Brides of Grasshopper Creek

by Faith-Ann Smith

  I am deeply sorry for the loss you suffered at such a young age. I had a sister for a brief amount of time whom I was very fond of, but I am sad to say she fell ill in her fifth year and did not live to see her sixth. It was a crushing blow, but my parents and brothers were there to console one another through that difficult time and while my family and I have not always seen eye to eye, I could not imagine not having them there to bicker with. I hope that your aunt has done what she could to ease your sorrow in some small way.

  I confess that the winters in California were odd at first, being more accustomed to the cold and snow of New England all my life. It was particularly unsettling during my first Christmastime in San Francisco; there should have been snow on the ground and icicles adorning the rooftops, but instead it was hardly cool enough to light a fire. I am now far more accustomed to the warmer climate, but I do still miss the wintry scene outside my family's parlor each and every Christmas morning.

  I must now be bold for a moment, Miss Collins. We have conversed for such a short time, but I feel confident already that this is a good match. If you feel the same, I would ask that you come to join me here in San Francisco. I have arranged for your passage, first to sail to the Panama Railway and then to San Francisco. This new route of travel means a much more comfortable voyage. It will take just a little more than a month to arrive rather than traveling by land which can equal a journey of as much as one hundred and forty days. It is my hope that we will have the opportunity to meet very soon.

  Sincerely,

  Jackson King

  Suddenly the wait was over and the reality of the situation dawned on Olivia. She had been so anxious for this moment but now that it was upon her, she experienced a gripping moment of uncertainty. Was she really prepared to board a ship and leave Boston behind? Mr. King seemed well and fine in his letters, but what if he was truly a beast of a man, cajoling her into making the long trek to California.

  “Breathe Olivia,” she reminded herself, realizing that she'd been holding her breath since she began the final paragraph of Mr. King's letter.

  As she stood there, breathing in and out slowly, her nerves calmed and she regained control over her wild thoughts. This was precisely the adventure she'd been hoping for all this time, and she wouldn't cower away from it now.

  Unfortunately, if she was going to be leaving Boston, there was one more task she needed to tackle: Aunt Margaret. And since Olivia wasn't fond of procrastination, there wasn't any time better than the present. So, she headed home quickly, making it back in time for dinner with her aunt. She couldn't imagine her aunt's reaction; the woman had wanted her to marry since she was seventeen years old, but to a gold miner out west? Somehow Olivia doubted that was what Aunt Margaret had in mind all this time. Nevertheless, she'd given Olivia the freedom to turn down suitors and pursue her passion for learning. Would her aunt really deny her what she wanted so fervently now?

  As she sat across the dining table from her aunt less than an hour later, Olivia took one more deep breath and opened her mouth. “Aunt Margaret? There is something I would like to discuss with you.”

  “Of course. What is it?” her aunt replied, lending Olivia her full attention.

  “I wrote to a man in California some time ago, a response to an advertisement I read in the newspaper and in truth, I have been conversing with him ever since. We haven't written many letters, but I do believe he is a good match, Aunt Margaret.” Olivia paused, allowing her aunt to process the information.

  Her aunt just looked at her with a curious expression, apparently waiting for her niece to continue.

  “The advertisement in the newspaper was for men out west looking for brides from the east. I believe that I have found a good match for marriage. In his last letter, the man has asked me to join him in San Francisco. He has made travel arrangements for me to embark on the next ship,” Olivia finished, releasing the breath she again hadn't realized she'd been holding.

  Her aunt was silent for another moment, the look on her face revealing absolutely nothing about what thoughts were running through her head. The awkward silence grew but Olivia waited patiently.

  “Are you certain this is what you want? It seems to me an enormous decision, and an unexpected one from a girl who has rejected every suitor, the very notion of marriage since I've known her...wait...but it isn't the marriage that has you so enraptured, is it?” A knowing look settled on her aunt's face as a grin turned up the corners of her aging lips.

  “And who may I ask is this man who has you venturing off across the country?” her aunt asked, still grinning.

  “His name is Jackson King. He has been living in San Francisco, California for the past five years, but prior to that, his home was in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His parents still reside there, while his brothers have joined him out west,” Olivia explained, easily recalling the details of Mr. King's letters.

  “Did you say 'King'?” her aunt asked, intrigued.

  “Um, yes. That is the name,” she answered, though she wasn't certain if her aunt recognized the name or just hadn't been certain she'd heard her niece correctly.

  “Oh dear. Son to Edward and Mary King from Cambridge, Massachusetts?” her aunt continued but Olivia couldn't remember Mr. King ever mentioning his father or mother's name.

  “With four younger brothers, all of whom decided to follow their adventure-seeking eldest brother to the gold fields of California?” Aunt Margaret met Olivia's gaze directly then, as if she were trying to read her niece's thoughts.

  “How did you know that,” Olivia queried.

  “Why dear, I knew the Kings back when I was just a young girl. I nearly married Edward's older brother James, but his family found him a better match, I suppose, announcing his engagement to a young socialite from Jamestown,” her aunt spoke sadly. “He's a widower now,” her aunt said quietly, more to herself than to her niece.

  Returning her attention to her niece, “Edward was a fine, young man, and we've met on occasion over the years. It was such a terribly tragedy the year he lost his only daughter. Mary had been so happy to finally have a little girl after producing so many fine, young boys for Edward.” Her aunt was silent again, a sad, empathetic look on her face.

  Olivia couldn't believe that the stranger she'd been writing letters to in California was the son of a man her aunt seemed to know so well. Nearly engaged to a member of the family? While the world took up a lot of space, it seemed so small sometimes. Did this improve or harm the chance that her aunt would approve of her choice? Was she bitter toward the King family? It didn't really sound like it.

  “You have my blessing, Olivia,” her aunt finally spoke. “Are you sure this is the right choice for you? It is a difficult life out in the west, and while I do believe the Kings have it easier than some of the rest, I cannot promise you that hardships will never come.”

  “I am sure this is what I want. You know I could never be content in a marriage here, and the same life day in and day out could do nothing but bore me to tears. Mr. King is offering something so much more than marriage; adventure, excitement, new experiences...the unknown,” Olivia finished, exhilaration evident in her eyes.

  “I am going to miss you terribly, but it appears that you two are most certainly well-suited for one another,” Aunt Margaret rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

  “I'm going to miss you, too.” Olivia rose from her seat, moving to wrap her arms around her aunt, part in gratitude and part in sorrow.

  As much as she wanted this adventure, she was genuinely sad to be leaving the only family she had known for so many years, but now that she had her aunt's approval, the only thing left to do was pack. The next ship left in just under one week, so there was very little time to prepare. Finishing dinner, she let aunt Margaret's maid take care of the cleaning that evening, heading off to her room and pulling a suitcase from her closet—the very same suitcase that she had brought with her from her parents' home when she came to live with her aunt.

  Op
ening it up, she ran her fingers across the contents carefully. While a great deal of the belongings from her old home were packed and directed under the care of aunt Margaret, Olivia had crept throughout the house before her aunt had arrived, stashing her mother's favorite bonnet and heirloom locket in her suitcase, along with her father's favorite books, her brother's toy soldiers and the puppets her mother had made for Olivia and her brother. She had never once taken the precious items out of the suitcase, but she had pulled out the luggage and looked at them often, particularly during the first several months after coming to live with her aunt. She wouldn't disturb them now either, carefully folding and packing her belongings from her room on top of her family keepsakes.

  Just thirty minutes later, Olivia was finished. All of the things she wanted to bring with her had been packed and there were no more preparations that needed to be made. It seemed odd that she could so easily pack up her entire life and be ready to move across the country in thirty minutes, but it was true nevertheless, and now all she had to do was figure out how to make it through an entire week of waiting.

  She had just settled on a book to help her pass through the evening hours when a knock sounded quietly at her door.

  “Come in,” she called, laying the book face down on the table in front of her to keep her page as her aunt walked into the room.

  She looked terribly uncomfortable, and so Olivia waited patiently, her aunt coming to sit down beside her without saying a word. They sat there silently for a moment, then two, when finally Aunt Margaret cleared her throat, turning to face Olivia as she began to speak.

  “When your parents passed away, Olivia, you were far too young to worry about money and finances, of course. Then, as the years went by, it seemed an unnecessary discussion for us to have. Certainly, your lack of interest in marriage made me feel comfortable in keeping it to myself for the time being,” her aunt began cryptically.

  “Now that circumstances have changed, I think it is time to have this conversation. You see, your parents did not leave you penniless, Olivia. I had intended to set the money aside as a dowry for you, but given that you've gone ahead and made your own match, I think it should be yours to use as you see fit. But, I caution you, that once you are married, you must understand that anything that once belonged to you, would then belong to your husband. Hide it, bury it, or be absolutely certain that the man you are going to marry will not abuse or squander what you have.”

  Aunt Margaret's piercing gaze told Olivia she was trying to read her thoughts yet again, but in truth, Olivia didn't know what to think. She had known that her parents had been relatively well off, but never thought much about it once she moved to her aunt's home. Certainly, it couldn't be much, or her aunt would have been able to live in the lap of luxury all this time, rather than in moderate comfort.

  “Olivia, do you understand?” her aunt broke into her silent thoughts, her hand coming to rest firmly on top of her niece's.

  Olivia nodded uncertainly. Handing her niece a satchel, Aunt Margaret spoke in a hushed tone, as if she worried a passerby on the street might be listening to her conversation.

  “You are the sole heiress of a sum of thirty thousand dollars, Olivia, and that is before the property that has remained in the family's name.”

  Olivia did her best to prevent her jaw from dropping to the floor. It was a veritable fortune. She could live independently and never want for anything; travel the world in comfort…but she realized in that moment that she didn't want to travel alone, venture to the far ends of the earth by herself. Though she had never given it much consideration prior to responding to Mr. King's advertisement, the idea of marriage had grown upon her throughout the past several months. The prospect of a life partner to share her adventures with sounded far more appealing than a life of solitude. While the fortune certainly did come as a shock, it didn't matter if she had all the money in the world, she didn't want to venture through it alone. And whether due to her own stubbornness in sticking to her decision or some higher power at work, marriage to Mr. King still felt like the right choice for her. He felt like the right choice.

  The week passed quickly and before she knew it, Olivia was wrapping her arms around her aunt, bidding farewell to the woman who had taken care of her as her own for so many years. And though she still felt sadness to her core at leaving her aunt behind, her determination never faltered. She stepped onto the ship a few moments later, waving goodbye once more from up above and allowed the man who greeted her there to lead her to her quarters, although she didn't spend much time there, too fascinated with the roiling waters beneath the ship once it headed away from the docks. In fact, Olivia spent nearly the entire voyage looking out at the vast ocean, captivated by the gentle waves, the sun rising and setting on the horizon, the sea life that would reach the water's surface every now and then, and the vast number of birds that would flock by overhead whenever the ship was near land. Later, crossing the canal, she was told what a comfortable and quick alternative it was to the once grueling trek through the forest. She was happy it was quicker, but she wondered if the adventure of the forest would have been more exciting than the comfort of the sailing vessel.

  Before she knew it, she was boarding the ship for the last leg of her trip, which would take her straight to San Francisco and Mr. Jackson King. Though shorter than the trip from New England to Panama, this last voyage seemed to drag on forever as her anxiousness to reach the end of her journey increased. She spotted the docks long before the ship glided into port. Once there, she grabbed hold of her belongings, making her way across the deck while watching the crowd assemble below.

  Descending the stairs to the docks below, Olivia looked around, realizing that she had no practical way of identifying Mr. King in the crowd. Then she saw him—she was certain it was him, though she had no idea how. He stood out from the rest of the men huddled around the docks, a half a foot taller than the rest. He was looking up at the boat, his vivid emerald eyes searching for something. As his eyes found her, his expression changed and she swore she saw his gaze begin to burn with emerald fire. As swiftly as the flames ignited, they were extinguished, the man's search continuing along the length of the boat. Olivia stood there watching him, mesmerized. He was by far the most attractive man she'd ever laid eyes upon. Perhaps it was only wishful thinking that had her certain he was Mr. King. Every young maiden dreams of a handsome knight, but that doesn't make such silly dream a reality.

  His gaze continued its search, making its way back to her. As his eyes settled on her this time, recognition dawned there, and she knew it wasn't wishful thinking. She started toward him, descending the few remaining steps as Mr. King made his way toward her slowly through the crowd. The disconcerted expression he wore concerned her; she would have guessed that he was unhappy with her in some way, but the heated look in his eyes from just a moment before suggested otherwise. Confusing, for sure.

  “Miss Collins?” the man asked, coming to stand about two feet in front of her.

  “I am. And you must be Mr. King,” she replied, forcing a kind smile on her face, though a multitude of emotions roiled within her. She had tried to prepare herself for this moment, but her preparations had assumed an ordinary man, not this incredibly handsome stranger who had looked at her with a fiery gaze that did odd things to her composure.

  “I am pleased to meet you. I trust that your journey was comfortable,” he continued cordially.

  “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance...finally,” Olivia added in afterthought, thinking of all the things she knew about this man already, even though they had only met in person this very moment. He smiled then, and if she thought he couldn't possibly be any more attractive, she'd been wrong.

  “It is an odd thing, is it not? To meet after becoming acquainted already?” Mr. King confessed aloud one of her own thoughts, and Olivia nodded in agreement.

  A moment later, she spotted another man making his way through the crowd toward them. The familial resembla
nce was undeniable, but this man was younger and while Mr. King appeared to be broad and muscular, this man was far more lanky.

  “I'm sorry, Jackson. But I could not remain with the horses any longer. I had to catch a glimpse of the woman who has finally felled my bachelor brother. And you must be she,” the man announced, turning to face Olivia. His appreciative gaze told her he approved of at least some of her “aspects,” though he was quick to cover his response.

  “Miss Collins, it is an honor to meet you. Let me introduce myself. My name is William King and I am the youngest of the King Brothers. I would like to tell you that you have made a good choice in my brother, but dear Miss Collins, can you not see that there is something wrong with us Kings? All five of us crazy enough to leave the comfort of New England for the excitement of the Wild West. I may in fact be a much more reasonable choice, as I at least had the good sense to hold out the longest,” William finished his flamboyant speech.

  Olivia could tell immediately that he was a young, charismatic man who would no doubt become a good friend. She liked him already.

  “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. King. While I appreciate your candor, I believe my mind is made up,” she smiled graciously.

  “Alright William. Why don't you make yourself useful and lead the way back to the carriage,” Jackson cut in, likely reining in William's colorful greeting before he made a fool of himself.

  William nodded, turning back into the crowd and stretching out his arms wide to clear a path. Olivia covered her mouth to hide a giggle in response to the silly scene before her, but given the clear walkway his action provided, she certainly wouldn't complain. She even saw Jackson's brief smile from the corner of her eye before he offered his arm to guide Olivia through the now open walkway. It only took a moment to reach the carriage, set back just thirty steps from the docks.

  The two men waited as she climbed into the carriage, William stealing the seat next to her before Jackson could object. Though, it seemed he was more than content to be maintaining his distance, an odd look still occupying his features, as if he felt something wasn't quite right here, or perhaps not what he had expected. William monopolized the majority of the conversation throughout the ride, talking mostly about the differences between the east and west since his move there. He spoke a little about the other King Brothers; the second youngest, James, who idolized Jackson, the pragmatic second eldest, Joseph, and Thomas, the middle brother who spent a bit too much time occupied with pleasing others—a result of his kind-hearted nature.