Mail Order Bride- Twenty-Two Brides Mega Boxed Set

by Emily Woods

  “I don’t know.” He looked off into the distance. Had it changed? They’d been exchanging letters for a while now and there was something in the way that Ruby wrote that made him have the impression she didn’t like her life in Boston. Of course, she had written to him as a mail order bride seeking a husband, so it was a good indication she was interested in leaving the town.

  Then again, she hadn’t pressed the issue. They had started out their correspondence as a way to get to know one another and it had spiraled into…more.

  “By the look on your face,” Will said, “I’d say it has.”

  He met his brother’s gaze. “I think I want it to.”

  Timothy smacked the table and leaned forward. “I knew it.”

  Adam laughed. “You’re a real romantic, aren’t you, Tim?”

  The man’s cheeks turned red but he didn’t back away from the question. “I suppose I am.”

  “Why haven’t you gotten married again then?”

  Something flickered behind Timothy’s gaze but he merely shrugged. “We’re not here to talk about me, we’re here trying to figure out what you’re going to do.”

  Adam wanted to press into his question but felt there was something else behind Timothy’s answer. Instead, he thought about Ruby. Truth be told, he wanted to see her in person. To take her on picnics, walk through the orchards holding hands, and enjoy the simple things in life with her. But could he commit to that?

  “I suppose I want her to come out west.” The minute he said it he knew it was true in his heart. But what would she think about that? Her mother seemed like an overbearing type of woman who had strong ideals about what her daughter should and shouldn’t do. What would she think of sending her off to some place in the west where two men lived?

  “You’ll need a chaperone for that,” Timothy advised. “That is, if you want to spend time with her before you marry her.”

  Adam swallowed hard. Before he…married her? Well, of course that was what he was doing. What he would be doing if he brought her out here. But somehow the reality of it shook him to the core. Along with marriage came the possibility of children. A cold dread settled on him.

  Maybe he didn’t want her to come out west.

  “I could move into the house,” came a soft response from behind him.

  The three men turned to look at Viola, who had just stepped into the kitchen. She had a bowl of something in one arm and a sweet smile on her face.

  “You could…what?”

  “Move out here. You’ve got plenty of space and it would make it all above board for her to stay with us here. She could help me as you two court.”

  “Now that’s not a bad solution,” Timothy said, nodding.

  “I suppose it couldn’t hurt,” Will agreed.

  Adam wondered how things had changed so quickly. One moment he was lost in his thoughts for a woman he was beginning to fancy, and the next he had a way to bring her out to live near him.

  The question was…should he? Was it a bad idea or something that he would later come to see as a blessing? Only time, and her response, would tell.

  5

  Ruby checked the table near the door for any sign of another letter, but the silver platter remained empty. Of course she would have heard the door open and their butler, Irving, would have come to her right away, but she still looked. She couldn’t help but look.

  She hadn’t had a letter from Adam in a little over a week and it was very unlike him not to write back immediately. Was something wrong? Had something happened to him? Her mind filled in the blanks with all manner of terrible things until she had to rest her hand on her abdomen to remind herself to ease the clenching of her stomach.

  Rather than stay in the hallway and dwell on the lack of a letter, she went outside into the garden. Maybe she could find relief there amidst the blooming roses with their heady scent. Perching on the edge of a stone bench, she let the warm sun sink into her bones. She closed her eyes and lifted up a prayer. Her thoughts and prayers these days usually drifted toward Adam in some form or fashion. Whether it was her request for wisdom to know what to do about their friendship or prayers for his safety.

  A pinch of guilt hit her when she thought about her sisters. She still hadn’t confided in them about her correspondence to Adam. It had been a while now that they’d been exchanging letters and she’d managed to keep them from Blanche’s ever-inquisitive eye and Hattie’s well-meaning interest.

  But she couldn’t keep the secret much longer. She didn’t want to.

  She knew in her heart that Adam was different. Not only different from the men in Boston with their high-class ideals and expensive tastes, but different in a way she couldn’t describe. She could read his letters and just know exactly how he was writing them to her. She hoped the same was true for him with her letters.

  The slamming sound of the back door drew her attention and soon she saw Blanche and Hattie coming toward her. Blanche had a look on her face that Ruby had come to fear.

  “What’s wrong, Blanche?” she asked when her sister was close enough.

  “This has gone on long enough.”

  Ruby’s heart began to pound. “Wh-what are you talking about?”

  Blanche held up a letter and Ruby immediately recognized Adam’s handwriting.

  “Where did you get that?” Ruby’s voice came out low and menacing. There was no reason for her sister to have her mail.

  “Let’s just say I intercepted it for your own good and I’m glad that I did.”

  “Ruby, can you explain what’s going on here? I…I don't know what’s happening.” Hattie looked between the two sisters, obvious confusion on her features. She didn't like it when they fought and would do anything to ease the tension of a situation.

  Ruby launched to her feet and reached for the letter, but Blanche snatched it away at the last minute. “Oh no you don’t! Not until you tell us exactly what’s going on.”

  Ruby’s cheeks heated.

  “What’s going on?” her voice grew louder. “What’s going on is that you have invaded my privacy. How dare you take my letters?”

  “You mean the letters address to ‘My dearest Ruby.’ Those letters?” Blanche said.

  Ruby felt every nerve in her body zing to life. “You read them?” Her voice came out in a low, almost growling manner.

  The look on Blanche’s face fluctuated between anger and fear. “I…I did.”

  “How dare you!” Ruby said, tears pressing into her eyes. “Those were personal!”

  “You haven’t told us anything about this man, Ruby. We’re your sisters, for goodness sake.” Blanche’s tone had slipped from anger into hurt, which affected Ruby’s anger as well.

  “I was waiting for the right time,” Ruby finally admitted.

  “The right time for what?” Hattie’s voice broke into the intense stare between Ruby and Blanche.

  “To tell you that I’ve been corresponding with a man from the west.”

  Hattie gasped. “You’ve been what?”

  “Yes, do tell us what you’ve been up to.”

  The three girls whirled around to see their mother standing there, her sun parasol perched on her shoulder and a hard look on her face.

  Ruby’s mouth went dry and she shot Blanche a look that made it clear she blamed her sister for this whole fiasco.

  “Well?” Morgana said, taking a few steps forward. The servant who stood behind her with a mountain of brown wrapped packages attempted to keep his balance until Morgana dismissed him with a wave of her hand. “Do enlighten us to your rather stimulating letter writing, dear.”

  Ruby wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and cry the day away. That, and she wanted to see the letter her sister had stolen before she’d even gotten a chance to read it. In the midst of the swirl of her thoughts, she brought them all to a halt. If all she could think about was Adam, didn’t that mean something?

  “I’ve struck up a correspondence with a man from the west,” she a
dmitted, dropping her gaze from her mother. “His name is Adam Sullivan.”

  “And, pray tell, how exactly did you come about his address?” The distaste in her mother’s tone was clear.

  “It was through a mail order bride agency.”

  Hattie gasped.

  “A what?”

  Ruby explained the concept to her mother and finished by saying, “We’ve been corresponding for a while now and…”

  “And he’s proposed,” Blanche finished.

  Ruby whirled toward her sister. “What did you say?”

  “Oh!” Blanche’s hand flew to cover her mouth.

  “How do you know anything about this, Blanche?” her mother said, looking at her youngest daughter with suspicion.

  Blanche took a long time to answer but finally said, “I noticed that Ruby was acting strangely and getting quite a bit of mail. I…intercepted—”

  “You mean stole,” Ruby corrected.

  “I took the letter that just came.”

  “So what was your plan? To run off and marry some hapless man in the west without telling your mother or your sisters?”

  “No, Mother, it’s—it’s nothing like that.” Ruby’s thoughts were still reeling from Blanche’s words. Had he really proposed?

  “Then what is it like?”

  Ruby looked from her mother to the disbelief on Hattie’s face and the shame on Blanche’s. Then, without thinking any further, she said, “I was going to tell you all about him. I just wasn't sure what my own thoughts toward Adam were. I hadn’t gotten a letter from him in a while and the realization that I missed them—quite a bit in fact—was the only thing I needed to know.”

  “And that is?”

  “I think I love him.”

  Blanche gasped and Hattie made a sound that sounded a little like awe.

  “What do you know of love?” her mother said, shaking her head. But her expression had softened. “And what did you say about a proposal, Blanche?”

  “Well…” Blanche looked from Ruby to their mother. “I suppose it was more of a request. He asked Ruby to come out west so that they could court.”

  Ruby felt a wave of excitement quickly followed by a tidal wave of fear. What would her mother say? Forbid her to go? Make her choose between Adam and her family?

  Morgana looked at Ruby for a long time, her eyes narrowed and her expression unchanging. Then, with a light sniff, she said, “I suppose you should tell me more about this fellow. Especially if you care for him as you say you do.”

  Ruby pulled in a gasp that turned into a laugh. This couldn’t be happening.

  Adam paced back and forth, Ruby’s response to his question in hand. He still hadn’t read it.

  He felt like a fool, but he couldn’t bring himself to see what she had said. On one hand, if she said no, then he knew it was the Lord’s leading. If she said yes—still the Lord’s leading—that meant she would likely be the woman he would marry. For some reason, this realization was more frightening than he’d expected.

  Mouth dry and palms damp, he forced himself to stop pacing on the worn boards of the back porch. He looked down at the letter and pried it open. It only took him a few short moments to find her reply.

  She said yes.

  His heart hammered in his chest, pumping blood through his body and sounding like a drum pounding in his ears. She would come out west. She would come here!

  Doubt began to flood through him. Had he made the right choice in asking her to come?

  Then he thought about how he couldn’t stop thinking about her and a smile found its way onto his face. He cared for her already and they hadn’t even met in person. No, his feelings for her were assured.

  What was this really about then?

  Running a hand through his hair, he decided to go talk with Timothy about it. His cousin always had good insight, and besides, maybe he could give him guidance for the future. It had been his influence that eventually made Adam write the request to Ruby.

  After saddling his horse, Adam rode into town and to the parish house. He found his cousin out in the back of the small home tending to the garden there.

  “Adam,” Timothy said, pushing back onto his heels, “it’s a surprise to see you here during the week.”

  “I was wondering if you had a few minutes to talk?”

  “For you? Always.” Timothy stood up and dusted off his dirt-caked hands against the worn knees of his pants.

  “The garden is looking good.”

  “Thank you. Takes a lot of work, but all good things do.”

  Adam nodded. Wasn’t that the truth?

  Timothy led him to a bench that rested in the shade and poured himself a cup of water from the pitcher nearby. “What’s on your mind?”

  Adam had mulled over how he wanted to approach the subject, but now his thoughts were scattered. “I’m terrified,” he said, blowing any preparation he’d done.

  “I’m assuming this has something to do with asking Miss Walker to come out west?”

  Adam laughed at his own foolishness. “Yes. It has everything to do with that.”

  “Why don’t you tell me about why you’re scared.”

  Adam looked out into the distance. “I honestly have no idea.”

  “I don’t know if I fully believe that.”

  Adam turned to look at his cousin. “Oh?”

  “No.” Timothy rubbed his jaw thoughtfully then cocked his head to one side. “I think you know, but you’re afraid to say it—as if somehow saying it out loud will mean that it’s more true. This, of course, is not the case.”

  Adam felt the burning in the bit of his stomach. It was a feeling he knew well. The one that told him his cousin was correct and that he really did know the reason for his fear.

  He let out a breath and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “All right. There is one thing I’ve been thinking of.”

  Timothy remained quiet, giving Adam the space he needed to muster the courage to tell his cousin his thoughts. It was easier said than done. Timothy was right in the fact that Adam felt if he admitted what he was afraid of it could somehow come true. It was a foolish notion of course, but that didn’t stop him from feeling that way.

  “It’s my father…” he finally said.

  “George Sullivan,” Timothy said knowingly.

  Adam knew that Timothy, a few years older than he, had been around when his father was alive.

  “I’m just afraid I’m going to turn out like him.” There, he’d said it. Admitted his fear.

  “Oh, Adam,” Timothy said, shaking his head and also leaning forward. “You won’t.”

  “How do you know? I mean, I'm not like him now, but I'm not married with a kid. I’m afraid… I just don’t want to be a bad father.”

  Timothy turned his head to look at him long and hard. “You won’t. Look at Will, he’s great with Simon.”

  “He also wasn’t old enough to remember dad or how he acted.”

  Timothy leaned back, hands resting on his knees. “Let me encourage you this way. You aren’t your father. You’re not a mite like him, and I know what he was like. You have to trust that the Lord will guide you if you decide to have Ruby come out west. Trust Him.”

  Adam swallowed, feeling relief though it wasn’t complete. “Oh, I do. It doesn’t mean I’m still not afraid, though. And Tim?” His face split into a grin. “I already asked her to come.”

  His conversation with Timothy still replayed in his mind even as Adam made his way toward the train platform. By his calculations, he was still at least a half an hour early for the afternoon train. No sense in being late and running the risk that some man would see Ruby and snatch her up to be his bride before Adam got to her.

  The thought made him laugh as much as it caused nervous butterflies to dance in his gut. He knew he’d made the right choice. Having Viola stay at the ranch to allow Ruby a companion and a chaperon for them both had been a wise idea, but he also was haunted by the fact that he didn’t know what to expect
.

  Adam had lived so long on his ranch by himself—and now with Will and Simon—that he wasn’t sure what was habit and what was just customary. Would Ruby find herself appalled by their habits? Put off by the amount of work it took to keep the ranch functioning? Feel trapped by the overwhelming amount of space and land that surrounded them?

  He hoped not, but he wouldn’t know until she arrived.

  A train whistle blew in the distance and he blinked. “Whoa,” he said out loud.

  “What’s that, Adam?” The grizzled train stationmaster came to stand next to him.

  “It’s early. Really early.”

  “She’s been running early for a month now. New conductor at the main station a few stops ahead. Swears his watch is God’s timing.”

  Adam was intensely glad he’d come early, even if he wasn’t really afraid some other man would snatch her up. Not that there weren’t plenty of other single men in want of a wife all through town.

  The train skidded to a stop in a whoosh of steam and the screech of metal against metal.

  The steam was still billowing about when a slender figure cut through. She stood tall with polished boots, an elegant gown, and a hat with dark feathers pointing out of it. Her gloved hands carried a carpetbag and she searched the platform as if looking for someone.

  His heart was pounding. Was she looking for him? She certainly had the look of a woman of class, which Ruby was.

  Taking a risk, he stepped toward her. The closer he got the harder it was for him to breathe. Her skin was creamy and smooth and her hair, dark blonde, was swept up in impossible curls and twists, disappearing into her elegant hat. She was beautiful on all accounts.

  “M-Miss Walker?” he asked, his throat suddenly dry.

  Her eyes turned to his, the complexity of their dark brown hue not lost on him. “Yes. I’m Miss Walker. Are you Mr. Sullivan?”

  Was that hope in her eyes?

  “Yes. I’m Adam Sullivan.”

  When her hand connected with his, her grip light and warm, his heart fluttered—actually fluttered.

  The fear was still there. The desperate hope that he would turn out nothing like his father still pressed against him, but surfacing through it all was a desperate and thrilling desire to get to know this beautiful woman better.