Marrying the Man in the Dark

“Cherise”

Mr. Tanner spoke with a furrowed brow during dinner. His voice was low and filled with concern, “Do you have something on your mind?”

Cherise quickly snapped back to reality. “No, nothing.”

“You’re telling me there’s nothing bothering you?”

Gwenn retorted with an eye-roll, her tone laced with annoyance. “You just reached for the food in my bowl, didn’t you?”

Cherise was taken aback.

She quickly realized she had indeed extended her fork into Gwenn’s bowl, even picking up a piece of vegetable from it.

She withdrew her hand at once, gave an embarrassed smile, and lowered her head to continue eating.

“Cherise, what did you do today?”

Mr. Tanner sighed softly and asked.

“Both your father and Damien are busy today. It’s just the three of us here at dinner tonight. If something’s troubling you, let me know.”

Cherise shook her head. “It’s… nothing.”

“What else could it be?”

icy demeanor. “You must be reluctant to change

at Mr. Tanner. “Grandpa, if she doesn’t want to change her name and return to her Tanner roots, then stop pushing her.”

eyes, the last name Shaw holds more weight than our

belittling

more than for Cherise never to change her

truth, she would remain the only Miss Tanner

be sharing this

“Silence!”

angry glare, then turned to Cherise. “Cherise, are you still considering changing your name?”

looked earnestly at

my mind. I want to take my mother’s surname.”

family wishes to announce my identity to the public and provide me with shelter, you may do it anytime. But please say

He probably had not expected the once hesitant Cherise to have

table. “Taking your mother’s surname isn’t

to take the surname Miles or

Mr. Tanner patted his head and chuckled in realization.

with. It was only after her marriage that she took her husband’s last name.”

be Neller,

bit

“I’d still prefer

met with my

“Mother…”