New Castle, England
(January 1861)

“He is old! He is wrinkled! And he only takes me as a wife so that I might breed him children!” Anne Rawson sat atop her chestnut mare and glanced at her best friend; awaiting the words of sympathy that were sure to come.

She was not disappointed. Rebecca’s face softened with sympathy. “Then it is exactly as we suspected. Oh, this is ridiculous, Anne! It’s the 1800’s, hardly the dark ages anymore. You should not be forced to marry anyone.”

Anne pushed the thick, blonde braid of hair over her shoulder, and settled the rounded curves of her small body more comfortably on her horse. She glanced over at Rebecca again, her grey eyes flashing with rage.

“I said nearly the same thing to my father,” Anne agreed. “He insisted that my marrying Mr. Richard’s is the only way out of my brother’s gambling debt.”

“That is your brother’s problem, not ours,” Rebecca said firmly.

“Ours? Fortunately you are not being forced to wed a perverse man who resembles Father
Christmas,” Anne pointed out with a slight smile.

“And possibly, neither are you.” Rebecca urged her horse closer to Anne’s and lowered her voice. “I have been forming a plan ever since you informed me of this distasteful, mandatory union.”

“You have?” The despair and frustration that had settled on Anne, was suddenly lifted a bit as she glanced at her friend suspiciously. “What type of plan?”

“My cousin Jacob has arrived from America recently. He is to escort another cousin of ours, Lissette, back to America when he returns on Sunday. She is very anguished over the prospect and is not going willingly.”

“And what might that have to do with me, Becca?” Anne asked skeptically.

Rebecca winked. “Everything. If you took her place.”

Anne’s hope evaporated. The plan was impossible. Escaping to America seemed like heaven; it was something she’d always dreamed of. She sighed, absently stroking her horse’s mane. “You forget one important detail, Becca. This man would surely recognize that I am not his cousin.”

“He won’t have the opportunity,” Rebecca murmured coyly and leaned forward. “Not if we do this right.”

Too cool Amie, let me dig something out and then I’ll share!