The St Patrick Series Book #1: The St Patrick Bride

Prologue

"Is everything to your liking Mr St Patrick?"

I smiled at the butler assigned to me by the Consulate. The Major is in the country for business. He asked for a butler to accompany me around. The Major doesn't trust me to be on my own. He knows that the first chance I'll get at freedom, I'll disappear. I have done it before. Both of his son's excel in ghosting him. The man is a hard ass and nearly impossible to be around. We yearn for freedom like a need to breathe!

"Yes, thank you."

In a train ride that is supposed to be fun, I'm stuck in first class being attended to thanks to very thing I'm running away from; privilege. The St Patricks are old money. It also happens that every male member of this family has enlisted in the army. It's a mandatory thing or tradition if you prefer.

He excused himself.

I glanced out at the crowded train station.

It feels a little strange to be away from the army. I have been an army brat all my life. I have grown up in bases around the world and I didn't know permanence until my father finally took on a post that kept him in one place. I was sixteen when he sent me to boot camp just like he did Tommy. The Army has been more of a home to me than anywhere else. I just finished a tour and to make sure I don't disappear, the Major was there to pick me up.

I got up to stretch my legs walking through the narrow corridor. I'm completely secluded. The Major's son gets extra special treatment. It's called not mingling with the commoners or perhaps a controlled environment to keep me in place.

The train is already moving. I turned my head to look at the beautiful scenery when someone suddenly grabbed me. My reaction was to push the person away but when her lips embraced mine, my mind froze. My body became paralyzed with the exception of my lips. They knew just what to do until my mind got out of the sensual daze and I pulled away. The big green eyes struck me. I couldn't tear my eyes away.

"Girlfriend." She whispered and quickly took my hand.

I understood what it meant when the man collecting tickets accompanied by two others entered the private part of the train reserved for me. "May I help you?" I asked them.

"She is not supposed to be in this train. She doesn't have a ticket."

"She does. Why would my girlfriend not have a ticket? I requested that the train be delayed because she was running late and you people refused!"

"Mr St Patrick, I assure you we weren't informed-"

"Who should I talk to about it? Clearly someone incompetent needs to be fired, don't you think?" I leveled my gaze with each one of them.

"It's not our policy to delay the train. But having a passenger of your stature on board comes with certain exceptions. I will still need to see her ticket."

I glanced at the girl. She's wide-eyed in a panic.

"Of course. As soon as the incompetent fool who didn't pass the information to delay the train is fired. So who is it?"

They looked at each other. The other two whispered to each other. They pulled the third one aside. After a brief conversation, they took off their hats. "We apologize. We will send you our finest bottle of wine as a gift."

"And my bags! They were chasing me like an animal! They made me lose my bags!"

"Bring her bags."

They left in a hurry. We both sighed and looked at each other.

"That was close! Bloody wonkers!" She sat on the sofa crossing one leg over the other. "Do you have a name blondie?"

She sounds English, Scottish or Irish. I can't tell. But I love the colour of her eyes. She has quite the presence. She's making me feel like the visitor. "Chris."

"St Patrick." She completed my name. "Lovely."

"What about you?" I leaned against the wall. "What do they call you?"

"Court." She answered with a sly smile.

This trip just got interesting.