Interview with Grace McNair – Heroine of The Substitute Wife
How do you
do, everyone! This is newspaperman Archie Davidson, reporting from Bristol,
Connecticut. I’m here to tell you all about a rather alarming incident that
occurred just the other day, at what was supposed to be the society wedding of
the year. I attended the wedding with plans to write an article for the social
columns, but something queer happened instead. The engagement notice printed in
my fine newspaper read: Dr. Raymond
McNair to wed Miss Audrey Whittaker.
And we never make mistakes at the Bristol Times, you can be quite sure of that. Tell me then, why did Miss
Audrey Whittaker disappear right before the big day, while her sister, young
Miss Grace Whittaker, married the good doctor instead?
That ladies
and gentleman, is the mystery at hand! But with my classic newspaperman’s nose,
I’m going to sniff it out, starting by interviewing…the substitute wife
herself.
Grace appears in the doorway, but
doesn’t enter the room. She stands quietly, hands folded in front of her, eyes
on the carpet.
Davidson – Come in, come in, won’t you? Have a
seat. Care for some tea? I make quite deplorable tea, actually, but I’d be glad
to share some with you.
Grace takes a seat on the edge of the
settee. To Davidson’s cataloging eye, she seems to perch, like a hummingbird
ready to take flight at the merest instant.
Grace – I make deplorable tea too. She fixes her wide-eyes on Davidson. She has
rather pretty eyes, or so they seem to Davidson. Greyish-blue, fringed with
thick, dark lashes.
Davidson – Really? I would’ve thought you’d be
rather handy with housekeeping. Aren’t most girls?
Grace – Perhaps. But not me. You see, after
Mother died, I spent so much time working in Father’s store, I never had a
chance to learn. But now that I’m married, my kitchen skills are proving me a
disgrace.
Davidson – (rather
eager) Married, you say? I’d heard about that. Is it true that you took
your sister’s place at the altar after she ran off with the traveling circus?
Grace – It wasn’t the traveling circus. It
was a theatrical troupe. But please, don’t print that in your paper. My father wouldn’t
wish the family name ruined any more than it already is.
Davidson – Off the record, then. Just to
satisfy my own curiosity, how are you and your new husband enjoying married
life?
Grace – (fidgeting
with her clasped hands.) Is it possible to enjoy what was forced upon one?
Dr. McNair only married me to save his own name from scandal. He is polite and
civil, but he doesn’t love me. Not that I should expect him to. I’m not
beautiful like Audrey. She could charm any man that came within ten miles of
her. Father always said I’m plain, and he’s right. I don’t attract men. It’s
just not in my nature to smile, flirt, and be charming. So you see, Mr.
Davidson, a marriage cannot possibly succeed after such a rocky start.
Davidson – I don’t know about that. Dr. McNair
is one of the most decent men around. And with his kindly manner and Irish
charm, he could win over any girl if he set his mind to it.
Grace – (sighing softly) He is charming, like you say, and handsome too. And I do want so much to
be happy with him.
Davidson – Just give it time, Mrs. McNair. As
the old saying goes, “time heals all wounds.” And as I know from personal
experience, love doesn’t always have to come in the grand, romantic way it does
in novels. Sometimes it steals upon you quietly. And when it’s unexpected, it’s
often all the sweeter.
Grace – (smiling
now) Thank you, Mr. Davidson. You’re very kind.
Davidson – The pleasure is all mine, Mrs.
McNair. I wish you both the very best.
About Amanda
Amanda Barratt is a historical romance author with two novellas releasing in 2015 with Barbour Publishing. She fell in love with writing in grade school when she wrote her first story - a spinoff of Jane Eyre. Since then, she's penned novels set in Regency and Victorian England, and the Gilded Age.
A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, she lives in the woods of Michigan with her fabulous family, who kindly put up with the invisible people she calls characters.
These days, Amanda can be found reading way too many books, watching an eclectic mix of BBC dramas and romantic chick flicks, and trying to figure out a way to get on the first possible flight to England.
You can connect with her at amandabarratt.net and on Facebook at: www.Facebook.com/amandabarrattauthor
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