as the minutes passed. Had he forgotten about her? Had there been an accident?
    She wondered what she would do if he never came for her. No one would tell her that something had happened to him. They probably wouldn’t even realize she had come. He might not have told anyone what he was doing. She didn’t even know if he had any family.
    Elizabeth pondered how long she should wait before asking the clerk if he might have any information about where she could find Tyler. She was incredibly uncomfortable in her long dress, layers underneath, and tall boots. She wanted to get out of the dress as soon as she was able. It was not something she should have been wearing in the heat of Nevada, even if it was approaching dark.

Chapter Two
    The door opened beside her, and a rush of cool air blew past her. She hadn’t realized it had cooled off outside and immediately stood up to take a seat on the bench outside the building, instead of inside it.
    The man who had come in looked directly at her. “Elizabeth?” He said.
    She stopped and looked at him. He was half a foot taller than her and had a deeply sculpted face with even deeper brown eyes. His dark wavy hair fell to his shoulders, and he whipped the hat off his head, holding it in front of his chest. He bent at the waist slightly in a quick bow.
    “I’m Tyler. I am so sorry I was not here sooner to get you. I can’t apologize enough.”
    She blinked and bit her lips together. He was very good-looking. She felt a bit of the weight on her heart lifting. At least, he had that going for him. She was annoyed that he had made her wait so long by herself in a room filled with strangers. For much of her life, she had been protected at all times, in case someone tried to kidnap her. The men her father dealt with were often sneaky and desperate to be like him. She’d been told they would go to any lengths to get him in a bad position and that she needed to always be on her guard.
    It was a difficult feeling to let go of . Tyler’s late pickup did not endear him to her. She frowned. “It was very hot . I would like to get out of these clothes. Do you have a dress I will be able to wear? I didn’t bring anything else. I had sold all of my things before I left Virginia.”
    Tyler nodded and reached for her bag. She tightened her grip on it and pulled it closer to her chest. “I can carry it, ” she said.
    “Oh, of course. This way.” He nodded again and held out his hand so that she could go in front of him. He liked her appearance, although her fancy dress was a bit much, as she had pointed out. But if it was really the only dress she had left, he understood why she’d had to wear it.
    “Were you able to get any extra clothes for yourself with the money from selling your items?” Tyler asked once they were outside and walking down the platform lit by gas lamps. The sun was casting different colors through the sky as it dipped behind a far-away