Angelica Ruth married William James Crawford on November 2, 1888. She was only sixteen, more than half the age of her mother when Annie married me. She was a beautiful young woman, loving and devoted and all of the things her mother and I wished her to be. But how difficult it was to give my little girl into the care of another man, even a good man such as Bill Crawford.
One of the best days of my life was on August 8, 1889, the day I became a grandfather. Joshua Richard Crawford was born early in the morning. Even as a newborn, I could tell he had his grandmother Annie’s blue eyes. He still has them today.
Sadly, Joshua never got to know his father. At least not long enough to keep him in his memories. Bill Crawford was thrown from a horse on the Fourth of July while racing in the Independence Day celebration. He died the next morning of his injuries. Angelica Ruth and little Joshua came to live with me soon after the funeral. While I was glad to have them, I was heartbroken because of the reason. I prayed that God would enable me to be a good influence on the boy, that his faith would be strong from his youth, and that he would not make the kind of mistakes I made.
Joshua is fourteen now—tall, good looking, and smart. He excels in his schooling. His worst character flaw is his temper, so much like mine in my earlier years. Still, I have high hopes for my grandson.
There has been a downturn of my fortunes in recent years, and I will not leave him or his mother as well off financially as I would have wished. But they will be comfortable and what they will have has been honestly earned. I am glad of that. Perhaps my true legacy for the boy will be that he saw me use what I had to make a difference in the lives of others. I hope that will be so. I hope he will do the same.
Joshua, if you are reading this, then I was right. My time has come. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to live long enough to see you grow into manhood, graduate from college, perhaps even marry and start a family of your own.
Know this, my dear boy: that I loved you and that I was as proud of you as any man could be.
Put God first, Joshua, and He will guide your steps throughout your life. Listen to His voice, heed His corrections, and you will avoid the many traps and snares of this world. I hope reading this record of my past did not discourage you or make you feel less of me. I hope you will see in it the power of the Almighty to change a life, to turn all things to good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.
And now, may the Lord bless thee, and keep thee. May the Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. May He lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. Amen.
Until we meet again in Heaven, I remain
Your loving Grandfather
EPILOGUE
JUNE 1919
As dusk settled over Bethlehem Springs on an unusually warm evening toward the end of June, Daphne Crawford parked her motorcar at the curb on Wallula Street and dashed into the house.
“You missed it!” she proclaimed as she dropped her straw hat onto the entry table.
Joshua rose from the chair at the kitchen table. “What do you mean, I missed it?”
“It’s over. Cleo had her baby already. It’s a boy. Healthy and beautiful and perfect in every way.”
He looked at his pocket watch. “But you said I didn’t need to rush over to the McKinley’s. You said—”
“Cleo didn’t waste any time.” As she spoke, she went to him and slipped into the circle of his arms. “Don’t worry. She didn’t mind that you weren’t downstairs with Woody and Morgan, and she wasn’t in labor long enough for her husband to even start to worry. Griff didn’t get there either.”
“I bought cigars for everyone.”
Daphne wrinkled her nose. “You can pass them out tomorrow. Just don’t smoke them around me. Nasty things.”
“I promise we won’t.” He drew her closer.
She smiled as she tipped back her head to receive his kiss. There was no place on earth she would rather be than right there in Joshua’s arms, his lips warm upon her lips, his heart beating in unison with hers. Although others might disagree, she knew she was the happiest woman to ever live.
When the kiss ended, she pressed her cheek against his chest. “I never imagined seeing a child born could be so amazing. It’s a miracle. It really is.” She pulled back to look him in the eyes. “And Cleo was wonderful. She said childbirth wasn’t any harder than breaking a wild mustang.”
Joshua laughed. “Only Cleo would make such a comparison.”
“That’s exactly what I said to her.” Daphne slipped out of his embrace and went to put the kettle on the stove. “Would you like some tea?”
“No, thanks.”
She busied herself at the counter. “Woody and Cleo still haven’t agreed on a name. She doesn’t want anything too lah-di-dah.” As she said the word, she heard Cleo’s voice in her head, and it brought back her smile.
“I can’t blame her for that.” Joshua’s hands alighted on her shoulders. “But I’m wondering, do you care to know why I was delayed in coming to the McKinley house?”
Something in his voice caused her to turn around. Yes, there was a definite twinkle in his eyes, a sparkle that told her he had a secret he was dying to reveal. “What?”
“You had a telephone call.”
“From whom?”
The corners of his mouth tipped upward. “From a Mr. Elwood Shriver of New York.”
“Mr. Shriver? He called here?”
“Yes.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “What did he want?”
“He wants to publish your book about Grandfather. He loves it.”
“He does?” The words were barely audible.
Joshua chuckled. “Did you really doubt he would want it? Didn’t I tell you it was wonderful before you sent it to him?”
She shook her head, nodded, shook her head, nodded.
“The book is wonderful.” He kissed her forehead. “I’m so proud of you.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Grandfather would be proud of you too.”
Daphne’s throat tightened and tears flooded her eyes. She and Joshua had gone to St. Louis for their honeymoon just so she could spend time with those who had known Richard Terrell best—his daughter, his closest friend, the people who ran the orphanage and the men’s shelter. Now, several months later, it felt to Daphne as if she had personally known Joshua’s grandfather, and she wanted others to come to love and admire him the way she did. Now, with the publication of this book, perhaps they would.
As Joshua drew her close and kissed her on the mouth once again, inexpressible joy blossomed in her heart. Who could have imagined a year ago where she would be today? Who could have guessed that she would fall in love with an editor from St. Louis and go on to write a book about his grandfather? Who could have foreseen the happiness that embodied her days and nights?
No one. Not even she had imagined it. Not in her wildest dreams. If she’d plotted her life as carefully as she plotted her novels, she still couldn’t have imagined a more perfect ending than this one.
Nor a more perfect beginning.
A NOTE FROM
THE AUTHOR
Who says a woman can’t be a dime novelist?
Dear Friends:
I hope you enjoyed getting to know Daphne and Joshua and that you were rooting for their Happily Ever After as much as I was.
Long before Daphne McKinley put fountain pen to paper, women had entered the publishing world using male pseudonyms. However, it wasn’t unheard of in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries for women to write dime novels under their own names. Most often, these women writers wrote romantic fiction for women readers. Sounds similar to today.
Another similarity that arose while I was writing, revising, and editing this book in 2009-2010 was the nasty flu season. For us it was the Swine Flu. For the people in Daphne’s time (1918-1919) it was the Spanish Flu. That earlier pandemic is estimated to have killed between fifty million to one hundred million people around the
globe—between three and seven times the casualties as from the First World War.
And now it’s time to bid farewell to the Sisters of Bethlehem Springs and the men who won their hearts. I’m going to miss Gwen and Morgan, Cleo and Woody, and Daphne and Joshua. Yet I have complete confidence that these three couples will do well, that they will march into their futures with confidence, that they won’t be afraid to open new doors and try new things, all the while honoring God and family.
What’s next? you ask. First up is Bounty of Silver, a stand-alone historical romance set in the late 1800s, followed by a new historical romance trilogy (as yet unnamed).
For the latest information about my past and future releases, please visit my website or drop by my fan page on Facebook.
In the grip of His grace,
Robin Lee Hatcher
www.robinleehatcher.com
ALSO BY ROBIN LEE HATCHER
THE SISTERS OF BETHLEHEM SPRINGS SERIES
A Vote of Confidence
Fit to Be Tied
A Matter of Character
THE COMING TO AMERICA SERIES
Dear Lady
Patterns of Love
In His Arms
Promised to Me
OTHER BOOKS BY ROBIN LEE HATCHER
When Love Blooms
A Carol for Christmas
Return to Me
Loving Libby
Wagered Heart
The Perfect Life
Home to Hart’s Crossing
The Victory Club
Beyond the Shadows
Catching Katie
Preview
A Vote of Confidence
The Sisters of Bethlehem Springs
Robin Lee Hatcher,
Bestselling Author of
When Love Blooms
In A Vote of Confidence, the stage is set for some intriguing insight into what it was like during 1915 to be a woman in a “man’s world.”
Guinevere Arlington is a beautiful young woman determined to remain in charge of her own life. For seven years, Gwen has carved out a full life in the bustling town of Bethlehem Springs, Idaho, where she teaches piano and writes for the local newspaper. Her passion for the town, its people, and the surrounding land prompt Gwen to run for mayor. After all, who says a woman can’t do a man’s job?
But stepping outside the boundaries of convention can get messy. A shady lawyer backs Gwen, believing he can control her once she’s in office. A wealthy newcomer throws his hat into the ring in an effort to overcome opposition to the health resort he’s building north of town. When the opponents fall in love, everything changes, forcing Gwen to face what she may have to lose in order to win.
Available in stores and online!
Fit to Be Tied
The Sisters of Bethlehem Springs
Robin Lee Hatcher,
Bestselling Author of
A Vote of Confidence
It’s 1916, and Idaho rancher Cleo Arlington knows everything about horses but nothing about men. So when charged with transforming English aristocrat Sherwood Statham from playboy into cowboy, she’s totally disconcerted. So is Statham, who’s never encountered a woman succeeding in a “man’s world.” Their bumpy trot into romance is frustrating, exhilarating, and ultimately heartwarming.
Available in stores and online!
When Love Blooms
Robin Lee Hatcher,
Author of Wagered Heart
From the moment Gavin Blake set eyes on Emily Harris he knew she would never make it in the rugged high country where backbreaking work and constant hardship were commonplace. She would wilt there like a rose without water. He’d be sending her back to Boise before the first snows. He’d be willing to bet on it.
She could say what she wanted. Emily Harris didn’t belong in the hard life of the Blakes. Beautiful and refined, she was accustomed to the best life had to offer. Heaven only knew why she wanted to leave Boise to teach two young girls on a ranch miles from nowhere. He’d wager it had to do with a man. It always did when a beautiful woman was involved.
Emily wanted to make some sort of mark on the world before marriage. She wanted to be more than just a society wife. Though she had plenty of opportunities back East, she had come to the Idaho high country looking to make a difference. Gavin’s resistance to her presence made her even more determined to prove herself. Perhaps changing the heart of one man might make the greatest difference of all.
Available in stores and online!
Wagered Heart
Robin Lee Hatcher,
Author of Return to Me
When Bethany Silverton left the genteel life of Miss Henderson’s School for Young Ladies back in Philadelphia for the raw frontier town of Sweetwater, Montana, she had no idea how much she would enjoy the freedom and danger of this wild country.
A conservative preacher’s daughter, Bethany can’t resist the challenge of charming the most attractive cowboy in town into attending her father’s new church. She never dreamed that the cowboy would charm the lady.
But Hawk Chandler isn’t the only man vying for Bethany’s affections. Ruthlessly ambitious Vince Richards thinks Bethany is perfect for him: attractive, gracious, just the woman to help him become governor. And he is determined to get what he wants at any cost.
Drawn to one man, an obsession of another, Bethany’s quiet life is thrown into turmoil. She wagered her heart on love. Now she has gotten more than she bargained for—and the stakes are about to become life and death.
Available in stores and online!
Return to Me
Robin Lee Hatcher,
Bestselling Author of
A Carol for Christmas
When Roxy Burke left home for Nashville, she swore she wouldn’t come back until she was a star. But it’s desperation that drives this prodigal back to her family, and no one is prepared for what happens next.
Roxy has crashed and burned. She’s squandered an inheritance, lived a wild life, and wasted her talent. Desperate and ashamed, she now must return to her father and sister, neither of whom she’s talked to in seven years.
Roxy’s father welcomes his daughter with love and tenderness. But his easy acceptance is hard on Roxy’s sister. After years of being the dutiful daughter, Elena feels resentment and anger toward her wayward sister.
Even more problematic is the reaction of Roxy’s former boyfriend. Once a rebel, Wyatt has given his life to Christ and plans to enter the ministry. He and Elena are engaged, but Roxy’s return raises questions that could mean the end of Elena’s perfect future.
The Burke family faces the return of the prodigal and must reach out for healing. Will they each be able to accept God’s grace?
Available in stores and online!
Loving Libby
Robin Lee Hatcher,
Bestselling Author of
Catching Katie
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Yes, well, Remington Walker was no angel…
He posed a more serious danger to Libby than she’d ever faced.
Libby Blue had found a refuge from her past in the Idaho wilderness. Leaving her ruthless father and a privileged Eastern girlhood behind, she finally found freedom in the wild West. Libby could run a ranch, make her own choices, and never have to answer to any man.
But then Remington Walker rode into her life. Despite herself, Libby found Remington breaking through all her defenses. Threatening the fragile safety of her western refuge. But what she doesn’t know is that Remington has a reason for being there. A reason that could well destroy them both.
Available in stores and online!
In His Arms
Coming to America
Robin Lee Hatcher,
Best-Selling Author of Firstborn
Dear Inga,
I’m thinking it is not good for my baby and me to stay much longer in Whistle Creek, Idaho. The sheriff is showing altogether too much interest. I s
uppose I should feel flattered, for Carson Barclay is not only strikingly handsome, but a man of character and faith who has shown Keary and me considerable kindness. But I’m afraid his affections are ones I cannot return. The secret I bear makes a future with him impossible.
Yet Inga, when Sheriff Barclay is near, it’s everything in my Irish heart that wishes otherwise.
Your friend,
Mary Emeline Malone
Idaho: mountainous, rugged. Men go there to find their fortunes in the silver mines—and lose their pasts. But as Mary Malone discovers, sometimes the past is not so easily shaken. It will take a good man’s strong, persistent love to penetrate the young immigrant’s defenses and disarm the secret that makes a hostage of her heart.
In His Arms is Book Three in the Coming to America series about women who come to America to start new lives. Set in the late 1800s and early 1900s, these novels by best-selling author Robin Lee Hatcher craft intense chemistry and conflict between the characters, lit by a glowing faith and humanity that will win your heart. Look for other books in the series at your favorite Christian bookstore.
Dear Lady
Coming to America
Robin Lee Hatcher,
Best-Selling Author of Firstborn
Dear Mary,
New Prospects, Montana, is nothing like England—so terrifying and beautiful at the same time, and much larger than I dared imagine when you and I first embarked on our adventures in the New World.
Robin Lee Thatcher - [The Sisters of Bethlehem Springs] Page 22