A Christmas Proposal (A Wyoming Mail Order Bride Holiday 2)

by Annie Boone

  She walked along the streets, watching vendors sell their wares and wagons transport people and cargo. She loved the romantic nature of this city. She had read a few stories about the Wild West and this was almost like she had expected it to be. There weren’t any shoot outs going on at the moment, but that was good. The noises were quieter, the people, more polite. She felt at peace here. The place suited her well.

  She kept a close eye on the time and started back to the inn with plenty of time to spare. She hadn’t been able to see all of the town in just over an hour, but she would be able to see everything in leisure soon enough.

  She raced back to the bed and breakfast and checked her face and hair. A few strands were out of place, so she swept her hair back up and then pinched her cheeks for good measure.

  With a huge smile and a heart that was about to beat out of her chest, Lillian walked down the stairs to the lobby. She waited patiently for the man she traveled thousands of miles to meet. They man who would be her husband. Finally, the door opened and a man entered the large room. He was robust and had ruddy cheeks. He was nothing like what he described himself to be. She supposed he’d have to do. She reminded herself that what’s in a man’s heart is more important than his outward appearance. Perhaps he’d grow on her as they started building their life together.

  She was the only woman who was by herself in the lobby. It was easy for him to tell which one was her. Well, the fact that she had described herself exactly as she was would help, too.

  “Lillian?” the man asked timidly.

  “Yes, it’s me! Andrew! Hello.” She reached a hand out to him, but he stepped back and looked down at the floor. He didn’t take her hand in greeting.

  “I, well. Um, I’m really sorry about this,” he began. He was on the verge of stuttering. Lillian cocked her head to the side and gave him a quizzical look. This wasn’t going as she’d thought it would. At all. He seemed really out of sorts.

  “Yes, well, I knew it was too late for you to receive another letter before you started your journey. I have a bit of news that would have been best if you had been able to get it before you left. I’m sorry, but I have met someone else. She is from here in Cheyenne and we’ve fallen in love. I came here to tell you that I’m sorry, but I’ll be marrying someone else.”

  Lillian’s jaw dropped in complete and utter surprise. “M-marrying someone else? I don’t understand. I came all this way for you. How could this have happened?”

  “Lillian, it doesn’t really matter, does it?” he answered.

  “You bet it matters! I came all this way. Uprooted myself from my life. And all that for nothing. This is very rude of you. Very rude, indeed!”

  “I understand that you’re angry, but I didn’t do anything intentionally.”

  “No? How long has it been since you met her?” she asked angrily. She was determined to get details, though she had no idea why she wanted to know or what she would do when she got them.

  At this question, he hung his head. He couldn’t make anything up that would work here. He had to tell the truth. “I met her about four months ago, but we began to court about three months ago. I asked her to marry me two weeks ago.”

  “Well, you are a two-timing scoundrel, Andrew Booker!”

  Again, he hung his head and looked at the floor. “Sorry,” he said lamely.

  “The very idea. Asking a woman to marry you when you’re already betrothed to another. I knew something wasn’t right when I got your last letter, but it was up to you to be honest. You failed.”

  “You’re right, Lillian. I didn’t do this right. I’m sorry to inconvenience you,” he added.

  “Inconvenience me? You think that’s all that you’ve done to me?” she shot back. Her voice was getting louder with every exchange. There weren’t many people in the lobby at the time, but they all were listening to what was going on between Lillian and Andrew.

  “Please don’t make a scene, Lillian. I didn’t hurt you intentionally and I truly am sorry,” he replied very quietly.

  “I’ll calm down, but not for you. I’ll keep my temper under control for myself. You don’t deserve my sadness or my disappointment. So just what do you propose I do now?” she asked in as controlled a voice and tone as she could muster.

  “I guess it’s really up to you, Lillian. I bought you a ticket to go back home. Um, I just assumed that’s what you’d want to do. Here,” he said, handing her a train ticket to Chattanooga.

  She looked at the ticket from him and held it by her side. She didn’t even look at it. A ticket home wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted him. She wanted the life she was supposed to have. Her heart was breaking, but she was also furious. Her anger was controlling her thoughts and actions right now.

  “I’ll keep the ticket until I decide what I’m going to do. Honestly, Andrew, you know my story. You know I can’t go home. At least not this way. I’ve told you everything about me, so it’s absurd of you to suggest that I’d just turn around and go back to Tennessee. Did you even read my letters?”

  “Of course you can go back. It’s not like your family hates you. And of course I read your letters,” he said.

  “I started writing to you because I wanted something different than what I had. Even though you’re throwing me away, I’m not going back,” she said confidently. She stood looking directly at him and she never wavered. She pursed her lips and continued. “So, Andrew, this is what’s going to happen. You’re going to pay for me to stay here in the Mountain View Inn for the next sixty days and you’ll give me some spending money to make sure I don’t starve while I look for a job. At the end of sixty days, I’ll either go back to Chattanooga or I’ll cash in the ticket and stay.”

  “That seems like a pretty stiff set of requirements. I don’t really think I owe you all that,” he said quietly.

  “You asked me to marry you. So, I uprooted my life, came all this way to be with you, and now you’ve broken my heart. You thought I’d just simply go away like nothing ever happened. Honestly, I think you’re getting off pretty easy. So, let’s get this taken care of now.”

  She walked over to the desk and smiled at the red headed woman behind the counter. “Looks like I’ll be with you at least another two months. Mr. Booker, here, is going to pay for my stay. Isn’t that just the sweetest thing for him to do?” The clerk gave her a broad and conspiratorial smile.

  “How often will you require a bath to be drawn, Miss Spencer?” she asked.

  “Every other day, please.” Andrew’s jaw dropped. He knew what was coming next.

  “Very well, then,” the clerk replied. “That will add another five dollars to your total bill.”

  “Wait a minute,” Andrew butted in. “Isn’t there a discount for her staying here for so long? And paying in advance?”

  “Hmm. We don’t offer discounts, sir. I’m sorry.”

  Andrew grumbled something unintelligible and pulled money out of his pocket. He paid the advance hotel bill grudgingly. Then he took Lillian’s arm and drew her away from the counter. He stepped back slightly from her and dropped his hand. Then he reached into his pocket again and gave her some money.

  “Here. I hope this will be enough to take care of your needs while you decide what you’re going to do. I’m sorry it had to be this way. You’re a fine woman, Lillian, and it has been a pleasure to know you,” he said with sincerity.

  Lillian’s anger left her. It may have been because he had taken her worries about money away, at least for a short while. It may have been because she could see that he really wasn’t what he’d led her to believe he was in his letters. It may have been that expressing her anger to him made it go away. Maybe it was all of those things that helped her push the anger away.

  “Thank you, Andrew. I wish you all the best,” she replied. She turned and went back upstairs to her room as he watched her go.

  ***

  After she got back to the privacy of her room, she sat dow
n and started writing ideas down for what she would do next. She needed a plan, so she was putting one together. At least she would have a warm place to sleep for the next two months. That was a big comfort. She was so thankful she’d had the guts to push him to do that for her. She surprised herself by demanding this and he’d surprised her more by actually doing it.

  But the biggest fact of her life right now was that she was alone and without a job. She’d need to start looking for work immediately. Today. It was still early enough to start her search.

  She changed into more suitable attire for her day of looking for a job. She was now wearing a dark green dress with a high neckline and a looser fit. She was still a beautiful young woman, but in an understated sort of way.

  She started her search by going to the mercantile, the bakery, and the bank. Her skills weren’t suitable for the jobs that were open in these places. She also stopped into the cobbler shop and the blacksmith shop where she was told they have no open positions. She tried the school and the post office but she was unsuccessful there, too.

  She was about to give up for the day when she found a hotel almost on the edge of town. There was a help wanted sign in the window. She almost squealed with happiness and hopefulness.

  “I wanted to inquire about the open position. There’s a help wanted sign in your window,” she said pleasantly to the man behind the desk.

  “I guess we forgot to take that sign down,” he replied. “We don’t have any open jobs.”

  “Oh,” Lillian replied. She was very dejected after almost all day looking for a job with no luck. Not even a possibility. “Thank you.”

  As she was leaving the building, she saw the saloon across the street. It was mid-afternoon and she had missed lunch. She knew she wouldn’t be able to wait for supper that night, so she went over to the pub in search of something to eat to curb her hunger.

  She walked in and found a table quickly. There weren’t many customers in the place at this time. Just the usual sort in a drinking establishment in the middle of the afternoon. Yes, just the riff-raff that should have been trying to find a job, but were drinking instead. She waited for some time for a waitress to come to her, but nobody ever came. She finally stepped up to the bar to order some food.

  “What is your lunch menu for today?” she asked the barman.

  “Chicken and potatoes or beef pie,” he responded as he wiped down the bar top.

  “The chicken and potatoes. I’ll have that,” she replied. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, miss,” he answered politely.

  “Say, why is there no waitress on duty now? I assume there isn’t one since I waited for the longest time and nobody came to my table.”

  “Well, we used to have one but she quit. Mr. Murphy never hired a new one. The girl on nights is all alone now and she is dead on her feet by half way through the night. It’s too much work for her by herself. I think she’d quit, too, if she could,” the barman replied. It was much more information than Lillian had asked for, but maybe she could use it.

  “So, this Mr. Murphy. Is he the owner of this establishment?” she asked, trying to sound more bold and confident than she felt.

  “Yep. That, he is,” replied the barman.

  “Good. Is he in? I’d like to speak with him about a position after I enjoy my lunch.”

  “He’s here. Just be warned. He fancies himself a bit of a ladies man. His manners regarding women are well below standard.”

  “Thank you for the warning,” she smiled and nodded.

  “Here’s your lunch, miss. Hope you enjoy.”

  ***

  “You’re here about the job? How wonderful! We could use someone as pretty as you to help liven up the place. You’d definitely bring in some new customers!” exclaimed the obnoxious Mr. Charles Murphy.

  Lillian blushed at his words. He was pushing the limits without going over the line too far. She was definitely going to have to watch him if she ended up working here.

  He looked her up and down one more time. She felt a little shiver of dread shooting through her chest. She wasn’t used to being looked at in this way at all. She didn’t like it.

  “Yes-sir-ree Bob.. You’ve got the looks, all you need is the attitude. So let’s talk about your skills. You see, just a pretty face won’t cut it, though you do have a very pretty face,” Mr. Murphy stated, with a lascivious grin.

  “Mr. Murphy, I appreciate it that you’re willing to discuss the job with me. I am willing to work hard and I need a job.”

  “Charles. My name’s Charles. And you are?”

  “Lillian Spencer. Pleased to meet you.” She reached her hand to shake his.

  He reached out and took her hand, but he didn’t shake her hand in a businesslike manner. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Believe me, the pleasure’s all mine.”

  She wanted to snatch her hand back away from him. His behavior was making her very uncomfortable. She struggled with her conscious about how much she really needed a job right this minute. Wouldn’t something better and more respectable come her way soon? Should she just leave?

  “Well, the pay is three dollars per week. You’d need to work six days a week for lunch and dinner. Are you dependable?” Charles scratched his chin and adjusted his glasses.

  “I’m very dependable and I’m a hard worker.”

  “Well, what skills do you have working in a restaurant? You might be pretty, but you’ll still have to do the work. You’ll probably bring in more customers, but they’ll want good service as well as a sweet disposition and a little bit of a sassy attitude.” He chuckled to himself as he emphasized the sassy attitude part.

  “I have no restaurant experience. I know I could learn it, though.”

  “Well, all right. As long as you don’t mind hard work which you’ve already said you don’t. So, I suppose you’re hired.”

  “Thank you, sir. I appreciate your confidence.” She held out her hand for another shake.

  “What in the world is this? No need to be so formal now that we’re working together!” He pulled her to him and wrapped his heavy arms around her. She felt his hot breath on her shoulder as he dropped his head closer. He was smelling her! This was too much. Well, all of it was too much, but this was definitely over the line. She stepped back and looked at him angrily.

  “Now, what’s the matter, my dear? Just a friendly hug between an employer and his employee. Right?”

  “Wrong,” she responded sharply.

  He looked at her like he didn’t really understand what she meant.

  “I’m not your property just because you offered me a job. It’s not acceptable for you to look at me the way you do or touch me or breathe on me. I really need a job, Mr. Murphy, but I will not work for a lecher like you. I’m worth more than that. And three dollars a week? That’s practically slave labor. Good day.”

  Lillian turned and left his office slamming the door behind her.

  Her heels clacked indignantly as she walked determinedly through the saloon. What was she thinking, anyway? A saloon? She shouldn’t be working in a place like that. She had a better reputation than this and she could do better.

  She headed back to the Mountain View. Tomorrow would be a new day and she would start her search anew in the morning.

  Chapter Three

  The next morning Lillian woke before the alarm bell sounded in the hallway. She got ready to go downstairs for breakfast, looking forward to a hearty meal to start the day. She was sure she would need something filling to get her through a long day of job hunting. The room was already busy with morning diners when she arrived.

  “Take any table that is open, miss,” said the waitress when she walked in.

  “Good morning and thank you,” Lillian replied cheerfully. For some reason she was feeling hopeful and happy this morning. She had lost her intended husband to another woman. The only job offer she’d had so far was in a seedy sal
oon and she couldn’t bring herself to work there. Things weren’t going so well for her since she arrived in Cheyenne. You’d think she would be grumpy and ill tempered.

  She expected her luck to change very soon, though. Perhaps, today. She didn’t know how, she just believed that she was supposed to be here and that God had great things in store for her. She was going to continue to look for good things until they started happening. She would not give up.

  Lillian ate her breakfast alone as she planned her day in her mind. She would go to the town center and start at the first place and go door to door until she found the job that would be a good fit for her. She knew that her skills were limited, but she truly believed her character and attitude would help her find the perfect position.

  She was just finishing up when the red headed desk clerk stopped at her table.

  “How was breakfast this morning?” the girl asked.

  “Delicious and filling! I am enjoying eating a hearty meal to start the day,” Lillian responded.

  “Since you’re going to be here for a while, we should at least introduce ourselves,” she laughed.

  “You’re absolutely right,” smiled Lillian. “I’m Lillian Spencer from Chattanooga, Tennessee.”

  “I’m Dorothy Barnes from Chicago, Illinois. It’s nice to meet you, Lillian. I couldn’t help but overhear that you’ve just broken off your engagement to Mr. Booker. I’m sorry about that. I hope you don’t think I was being nosey.”

  She seemed a little embarrassed that she’d overheard the argument. If she hadn’t heard that, she would have figured out that something was amiss between them when Andrew paid for her hotel bill in advance.

  “Oh, don’t apologize. It wasn’t your fault we broke up in a public place!” Lillian said.

  “So what are your plans for the day, Lillian?”

  “I’ve got to find a job since my position as the wife of a cattle rancher has fallen through. So I’m headed into town to knock on doors and see what I can find. Do you know of any place that needs help?”