by Kit Morgan
“And I trust Ophelia because she’s my friend,” Leora added.
Mrs. Drake’s eyes went round as platters. “Friend?”
“It’s a long story. But she’s willing to help and we’re letting her.”
Mrs. Drake shut her eyes tight, as if to block out her words. “All right, if you insist on handling this yourselves, go right ahead.”
“They do, and I do,” Dr. Drake said. “And you’re going to let them, aren’t you, Elsie?”
She sent him something between a glare and a flirtatious wink. It was the oddest look Leora had ever seen, but apparently Dr. Drake understood it – he smiled and released his wife’s arm.
Theron sighed in relief. “Now, let’s get some work done.”
* * *
The day wore on and Leora was becoming worried again. Theron’s parents were a happy distraction for a while, and she began to enjoy her new mother-in-law’s company. Elsie Drake was feisty, knew what she wanted and went after it. She told Leora about some of the adventures she and her husband had shared, several of them sounded like some of the stories she’d read in her book.
But soon dusk was upon them and that meant the dress rehearsal for the Christmas play. Of course the big question was, would there be one?
Leora and Mrs. Drake went to the church and found Mrs. Pleet setting up the refreshment tables with Mrs. Tippens in preparation for the following night. “Oh thank heaven!” Leora said as she went to them. “You’re here!”
“Of course, we’re here,” Mrs. Tippens said. “Why wouldn’t we be?”
Leora stood in shock. “Because … because of what happened.”
Mrs. Tippens looked at Mrs. Pleet, then Mrs. Drake and back. “What was that?”
Leora’s mouth dropped open. “You mean you haven’t heard?”
“Does she need to hear it from you?” Mrs. Drake said.
“If you’re referring to Charlie Stevens, of course I’ve heard,” Mrs. Tippens said. “What an idiot. Whatever was he thinking?”
Leora stared at her as more cast members filed into the church. “I … have no idea.” Good grief, did they know Prudence had paid him to do it?
“Good evening, Mrs. Drake!” Mr. Short greeted as he entered. “I’d best go put on my costume!” Leora just stood and nodded. Several more people came in, greeted her and wished her a merry Christmas. And so it went for the next half-hour, until all the cast members had dressed and assembled before her in the sanctuary.
Leora was still rooted to the spot. “I don’t understand – you’re all here,” she whispered.
“Of course they are!” Ophelia Rutherford approached, holding her angel’s wings. “Why wouldn’t they be?”
“You bullied them here, didn’t you?” Mrs. Drake asked.
Leora cringed. “Oh no …”
“No, she didn’t,” Mrs. Gaston said.
Mrs. Drake’s eyes widened with shock. “Of course she did.”
“Nope, she sure didn’t,” Mr. Allen said. “Didn’t so much as raise her voice. Sorry for thinking the worst, Mrs. Drake – I should’ve known better.” Several others murmured in agreement.
Leora took Ophelia by the hand. “Thank you.”
“Ophelia did us all a favor,” said Mrs. Brown.
“What?” Mrs. Drake squeaked.
“She sure did,” agreed Mr. Peterson. “She reminded us people can change.”
Leora looked over the cast. They stood gazing at her with smiles on their faces – not one scowl or angry look. “I don’t understand … most of you didn’t show up the last couple of rehearsals.”
“We were too quick to judge,” Mrs. Tippens admitted.
“But … what changed your mind?” Leora asked.
“Mrs. Rutherford,” said Mr. Allen. “We may not know you too well yet, Mrs. Drake, but we knew Ophelia Rutherford.” He gave Ophelia a sheepish look. “Or we thought we did. But she showed us we hadn’t taken the time to get to know you – or her.”
Leora looked at Ophelia. “I still don’t understand. What did you tell them?”
“It’s not what I told them, child,” Ophelia said. “It’s what I asked them.”
“What was that?” Mrs. Drake said with a curious frown.
Ophelia looked her right in the eye. “I asked for their forgiveness. And I’ll ask the same of you, Mrs. Drake.”
Elsie Drake’s mouth fell open in shock.
“Amazing what forgiveness will do,” said Mrs. Pleet. “After Ophelia asked us to forgive her for all the years she acted like such a bully, we … had to ask her for the same thing. We did try to push her out of everything she’d been involved with, after all. That made us no better.”
Leora looked from one face to another as tears formed in her eyes. “Then I have to ask your forgiveness too. All of you.”
“Why, dear?” Mrs. Brown inquired. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Oh yes, I did. I automatically assumed the worst from everyone. I suppose if I were one of you, I’d be shocked and angry and wouldn’t know what to think for awhile. But in my head, you were never going to treat me decently again.”
“That’s not giving us much credit, now is it?” Mrs. Tippens asked. “It might take us a while to get over it, and once we found out Charlie Stevens was being an idiot, everything was fine. But, this goes beyond Charlie’s shenanigans. None of us has been completely honest with ourselves for years. We didn’t realize Ophelia was so lonely.”
Mr. Brown nodded. “And we didn’t bother to ask.”
“Or stand up for ourselves,” added Mrs. Gaston. “Charlie’s not the only idiot. We’ve all been acting like one.”
Leora glanced at her cast, tears in her eyes. “You people … I’ve never known anyone that … I …” She took one look at Ophelia, then fell into her arms. “Thank you!”
“Don’t thank me. I’m thanking you. If you hadn’t come to see me, let me talk and listen, I never would have had the courage to do any of this. It was easier to be bossy. I’m sorry I was so hard on you when you first arrived. I’m sorry I cast the play as I did. I knew you’d be put in charge and … well, I guess I wanted to see what you were made of.”
“I’ll bet you did,” Mrs. Drake muttered.
“I suspected as much,” Leora said as she left Ophelia’s arms. “But you know I forgive you.” She then turned to her new mother-in-law. “If I can forgive that, then are you going to let a bowl of punch stand between you two? Or are you going to forgive her and be friends?”
Mrs. Drake bit her bottom lip. “I … forgive you … for screaming like a banshee, ridiculing me in public, throwing spoons at me …”
“One spoon,” Ophelia corrected.
“You threw a spoon at her?” Leora asked in shock.
“It was a big one,” Ophelia admitted sheepishly.
“But, since Leora insists that you’ve changed,” Mrs. Drake continued, “I can’t hold my forgiveness from you. It wouldn’t be right.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Drake. I appreciate it,” Ophelia said, then gave her a hug.
“Well, isn’t this a fine thing!” Mr. Short exclaimed. “But are we gonna have a dress rehearsal or not?”
“Yes, we are!” Leora declared, blinking away her tears of joy. “Ophelia, let me help you with your wings. Places, everyone! First scene – the Wise Men …”
* * *
The following night, the church doors opened precisely at seven p.m. and the townsfolk began to flow into the sanctuary. It was packed within minutes and Leora was shocked when she saw it was standing-room-only. “There are so many people here!”
“More than I’ve ever seen,” Mrs. Pleet added.
Leora fidgeted in a beautiful red velvet dress trimmed with long white lace – the narrator’s costume. The dress had been worn by whoever the narrator was, every year, which limited the part to women thin enough to fit into it. The previous pastors must all have had skinny wives, she mused. But it was a lovely outfit, and she felt almost regal in it – o
r would if she wasn’t so downright scared.
“Calm down, girl,” Mrs. Pleet scolded. “You look like you’ve got ants in your britches.”
“It’s one thing for the entire cast to show up and be so gracious and forgiving with Ophelia, and with me,” she answered. “But the townspeople might be something else entirely.”
“You don’t know us yet, Leora.”
She turned to her. “I guess I don’t. Life in the textile mill didn’t prepare me for being a pastor’s wife, that’s for sure.”
“What does it matter if you worked in a mill or a bakery? You are who you are, and you bring what you have to life’s table. Not everyone has the same thing, you know.”
“In my case, I didn’t have much to bring. I hope I can handle the job.”
“You’ve handled it admirably so far, Mrs. Drake,” Theron spoke from behind her.
Leora turned. “Theron! Did you see how crowded it is out there? And where have you been?”
“My father and I went to have a little talk with Prudence Stevens.”
“How did it go?”
Theron stepped aside to reveal the girl standing behind him. She looked at Leora, tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Drake. What I did was stupid … and selfish.”
“Prudence, I presume?” Leora said.
“Yes.”
Leora took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I forgive you, but yes, what you did was indeed foolish.”
Prudence looked away and said nothing.
Leora studied her. She was a pretty girl, and her looks alone could probably give her a choice of beaus. Too bad her mother had set her eye on Theron. He’d been right – the girl was indeed far too young.
“Now, I think we’d better get to work, don’t you?” Theron asked as his father ushered Prudence out of the office and into the sanctuary. “But first,” he said as he glanced around, “I want to give you something.”
She noticed they were suddenly alone. “But the play is about to start. I have to get out there.”
“Not until after I give you your present.”
“Present?! Oh dear heavens, I forgot all about getting you one!”
“That’s all right – I got something for both of us.” He pulled an envelope out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Open it.”
She shook as she pulled out what was inside. “Theron, these are …”
“Train tickets, yes.”
She studied them and gasped. “To Clear Creek!”
“I thought it was time I went home to visit.”
Leora started. “What? Home?”
Theron smiled. “Yes, I’m from there.”
“You are?!”
“Yes. I told you.”
“No, you told me you were from Oregon – you never said where. I assumed it was Portland or Salem or –”
He shook his head. “No, just Clear Creek.”
“Theron, Lottie is in Clear Creek!”
“She is? Imagine that …”
“I don’t remember if I told you that or not,” she said. “This last month has been such a whirlwind.”
“I think you need to learn how to slow down before tackling everything the town wants you to.”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll have lots of help. My goodness – Lottie! And you’ll get to see all your friends!”
He smiled. “You’re who I really want to see, Mrs. Drake. Besides, if Sam Cooke can spend his honeymoon on a train, so can I.”
“You know Lottie’s husband?” She suddenly sobered. “Theron Drake! You did know all along!” She gave him a playful slap.
“We grew up together.”
Leora burst into tears. “What are … the chances … of that?” she asked between sobs.
“Trust me, these things happen all the time where I come from. Merry Christmas, Leora.”
She fell into his arms. “Merry Christmas, Theron.”
“Now, let’s go have our play.” He kissed the top of her head and led her from the church office into the full sanctuary and its welcoming applause.
Epilogue
Clear Creek, Oregon, two weeks later …
“Leora and Lottie, may I introduce you to C.I. Sayer,” Theron said as he swept his hand to an old man with an equally old woman sitting at his side.
The sisters stared at the elderly couple. Lottie had told Leora that Clear Creek had an unusual number of elderly people, and she wasn’t kidding. These weren’t the oldest she’d met so far, but they were close. “How do you do?” she said, her voice cracking.
The old man glanced at the old woman. “What?” he yelled.
“They’re a little hard of hearing,” Theron explained.
“When it’s convenient for them,” Lottie’s husband Sam added dryly. “Don’t let them fool you.”
“We love your stories,” Leora yelled.
“We can hear ya, missy!” the old man yelled back. “Ya don’t have to shout.”
“I can’t believe you two are C.I. Sayer!” Lottie said excited. “And to think all this time I’ve known you as Cousins Cutty and Imogene.” She turned to Sam. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because, dear wife, I knew Leora and Theron would visit soon enough. I thought I’d leave it as a surprise. You are surprised, aren’t you?”
“More than you know,” she said with a smile.
“How did the two of you come to write all those penny dreadfuls?” Leora asked.
The man called Cutty glanced at his wife. “We love ‘em as much as the next person. When we ran out of ones to read, we started makin’ up our own.”
“It became a hobby,” Imogene said.
“I still can’t get over that I’m related to you now,” Lottie said in awe. “To think, my new distant cousins are in reality C.I. Sayer!”
“Don’t let it go to yer head,” Cutty cracked.
“Don’t mind him,” Sam said with a chuckle. “How about some lunch?”
They had gathered at Mulligan’s Saloon, and now took a seat at Cutty and Imogene’s table. Within minutes Mr. Mulligan had served them each a glass of water and taken their orders.
“How do you like Clear Creek so far, Leora?” Sam asked.
“It’s lovely. Much different from Nevada City.”
“I wish you could stay,” Lottie said.
“So do I, but we have to be getting back,” Leora said. “I have a lot of responsibilities there. You’ll have to come visit us next.”
“I’ll see to it,” Sam said. “I’d love to show Lottie a few things in California.”
“Like San Francisco?” Leora asked, hopeful.
“What do you say, Sam?” Theron asked. “We could spare a few days and go with you.”
“That sounds wonderful!” Lottie exclaimed.
Leora sat next to her and gave her a hug. “Who would have ever thought we’d marry men from the same town?”
“It’s a miracle, is what it is,” Lottie said. “But then, I’ve come to learn that this place is full of them. I just hope the rest of our friends from the mill find the same happiness we have.”
Leora took her hands in her own. “I’m sure they have. Judging from the letters I’ve received, some have had a rocky start, but they’ve all ended well.”
“And to think such happiness came out of one tragedy,” Theron said. “What’s that fellow’s name again – your old boss?”
“Bob Brown,” the sisters said in unison.
“A toast to Mr. Brown,” Theron said as he raised his glass of water. “If not for him losing his factory, however he did, we wouldn’t have married such wonderful women.”
Sam raised his glass. “May he rest in peace. Good really can come out of bad. You two ladies are proof of that.”
“It’s true,” Leora agreed. “Lottie and I have heard from quite a few of our friends from the mill, and, as I said, most are doing well.”
“Most?” Cutty barked. “What about the rest?”
Lottie and Leora glanced at one
another. “We haven’t heard from everyone,” Leora said. “But we hope to.”
“We want the gory details,” Imogene said. “Maybe we can use them in a story.”
“Imogene!” Sam said. “Don’t be absurd!”
“Hey, we gotta get story ideas from somewheres!” Cutty said. “Might as well be from these gals.”
Lottie laughed. “We’ll be sure to keep you informed.”
“Ya do that,” Cutty barked.
Leora smiled. “I wonder what stories we haven’t heard yet. Who went where, what kind of groom they got. I wish we could hear from everybody.”
“Don’t worry,” Lottie said. “Someone will hear from someone else and eventually, we’ll know what happened to all of us.”
“How many of you were there?” Theron asked.
“Fifty,” Leora told him. “Fifty mail-order brides scattered across the country. Each with their own story to tell, no doubt.”
Theron and Sam glanced around the table. “Well, then,” Sam said. “I can’t wait to hear them.”
Leora sighed as she glanced at Lottie. “As do we.”
The End
If you enjoyed reading this book, there are 49 more in the series! Find out about the rest of the American Mail-Order Brides here.
And if you’re curious about the story behind Rev. Mark and Lydia Wingate, you can find all the details in Ray Anselmo’slatest novel – and first Western – just look for The Circuit Rider’s Bride, A Tale of the Old West. You’ll find it on amazon.
About the Author
Kit Morgan is the author of over thirty Westerns, including the Prairie Brides, Prairie Grooms and Holiday Mail-Order Brides series, and is a contributor to the Dalton Brides series with Cassie Hayes and Kirsten Osbourne. Lottie: Bride of Delaware is the first of her two books in the American Mail-Order Brides series and the first story in the series; her second, Leora: Bride of California, is the 31st in the series. Kit lives and works in the Pacific Northwest.
You can keep up-to-date on future books, fun contests and more by signing up for Kit’s newsletter at www.authorkitmorgan.com.