by Kit Morgan
“We thought we’d take a little trip. Eva wanted to visit her family, so we volunteered to bring the wee lad.” He turned to his wife who was trying to keep little Davey from jumping off the wagon. “Isn’t that right, love?”
“Quite right. Hold still, Davey, you’re going to hurt yourself.”
“Let me go!” the child cried.
“Here, let me help,” Finn said. He jumped down and held his arms out to Davey. “There’s a good lad – show yer maither what ye can do.”
Davey looked at Ellie, who now stood next to Finn, and grinned. “Watch, Mama, watch!” He took a flying leap into Finn’s outstretched arms as Ellie gasped.
Mrs. Caulder stomped over. “Maither … er, mother? You have a child?!”
“What?” asked Mercy in a small voice. “This … this is your son?”
“I’m terribly sorry, Mrs. Vander,” Ellie told her. “I was going to tell you – and you too,” she added to Mrs. Brock. But I wasn’t sure if I was going to stay in Independence, and I needed the work, and …”
“My, but he’s a handsome fellow, isn’t he?” Mercy interrupted.
Ellie nodded, tears in her eyes.
“Well, one more to add to the family,” Mercy said with a smile.
Ellie’s tears spilled. “Do you mean that?”
“Well, for Heaven’s sake, dear, you are getting married. And even if you weren’t, Horace and I wouldn’t mind.”
“Nor would my husband and I,” Mahulda added. Then, to Ellie’s shock, her usual severe expression softened. “Widowed?”
Ellie nodded as Finn handed her Davey, and she held him in a tight embrace.
“Well, I mind!” Mrs. Caulder spat. “No servant of mine is going to be carting along a brat!”
Ellie’s eyes narrowed. “You’ll never have to worry about that, ma’am. I wouldn’t work for you no matter how much money you offered.”
Eunice gasped indignantly. “A fine thing to tell me when my Bernice …”
“Is right here, mother.”
Mrs. Caulder spun around – and found herself face-to-face with Bernard’s horse. She looked up. “Bernice?”
Bernice sat in front of Bernard atop his horse, leaning back against his broad chest, a contented look on her face. “She’s fine, ma’am,” Bernard informed them. “So’s Betsy.”
“Oh, thank goodness!” said Mercy in relief.
Eunice’s eyes narrowed – her daughter seemed to be a little too fine at the moment. “Bernice, you get down off that horse this instant!”
“Ma, calm yourself,” Betsy urged. “Everything’s all right.”
“I’ll be the judge of that, young lady! Now get down here or I’ll … wait! What are you doing? Where are you going?”
Bernard had turned his horse toward the house. “She needs proper care. I’m gonna go find Pastor Adams.”
“What?!”
“You heard me, ma’am. Him and me got some things to talk about.”
Mrs. Caulder stood in shock a moment, then spun a full circle. “Matthias!” she shouted. “Do something!”
Matthias Caulder, one of the men who’d stayed behind to protect the rest of the women, stepped out of the barn. He quickly surveyed the scene. “What do you want me to do?”
“Something! Anything! I think he intends to … to marry her!”
Matthias beamed. “Thank God! I’d better go help him find the preacher!”
“What?!” Everyone watched as Mr. Caulder hurried after Bernard, followed by a screeching Mrs. Caulder.
“Mama?” Davey said, drawing everyone else’s attention.
“Yes, honey?”
“Is everyone always so loud around here?”
Ellie smiled. “No, not everyone.”
“Good, cause I don’t wanna live someplace where I get yelled at a lot again.”
Ellie closed her eyes, hugging him, and smiled. “You won’t. I promise.”
“You have a little boy,” Mahulda said, shaking her head in wonder.
“She does, Mother, and he’s a fine boy,” Eva responded. “Davey and I have become good friends since his mother came here to get married.”
Mahulda blinked. “Wait … how did you know she came here to get married?”
“Finn’s mother told me. She asked me about the establishment I used, and then told Ellie.”
Mercy laughed. “Why I knew it had to be the same. So maybe it’s not such a mystery after all, you coming to us as a mail-order bride.”
“What?” a man’s voice asked. “What do you mean, ‘mail-order bride’?”
Ellie looked past Davey at Julian, who was standing next to his horse. He must have dismounted by the house (where Mrs. Caulder was still carrying on) and walked it into the barnyard. What was he going to do or say now? What was she, for that matter! “Julian, I can explain …”
But his eyes were glued to Davey. “Is this your son?” He moved next to her and looked at Davey, a tiny smile on his face. “Hello,” he said, offering his hand.
Davey shook it gravely. “Hello, sir. Who are you?”
Julian swallowed hard. He looked at Ellie, then back at Davey. “Well, I’m the man that would … ah …” He looked back at Ellie, his head tilted in confusion. “Mail-order bride?”
She swallowed harder than he had, and glanced at Mercy, Martha, Maude and Mahulda. “Well … yes.”
“I’m afraid … you were a victim of the mysterious … ah …” Mercy stammered.
“The joker that ordered a bride for Garrett struck again!” Mahulda announced before she could finish.
Julian’s brows rose at that. “He did? Good grief – why didn’t anyone think to tell me?”
“Because we didn’t think you’d take kindly to the idea,” Martha replied. “And poor Ellie came all this way…”
“And needed a good husband,” Maude finished.
Julian spun on her. “Mother! You knew about this?!”
“A mother always knows,” she said firmly.
“Oh for crying out loud …” Julian took in Davey’s wide-eyed expression and sighed. “Well, young man, it looks like you and I need to get to know each other.”
Ellie swallowed, hard. “Julian, I’m so sorry. I was so caught up in everything, I forgot about being your mail-ord–”
He held up a hand to stop her. “It doesn’t matter now. None of it does.” He drew closer. “I’m already in love with you. And I want to marry you – that is, if …” He glanced at Davey, as if looking for approval.
“Is that how you propose to a woman?” Mahulda scolded.
Julian smiled in defeat and went down on one knee. “Better?” he asked the matrons now gathered around them.
“Better,” they agreed in unison.
Julian laughed and looked up at Ellie. “Ellie Sampson, will you marry me?”
Epilogue
Three weeks later …
“I do,” the man said, his voice resonating.
Ellie looked at Julian with so much love in her eyes, she thought it might pour out and pool on the floor. Pastor Adams continued to read the vows, and she became vaguely aware of the voice reciting them back. They gazed into each other’s eyes and smiled. Finally, at long last they had become man and wife.
And Davey couldn’t be happier. Ellie thanked the good Lord every day at the changes in her son. He’d been so quiet and sullen after his father’s death, and wasn’t much better before. But Julian brought out the best in him, and she loved watching them play together when Julian came to call. Eva and Finn had also been a big help, helping Finn’s parents look after him while he was in their care. Ellie’d had no idea that Finn’s wife Eva was also Mrs. Brock’s daughter; she knew Eva had been a mail-order bride, but hadn’t bothered asking where she came from.
“I do,” came the woman’s drawled reply.
Ellie and Julian forced themselves from each other’s gaze, and looked at Pastor Adams at the front of the church. “Then, by the power invested in me by Almighty God and the
state of Oregon, I now pronounce you man and wife!” he said with a happy smile.
They watched as Cecil lifted Betsy’s veil and kissed her. A cheer went up, followed by clapping and a chorus of congratulations.
“A fine wedding,” Julian commented to his wife.
“Yes, but I wonder what will happen now.”
“What do you mean?”
“Poor Mrs. Vander – she’s lost all her help. I wonder if she’s a good cook?”
Julian glanced at the Vanders, who were making their way out of their pew. Mercy was blowing her nose and crying uncontrollably. “Maybe we should ask Garrett?”
“Good idea. I could always offer to help.”
“Now, I don’t want any wife of mine going off to cook for someone else. We’ll have them over for dinner instead.”
She nodded. Mercy Vander had been beside herself ever since Cecil proposed to Betsy two weeks before. As soon as they were done sewing Ellie’s wedding dress, they had to start on Betsy’s so it would be done in time. Even Finn and Eva stayed to help with some of the wedding preparations, as well as serving as groomsman and bridesmaid for Julian and Ellie’s affair. But they couldn’t stay for Betsy and Cecil’s – they were needed back in Oregon City.
They reached the throng now gathered around the happy couple, including the Vanders. Betsy had tears in her eyes, and Cecil looked about to bust a gut, he was so happy. The whole kidnapping incident was quickly cleared up once Mayor Vander wired Portland and told the sheriff what had happened. He in turn wired the sheriff in Salem, who quickly came to round up the miscreants sent to do Reginald Van Cleet’s bidding.
This prompted Cecil, having already lost everything, to have the law pay a visit to dear Reggie and slap him with a charge of unlawful detainment. After all, if Reginald couldn’t get his hands on Ammy, he didn’t have anything left to hold over Cecil. Besides, Cecil had everything he needed right here in Independence. All was right with the world.
Except … “What are we going to do?” wailed Mr. Vander. “Betsy, you can’t leave us!”
“Now, Horace,” Cecil stated. “We talked about this!”
“I know, but now that it’s happening, I can’t stand it! And I sure as shooting can’t stand … this,” he added, motioning to his wife’s conniption.
Garrett stepped forward. “Father, it’s Betsy’s life. You can’t interfere.”
“Who says I’m interfering?” he barked back.
Mrs. Vander let out a horrible wail.
“Now see what you did?” Horace chided. “She’s been like this all morning!”
“I’m sorry, Mother,” he said as he reached out to her and gave her a hug. “I didn’t realize losing Betsy as a maid would be so hard on you.” Everyone gathered around the little woman to offer comfort. Betsy and Cecil at the forefront.
Mercy blew her nose, then looked at the faces around her. “I’m so sorry, everyone. It’s just … it’s just that I’m so h-h-happy!”
“Happy?” said Cecil in surprise. “I thought you were distraught at losing your maid.”
Mercy looked at him, squared her shoulders and smiled through her tears. “Who said I was losing a maid?”
Horace gawked at his wife. “But dearest, she’s married now!”
“Of course she’s married! That’s why I’m so happy!”
Cecil smiled, but was still confused. “Well, that’s good to know ...”
“Why yes!” Mercy told him then blew her nose. “Now that the two of you are married, I’m not losing a maid! I’m gaining a butler!”
Cecil blanched and looked at his new wife in shock. “What?!”
Betsy shrugged and folded her arms across her chest. “Mm-hmm.”
The End
(for now…)
I hope you enjoyed reading His Mail-Order Valentine, the tenth book in the Holiday Mail-Order Bride Series. Be sure to check out the rest of the series:
The Christmas Mail-Order Bride (Book One)
The New Year’s Bride (Book Two)
His Forever Valentine (Book Three)
Her Irish Surrender (Book Four)
The Springtime Mail-Order Bride (Book Five)
Love in Independence (Book Six)
Love at Harvest Moon (Book Seven)
The Thanksgiving Mail-Order Bride (Book Eight)
The Holiday Mail-Order Bride (Book Nine)
The Easter Mail-Order Bride (Book Eleven – coming March 2015)
About the Author
Kit Morgan, aka Geralyn Beauchamp, loves a good Western. Her father loved them as well, and they watched their fair share together over the years. You can keep up-to-date on future books, fun contests and more at Kit Morgan’s website at www.authorkitmorgan.com. Be sure to sign up for Kit’s newsletter to stay up to date on new releases!