Page 21 of Papa's Little Bride
The houses move past the window in a blur, and Papa squeezes my hand after the carriage rocks from running over a pothole.
“You look very pretty, Faith.”
His compliment leaves me heated and breathless. Everythinghe says and does seems to make me all flustered, beside myself with an aching between my thighs even as my heart does a little dance of joy. His undivided attention makes me feel cherished, and my heart pounds as I wonder how soon it will be until he decides to claim me as his wife-in-truth. We will say our vows tomorrow, but he won’t consummate our marriage until he thinks I’m ready.
How can I convince him I’m ready? I ponder this question for a while, and then it hits me. I need to act womanly and try to seduce my papa. I’ve walked by Madam Angelic’s bawdy house before and seen the scantily dressed women hanging out of windows, calling to men in the street. Showing their cleavage and even their legs. They also tend to shout vulgar things at their prospective customers, and myears burn at the memory of the naughty words and phrases I’ve heard while walking by. But, if that’s what it takes to get Papa to make love to me, that’s what I’ll do.
The carriage pulls to a stop, drawing me from my scheming. Dread fills me when I look at the orphanage through the window. It’s a tiny house in poor repair, the blue paint chipping off it and the shutters hanging crooked.While this has been my home for most of my life, I have not found much happiness here. I’ve watched friends come and go—some lucky enough to get adopted, others unlucky enough to pass away from an illness—and most of the older women who run the orphanage are lacking in kindness. Mrs. Hawthorne is cold and distant, prone to yelling and throwing things. But she was nice enough to write me the letterof recommendation and suggest I look for job postings in the town square, and she also tries her best to tend to the girls who become ill, and I suppose I owe her a proper goodbye.
“Faith? Are you all right, little one? You don’t have to go inside if you don’t want to.” Papa’s deep voice, brimming with concern, comforts me and lends me much needed strength in this moment.
Forcinga smile, I turn to him. “I’m fine. Just nervous. It’s…very loud here, and a bit chaotic.”
He rubs my back. “I know; I’ve been here before. I realize it’s overcrowded and not well-staffed, Faith, and I imagine you don’t have many fond memories here. It’s perfectly normal to feel uneasy walking through those doors one last time. But I’m here with you. I won’t let you go inside alone. We’lldo this together.”
My smile turns genuine. Papa opens his arms and beckons me to lean into him, and I all but throw myself against his big solid chest. When I’m in his arms, I’m certain nothing in the world can harm me. I’m protected and cherished, and the darkness of my past can’t extinguish the new hope that’s flickering to life and burning brightly within me.
“Come now, littleone, and we’ll be in and out in a few short minutes. Then we’ll go back home.”
“All right, Papa. I’m ready.”
