Hello, I've been looking through the countries of those reading this story and I am amazed! So many different people reading it from all over the world.

Hello to my American friends, I'm glad you like this story i'm writing about your country, and I hope there are no glaring 'across the pond' mistakes.

Someone is reading in Oman - I would LOVE to know what you think of my little piece of escapism.

Likewise people in Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Canada, Ukraine, Australia, Greece, Singapore, Taiwan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Brazil, Japan, Philippines, Ecuador, Spain, South Africa, Finland, Hong Kong, Portugal, Malaysia, France, Korea, Norway Italy, and of course everyone else in the UK!

I hope I haven't missed anyone out, let me know if you are reading anywhere else in the world.

Chapter 17

The preparations for the wedding consumed much of Lindsay's time for the next couple of weeks. They had decided not to wait to be married, as there was little prospect of their circumstances changing soon, and they did not want to wait around for something that may never happen. They told Lindsay's parents together and they were not exactly enthusiastic. However Mrs Monroe, having come across them a couple of times rumpled and flushed after having been kissing heavily out of sight, seemed to have decided that Lindsay was better off married than 'in trouble'. Danny also suspected that Lindsay had hinted that if they forbade her to marry him she would just do it anyway and that their co-operation was the lesser of two evils.

Lindsay honestly did not want to have to deal with all the details that went into planning a wedding day but she understood that it was expected of her to make it a big and lively affair. In all honesty, she wanted to focus more on making her marriage a success than agonising over the details of the wedding day. There was however one area where she did put in a lot of effort: Lindsay spent hours with her mother picking out the right design and material for her dress, and sewing it together with more care than she had ever taken over needlework before. She knew if there was one thing Danny would remember from the day it would be what she looked like. To that end she created a dress made out of ivory satin that clung to her torso and arms but flared out from her waist to the ground. It had a scooped neckline that was flattering but not too daring for the conservative community in which she lived. She had also decided to leave her hair down in its natural waves whilst simply pinning a few stray curls back at either side. She knew Danny had a thing about her hair and would appreciate having it free for him to run his fingers through.

Her parents had also provided different accommodation for them to use once they were married. Lindsay would move out of her childhood room and into the larger one in the joined extension to the house, only accessible through the downstairs rooms. They would have more privacy but were still resident in the home. The Monroes were still very wary of this marriage between the Catholic city boy and their only daughter. They had expected her to have a certain type of husband and a certain type of marriage and were hesitant about the changes this union would bring. Mrs Monroe especially was finding it hard to reconcile herself with her daughter's decisions.

It was the day before the wedding and Lindsay was in the barn escaping from the chaos that seemed to have settled over the main house. She was seated comfortably on a hay bail in the corner, her legs propped up in front of her so that she could rest a thick book on them whilst still catching enough light from the stream coming in through the door to read it. This was her favourite spot. Nobody could see her here even from the barn door, you had to walk all the way in to catch sight of her and she had spent many an hour of her childhood hiding from her mother in this place. Through the thin cracks in the beams Lindsay could see out into the yard which was why at this moment her book had been forgotten in favour of her blatant staring at her fiancé. Or more precisely his backside.

He was headed across the yard and would soon have been out of her vision but he was called to a stop by a shout from Simon and turned to see Simon and Ian jogging towards him.

"What's up?" inquired Danny, a frown creasing his forehead.

"Nothing's wrong", Ian assured him "we just wanted to make sure you were going to be free this evening".

"Uh yeah as far as I know" he replied warily.

"Good", Simon grinned slightly leeringly, "'cause we have taken it upon ourselves to organise a little get together in the men's hut tonight" he saw Danny look reluctant, "come on" he whined, "its tradition. Your last night of freedom".

Danny sighed. He did not want to go to a stupid party and get drunk, especially not the night before he was getting married, when something could go wrong and screw it up. Plus these two were idiots and he had tried to spend as little time as possible with them over the months he had been there. He supposed he should though. The air was tense on the Ranch at the moment and it might be a good idea to let off a little steam.

"Okay", he agreed reluctantly, "but nothing too raucous alright, I don't want to look like a drunk for Lindsay tomorrow."

"Good" Simon assured him, "because after tomorrow you are going to be a married man with all the being tied down that that entails."

"I don't know" Ian chipped in, "I wouldn't mind being married to Lindsay if it meant I got to climb on that. Robbie said she had the sweetest little pussy he had ever been in."

"Nah" countered Simon, "she's too wild if you ask me. I wouldn't want a wife who had been with half of the town. She needs to be broken and shown who is boss. A piece of advice Danny, my Pa always told me you treat a woman like a horse, they will only learn obedience through the end of a whip".

Danny stood there throughout this speech stunned into silence. He was ready to pound these guys into the ground for saying those things about the woman he loved. Luckily for them Fergus Monroe approached as Simon finished speaking and ushered he and Ian back off into the field. Danny was incensed. To think Lindsay worked alongside these men and still they thought so little of her, it made him finally realise why she was so desperate to get out of this place. He ran a hand through his hair and scrubbed at his face, silently promising himself that he would never act like those men towards his wife. Realising he also needed to get back to work, he stalked away in the same direction as they had gone a few minutes before, pausing only to slam his fist into the open door of the shed, and relieving some of the anger and frustration he felt.

Lindsay watched and listened to all of this silently through the slats from her corner in the barn, with tears running down her cheeks. How could Robbie have spread those rumours about her? Danny had been so mad, what if he believed them and that when he hit that door he was imagining her in its place. No. Danny would never do that to her. He would never try to break her as they suggested. But that haunted look in his angry eyes was something she would not forget easily.

It was dinnertime before Lindsay even got a chance to speak to Danny. He had been quiet when he returned from work and whilst everyone else was sitting with a cool drink before they ate she offered to put some ice on his hand. It was still red and swollen from where he had punched the wooden door earlier. When she offered the ice he had stared at his hand in a vague way as if not remembering when it had gotten hurt and then wordlessly nodded and followed her into the Kitchen.

"I love you", he said making her look up from where she was examining his hand. She smiled back at him nervously and tried to gauge if he was mad at her. "Are you alright?" he asked suddenly picking up on her apprehensive look.

"Yeah", she answered, although he did not look convinced at her reply, "just nervous about tomorrow I guess".

"You shouldn't be nervous about this", was all he said in reply. She didn't know quite what to make of the statement but he had disappeared out into the other room for dinner before she had begun to process what he had said.

That evening she lay in bed alone for the last time. 'What will I be doing tomorrow night', she wondered as she listened to the faint sounds of Danny's bachelor party happening in the men's hut on the grounds below. Uncertainty crept over her as she thought about what she had heard today. 'No this is silly' she thought. 'I love Danny, he would never hurt me'. She lay in bed and prayed to God it was true.

Sorry I stopped there, next chapter is written though so lots of reviews will make it be edited faster!