Mail Order Bride: JUMBO Mail Order Bride 20 Book Box Set

by Hope Sinclair

  My letter would never get to him in time, she lamented to herself. It’d take at least two weeks to reach him, and I’d be walking down to aisle while it was still in a postal bag on a train traveling across the country.

  Daisy opened her eyes, shook her head, and chuckled at her own thoughts. For a moment, she was actually jealous of the letter she imagined herself writing to Calvin. For a moment, she actually wished that she could trade places with that letter. She wished that the letter would walk down the aisle while she was on the train traveling across the country—and, the thought of a letter walking down the aisle was what fueled her laughter. She had a creative imagination and was a fan of fiction, but the idea of it seemed so preposterous.

  But, then, all of a sudden, Daisy stopped laughing, and, again, something hit her like a lightning bolt. While one side of the scenario she envisioned was farfetched, humorous, and preposterous, the other side was not. It was entirely impossible for a letter to walk down the aisle. But, it was entirely possible for Daisy to travel on a train across the country—and, if she did so, she could save herself the time of waiting for the post to deliver numerous letters between New York and California. And, more importantly, she could buy herself some time as far as her father’s three-month time limit was concerned.

  If Daisy snuck away without telling her parents, she’d be well on her way to California before they even noticed she was gone, and, by the time they caught up with her, if they even came after her at all, she’d already be in Blue Basin and would have already gleaned whatever information she needed to make her decision as per Calvin’s proposal.

  Running away, even if only temporarily, was a risky, rebellious move. But, all things considered, Daisy concluded it was a wise one. If she didn’t make it, her life would go nowhere, and she’d be doomed to live a miserable life with a miserable man.

  Daisy folded Calvin’s letter and placed it back in the envelope, then she grabbed a book from her shelf, slid a blank piece of paper and blank envelope inside of it, and withdrew her pen, inkwell, and money purse from her drawer. She’d been saving a little bit of her pocket money for the last 6 months to buy herself a bicycle, a frivolous purchase her father would never agree to. But the money she had set aside would now come to her rescue. She went over to her trunk, bowed down before it, and found her old school bag, the same one Calvin Anderson had filled with slabs of rock some ten years earlier. She placed the book, pen, inkwell, and money purse in the, then swiftly left her room, and her home, headed for town.

  SEVEN

  Daisy gazed out the window and stared at the sunset as the train continued to chug off into the horizon. She felt tired and hungry, and her body ached from lack of exertion, but, nonetheless, she smiled at the beauty of the scenery before her. She’d never traveled beyond New York before, and her journey, thus far, had exposed her to so many of God’s beautiful marvels and splendors.

  Although the train ride had been superb in this respect, it was otherwise uneventful and a bit tedious. The confines of the train car were uncomfortable and crowded, and there was very little for the passengers to “do” other than sit and bide their time until reaching their destinations.

  As it was, Daisy had lost track of how many days she’d been on the train. She stopped counting after five, when her body and mind gave to frequent napping. Time and time again, when she woke, she didn’t know if she’d been sleeping for minutes of hours, and she was too embarrassed, and too consumed with her own thoughts and worries, to ask the attendants or other passengers.

  And, sure enough, Daisy did have good cause to be consumed by thoughts and worries. The morning she received Calvin Anderson’s letter, when she went to town, her first stop was at the train station, where she purchased a ticket on the next early morning train scheduled to leave for California.

  After purchasing her ticket, she sat down on a bench, pulled out her book, pen, and inkwell, and composed a letter to Calvin. In it, she told him that she needed more information to consider his proposal, and that she was traveling to California to “meet” him and gather that information firsthand and in person. She also included a summary of her travel itinerary, telling him which train she was taking and when it was expected to arrive in Fort Alcatraz.

  Four days later, while her father was at work and her mother was tending to chores in the kitchen, Daisy packed a small suitcase containing several days’ worth of clothing, and two of her favorite books—and, she made sure to put Calvin’s letter inside one of the books, so as not to leave any evidence behind that would lead directly to her whereabouts.

  Daisy went on to endure another uneasy dinner with her parents that evening, where her father mocked the fact that her time allotment was about to expire in less than a week. She paid him no mind, however. And, once her parents were fast asleep, she penned a quick note to her mother, informing her simply that she went out west to “pursue a potential marriage prospect” and that she would write, and likely return home, as soon as possible.

  On her way out of the house, Daisy snuck into the kitchen and hid the note in the coffee canister, where she knew her father wouldn’t find it. Then, she went out into the blackness of the night and made her way to the train station and awaited the 4 a.m. train that would carry her westward.

  Now, it was well over a week later. And, though Daisy didn’t know exactly how long she’d been traveling, she was certain of a few other things. She knew for sure that her time allotment had already expired and her absence had to have been discovered, and she knew for sure that her father was likely livid, to say the least.

  No matter, Daisy was determined to try and direct her own fate before it was sealed for her, and she had decided to deal with whatever consequences arose from actions when they arose… which wasn’t yet.

  As Daisy continued to gaze out the window, she heard another passenger speaking with one of the attendants—and, what she heard was music to her ears. The other passenger had asked the man when the train would be crossing over into California, and the attendant informed her that it’d be doing so within the next 18 hours, which meant that she’d be arriving in Fort Alcatraz in less than a day.

  Daisy’s heart fluttered, and her mind raced. She hoped that Calvin received her letter informing him of her plans, and, even more so, she hoped that their meeting and subsequent interactions would go well. She had a lot vested in this journey!

  As the hours passed and sunset turned to night, then early morning, Daisy tried as best she could to sleep, but she could keep her eyes, and mind, shut for no longer than a few minutes at a time. Once the sun was on the horizon again, she turned to one of her favorite books—which she’d already read four times as she rode the rails—and distracted herself with it until she finished it once more.

  Finally, after what felt like the longest wait of her life time, Daisy heard the attendant shout the two words she’d been waiting to hear since leaving New York. “Fort Alcatraz!” the man exclaimed. “The train will be pulling into the statin at For Alcatraz within the hour.”

  Daisy shoved her book into her suitcase and sat on the edge of her seat, eagerly awaiting her stop. Her mind flooded with images of the impish boy she once knew, and the ruthless prig she was running away from—and, before she knew it, she heard those two words once more.

  “Fort Alcatraz!” the attendant exclaimed again. “All passengers headed for Fort Alcatraz, gather your belongings and proceed toward the door in an orderly fashion.”

  Just then the train started to slow down, and Daisy could see the train station coming into clear view. The platform was flecked with small clusters of people, and she prayed Calvin Anderson was among them.

  Daisy took hold of her suitcase and, as the attendant had instructed, proceeded toward the door in an orderly fashion. She was one of approximately 20 people who did so, and was one of the last passengers to exit the train.

  Out on the platform, Daisy glanced all around her, looking for Calvin. She figured he probably looked a bit di
fferent these days—after all, she did—but, she appraised the crowd in search of someone that met his general description.

  There were several men who simply didn’t fit the bill at all—older men, or men who were much shorter, had much darker hair, or very different faces. There were two men around the right age, but one of them was incredibly handsome, and the other appeared incredibly sheepish—and, Daisy knew that neither could be Calvin, given what she remembered of him.

  Daisy continued to scan the crowd as it thinned down, but, still, she could not find Calvin. She was beginning to worry that, perhaps, her letter hadn’t arrived in time—or, perhaps, Calvin had received it, thought she was being hasty in her travels, and changed his mind. She didn’t know what to do, and her worry was starting to morph into fear.

  But, then, Daisy heard her someone shout her name. It was a man’s voice, and it sounded familiar. Daisy looked around, frantically, trying to discover whence the voice came. Most of the men had already departed from the platform, and only a few remained, including the handsome one and the sheepish one, both of whom were accompanied by much older women whom Daisy assumed were their mothers—and, neither “mother” looked at all like Mrs. Anderson, which was only further proof that neither of those men could be Calvin.

  As Daisy turned her head in circles, it felt as though it were spinning, and it didn’t stop spinning until she heard her name again.

  “Daisy,” the man said. “Daisy Robinson.”

  Daisy turned her head once more, and, lo and behold, the incredibly handsome young man was smiling at her—and, just as she’d recognized the voice, she recognized the smile.

  “Calvin?” she asked, regarding the man before her. “Calvin Anderson, is that you?”

  “Sure is,” Calvin replied. His blue eyes also looked familiar at this point, and they shone like sapphires in the sunlight.

  Daisy smiled back at Calvin and felt a warmth rush over her cheeks. My how he’s changed! she thought to herself. Though he was once thin and gangly, Calvin was now muscular and well built. His narrow face had filled out, and his jaw was no longer at too severe and angle. In fact, it was at the perfect angle, and it framed the rest of his face in the most superb manner.

  “Come along now then,” the old woman standing beside Calvin asserted, rolling her eyes at the starry-eyed expressions both Daisy and Calvin had on their faces.

  “Go get her bags, so that we head back to the ranch and I can start dinner. If you have any hope of eating that chicken tonight, I’ve got to get the pot on the stove soon.”

  “Alrighty,” Calvin laughed, stepping forward to do as the woman had told him. Daisy looked at him curiously.

  “That’s Mrs. Evans,” he told her by way of explanation. “She’s my housekeeper—and, while you’re here, she’ll be your chaperone.”

  “Oh, of course,” Daisy replied, affirming the social convention.

  “Is this all you brought with you?” Calvin asked, raising his eyebrow as he eyed Daisy’s singular, small suitcase.

  “Yes,” Daisy answered. “I chose to travel lightly.” She did not, however, choose to say anything else on the matter, and Calvin shrugged his shoulders and let it roll right off of his back as he took hold of her luggage and directed her toward his carriage.

  EIGHT

  “When my parents and I first left New York, we all moved to a settlement outside of San Francisco,” Calvin explained as he steered his carriage away from the train station. The sun beat down on his tan skin and drew even more attention to his finer details of his face, musculature, and other features.

  “We moved there because my father got a prestigious promotion with the National Bank,” Calvin continued. “He got me a job working there too, as a junior associate… But, within only a few months there, I became very unhappy. I was good at that line of work, but it wasn’t good for me.

  “So, I quit my job at the bank and started working as a ranch hand at a livestock ranch—and, by golly, I loved it! My parents were pleased that I was doing so well, and was so happy, and after working at the local ranch for about a year, my father helped me procure a loan from the bank, which I used to move out here and start my own livestock business. I’ve owned my ranch for over three years now, and have paid back every penny of the money I borrowed.”

  As the carriage progressed toward Blue Basin, God’s green earth unfolded before Daisy, but she was too preoccupied with Calvin’s pleasant appearance and pleasant words to take it all in.

  “My parents still live near San Francisco,” Calvin went on. “And, I go out to visit them every once in a while, since they’re so close. They’ve been urging me to get married for some time now. But, I haven’t found anyone that met my fancy out here. There are no women like—… There aren’t many women to choose from. So, when I heard about your predicament, I had to write you, in the hopes that my letter would solve both of our problems.”

  Mrs. Evans sat perched between Calvin and Daisy, as dictated by social convention. She leaned forward to swat a horsefly away from her lower leg, and her movement both distracted Daisy and prevented her from seeing the charming smile that Calvin was displaying.

  “These darn things!” the old woman shouted, batting her hand at the bug. “I don’t mind how ugly they are, but I sure wish they didn’t bite!”

  As Mrs. Evans continued to swat and bat, both Calvin and Daisy found themselves holding back their laughter. She looked quite comical in what she was doing, but neither one of them wanted to chuckle out loud, so as not to offend her.

  “One bit me on the tip of the nose once,” the elder lady recalled, sitting back. “My nose swelled up so bad that I was cross-eyed for six weeks!” With that, neither Calvin nor Daisy could hold back their laughter any longer, and they both yielded to their mirth.

  “Just you youngins’ wait!” Mrs. Evans warned, shaking her finger. “Wait ‘til one of ‘em flies bites you on the nose, and you’ll see what I’m talkin’ about!”

  After a few more rolls of laughter, Calvin calmed himself and returned to more civilized conversation.

  “My ranch is just up here,” he said, pointing off toward the large property a short distance in front of them. “I started off with a much smaller enterprise, but I expanded it late last year.”

  Though Daisy didn’t want to take her eyes off of Calvin, she looked away from him, toward his property. And, she gasped when she saw what was in front of her. She was very impressed that a man of only 25 could own and operate such a place.

  “It’s beautiful,” she said, turning her head and smiling at Calvin. Calvin was so beguiled by her smile that he nearly dropped the reins he was holding.

  “Thank you,” he said softly. Now, his cheeks felt flushed with warmth.

  Calvin reluctantly turned away from Daisy and focused on the road together. The entryway to his land was only several yards away, and he needed to direct his attention, and his horses, toward it.

  Less than a minute later, the horses led the carriage onto Calvin’s property, and, as they did, Daisy was again impressed. Calvin’s land was not only expansive, but it was incredibly well maintained and full of many healthy-looking, well-fed animals, including several horses more beautiful than any Daisy had ever seen before or imagined.

  “Pick up your jaw, honey,” Mrs. Evans snorted, laughing at Daisy’s amazement. “Unless you want it to become a flytrap!”

  Daisy shut her mouth just as Calvin steered the carriage toward the hitching post near his house.

  “Here we are,” Calvin sighed. “Home sweet home.” He jumped down off of the carriage, helped Mrs. Evans down, and went around to the other side to help Daisy. He held out his hand for her, and, as she took hold of it, she felt a weird “sensation” travel from her hand throughout her body—and, unbeknownst to her, Calvin felt it too.

  “Come on, you two!” Mrs. Evans shouted, hobbling toward the house. “Ya’ aint’ married yet!”

  Calvin and Daisy chuckled at the old woman’s candor, then C
alvin went round to the back of the carriage and retrieved Daisy’s suitcase, and, once he had it in hand, the two of them proceeded to his house.

  As impressed as Daisy was by the property outside of Calvin’s house, she was ten times more impressed by what was inside of it. “Wow,” she said as soon as she entered. Again, he jaw dropped—but, this time, Mrs. Evans was too task-oriented to take note of it.

  “I’m goin’ to the kitchen to get supper ready,” the grey lady muttered as she meandered away from the young couple. “But, I’ll be keepin’ my eyes and ears open. So, there better not be any funny business!”

  Calvin laughed at her open warning, but Daisy remained silent. She was too busy examining her surroundings.

  Calvin’s house was exquisitely decorated, with furnishings the likes of those she’d seen in the homes of New York’s upper-crust society types. There were two large, framed oil paintings on each of the two longest walls, and each depicted a lush landscape.

  On one of the shorter walls, there was a fireplace with another, smaller painting, depicting a bowl of fruit, above it, and a piano rested against the opposite wall.

  “Do you play?” Daisy asked, walking toward the piano.

  “I dabble,” Calvin replied, walking over to join her. He ran his fingers over the keys briefly, and the sweetest melody filled the room.

  “Remember these?” Calvin asked a split-second later, reaching atop the piano and grabbing one of the two candlestick holders that sat on either side of the large candelabra at the at the center.

  Daisy shook her head at Calvin curiously, as she examined the beautifully crafted sterling silver piece.

  “Ah,” Calvin sighed. “My parents gave them to me as a ‘housewarming gift’ when I moved out here. But, they’ve been in our family for years. We had them at our house in New York, and I thought you might recall them—especially since I got in great trouble after you and I used them once.”