by Annie Boone
She waited four days to start checking at the post office to see if anything had come for her. Finally, her persistence was rewarded and she had a letter waiting on her. She was using the post office instead of her home address because she didn’t want anyone to see it. This was the only way to keep a secret from her family.
She crammed the precious letter into her pocket and rushed back to Barnaby’s, barely noticing the dampness on the street. Her coworkers could hardly get a word out of her for the rest of the day, and Jewel blithely stitched her way through unseen seams and buttonholes, until the clock chimed and she could escape.
Jewel couldn’t put away her work fast enough. The other stitchers could only look on in puzzlement as she threw her scissors and thimble into her bag and ran out the door, not even stopping to say goodbye. Her excitement was too much to contain, and Jewel began to hum happily while she walked home, turning heads as she went.
Jewel’s mother and father received the same brusque treatment as her coworkers had when she’d hurriedly left work. The Wood family lived in the servant’s quarters of the estate where Jewel’s parents worked and her parents were in their sitting room when she got home. She waved offhandedly as she dashed past them into the privacy of her tiny bedroom. A bed and a cabinet for her clothes barely fit in the room but she was thankful for even that much. Her four younger brothers were all crammed in one room together.
Jewel plopped down on the bed and eagerly pulled the letter from her pocket. Now that it was finally time to open it, her hands were shaking. Carefully, she unsealed the envelope and plucked the pages from inside it. There were two sheets, written in small, immaculate handwriting, without so much as a smudge or stray line anywhere.
Dear Miss Wood,
Thank you for your answer to my inquiry. I am gratified to receive such a quick response.
As for your multitude of questions, I have both parents still living, and one younger sister, Janice. My father owns the law practice where we both work, and I am to be his successor. My mother spends her time attempting to sculpt my sister into a lady. My sister is only sixteen and does very little other than gaze longingly at certain cowboys. I don’t think she is interested in becoming a lady.
The environment of this part of Wyoming is dry, and neither very hot nor very cold. You will not have to worry about getting caught in the rain very often here, though we see a great deal of snow. There is some greenery, but the greater part of the landscape is mountains and brush. In many places the view is not unpleasant to look at.
The letter went on, meticulously answering every single one of Jewel’s questions, and adding a few of his own. He had squeezed quite a bit of information into those two pages. His tone was polite, if a little serious, and the letter ended with Sincerely, James Harland.
Jewel carefully folded up the letter and buried her face in her pillow so she wouldn’t squeal too loudly. The last thing she needed was for one of her brothers to come in and disturb her.
Moments later, she sat back up and composed herself. She had to find somewhere to put this where her parents wouldn’t find it. Mother might discover it when she put something away in her wardrobe, and the bed would get turned around whenever the sheets were changed.
She sat and thought, drumming her fingers on the side of her forehead unconsciously. Jewel’s diary would just have to do. She thought it would work, though it wasn’t completely secure. Her brothers had been instructed to leave her things alone, but they still meddled in her belongings sometimes. Hopefully, they wouldn’t find Mr. Harland’s letter.
The diary was a cheap plain notepad, paper leavings sewn together that Jewel had wrapped in an old cloth. The envelope would just fit, concealed between the pages. Jewel re-wrapped the cover and returned her diary to the cabinet.
Writing a return letter to James Harland would have to wait until after dinner. That would give her time to think of the next things she wanted to tell him and ask him.
Chapter 4
The correspondence continued. Jewel started right away sending letters to James almost every day without waiting for return letters from him. Her letters were usually full of questions, and like clockwork she’d receive a reply full of answers. She was now receiving letters from James almost every day, probably because she was writing to him almost every day.
Jewel never would have thought you could get to know somehow though written word alone, but she began to feel like she knew him. With so many letters going back and forth between them, they were bound to learn at least the basics about each other.
James Harland was not a forthcoming man, but he would answer any question she asked. And oddly enough, he answered them fully. Jewel asked enough questions that he painted a fairly complete image of his life.
She learned that Laramie was one of the largest towns in the area, and there wasn’t much to see outside of it. James spent his days working with his father, sorting out land claims between ranchers and carrying out wills. He didn’t say much of anything about friends or family, but he also didn’t say anything she didn’t explicitly ask him about.
Still, he seemed nice. James wasn’t flowery. He didn’t send her love poems, or try to woo her with sweet words. He was, however, honest. He didn’t try to gloss over any part of life in the west, nor did he act as though her questions were tiresome. Jewel felt like he implicitly understood her curiosity, and appreciated it.
She would like to receive romantic love letters from the man she is hoping to marry one day. She waited and watched for signs that his tone might start to drift more toward tenderness. James might turn out to be a slow starter and that would be fine, she supposed. They were at least building a friendship. From what she had heard, friendship in a marriage was almost as important as love.
One night after an especially tedious day at Barnaby’s, Jewel arrived at Bible class to find all the girls clustered around Eileen Ramsay. Eileen turned to face her as she walked in, a delighted sneer dominating her face.
“Oh, Jewel. I was just sharing the dreadful news that I’ll soon be leaving our dear little study group. For you see,” Eileen flounced away from the others in the circle, “I am now betrothed.” She displayed her left hand with a flourish and wiggled her fingers in front of Jewel’s face.
A thin, gold band set with a single small stone sat on Eileen’s finger. Jewel couldn’t see it very well since Eileen wouldn’t keep her hand still, but she got the general impression. The girls behind her still watched, either sighing with envy or glaring for bragging about her engagement.
Jewel looked over at Eva just in time to see her roll her eyes and make a face. Angie poked Eva in the ribs with her elbow admonishing her to be careful showing her opinions. Jewel smiled at the scene between her friends. She knew that soon she and her dearest girlfriends would probably be leaving the Bible study class, too. Their adventures were likely to be much more interesting than anything the pretentious Eileen Ramsay would ever do.
“Edwin Ross has finally made his intentions clear, and we shall be wed before summer starts.” Eileen declared.
“How delightful it will be to miss your face from Bible class.” Jewel said, her pitch bright and cheerful. Eileen stared at her for a moment, not quite believing what Jewel had just said. Another conversation soon started and Jewel was off the hook.
“Why didn’t he propose on Valentine’s Day?” Mae spoke up, boldly. “That would have been far more romantic than waiting until April, wouldn’t it?”
Jewel could tell Mae was trying to taunt Eileen just a bit, and she was unable to hide a little smirk of pleasure. The girl deserved Mae’s jibe, though. She was always trying to act better than everybody else when she came from just as humble circumstances as the rest of the girls. This Edwin Ross came from a little bit of money, but he wasn’t New York royalty by any means. He was nothing to be excited about in Jewel’s opinion.
“A day for sweethearts? It would have been very special to get engaged on that d
ay,” Maddie said, shaking her head. “Yes, you’re right, Mae. What a shame he overlooked such an opportunity.”
This required Eileen’s input, and she twirled around to take command of the subject and defend her beloved Edwin Ross. Defending Edwin’s choice of proposal date meant she was also defending herself.
“Personally, I think it’s trite and overdone to receive a marriage proposal on a day for sweethearts. We did have the most romantic evening on that holiday. It didn’t include an engagement ring, but romance is much more than big statements such as a proposal.” Eileen cast a superior eye around the room, daring anyone else to criticize.
Jewel was sorely tempted to say something to add to the conversation. Why should Eileen get all the attention? After all, she sort of had a sweetheart. Just not one close enough to have supper or a walk in the park with. Instead she sat quietly by, waiting for the class to start.
Holding the secret inside was burning her up. She wanted desperately to tell everyone about James Harland. He friends would be annoyed with her for spilling the beans, though. And she didn’t want to answer questions or get ridiculed for writing to a man who lived across the country. The others outside Jewel’s tight circle of friends wouldn’t understand. They would certainly make fun of her for thinking she could find love through The Matrimonial Times.
Jewel didn’t care what they thought, though. She believed that James Harland was the one for her. Her dream come true. She pictured him in her mind. He’d described himself to her and she saw that image she’d created of him every time she thought of him.
She couldn’t wait to meet him, see him, smile at him, and touch him. She believed that this was going to happen soon. She’d prayed for it and she knew that God would deliver. This was truly His will.
Chapter 5
The day dawned gray, soggy, and cold. Jewel hated to be out in weather like this. She had to go to work, but she wished she could do something that made being out in this kind of nastiness worth it.
The thought of romance was far away when trying to get to work without being spattered by the slush thrown up by passing carriages. When she arrived, the girls at work were just as grumpy as Jewel for having to brave the terrible conditions to get there. An air of gloom settled over the room in the basement of Barnaby’s. Then once she was settled in her seat to sew, Jewel thought all morning about the letter she hoped to find waiting on her at the post office.
By the time she was able to escape that evening, she felt like an old petticoat that’d been washed too many times. She was tired and worn out and she almost went straight home. But she had another letter to mail and she hoped there would be one from James waiting for her. So, she trudged the extra steps to the post office to complete her mission. She picked her way through puddles and ice and sincerely hoped that her James Harland and Laramie, Wyoming was worth all this misery.
The man in charge of the post office looked up as she entered. She was a regular here now. She smiled as she locked eyes with him.
“Got one for you, Miss Wood,” he said, reaching down behind the counter. “I put it aside for you since I knew you’d be in to pick it up today. Got another to send?”
Jewel nodded. “Thank you, sir.” She put the envelope in her bag and handed the letter she’d written to James the night before over.
“Looks like you’ve got quite a beau there,” he said.
“Well, we have been having some interesting conversations,” Jewel answered. “I feel like I know him very well, though I’ve never laid eyes on the man.”
“You’re not the only one to try this, you know. Several girls in the neighborhood are looking to meet men from out west. I suppose it must have a bit of charm to it, though I honestly don’t understand it,” he said.
“Well, I never thought I’d do it myself, but my friends talked me into it. Now I’m glad they did,” Jewel said. “Guess I’ll be on my way. The weather’s so ugly it’s going to slow me down. I need to get home in time for supper.”
Late that night, after the family had eaten dinner and said their prayers, Jewel sat on her bed with a lamp still burning. This was the first chance she’d had to read the latest letter. She’d been dying to come to her room, but her parents were enjoying a rare night where they were home with their family all evening. She couldn’t be absent.
When she carefully pulled the envelope open, she noticed that this letter was shorter than most. For a moment she was alarmed. Her heartbeat sped up a bit in anticipation. Was he ending their association? Had he run out of things to say to her? She was very worried about the contents of this letter.
James had not answered any of her questions in this note. His words were few, but his meaning was quite clear.
Will you come to Laramie?
Jewel felt as if she would burst. She wanted to do a dance, but there wasn’t room for that in her tiny little bedroom and she’d wake up her brothers if she even tried. So she sat there on the edge of her bed and took deep breaths and smiled until her cheeks hurt.
Happy Valentine’s Day to me, finally, she thought.
They’d all been so disappointed that Valentine’s Day was lonely for them and their plan to take control of their futures was working out. Jewel and each of her friends had found a man from out west to correspond with. They were all getting closer to making new lives.
Jewel had been skeptical, but now she was thrilled that she’d taken the pact they’d made seriously. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t even know James Harland existed. He wouldn’t know about her, either. Their match would not have been made.
She settled down to write a letter of response to him. Then she changed her mind. The important question he had for her called for something better than a simple return letter.
Chapter 6
James Harland hadn’t been expecting the telegram. It was short, three words only, from a Miss Jewel Wood.
“I will come.”
Well, that certainly put a definitive answer to it. James had been rather enjoying the idea that he wouldn’t have to deal with a reply for several more days. He was prepared to consider himself an unattached bachelor for just a while longer. Instead, he had this telegram.
With efficient, businesslike movements, James pushed his chair back from the desk and opened a small drawer on the side. A stack of letters bound together with twine was inside, tucked under a ledger and some newspaper clippings. They were from Jewel, the sender of this rather abrupt telegram. James rifled through them, from the newest to the oldest, pausing as he reached the very first letter.
It was attached to a clipped copy of his advertisement from The Matrimonial Times. He scanned the letter she’d written to him quickly. He chuckled a bit. She was concerned that there may be wild animals here. She also says she likes a good laugh. Well, they’d have to see how that part went. He could show her wild animals, but it may be difficult for him to resurrect a sense of humor that had been crushed some time ago.
A different man might have felt some trepidation that this woman was no socialite. But James felt like she would fill the bill very well. He wasn’t willing for this to be any different from business as usual. He flipped open his datebook and inserted a note to purchase train tickets for the woman who would eventually become his wife.
As much as he realized he was different, he wasn’t really planning to change. He was looking for a partner in a wife. He wasn’t a romantic man and he hoped that Jewel Wood wouldn’t expect that from him. He’d been careful to not mention anything related to romance or love so she wouldn’t get the wrong impression.
If she got here and ended up not being suitable for one reason or another, he would send her home to New York City.
She had told him she was a seamstress and her parents were servants. He believed she was looking for a better life for herself. He could certainly give her that. He felt it was a fair trade. She would give him respectability to help him meet his career aspirations. He would give her stability an
d a better life.
He worried a bit about what his mother would say about his cheeky arrangement, but he would deal with that issue if it actually became a problem. For now, though, he would plan for the changes that were about to occur.
Chapter 7
Standing just outside the door of the post office, Jewel stared at the envelope in her hand. It was larger than usual, and thicker as well. She had almost been expecting a telegram in reply to her own, but this envelope had arrived the day after she’d stopped looking for a return telegram.
Jewel hesitated looking down at the envelope in her hands from James. The middle of the street wasn’t the place to be reading letters or opening packages. She really ought to open it at home. She couldn’t make herself wait. So she inserted one finger under the flap and ripped it open with most unladylike haste. Inside was a short letter, and a train ticket, printed on heavy card stock. She read the letter quickly.
Dear Jewel,
I received your reply to my invitation. I’m pleased that you have agreed to come here. Obviously, my goal is that you will become my wife. We can work out those details when we see each other. I’ll be waiting on you to arrive and I’ll pick you up at the station.
Sincerely,
James
Carefully, Jewel slipped both the letter and the tickets back into the envelope, folding it closed to secure them inside. Then she clutched the envelope to her chest and squealed loudly, jumping up and down. People in the street stopped and stared, but Jewel was far too excited to notice or care. Slipping the precious envelope securely inside her valise, she skipped gaily home.
Once she got home, she realized what had to happen next. This was the part she’d pushed out of her mind since she started this process. Her parents would likely not agree with her latest decision.
She decided that she should take the opportunity when it presented itself and not wait for a better time. She had halfway decided she would wait until they were in good moods, but that could delay her plan significantly. When she did see them together, they weren’t always cheerful.