Page 8 of The Fighter who Needed Me
Persephone
Somewhere on the boat, Nov 1812
After speaking with Brooks, she was nervous. She had never in her wildest dreams or fantasies ever imagined a man that looked like Brooks would ever look at her.
Let alone that he would want her, and or love her. But here she was. And he did.
He loved her. Her. The woman who barely went outside and had only started learning to walk just weeks ago and had the family who seemed to think that she was ill, always.
The girl who was too skinny, who was too pale and who longed to be like everyone else.
Who longed to have someone love her. She had always dreamed of love but had never seen true love.
But here he was. And he saw her. For who she wished she could be. Helped her to accomplish that.
The other girls were so heartbroken when they were taken, which was understandable, but she was not.
No, for the first time in her entire life she was not made to take this medicine, or that medicine.
She was not forced to lay in her bed for hours and days at a time, not moving, not allowed to even leave her bedchamber for years on end.
Not allowed to have friends or anyone not wearing a mask at all times when they came around her.
Not sitting in that blasted chair. She was able to be free. To finally become the woman she wanted to be.
And that woman loved Brooks. He was handsome, yes. That was a fact. But he was more than just handsome. He was kind, protective and so sweet to her it made her want everything he was offering her.
But she had not believed it. Not until their talk. And now? She was going to marry him.
In secret. Something she never had before. He was going to be her husband.
He was going to touch her body and see just how much she needed to gain weight.
But she did not care. All that mattered to her was becoming his wife.
She knew her parents only let her have this season because she cried and begged, yes, but she had also agreed to a match.
One between herself and a man old enough to be her father.
He had a lot of money and a lot of power and her parents wanted some of that money for themselves.
So they gave in and let her have her season for agreeing to the match.
And now she was marrying Brooks. And there was nothing her parents could do about it.
It made her smile. Because for once in her life she was doing something for herself. Making a decision for herself that she had wished for her entire life. She loved Brooks, and he loved her.
She would be the wife she never thought she would get to be and it was perfect.
Lying back on her bed, she stared up and the roughhewn beams.
She smiled. In just a few more hours, she would finally be the woman she had dreamed of becoming.
And it made her so happy.
* * *
Aknock sounded on the cabin door and Persephone was grateful that neither Rose, nor Lily had come to check on her today.
