A Bride Most Begrudging
Read A Bride Most Begrudging Online
Authors: Deeanne Gist
Books by Deeanne Gist
A Bride Most Begrudging
The Measure of a Lady
Courting Trouble
Deep in the Heart of Trouble
A Bride in the Bargain
Beguiled
Maid to Match
A Bride Most Begrudging
Copyright © 2005
Deeanne Gist
Cover design and photography by Andrea Gjeldum/Cadmium Design
Interior design by Josh Madison
Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible. See ‘Author’s Note.’
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Printed in the United States of America
ISBN 978-0-7642-0072-4
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gist, Deeanne.
A bride most begrudging / by Deeanne Gist.
p. cm.
Summary: “Set in 1640’s Colonial Virginia, a marriage of convenience becomes most inconvenient when the bride proves more than the planter had bargained for”—Provided by publisher.
ISBN 0-7642-0072-0 (pbk.)
1. Virginia—History—Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775—Fiction. 2. Plantation owners’ spouses—Fiction. 3. Arranged marriage—Fiction. 4. Plantation life—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3607.I55B75 2005
813’.6—dc22
2005004894
For my dearest friend and precious savior, Jesus Christ.
Oh, how I love you. Cherish you. Rejoice over you.
I praise the One Who Is.
Contents
DEEANNE GIST has a background in education and journalism. Her credits include
People Magazine, Parents, Parenting, Family Fun,
and the
Houston Chronicle
. She has a line of parenting products called I Did It! Productions and a degree from Texas A&M. She lives with her husband, four teenagers, and two dogs in Houston, Texas.
One’s first novel is like one’s first baby—an almost surreal experience that delights and frightens all at the same time but is treasured forever. The journey has been long and full of adventure. Many have been there from the beginning, others have walked part of the way with me, and yet others were waiting at the finish line. To all of you, I pray that God will bless you tenfold to how you have blessed me.
A heartfelt thank-you to my college sweetheart and husband, Greg Gist, who is my dream come true. I have been so incredibly blessed to have landed such a treasure. I love you most of all.
My parents, Harold and Veranne Graham, have been instrumental in their support and encouragement, not only during my writing career, but from the moment I entered this world. Thank you for your unconditional love, for sharing your wisdom with me, and for introducing me to Jesus Christ. May He shower you with blessings.
Thank you to my critique partners, Heda Chr ist and Anne Dykowski, for your hours upon hours of devotion, skill, and input. Every time I pick up
Bride,
I think,
Heda told me to put that there,
or
Anne suggested I do that,
or
Golly, I’m glad they made me redo this part
. You are diamonds of the first water. Words cannot express my gratitude.
The folks at Bethany House have been an absolute dream from the moment they received my manuscript to the moment
Bride
hit the shelves. Dave Long, your enthusiasm, dedication, and inspiration have made me want to be the very best I could be. Thank you for stepping out there and making a difference. My editor, Julie Klassen, is the best editor ever—of course, she’s the
only
editor I’ve ever had, but there are some things one just
knows
. And I look forward, Julie, to sharing many more laughs and confidences and books with you. Thank you for your wonderful insight and input. You are a gem.
And a huge and hearty thank-you to Richard Alvarez for choreographing my fight scene, to Ted Simon for giving me a crash course in Housebuilding 101, to Victor Belfi for helping me with the math puzzles, to Richard Curtis for believing in me, and to Ron Smith for managing me. Any mistakes made in regards to fighting, housebuilding, or problem solving are completely and totally mine.