the virtuous husband - book one - cannon & durnam trilogy

The Virtuous Husband

Dawnette Blackwood-Rhoomes

© 2015 by Dawnette Blackwood-Rhoomes

A DB-R Designs publication, Binghamton, NY.

[email protected]

Printed by CreateSpace, An Amazon.com Company

CreateSpace, Charleston SC.

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.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places,

and incidents either are products of the author’s

imagination or are used fictitiously. Any

resemblance to actual events or locales or persons,

living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

The Virtuous Husband / Dawnette Blackwood-

Rhoomes

ISBN-13: 978-1518607325

ISBN-10: 1518607322

Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are

from the NIV Bible.

Cover art & design: © DB-R Designs

“A wife of noble character who can find?

She is worth far more than rubies.”

Proverbs 31:10

The merger of Cannon Textiles and Durnam Fabrics

sparks a saga, and a series of romance!

Book 1 - The Virtuous Husband

Book 2 - The Love Inheritance

Book 3 - The Hopeful Promise

Cannon & Durnam Family

Robert Cannon – Rhys’ father, CEO of

Cannon Textiles

David Durnam – Elizabeth’s father, CEO of

Durnam Fabrics (deceased)

Richard Durnam – Myra & Mark’s father,

David Durnam’s brother (deceased)

Rhys Cannon – Robert Cannon’s first born,

Elizabeth’s husband

Elizabeth Durnam-Cannon – David

Durnam’s daughter, Rhys Cannon’s wife

Myra Durnam – Elizabeth’s cousin, Mark’s

sister

Mark Durnam – Elizabeth’s cousin, Myra’s

brother

Hunter Cannon – Robert Cannon’s youngest

son, Rhys’ brother

Suzanne Cannon-Drye – Robert Cannon’s

daughter, Rhys and Hunter’s sister

Declan Drye – Suzanne’s husband

1

PROLOGUE

The incessant chime of the doorbell brought

Elizabeth Durnam to the door almost immediately.

“Did you leave your bag again Jess?” Elizabeth

called, flinging the door wide open. Her friend

Jessica McLennan was always forgetting

something. She swore that girl was as absentminded

as they come.

But it was the FEDEX™ guy with a broad grin

and a large white envelope in his hand, that greeted

her instead.

“Oh!” she exclaimed.

“Elizabeth Durnam?” he asked.

“Yes, that’s me,” answered Elizabeth.

“Package delivery for you ma’am,” he said in the

iconic Montana drawl. “Just sign right here.”

He handed her the handheld machine for her to

sign her name; then he gave her the crisp white

envelope which bore the vibrant, shiny, fire red

company seal of Cannon & Durnam Enterprise.


2

Thanking him, she closed the door and walked back

to the couch; afraid to sit down despite suddenly

going weak in the knees.

Gazing apprehensively at the seal, Elizabeth

instantly knew what was on the inside of the

envelope. She was expecting it. She ran her fingers

over the seal, and her destiny seem to hang in a

pendulum, precariously balancing between opening

the envelope or keeping the bright red seal intact.

Her heart skipped a beat; no, several beats as the

realization slowly sank in that the time she wished

to keep at bay was suddenly upon her. It was time to

face the destiny that had been carved out for her

years ago.

The sight of the seal ignited and sparked to life

the almost dormant memory of her father’s last

words a year ago. It is the only memory of him that

Elizabeth try hard to forget.

“You must promise me Beth,” her Dad had said

then; drawing in ragged breaths that were labored

and strained. “You must promise...”

“Yes Father.” She had answered quickly so he

could have some peace.

“Promise me you’ll keep our family’s end of the

bargain and see this merger through to the very

end.” Coughing and wheezing, he collapsed onto

the pillow from exasperation, and Elizabeth’s heart

ached and broke as she choked back the tears.

Her father, the great David Durnam of Durnam

Fabrics was dying. Her mother had died five years

before of cancer. And although Elizabeth was to be

the sole heir to Durnam Fabrics, it brought her no

solace then as she faithfully promised him that she


3

would see the merger of Durnam Fabrics and

Cannon Textiles to completion. Now the day was

finally here, and Elizabeth could feel her

apprehension slowly giving way to anger.

With knees about to buckle, she took her seat on

the waiting couch. The tremor in her hands actually

aided her in breaking the thick red seal. Elizabeth

opened the envelope, and cautiously withdrew its

content. It held one lone sheet of paper bearing the

letterhead of Cannon & Durnam Enterprise, and

below a brief letter addressed to her. With heart

skittish in her chest, threatening to break free like a

frightened mare trapped in a stall during a

thunderstorm, Elizabeth took a very deep breath.

Her father’s eyes had held the promise of hope in

them before he took his last breath and closed his

eyes. She had tried for a year to evade this moment,

but now it was time to keep her father’s hope alive

and deliver on the promise she had made him.

Dear Miss Elizabeth Durnam, the letter read.

You are required to appear at the NYC

Headquarters of Cannon & Durnam Enterprise on

Monday, March 14th at 10:00am with your

attorneys-at-law to complete the merger of Cannon

Textiles and Durnam Fabrics. A copy of this request

has been forwarded to your legal team, Smith and

Lloyd, Attorneys-at-Law.

Sincerely,

The Legal Team of Ford McKinley, Attorney-at-

Law, Cannon & Durnam Enterprise.

The breath she was holding, she finally released

in a long sigh. Allowing the paper to slide from her

quivering fingers, Elizabeth leaned forward, head in


4

hands and closed her eyes against the hot tears.

“...to complete the merger...” the letter said.

Now she was expected to keep her end of this

ridiculous bargain her father David Durnam, and his

longtime best friend Robert Cannon had concocted

between them 20 years ago. In short, best friends to

the very end, both owned textile mills inherited

from their fathers, and thought it enterprising

(which it was) to work together and combine their

assets by amalgamating into one single entity –

Cannon & Durnam Enterprise. The merger gained

an unprecedented market share for high-end fabrics,

knocking most of their competition out of their

league.

But in their quest to solidify and secure their

partnership and merger, they included a special

clause - the marriage of Elizabeth Durnam (sole heir

to Durnam Fabrics) to Rhys Cannon (eldest son of

Robert Cannon)!

Elizabeth opened her eyes slowly. There was no

way out of it – there were promises, and clauses,

and contracts that bound her and Rhys Cannon

together. To pull out now, would mean disbanding

the merger all together and breaking apart a

conglomerate that has proven to be successful so

far. Only, why did it have to include marriage to a

man she only met twice, and on both occasions he

was expressively rude and self-centered? Now she

was to be his wife, and may God grant her

abounding virtue and patience!

5

CHAPTER ONE

“Wait!” Elizabeth held up her hand and everyone

in the room paused including Rhys, her husband-to-

be, who was poised with pen in hand and about to

sign their marriage contract.

They looked at her, waiting expectantly.

“Before you sign that contract, I want a clause

added,” she announced.

“What?” Rhys erupted; his eyes, light brown,

darkened and narrowed into suspicious slits. “And

what might that clause be?”

Ignoring him, Elizabeth turned to her legal

counsel of Smith & Lloyd. “Is it too late to include

a clause in our contract?”

“Well, your father and Mr. Cannon had set out

the guidelines of the contract for the merger which

included your marriage to Rhys, but you both have

a say in what can be included in your marriage

contract,” Michael Lloyd informed her.

“In other words, I can add a clause to the


6

marriage contract but not to the contract of the

merger,” she said and the small, mouse-like man

nodded in agreement.

Rhys snorted loudly, glaring at the lawyer as if

he had full intentions in strangling the messenger.

“Very well then,” she began triumphantly.

“Given the circumstance and since Mr. Rhys

Cannon has a reputation that precedes him for being

callous, and sometimes downright rude, I would

like to add the ‘Virtuous Clause’ which states that

Rhys Cannon must make an effort to be courteous,

kind, chaste, and display good behavior in this

marriage.”

Rhys exploded. “Good behavior! Do you think

I’m a child! What is that suppose to mean?”

She stared him square in the face; her triumphant

tone replaced with sudden definitive exasperation.

“In other words, I would like for you to be a

virtuous husband; otherwise, no deal. If you want to

know what it means in the practical sense of the

word, I suggest you read Proverbs 31. You know, in

the Bible.”

Rhys’ Dad, Robert Cannon, slapped his leg and

barked a laugh. His eyes had tears in them as he

leaned back in his chair at the head of the

conference table, and laughed in utter abandonment.

“Rhys my boy, you’ve met your match!” he

guffawed.

Charles Smith, Elizabeth’s other attorney,

addressed Rhys from across the table. “Mr. Cannon,

the companies will continue to work together as

Cannon & Durnam Enterprise but to really secure

this merger, there has to be a marriage as stated in


7

the contract. This means sir that you should really

try to meet Elizabeth halfway at least.”

“I know what it means,” Rhys said through

gritted teeth; grinding the man to miniature size

with his cold stare.

He looked at Elizabeth, and she could have

sworn she saw the color of his eyes changed from

light brown to almost black.

“Fine,” he said, still looking at her. A chill ran

down her spine as his lips suddenly curved in a

sneer. “Include your clause.”

“It has already been prepared,” Michael Lloyd

chirped as he winked at Elizabeth. He pushed a

single sheet of paper across the table to Rhys.

Elizabeth remembered how it had tickled the

younger man’s funny bone when she had called him

about the clause. She thought it was a clever idea

too in keeping Rhys Cannon in check; the man did

have a reputation for being rude, egotistical, and

bossy. But now, looking at him with eyebrows

arched and a sneer of a smile smearing his lips,

Elizabeth wondered if maybe she was biting off

way more than she could chew!

Handsome, lean, and clearly disgusted with

everyone, Rhys Cannon signed the stack of papers

and then shoved them toward the center of the wide

mahogany conference table, glaring at his father as

he did so. Although Elizabeth sat with her attorneys

and took solace that they represented her well, she

now couldn’t help but feel a loss of control and

dread when it was her turn to sign the stack of

papers. Afterwards, Ford McKinley perused the

paper work as Robert Cannon observed them like a


8

rooster surveying his hen house. She noted the glare

Rhys sent his father, and bristled and looked away

quickly when his eyes met hers again, this time in

an open challenge. He had been staring her down in

open defiance since she had arrived for their

meeting, but reference to the marriage clause had

made him look downright mad.

Oh well, she thought. She was as much the

victim as he was in this ridiculous situation!

McKinley nodded his head to Robert Cannon

indicating all was well with the contracts.

“Now what else is there?” Rhys snapped. “Let’s

be done with it!”

Robert Cannon impatiently cleared his throat as a

warning signal to his son. He looked down the long

table at Elizabeth and his eyes held her. He smiled;

his brown eyes lit up and she immediately

remembered sitting on his knee at 6 years old when

he visited her father in Montana. There she met him

for the first time.

Elizabeth looked at the older man and returned

his smile.

“I’m sorry my dear. My son is not happy with

the arrangements of this merger, but you understand

that it must be done, right?” he asked, the skin

around his eyes creased slightly as his smile spread

upwards.

She regarded Rhys who again took to staring her

down, and said, “I understand and I promised my

father on his death bed that I would see this merger

through.” Not that she wanted to, neither did she

have a choice or even a say in the matter. Elizabeth

wished her dad had at least consulted her first


9

before concocting such a ridiculous plan.. Why

couldn’t they have simply merged the companies

without the marriage clause!

She held Rhys now in open exasperation; her

brief twinge of triumph long gone. “I’m not keen on

this marriage arrangement either, call me old

fashion if you will. However, I guess it must be

done.”

Rhys straightened in his seat. “At least we agree

on that much.”

She ignored him. Why was he behaving as if she

had asked for this or even wanted it?

Robert boomed a throaty laugh. “You kids sound

like a couple of snarly cats in a back alley. This

should make one heck of a marriage!”

From the corner of her eyes Elizabeth saw Rhys

bristled and he leaned forward stiffly in his chair.

“Look,” he ground out, turning to his attorney.

“Are we done here? I don’t have all day. Let’s be on

our way.”

Clueless, she asked “Be on our way where and

for what?”

“To the courthouse,” he replied dryly. “I already

obtained a marriage license.”

“What!” Her throat suddenly constricted. She

squeaked, “No one informed me it was today?”

She glared at her attorneys. Had they purposely

omitted to mention that part of the agreement or

was it Rhys trying to jump the gun? She was not

prepared for this! Now the situation was way

beyond ridiculous! Elizabeth thought that at least

they’d get to know each other first or at least get to

a point where they could live in civility with each


10

other. But to get married to him today! Absurd! For

a moment Elizabeth felt the floor tip from under

her. A dizzy feeling washed over her and soon her

heart followed in a galloping run. The last time she

had an anxiety attack, her father had died in her

arms and she had realized then that she was all

alone in the world.

Sensing her panic, Michael Lloyd, the younger

attorney intervened. He tried to soothe her.

“Miss Durnam,” he began. “Because of the

nature of the contract, your father had agreed that

on the day you sign the contract, the wedding

should take place. Your father wanted to make sure

that you were settled in the Cannon family soon

after his death. He didn’t want you to be on your

own for too long.”

In other words, he didn’t want her changing her

mind.

Oh Dad! What have you done? Elizabeth

thought.

She caught Rhys’ eyes across the table, and she

saw a spark of challenge in them.

Rhys Cannon held Elizabeth Durnam’s glare and

silently willed her to back out of the deal. He leaned

back in the overstuffed swivel chair; the chair

squeaking under his powerful frame. His long legs

stretched out before him as he openly dared her to

an outright war. This was one deal he didn’t mind

losing or going sour. Why should he be subjected to

marrying someone he didn’t know, all because of


11

his father’s greed? Cannon Textiles was already

doing well on its own, when the two friends sealed

their deal on a merger 20 years ago, at least so he

heard. But he must admit that merging the two

companies did help in making them a powerful

entity. For twenty years Robert and David built

their company to what it is today, but with the

passing of David, the deal must finally be closed

with Rhys wedded to Elizabeth.

And what was this about being a virtuous

husband? He shouldn’t have agreed to such

absurdity. A virtuous husband! They weren’t even

married yet and she was already looking to change

him. So typical!

His eyes roved over her. He must admit she was

beautiful to look at, in a plain sort of way. Not

exactly his type, plus she had a feisty streak that he

didn’t quite care for in a woman. Was he going to

have a hell-cat on his hands? He didn’t have time

for that. He knew her father doted on her, his only

child Elizabeth Durnam, soon to be Elizabeth

Durnam-Cannon. He drew in a shaky breath when

her fist flew in defiance over the last paper that held

the ‘Virtuous Clause”, affixing her signature to it. It

left him with a sour taste in his mouth.

Rhys wasn’t ready for a wife, let alone one who

is feisty and spoiled. If she thought that he was

going to pamper her like the rich little princess that

she is, then she has another thing coming!

12

CHAPTER TWO

With documents signed and all legal formalities

of the merger updated and completed, Elizabeth

headed with Rhys to the courthouse. With thoughts

of planning an escape route or at least a viable

excuse, Elizabeth vaguely remembered being

ushered into the waiting car by the front entrance of

the company’s New York building. She

remembered shaking the hands of all the men in the

conference room except Rhys, whom she avoided

like the plague. Everything else was a daze.

New York crept slowly by as Elizabeth stared

out the window of the black Mercedes Benz,

charioting her and Rhys to their destiny. She

glanced at the driver once and wondered if he had

any idea that she was about to be shackled for life to

the man next to her. If he knew, he didn’t give any

indication that he was privy to such piece of

information. In fact, the attorneys had agreed that it

was best to announce the wedding after the fact. As


13

Robert Cannon’s car and his attorney’s car careened

their way to City Hall, her attorneys followed

behind; the outside world oblivious of the

entourage.

Elizabeth was acutely aware of Rhys sitting

beside her, his steely muscular form overshadowing

her side of the car. He had opened up his briefcase

and was busily shuffling papers around as he read

through some of them, absolutely ignoring her very

existence. Was this the kind of life she was destined

for?

Oh Father! What have you done? Elizabeth

thought again for the second time that day.

Her temples throbbed in a dull ache. How was

she going to survive this? She was taught that

marriage wasn’t supposed to be entered into lightly,

but this was way more than light! This was making

a mockery of it! If her mother was alive, she would

have said so. If her mother was alive, this would

never have happened. But her Dad, God bless his

soul - he meant well, was seeing only the business

side of things. Her mother, on the other hand, was

emotional and sensitive and would have honored

the sacredness of the occasion. Her Dad and Robert

saw opportunity and business stability; while her

mother would have seen through this charade and

saw the true nature of things - emotional upheaval!

And what did Elizabeth see? Elizabeth saw absolute

anarchy; and Rhys...? She wondered what Rhys

saw. How did he view the present situation?

Rhys pretended to read through the paragraph of


14

the report in front of him, yet one more time. He

had no clue what it said because he couldn’t

concentrate. Beside him Elizabeth sighed painfully

several times. Was she even aware that she was

sighing? Well, she clearly wasn’t on board with the

idea of marriage either. How were they going to live

together? A sneer came across his face. Was she

even prepared for what it takes to be married to

Rhys Cannon? Little, spoiled Elizabeth Durnam

will have a rude awakening if she remotely think

that he would pamper her the way her Daddy

pampered her. Rhys was not into spoiling women,

and he certainly wasn’t going to begin now!

The car came to a halt at the entrance of City

Hall and they alighted from it, both avoiding each

other as best as they could. In front of the judge,

however, they had no choice but to at last face each

other as Judge Hamilton read and lectured them on

the sanctity and sacredness of marriage.

Rhys saw Elizabeth eyelids fluttered several

times as she tried to hide her blush when the

Honorable Judge Hamilton asked whether she was

prepared to “forsake all others and love only your

husband”. Rhys looked at her challengingly; a smile

curling the edges of his lips.

She glared at him in obvious defiance to his

stare.

“I do,” she answered.

He must admit she had guts, maybe the only

thing he admired about her.

Elizabeth was caught like a deer in headlights in


15

Rhys’ stare and she felt nothing but rebellion when

she chimed “I do!” to Judge Hamilton’s question.

What was she doing? She didn’t want this marriage

anymore than he did! So why had she fallen for his

bait? They should at least have dated first. Now that

she thought of it, that’s what she should have

stipulated in the contract! A virtuous husband?

Good grief, she had signed her death warrant!

It was unnerving to grasp that the very traits she

didn’t desire in a husband, is really what her father

chose for her. The man was rude, chauvinist,

insensitive, and all about business. But with her

inclusion of ‘the virtuous clause’, Elizabeth can

only hope that God will help Rhys to see for himself

what it is God required in people. Never mind that

Proverbs 31 was written about the virtuous wife;

Elizabeth was sure that any woman would want her

husband to possess the same qualities too.

She sighed again. It seemed as if she’d be doing

a lot of that from now on.

“I do.” Elizabeth heard Rhys say dryly, a slow

smile forming at the corners of his lips as he

grasped her hand to slip the ring onto her finger;

bringing her sharply out of her reverie.

The sudden contact made Elizabeth jump and she

snatched her hand away. But Rhys took it again

firmly and slid the ring home on her finger.

How dare he? Elizabeth fumed, but then

remembered that giving the ring was a natural and

expected part of the ceremony. She looked at it; an

immense diamond sat contentedly among a close

knit cluster of smaller diamonds and as the light

from above the judge’s desk hit it, her finger went


16

ablaze in a spectacular prism of kaleidoscope of

color. Under normal circumstances, she probably

would have swooned over it like any other bride.

She hated him for even denying her that simple

pleasure. Plus when did he even find the time to

shop for such a treasure? Then Elizabeth

remembered that men like Rhys Cannon didn’t

browse through department stores, they simply

don’t have the time. Furthermore, why would he -

he didn’t want to marry her anymore than she

wanted to marry him. She snickered; disgusted at

the thought that maybe his assistant had picked the

ring.

At last she snatched her hand away again and

this time he didn’t move to retrieve it.

“You may now kiss the bride,” Judge Hamilton

declared happily, and Elizabeth stiffened.

He wouldn’t dare! She slanted her eyes and gave

him her best don’t you dare if you love your life

glare. But Rhys obviously took her glare as a

challenge, and before Elizabeth could stop him, he

leaned in and grasped the back of her head, angling

her face toward his.

She held herself rigid to deter his advancement,

but he didn’t take notice and held her head in place

and kissed her firmly on the lips. She could feel his

smile widening as his lips remained on hers in the

most inappropriate fashion, giving the impression

that it was a long passionate kiss. For lack of a more

fitting word, she seethed beneath her breath.

“Scoundrel!”

A laugh gurgled in his throat causing anger to

course through her. Elizabeth pushed hard against


17

his chest; the hard muscles flexed under the smooth

fabric of his suit jacket. He let her go suddenly, and

she teetered backwards, but he held on to her before

she lost her balance.

“How dare you!” Rage seeped and became a

well-spring pouring through Elizabeth’s veins.

Suddenly, her hand shot out and she slapped Rhys

hard against the cheek.

Everyone went quiet and Rhys’ hand went up to

rub his jaw. His eyes narrowed and before he could

say anything, Judge Hamilton in a concerned tone

said:

“Our office provides counseling if you need it.”

Through gritted teeth Rhys responded: “We

don’t need counseling, thank you!” and glared at

her.

Robert Cannon’s laughter boomed from behind

them.

“This marriage should be interesting indeed!” he

said as he slapped Rhys on the back. “Mighty

interesting!”

18

CHAPTER THREE

Rhys’ jaw stung. For a moment he was taken off

guard. Not only had Elizabeth managed to humiliate

him at his little game, she also made it clear that she

wasn’t the kind of woman he could easily contend

with. Well, he’d have to fix that! First, he’d have to

do something about that temper of hers.

They exited the courthouse minutes later after

the marriage papers were signed and the respective

lawyers exchanged paperwork, signatures and

handshakes. Elizabeth had not offered an apology,

but instead walked mutely beside him as they

followed Robert and the legal teams out the

building.

Rhys informed them that he had lunch reserved

for everyone at The Carlisle across the street. They

dined in a private lunch room in the restaurant, and

he watched her eat small amounts; blindly picking

at her food. Watching her weight, no doubt!

“Welcome to our family Elizabeth. You did your


19

father proud today,” said Robert, raising his glass in

a toast.

Rhys saw Elizabeth’s eyes mist over. She sniffed

loudly and dabbed her eyes with the edge of the

napkin. For the first time since they met that

morning he felt a tug of sympathy toward her. He

had lost his mother three years ago. That feeling of

loss was all too familiar.

But as quickly as the tears came, she blinked

them away. Their eyes met briefly across the table,

and she squared her shoulders as if in retort to his

pity.

“Thank you Mr. Cannon,” she said, locking her

attention instead on the old man.

“Call me Robert or Dad. No more Mr. Cannon.

We’re family now,” his father said as he lowered

his glass.

This time she smiled and Rhys noted the smile

brightened her features bringing a small spark into

her light brown eyes and highlighting their depths.

She brushed a thick lock of hair that came loose

from being tucked behind her ear. Rhys watched as

she tucked the erring lock again behind the soft

curve of her ear, exposing her cheek and long neck.

The movement was graceful and he thought to

himself, her beauty was exquisite in a plain sort of

way.

Rhys shook his head. What had come over him?

Graceful though she may look, she was indeed a

hell-cat with a fiery temper and a mean right hand!

He rubbed his jaw and grinned inwardly. He

guessed he deserved it. He had kissed her to see

what she was made of, and it took him by surprise


20

when she had responded so forcefully, and then she

had the nerve to blush like a woman shocked at her

own behavior. He was certainly not in the mood to

play games with Elizabeth Durnam-Cannon. He

was not going to pamper her. His eyes hardened as

he glanced at her. Yes, however graceful and

exquisite she may be he was not interested in

getting into a tangled web of emotions with her.

Emotions were painful and costly, and he couldn’t

afford them.

Robert and the attorneys were the first to leave

the restaurant. While Rhys lingered to pay the bill,

Elizabeth freshened up in the bathroom. Looking in

the mirror, Elizabeth was surprised to see how

much her face betrayed her emotions. No wonder

Rhys was looking at her in pity. Well, she didn’t

need his pity and she wasn’t going to let him get the

better of her.

As they exited the restaurant, Rhys and Elizabeth

bumped into a woman with red hair, cut in a short

bob, and a flashy dark grey and white skirt suit.

“Oh excuse me. I wasn’t…” the woman began to

say. Then she stopped short in obvious mock alarm.

“Hi Rhys,” the woman crooned, leaning over to

smooch his cheek.

Elizabeth cocked one eyebrow but said nothing.

Meanwhile, as she was almost a step behind Rhys,

she saw him stiffened and cringed.

“Hello Paige.” His reply was curt. “I don’t

believe you’ve met my wife Elizabeth.” Turning to


21

her he said, “Honey, this is Paige Winslow, an

acquaintance of mine.”

Honey! So the show begins! Was this part of

their business arrangement too?

“Hi Paige. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” said

Elizabeth, evenly.

Caught in the snare of the woman’s glare,

Elizabeth coolly regarded her. She wondered just

how much of an acquaintance was Paige to Rhys.

“Likewise,” Paige replied, her voice trimmed

with disdain.

Elizabeth gave her a once over and figured Paige

must be a past girlfriend of Rhys’. Everything about

the woman was chic, but overdone, a bit flashy.

Rhys was so conservative and Elizabeth wondered

if Rhys liked flashy women. In that case he’ll

definitely find her plain.

“Well, see you around,” Rhys said dismissively

and took hold of Elizabeth’s elbow and guided her

down the street where the driver was standing by

the car. He didn’t look back, not even once.

However, when Elizabeth did, Paige was still

standing on the curb fuming and staring after them.

She sat beside Rhys once again in the back of his

black Mercedes Benz as they were chauffeured

slowly through Manhattan’s bumper to bumper

traffic. Her thoughts rested on the wedding

ceremony. What had come over her? She raged and

slapped her husband at the altar on their wedding

day! She didn’t offer a word of apology let alone

say a word to him. And she almost cried her eyes

out at the mere mention of her father’s name earlier.

True, she didn’t want this marriage either, but her


22

emotions were out of control and she better harness

them before Rhys begin to think he has a psychotic

wife on his hands. She shook her head. No, it

wasn’t her; she has never lost her temper like that

before. It was Rhys. He was insensitive, arrogant,

and an egoist; and somehow she was allowing him

to get the better of her. Nevertheless, she knew she

should apologize; if anything, because it was the

right thing to do.

Elizabeth cleared her throat, keeping her eyes on

the slow creeping traffic in the opposite lane. She

turned slightly and stole a glance at him, but he

seemed absorbed in his thoughts. Elizabeth cleared

her throat again, this time looking at him.

“Okay,” she began. “I think we started out on the

wrong foot.”

He gave no indication he heard her; not even the

bat of an eyelid.

Amazing! Nevertheless, Elizabeth knew what she

must do.

“I’m sorry,” she offered. When he didn’t

respond, she continued. “I just need to get used to

this. Everything is all happening so fast. I didn’t

expect the wedding would be today.”

He finally acknowledged her; cool brown eyes

settling on her, an insolent indifference emanating

from them.

“You’re desirable, but you’re not my type. Don’t

mistake the wedding today to be anymore than just

a contract to complete this merger. This is a

business agreement, nothing more,” he said in a

bored tone.

At his remark, Elizabeth’s eyes smarted with


23

fresh tears, but she hurriedly blinked them away.

She didn’t expect love, certainly not, but at least

they could be civil toward each other. Resentment

burned inside her like a live spark, but she

squelched it.

She inhaled deeply and murmured, “Fine. Suit

yourself. I just thought we could at least be civil

toward one another.”

The silence between them stretched painfully

until he answered several moments later.

“Although this is not a civilized arrangement, I

guess we could manage some level of civility since

both of our companies depend on it.” Then he

opened his briefcase and forgot about her.

24

CHAPTER FOUR

Sighing deeply, Elizabeth stepped over the

threshold to the entrance of Rhys’ brownstone

apartment on the Upper East Side. If this was a

normal marriage, her husband would have lifted her

in his arms and carried her across the threshold.

Instead, here she was with a strange man stepping

over the threshold as husband and wife to live

together in a strange house. Her chest tightened in

panic, and she swallowed hard to calm her nerves

and squelch the overwhelming feel of disgust. She

quickly pushed the invasive thoughts aside. After

all, what did she expect after his sarcastic comment

in the car?

Taking in her new environment, Elizabeth was

pleasantly surprised to see an exquisitely

elaborately carved staircase in the middle of the

hallway. Not expecting such ornate workmanship

in a brownstone in New York City, she moved


25

further in to investigate. To the right of the stairs

was the living room with a fireplace and French

doors leading to another area. To the left, the dining

room opened into the wide expanse of the kitchen;

bathed in warm sunlight streaming in from the back

windows and the sliding glass door.

She inhaled sharply. The space was beautiful! It

was so vastly different from the Durnam mansion in

Montana. This was small and homey.

“Welcome home,” Rhys said dryly and took her

coat. He draped it carelessly over the back of the

sofa as they entered into the living room. Through

the glass doors, she saw a small den and an even

smaller room that looked like a library. It held floor

to ceiling shelves of books. They silently beckoned

to Elizabeth, and she gave in to it like a moth to a

flame.

She entered the room, reverently peering at some

of the titles as she stepped around the armchair and

the side table.

“You like reading?” he asked, coming in behind

her.

“It’s my favorite pass time,” she answered,

pulling out a copy of War and Peace, thumbed

through the pages and then placed it back on the

shelf.

“Feel free to borrow from here,” he said. Then he

left her abruptly to answer the knock at the front

door.

The chauffeur had parked the car, and came

toting Elizabeth’s heavy suitcases. The man

deposited them in the hallway. Elizabeth went to

thank him, and shake his hand.


26

“You’re welcome Mrs. Cannon,” he said, his

brown eyes twinkled as he smiled at her.

“Please call me Elizabeth,” she said. She learned

his name was Frank and that he had been Rhys’

driver for several years.

After Frank left, Rhys pulled keys from his pant

pocket and handed them to her. They were keys to

the apartment, he told her and she graciously

accepted them; blushing when his fingers brushed

against hers.

“I’ll show you upstairs,” he said, and headed for

the stairs. Her heart galloped. Upstairs meant

bedrooms. Were they supposed to share the same

room, let alone the same bed? Surely not! Didn’t he

say that it was a marriage on paper only?

She turned to pick up a suitcase. He stopped

ahead of her and came back and took the suitcase

from her hands, carrying it effortlessly up the stairs.

“The cleaning lady, Isabel, comes every other

day and sometimes she cooks,” he stated as he

waited for her at the top of the landing.

Following him along the narrow hallway they

passed a bedroom dressed in lilac and green and

then a bathroom; and he labeled these the guest

bedroom and bathroom. Next on the right he

stopped and said:

“This is my room,” and he swung the door open.

Elizabeth glanced in to see a large enough suite in

grey, black, white, and a splash of red and a

bathroom and a closet encased cozily within it.

Elizabeth let out the breath she had been holding.

His room; he didn’t say our room, she thought with

relief.


27

Rhys moved on to the end of the hall and opened

the door to a rosy peach colored suite.

“Oh! It’s beautiful!” she breathed. “It’s really

nice.”

“Glad you like it,” he said in a blank tone and

held out a phone to her.

“This cell phone is now yours,” he said. “My

numbers have been saved in it already, for my

personal cell and my direct line at the office.”

Elizabeth looked at him, his handsome jaw set in

a determined line, almost as if he was forcing

himself to talk to her. Well, whatever! she thought

and took the phone.

“Thank you,” she said in equally clipped tones.

He reached into his pocket and took out his

wallet. “I almost forgot,” he said. “This is yours.”

He placed a bank card in her hand. She looked at

it. It had Elizabeth Durnam-Cannon embossed on it.

“No thank you,” she said, handing it back to him.

“I have my trust fund of which I get a monthly

allowance.”

“I know,” he said dryly. “But this is an account

for household expenses and anything else you may

like. Feel free to use it.”

He closed her fingers around it. The feel of his

fingers were warming on her cold hand. He backed

away from the door suddenly, as if he had enough

of her and wanted to get away immediately.

“I’m returning to the office. I have work to do.”

He started back down the passageway.

“If you need Frank to take you somewhere, his

number is in the phone too. There’s food in the

refrigerator, help yourself,” he tossed carelessly


28

over his shoulder and then disappeared down the

stairs.

Elizabeth looked around her. So this was to be

her home now. If she had any say in the matter, she

certainly wouldn’t be here. She walked around the

room. It was the kind of room she’d decorate

herself, and she wondered what were the odds Rhys

guessed her taste so accurately.

The bedroom suite had a small fireplace with

fresh logs sitting in it, and the mantelpiece was

probably one of the grandest she had ever seen in a

bedroom. She could tell it had been there before the

Second World War. She went by it and ran her

fingers over the smoothly polished thick ornately

carved oak wood. Her fingers came away dust free.

The room was well prepared for her too, and she

made a mental note to thank Isabel for doing such a

fantastic job, the next time she comes to clean.

The four poster bed of solid dark mahogany

wood stood dominant in the room with simple posts

reaching toward the high ceiling. The bed was

flanked by matching side tables that held brass

lamps with palm leaf carvings and solid rose peach

fabrics on the shades. The upholstered bench at the

foot of the bed and the heavy drapes at the bay

windows boasted one of Cannon & Durnam

Enterprise’s best high-end fabric design in home

textiles. She fingered the luxurious fabric; an

intricate jacquard pattern of floral, paisleys, and

swans. She liked the several displays of elegant and

sophisticated feminine touches in the room: the

paisley drapes; the chandelier of crystal bead eye

drops and delicate gold candlesticks; the matching


29

cushions and small rectangle pillows with satiny

tassels that lined the well-made bed; and the crystal

vase in the middle of the heavy mahogany dressing

table with a large bouquet of assorted flowers sitting

in it.

By the bay window, overlooking a small but neat

garden in the back of the house, was a window seat

with a simple floral cushion seat; an apparent

coordinate to the drapes and bed linen ensemble.

Elizabeth touched the afghan which was carelessly

draped over the seat. Its softness and the warm

afternoon glow of the sun streaming through the

window made her want to cuddle up on the window

seat with a good book or with a pair of knitting

needles and yarn.

She touched the heavy window fabric again, this

time looking carefully at the jacquard weave. It was

clearly one of the many successful designs of

Cannon & Durnam, and its beauty reminded her of

her love for textile designing. It brought her back to

when she was twelve years old and her father took

her into the grand show room in New York City,

where many of the company’s textile fabrics and

design ensembles were on display. She remembered

how her breath caught in her throat and how she

stood looking in awe at the fabrics, hardly believing

that anyone could be capable of such talent. It was

breathtaking and it was then Elizabeth fell in love

with Textile Designing.

Looking back now, she wondered if that had

been her father’s intention, because when she

announced she wanted to study Textile Design he

didn’t seem surprised at all. It was as if he expected


30

it, and when she graduated four years later from

Rhode Island School of Design, he beamingly

ushered her into the Montana office as one of the

designers. She didn’t mind working from the

bottom up; learning from the experienced designers

that were already there.

Elizabeth loved her job and took pride in her

designs, working in the Home Textiles Division.

While her father and his foreman Rick Halsey ran

the Montana branch and the mill, Robert Durnam

ran the corporate office in NYC, the New Jersey

mill, and managed international accounts. On her

trips to corporate with her Dad, Elizabeth had

several opportunities to see some of her designs on

display in the show room; and no matter how many

times she saw them there, it still evoked goose

pimples and slack jaw. On two of these occasions

she met Rhys, and he was curt and unpleasant. Then

a year before her father died, Elizabeth found out

she was destined to marry Rhys. Now she wondered

if Rhys knew all along and if that was the reason he

had been obnoxious and downright rude to her.

Well, she didn’t want to marry him either, but it

is what it is and they’d have to make the best of it.

As a show of her defiance, she headed for the closet

to unpack the little clothes she had brought with her.

The closet was next to the bathroom, and the room

housed several white shelves on one side and on the

other side sat a built-in chest of drawers with a large

brass rimmed mirror on top of it. The high ceiling

held another crystal eye-drop chandelier, only this

one was smaller, and recessed lighting. It was a

cozy space and Elizabeth wondered when she’d


31

ever have enough clothes or shoes to fill it, since for

her those weren’t priorities but just necessities. She

placed her boots, sneakers, and two pairs of shoes

on the shoe stand. Then took the rest of her luggage

and decided instead to unpack them in the chest-of-

drawers standing in the bedroom.

Why bother with the closet? It wasn’t like she

was planning on living in Rhys’ apartment forever.

She had to talk more with her attorneys. There must

be a way to get out of the marriage without hurting

the merger. Until then she’d make the best of it.

Elizabeth blew out a breath and her stomach

grumbled rather loudly, reminding her to go in

search for food soon.

Rhys Cannon pushed back his chair abruptly and

frowned at the keyboard. Was it obvious that he

practically ran from Elizabeth’s bedroom today?

For years he tried to avoid that woman like the

plague knowing someday she’d be his wife, and

now she was in his home; in the bedroom right next

to his! He had somehow managed to convince

himself that he could talk his way out of this farce

of a marriage, and it became the main source of

contention between him and his father. He thought

maybe with the passing of Elizabeth’s father, his

dad would somehow release him from the promise;

but instead the old man became more insistent,

telling him that keeping the promise to his long-

time friend meant more to him than life itself. Rhys

was trapped, what else was he supposed to do other


32

than appease the old man?

His father gave him more duties as head of the

international affairs team, and Rhys had welcomed

the opportunity to put his International Business

Studies degree to good use. Of course, from a

business point of view, it was a sound decision to

marry Elizabeth. In that way the company was no

longer two halves but now one. Nevertheless, it still

annoyed him that marriage was the only thing they

could think of to secure the merger. It was at the

expense of Rhys and Elizabeth.

And what was this about her wanting him to be

the virtuous husband? What in the world did that

even mean? Rhys swiveled his chair to reach for the

dictionary from the book shelf behind his desk. He

thumbed through it and his eyes widened as he read:

Virtuous: 1. having or exhibiting virtue (see

virtue); 2. morally excellent, righteous, upright,

having moral principles and good values 3. chaste,

practicing chastity 4. practicing Christian virtues of

kindness and love

Seriously! Was she looking for a saint? Was she

expecting to marry Christ himself? Where did she

come off telling him how to behave? Did she even

know him at all? He was a Christian, but under the

present circumstance he didn’t feel like practicing

Christian virtues of kindness and love!

Rhys jaw tightened. He should have never

agreed to her schemes. Already Elizabeth was

charting their marriage. That’s part of the reason he

hadn’t said “I do” for years; he had no plans on

being controlled by a woman!

There was a single rap on his office door and he


33

said gruffly:

“Come in.”

“It’s only me,” came a sultry voice and he

looked up to see Paige Winslow standing in the

doorway of his office.

She came in and closed the door behind her with

a soft click. “Hi sweetheart,” she breathed, and he

slammed the dictionary shut. Paige sauntered to him

to offer him a cheek which he dutifully kissed.

Then she draped her mink on the sofa, and took a

seat across from him; her long legs crossed in knee

high boots. Rhys averted his eyes swiftly to meet

hers, noting she was dressed differently from when

he saw her earlier.

Pouting, she said: “I didn’t appreciate being

called an acquaintance earlier today.”

“Sorry,” he said apologetically.

“I know you had to get married virtually under

duress, but don’t treat me like a stranger,” she said.

“It’s only a business marriage, remember?”

Rhys didn’t want to think let alone talk anymore

about his marriage to Elizabeth. He knew eventually

he’d have to go home and face his destiny. But he

wasn’t ready.

Changing the subject, he asked coyly: “To what

do I owe the honor?”

He smiled and leaned back in his chair, locking

his fingers behind his head.

“I missed you.” She batted well made-up eyelids

at him.

For the first time in the years Rhys has known

Paige, he realized she wore far too much make-up.

Elizabeth’s face came into view and he found


34

himself comparing Elizabeth’s plain demeanor to

Paige’s overdone glamour. Rhys shook his head.

What was he doing?

“So what do you have in mind?” he asked Paige;

anything to get Elizabeth’s face out of his head. But

he immediately regretted it when he saw the look of

sheer joy on Paige’s face.

For years she has been chasing him; trying to get

him to commit to dating her exclusively, but frankly

Paige was not his type. She was too flashy, too

aggressive in her approach, and way too

overbearing. Nevertheless, he could stand her

company a couple more hours before heading home

to become the virtuous husband.

Before Paige could recover from her obvious

tongue-tie, Rhys stood up and walked around the

desk to face her.

“What do you say we grab a bite to eat at that

Italian restaurant you like so much on 51st and

Broadway?” he said.

“Oh yes!” she breathed excitedly. “That would

be so nice.”

Paige stood and linked her arm in Rhys’, and he

ignored the overwhelming feel of his skin crawling.

He decided that he’d have to break the news that he

intended to honor his marriage vows in every way

and the thought of it made him smile. Maybe this

wasn’t so bad; at least he’d have a good reason now

to shake Paige once and for all. Rhys tucked her

arm more securely into his and smiled at her as he

grabbed his jacket and her mink and they exited the

office.

His pleasure, however, was short-lived when an


35

hour later he was drenched with a glass of cold

water followed by a vehement slap across the face.

Was he collecting them today?

Paige didn’t take the news well, of course,

although he didn’t expect that kind of reaction. She

stormed out of the restaurant, the maître-d at her

heels like a lap puppy subserviently collecting

orders as she issued them for a cab, and her mink

(even though it was spring).

Rhys knew it served him right; he guessed he

had it coming. He paid the bill and called for Frank

to bring the car around. As Frank drove him home,

he checked his phone for messages. Elizabeth

hadn’t called all evening; and he took it as a good

sign that maybe she wasn’t the clingy type after all.

36

CHAPTER FIVE

But Elizabeth had called the office that evening,

only to be told by Rhys’ assistant that he was on a

date with Miss Paige Winslow. Of course she knew

that their marriage was on paper only, but she

hadn’t expected her husband of several hours to go

on a date with another woman! And no doubt, with

the same Paige Winslow who glared at her when

they exited the restaurant earlier today. The same

woman whom Rhys had the nerve to introduce as

an acquaintance!

No matter the inconvenience of their marriage,

Elizabeth intended on being loyal to her vows, and

she expected Rhys to honor them too. She brushed

the tear away angrily as his words, their marriage

being nothing but a business agreement, came back

to haunt her. Business contract or not, she’ll never

live with infidelity.

Elizabeth heard the front door slam. Rhys was

home! She buried herself under the sheets and


37

squeezed her eyes shut. She was not going out to

meet him!

Several minutes passed before Elizabeth heard

Rhys noisily ascending the stairs. She held her

breath upon hearing his footsteps pass by his door

and head for hers. They stopped in front of her door

and she dared not breathe! Was he coming to claim

conjugal rights? He wouldn’t dare! Panic filled her

and she burrowed even deeper under the sheets.

There was a soft knock and her eyes flew open

when she thought that he opened the door. But

instead, she heard a slight shuffle as Rhys turned

away and headed back down the hallway. Elizabeth

didn’t move a muscle until she heard the click of his

bedroom door closing shut. It was then she allowed

herself to finally breathe.

Why was he visiting her room after his date! The

nerve of the man! It would be the first time in

history that the papers would run the headlines:

Bride pummel husband over the head with fists on

wedding night!

Elizabeth’s peripheral view caught a thin sliver

of light filtering across her bedroom floor. She

jolted upright, wondering where the light was

coming from. Throwing off the sheets, she went to

investigate the light source. Her bathroom was dark

except for the thin stream of light coming from

under the door of an adjoining room she didn’t

remember seeing before. Then she heard a shower

running and realized her bathroom was adjoined to

his! In her distress, she had totally missed the

adjoining door earlier!

This is definitely not appropriate, she thought.


38

Slowly Elizabeth turned the door knob,

expecting it to open; instead it was locked but from

the other side! This is no good! Did this mean Rhys

had access to her room whenever he wanted?

Dread filled her as scenes and images no young

woman should visualize of her husband, filled her

head. She must protect herself against Rhys, in the

event he decides not to be courteous anymore. She

knew how absurd it sounded, but this is an absurd

situation and absurd situations call for equally

absurd reactions and measures. It is necessary to

protect oneself against a man who finds it quite easy

to cheat on his wedding night!

Elizabeth tiptoed to the bedroom in search of

something to put as a barrier against the adjoining

door. She needed something heavy. Judging from

the hard muscles she felt on Rhys earlier, he could

easily push past anything if he had to, and it would

be foolish not to put something in his way at least to

thwart him and alert her. All the pieces of furniture

in the room were large except for the bench at the

foot of the bed, the chair, and the two end tables.

Elizabeth eyed the chest of drawers warily. Did

she really want to start shoving huge furniture

around at this time of the night? She thought against

it, but then envisioned Rhys freshly showered and

scantily clad in a towel draped carelessly around his

slim waist and heading for her room through the

adjoining door!

A shudder ran through her and laying her

hesitation aside, she shoved hard at the chest of

drawers. By the time she got the huge furniture

across the room, beads of sweat already perforated


39

her forehead. It was then she realized she should

have removed the drawers for an easier move. Why

didn’t she think of that before?

She set to work removing the drawers and laying

them one by one in the middle of the room. On the

last drawer, her muscles strained under its weight

and it fell from her hands. In a loud clatter, it landed

on her foot. Before Elizabeth could stop herself, she

howled in pain. She lunged for the bench and held

her right foot; the pain overwhelming, enough for

her to pass out. The tears came as she checked the

throbbing foot for lacerations.

Rhys burst into the room.

“Elizabeth! Are you okay? What was that

noise?”

Elizabeth glanced up briefly, tears blurring her

vision. Rhys was towering over her, clad in a silk

robe and bare feet. But when he saw her holding her

foot, he knelt down.

“What happened?” he asked again, this time

concern trimming his tone.

“The drawer fell on my foot,” she answered

between sobs, and winced rather loudly when he

touched it.

For the first time since entering the room, he

looked around. Casting a despairing glance around

the room, Elizabeth realized she was moving

furniture in an almost dark room save for the city

lights streaming in through the windows. She had

forgotten to pull the curtains shut.

He didn’t comment on the state of the room: her

clothes had fallen from the drawer and were in a

tangled dark heap on the floor; drawers of clothing


40

were lined up against each other; and an empty

chest of drawer stood forlorn almost at the entrance

of her bathroom.

Rhys stood up and went to turn on the bedroom

light. As the warm glow flooded the room, he once

again took in the state of things to which Elizabeth

sheepishly looked away.

“Try moving your toes,” he said, turning his

attention to her.

She did as she was told and was happy to note

that her toes, thank God, weren’t broken; but the top

of the foot and around her ankle were bruised and

had begun to swell. It throbbed painfully and she

howled again when he touched it, gingerly poking

for broken bones.

“It doesn’t feel like anything is broken,” he said.

He left then and returned moments later with an

icepack and a small towel. Rhys wrapped the

icepack into the towel and helped her as she limped

toward the bed. Fluffing her pillows, he instructed

her to sit on the bed, to which Elizabeth was

compliant and grateful when he propped her foot on

the pillows to elevate it. Elizabeth took the icepack

and gingerly placed it on the swollen ankle.

“Thank you,” she said.

He straightened and surveyed the room once

more; his eyes coming to rest on the chest of

drawers in the doorway.

“Why were you moving the furniture in the

dark?”

She hesitated. Must he really ask? Wasn’t it

obvious enough?

“I wanted the chest of drawers in the bathroom,”


41

she answered sheepishly, not looking at him.

“Why?”

For pete’s sake!

Elizabeth clamped her mouth shut, refusing to

answer for fear of sounding foolish. When she saw

he was just standing there waiting patiently for the

answer, she said:

“Never mind. I’ll move it back.”

His eyes held hers and she saw his mouth

hardened in a thin line. He knew!

“Where in the bathroom do you want the chest of

drawers Elizabeth?” he asked her mockingly, his

expression darkening into a scowl.

She bit her lips. She felt so stupid!

“By the adjoining door,” she croaked.

“Very well,” he said and went to move the

offending furniture.

She felt horrible. What he must think of her! She

watched as he effortlessly lifted the furniture and

placed it in front of the adjoining door. Then he

replaced the drawers and she blushed deeply when

he glanced a bit longer than usual in her underwear

drawer with not even a flicker of emotion at the

sight of her lacy under things. He then went out the

room and moments later she heard a loud click as he

unlocked the door from his side. Then he returned,

strode past her and went to lock the adjoining door

on her side.

Elizabeth wished the bed could swallow her or at

least wished she could nurse her hurt pride in

private.

“You should have asked if you were feeling

uncomfortable. The door can be closed from your


42

side too.”

“Sorry,” she said.

“No need to be sorry. As I said before, this

marriage is just one on paper - nothing else. So you

needn’t worry about me pawing you in the middle

of the night, if that’s what you were concerned

about,” he grated out as a matter-of-fact and headed

for the door with his lips once again set in a straight

line.

Before she could say anything, he said, “Holler if

you need anything.”

He left the door ajar as he exited her room.

END OF PREVIEW

_______________________________

Continue reading Book One

of

The Cannon & Durnam Trilogy


by


on

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https://www.amazon.com/Virtuous-Husband-Cannon-Durnam-Textile-ebook/dp/B019HR97ZU?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B019HR97ZU&linkCode=xm2&redirect=true&tag=db072-20

43

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dawnette Blackwood-Rhoomes is the Creative

Editor for the following magazine publications:

DB-R Designs Textile and Paper Catalog

The Books Magazine

She lives with her husband Karl, and their two sons

in New York.

OTHER BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR (Now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble)

The Women of Jesus

The Secrets of Aunt Norah’s House

Love Unhinged

Why Should I Believe You?

Christian Romance:

Writing for Love

The Cannon & Durnam Textile Legacy

- The Virtuous Husband (Book One)

- The Love Inheritance (Book Two)

- The Hopeful Promise (Book Three)

the virtuous husband - book one - cannon & durnam trilogy

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