Indiana Goes West (Mail Order Brides of Pioneer Town, Book 1)

by Ruth Hartzler

  Indiana giggled. “That sounds like a gull.”

  By then the couple had made it to the bottom of the hill, and they were walking past grand homes. When they saw someone, Indiana would bid them a good morning, and Morgan would put a finger to the brim of his hat and nod his head a bit. Indiana thought it was all rather rugged and cowboy-like. She liked it immensely.

  “So you have to tell me about your name,” Morgan said as they headed up Nob Hill, the neighborhood in San Francisco which was in fact a hill, five or so blocks wide and long, and with Indiana’s family mansion in the center of it. “Indiana is a very pretty name.”

  Indiana looked up at the man. “Well, you’d have to ask my father, and that’s impossible.”

  “I am so sorry about your father,” Morgan said.

  They walked on for a while before Morgan spoke again. “Oh, I thought of one more thing I could do without here,” Morgan said. “It was the earthquake earlier.”

  Indiana laughed. “That wasn’t a quake.”

  “It felt like one to me. We don’t get those in Wyoming.”

  “It’s just the ground settling,” Indiana said.

  “I don’t need to live in a place where the ground hasn’t already settled,” Morgan said, and the two broke into laughter. Not once on their slow walk had Indiana pulled her arm from her chaperone’s.

  They crested the hill for which Nob Hill was named, and cut through some side streets until they were standing before Indiana’s mansion.

  “Here you are, safe and sound, with a fortune tucked under your arm.”

  Indiana looked at Morgan. “I doubt very much that it is a fortune. Thank you for walking with me.”

  “I was honored,” Morgan said.

  She finally pulled her arm from the crook of Morgan’s, but he caught her hand and held it to his lips. When he kissed the back of her hand, she closed her eyes, and her heart felt as though it had skipped a beat. His lips were rough but soft somehow at the same time. At that moment, the ground shook again.

  “Whoa!” Morgan said.

  And just like before, the tremor was over as quickly as it had started, and so was the moment between them. Morgan bowed his head and put a finger to his hat. “Until next time then,” he said.

  When Morgan was out of sight, Indiana turned and went inside. She found her mother in the parlor, sitting by the fireplace, though of course no fire was burning. The woman looked sad, tired, and older than she had looked before Indiana went out that morning.

  “Mr. Greenfield secured a loan,” Indiana said, handing the leather satchel to her mother.

  Her mother nodded. “He is a good man.”

  “He is,” Indiana agreed.

  “I shall be leaving for lunch. Mrs. Franklin has invited me out to town,” her mother said.

  “That will be nice,” Indiana said, “to be with a friend.”

  “She’s hardly a friend,” Indiana’s mother snapped. “Just a woman with not enough to do who feels the need to find a charity each week so she can feel better about herself, and the lack of excitement and purpose in her life.”

  Indiana didn’t know what to say. Instead, she nodded to her mother and then turned and headed up to her bedroom. She sat on a chair by the window. She wondered where Morgan was, out in the city. They had just parted, but still he was almost all she could think about. But what was the point of falling in love? Her mother had promised her to Cade, and had made no more mention of suggesting Morgan as a suitable match.

  Chapter 8

  Indiana nestled deep into the covers with a soft sigh, listening to the sounds of the house stirring from down below. She felt guilty for feigning illness when Misty came to rouse her. The poor woman looked tired from trying to keep up with the responsibility of the house without the rest of their staff. It had to be a great strain on her. Misty’s look of worry almost made Indiana want to admit her ruse at once.

  But if she had, she would have had to rise from her bed and face the choice she had to make. She understood that she really had no choice at all. It was a man’s world. She had no inheritance, and she could not buy a home or a shop, even if she thought she had half the skill needed to do so.

  None of their male kin would be any help either. They had no mind to share their inheritance, not even with the family from whom they had claimed it. It made Indiana want to wring her hands to know she was related to such.

  And she could not stall for time much longer. That man from Texas would not wait long, and he would take his fortune elsewhere. And then what would become of them? Still, Indiana could not care less about the matter, but her mother would give her no rest about the importance of marrying before they left the home. The plan depended on her, the oldest daughter, being wed to a wealthy man quickly, ready or not.

  Indiana’s mind wandered to her encounter the day before, when Morgan Chase had escorted her home from the bank. He was so very different from Mr. Hollway in so many ways. She imagined he would never need to resort to a mail order bride advertisement to find himself a wife. He was clean cut, with broad shoulders and a strong, confident jaw line. He was possessed of good bearing that quietly announced his status. He needed no pomp or pretentiousness to command respect from those around him.

  If only her mother had sought out half of such a man. Perhaps then a day of shopping for new dresses would not feel like a hangman’s noose. She buried her head deeper in the pillow with a groan at the thought. How was she to avoid marrying a complete stranger? Particularly an awful man like Cade Hollway of Texas? It was bad enough that he had the social graces of a pig, but the man was also old enough to be her father.

  She had wracked her brain for days, but had come up with nothing. A woman could not make it in this world without a male guardian. Not in any proper way anyhow. Society would shun them the instant they realized the truth.

  No wonder her father had yearned so earnestly for a son. Even a young boy would have provided protection to his fortune and family. The inheritance would have been his, and the girls would have been able to find their own husbands in polite society. This whole ugly mess could have been completely avoided. She had so terribly misjudged her father’s intentions when he voiced his discontent about having all daughters. It made her sick how easily his fortune was scattered to the winds, his wife and daughters forced into destitution. It just wasn’t fair.

  Indiana twisted in her blankets and stared up at the ceiling. Surely there was something she was missing. Surely there had to be a better solution to this mess than marrying her to Mr. Hollway?

  The young woman jolted in alarm as the door burst open. She clutched her blanket protectively against her chest with wide eyes trained on the intruder. She sat up in surprise as she watched her mother stride across the room with quiet authority, flinging open the curtains.

  Indiana squeezed her eyes shut as the morning light flooded her room. “Mother, what are you doing?”

  Deborah did not seem to acknowledge her daughter’s confusion as she strode over to the armoire and started to pick through the clothes in it. “Up with you now! Misty will be in shortly to help you dress for town. We have shopping to do so that you will look like a respectable wife. Your clothes are nice enough for a young lady, but you will be a wife and woman of the home soon.”

  Indiana’s mind whirled in a panic as she watched her mother examine a pair of gloves for the trip out. She had counted on her ruse to buy her time to think—at the very least, a morning reprieve. “Mother, I, uh, I…”

  “Don’t stutter, dear. It is unbecoming of a young lady.”

  Indiana swallowed nervously at the hard edge in her mother’s tone. “I thought Misty would tell you. I am not well today. I am feeling unwell.”

  “Wonderful,” Deborah said with such false optimism that Indiana almost thought she was making a strange joke of it. However she could tell by the set of her mother’s jaw that she was playing a very dangerous game with the woman, one that threatened to get dreadful quickly if she were t
o misstep. “I hear that the men in the Midwest favor a certain complexion. ‘Pale beauties’ they are called. Maybe it will entice Mr. Hollway into forgiving your lack of charm with him.”

  “I am not impolite with Mr. Hollway.” Indiana protested gently, careful to keep her tone respectful in the presence of the stern woman before her as she pulled her legs reluctantly over the edge of the bed.

  “You do not make extra efforts in your politeness, either.” Deborah’s mouth set into a thin line.

  Indiana felt her face burn, feeling like a chastened child. She frowned as she watched her mother half close the door to the bedroom.

  “You shall get out of that bed, dress, and prepare yourself to look your best when Mr. Hollway comes calling.” From the doorway, Deborah spoke each word with slow, deliberate force. Indiana’s throat dried up like sand, choking off any protest. “We’ve no time nor privilege to dally in childishness, Indiana. No man of proper means will have anything to do with you if you are discovered as penniless. We’ve barely enough to cover the dresses and a small dowry for each of you. I’ll not see my daughters forced into squalor.”

  Indiana felt a pang of bitter resentment as she stared at her mother. If society would cast them aside so easily over their money, she could think of no reason to be so desperate to keep her station—especially to marry a man on the claim he was a wealthy rancher. For all they knew, his ranch was a shack, and his land held only some half-starved longhorns. She’d likely never see her sisters or mother again. Was that really worth this race to wed before the grooms found out how poor they were?

  “There is more to life than our rank, Mother,” Indiana said quietly as she squared her shoulders, her heart pounding in fear over her small defiance. She gave her mother a pleading gaze, imploring her to understand the insanity of this whole situation.

  Her mother’s face froze. “Spoken like a sheltered, spoiled child who has never known want in her life—and might you never know it! How easily you are discarded when you have nothing of value. How inconvenient you become when they desire nothing you have to give!”

  Indiana’s heart stung at the cold, firm tone of her mother’s words.

  “You must resolve yourself to securing our futures by any means necessary,” Deborah said as she glared at Indiana. “This is for our sakes, not only your own.”

  Indiana lowered her gaze to stare at her hands, clenched tight around the blankets on her lap. She scarcely heard the sound of the door closing as her mother let herself out.

  * * *

  Indiana quickly began to wish she had stayed in her bed and endured her mother’s scathing disapproval. Despite the childishness and selfishness of the desire, anything would have been better than being forced to try on every scrap of clothing in the store and paraded around like a prized horse. She was getting tired of being poked, pricked by needles, yanked around, and scrutinized as the seamstress pondered alterations.

  On a normal day, Indiana would have enjoyed shopping. It was fun to sort through clothes and imagine the lands from which they were imported, to imagine meeting a stranger at a ball. However, there was no happily ever after at the end of this story that she could foresee. It rather dampened the mood, as she was smothered in one dress after another.

  Indiana glanced over at her sisters, who were chattering and giggling over dresses they were examining. It was eerie how normal they were. It was like they were perfectly content with their lot. Not even Montana seemed hesitant about choosing her wardrobe for a future in which she had little choice.

  Is something wrong with me? Indiana wondered. Seeing her family so relaxed and cheerful as they chattered away made her feel as she were somehow being unreasonable. But how could she possibly be unreasonable? They were about to be scattered to the four winds among strangers who would be their husbands. They were starting up new lives completely blind. Most parents would strenuously protest such a decision had it been the daughter’s choosing. However, it was the parent that was driving exactly that. How could she be unreasonable about something this huge?

  She gazed down at the soft green sea foam dress she wore. It was imported from London and was supposed to be the latest fashion in Europe. It fitted her perfectly, accenting her form in all the right places. The lace and bead work suited her as well. A few weeks ago she would have been breathless with desire to own it, but when she tried to imagine herself performing a waltz with a suitor, it all felt so woefully extravagant, a waste of a beautiful thing.

  As Indiana imagined trying to live her life as the wife of the Texas rancher, she felt her chest tighten until she could barely draw a breath. The room suddenly felt as if it were shrinking in on her. There was no air within the four walls. Noises were dull and thundering in her ears. Her vision blurred and tilted dangerously as she fought to draw a breath.

  She ignored the questions and protests of her mother and the seamstress as she whirled and scrambled for the entrance. She did not stop until she pushed the door open and caught herself on the railing. She took in a few deep shuddering breaths as she fought down the choking wave of panic.

  “Indiana, whatever is the matter?” Deborah demanded as she made her way out of the store. Seeing her daughter’s state, the angry scowl softened and she gave the young woman’s arm a pat in rare reassurance.

  Indiana slowly regained her senses, hearing the sounds of the street pierce through the cloud as she took in one breath at a time.

  She rose her head and froze as she caught sight of a familiar face across the street. As if summoned by her panic, there stood Morgan with a surprised expression on his face. One hand was still on the door of the barber shop. He must have just left, as he looked fresh shaven and trimmed. He appeared even more dashing than ever. She felt a wave of embarrassment for staring so openly.

  Indiana stood upright and corrected her posture, quickly tucking a loose curl behind her ear and smoothing the skirts of the sea foam evening dress. She felt her face flush with embarrassment. While it would have suited her perfectly in an elegant ball, it was painfully out of place on the sidewalk of San Francisco. Worse still, she had made a spectacle of herself by folding herself over a railing.

  She must have seemed a sight to the poor man. His eyes lingered on her for a little longer than would have been deemed polite. She would not have minded the attention at all had she not made such a scene to earn it. The man was practically frozen in place. He seemed to shake himself from a spell as he tipped his hat in greeting. She gave a polite nod in return as she tried to reclaim whatever might be left of her dignity.

  Her mother nodded to Morgan as she took Indiana by her elbow, guiding her back toward the shop entrance. The woman gazed between Indiana and Morgan thoughtfully, her brow furrowed in some deep thought. Indiana was too mortified at the chance encounter to ponder what was going through her mother’s mind.

  “Is everything all right?” the seamstress asked as Leah and Montana peeked from the back of the store.

  “Oh, just the new bride jitters,” Deborah said cheerfully as she guided her daughter inside.

  “I’m not a bride yet,” Indiana managed to protest weakly.

  “You will be soon enough,” Deborah assured her daughter as she squeezed her arm in warning before turning to the seamstress. “Madam, this dress will do nicely. Please wrap it up once she changes.”

  As the door started to shut, Indiana glanced back out across the street. To her disappointment, Morgan had already disappeared.

  Chapter 9

  “It was lovely of you to invite us on a picnic.”

  Indiana was lying on the grass in the pleasant warmth of late morning. She watched as the dappled light played upon the gently waving leaves of the plants. The trees further down between her and the coastline framed the bright blue sea perfectly.

  Morgan looked over at her and smiled. “You’re welcome, and the sea is a lovely deep blue today. What’s more, the view right in front of me is amazingly beautiful.”

  Indiana blushed. Doe
s he mean me? she wondered. She shot a quick glance at her maid Misty for a sign of confirmation, but Misty was staring fixedly over in the direction of the bay.

  Indiana followed her gaze. Morgan’s friend and business partner, Cody Mills, was walking slowly toward them, the sun shimmering behind him in the warm breeze.

  Surely Misty isn’t interested in Mr. Mills? Well, he is a handsome man, but in a prettier way than Morgan. I myself don’t find pretty men attractive. Indiana was worried about Misty’s apparent attraction to Mr. Mills. Misty was a maid, and Mr. Mills was a gentleman. That held no happy ending.

  Indiana’s attention was forced away from Misty when Morgan placed a basket in front of her. Morgan kneeled down next to Indiana and uncovered the basket. “I’ve brought cheese, bread, and pastries.” He smiled sweetly at Indiana. “It was such a good idea for Uncle Charles to suggest we all go on a picnic. I am so glad your lovely mother gave permission for you and your sisters to attend.”

  Indiana smiled back and desperately tried to stop her heart thumping. A butterfly landed on Morgan’s arm and Indiana focused her attention on the beautiful blue and brown insect. She wondered why her mother had indeed agreed. Could there be hope that her mother saw Morgan as a more suitable suitor than Mr. Hollway? That seemed too good to be true. Sure, her mother had mentioned it once, but had not again, and Indiana scarcely dared broach the subject.

  Indiana was shocked back to reality by her sister Leah’s scream. She looked up to see Leah in the distance pointing to the ground but Morgan was still kneeling beside her. How embarrassing! He must think I’m an idiot, going off into my own world like that. Still, there was no time for further thought, as Morgan took Indiana’s hand to help her up.

  His touch was more like a caress, and Indiana nearly snatched her hand away with surprise at her reaction to his touch. Stirring tingles coursed through her entire body from the top of her head right down to her toes. Morgan kept holding her arm until they reached Leah.