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

by Hope Sinclair

  That said, what mattered to him the most was a person’s character. From what he had already learned of Amelia, she loved the Lord and she was of a kind disposition. She would have to be, to adjust to his kind of life. People constantly knocked on his door seeking advice and a trusted person to pour their hearts out too.

  His wife would need to be a welcoming person and never tire of the constant intrusion into their lives. As he had told her in his first letter, his life was not his own. He prayed that she would be understanding of that.

  “Amelia has a pretty, fair, face, long brown hair that flows to her shoulders, though she prefers to hold it in a plait. Her eyes are the color of dark forest leaves and she is—”

  “I think that’s enough Mercy,” Emil said rather sharply and then added in a gentler voice. “It is not for us to describe Amelia for Phillip. He will see her himself in a few moments. Here comes the train.”

  Phillip was puzzled by Emil’s sharp tone, but he had no time to ponder on it, as from the distance he could see bellows of smoke rising in the air. At that moment, something inside of him shifted and his nervousness disappeared. In its place came a joy that filled his whole being. He turned to his friends, grinning widely.

  “She’s here, my wife is here,” then he looked up at the blue summer skies, and gave thanks to the Lord.

  The moment he had been waiting for most of his life had come.

  “Pastor Phillip there is something that I need—” Mercy began.

  “I tell you so many times that you must call me Phillip, as Emil does. We are friends now and with Amelia as my wife, we shall meet many more times. Surely you cannot call me Pastor Phillip every time.”

  As he spoke, Phillip glanced at the approaching train. He felt like he could fly like a bird of the air, if he stretched out his hands. Such excitement had never come over him before. Amelia represented so many things. He would have his own family, something that he had grown up without, having been raised in a poor house.

  He had never experienced that warm feeling of being part of a family. Phillip had always been an outsider wherever he was. Although he had accepted it as the will of God, it was never far off from his mind that he had no people to call his own. He was protective of his congregation; however, they too had their own families.

  Phillip loved children and looked forward to having his own. He and Amelia would raise them in the ways of the Lord and maybe one of them could follow in his footsteps and take up ministering as his calling.

  So many thoughts ran through his mind. Journeying across the state, preaching with Amelia by his side. These weekly trips could be lonesome, but not anymore.

  Phillip found himself unable to stand still. He paced up and down, impatiently willing the train forward. It slowed down as it came closer and faces peered out from the carriage windows. People waved and yelled. He stopped pacing then and concentrated on the faces. Was Amelia one of those faces?

  “Can you see her?” he said to Mercy.

  “No, not yet,” Mercy replied, her voice sounding like it belonged to someone else.

  Philip smiled at her fondly. She was probably just as excited as he was, after a year of not seeing her friend. The train came to a halt then and people spilled out from the doors. His eyes shifted from the door to Mercy’s face, looking for signs that she had seen Amelia. He felt Emil’s hand on his shoulder, and he looked at his friend with gratitude.

  Had he been at the station alone, Philip would not be as composed as he was now. He would probably be inside the train, shoving people aside, searching for his Amelia. Just then, he heard a yell and he realized it had come from Mercy. She lifted her skirts and raced to the steps of the train.

  Phillip stood still and craned to see the person in Mercy’s arms but she blocked his view. She stepped aside then and Amelia came into view.

  His body went cold and all the blood drained from his face. He blinked twice, hoping fervently that his eyes were deceiving him. He looked at her again, and he wanted to flee from that station. It was his Amelia, but at the same time, it wasn’t. He stood rooted in place.

  FOUR

  The Wedding

  Amelia clutched at her friend’s hand and beamed up at her. Mercy squeezed her hand and led her to two men standing by the side.

  “Amelia, meet my husband, Emil Duval,” she said.

  Amelia struck out her hand and Emil bent to shake it. She turned her eyes to the bespectacled man standing next to Mercy’s and her heart did a summersault.

  “Meet Phillip Gibson, your intended.” So this is what love at first sight feels like, Amelia thought.

  She smiled at Philip and stretched out her hand. He brought his hand to hers. His stance was stiff and his face solemn, making her smile waver. His lips were shaped into two thin lines. He never uttered a word, just stared down at her as though she were something unpleasant that he had laid his eyes on.

  Amelia swallowed hard and fought the urge not to burst into tears. Her mother had been right. She should have told him of her height. Just then, she felt Mercy’s hand on her shoulders, turning her away.

  “Tell me everything, how is everyone, your parents, Uncle Brian, Aunt Beatrice and the children?” Mercy burst out.

  “They are all well and healthy, they send their love. You should see the twins, the have sprouted in the last year,” Amelia told her, though her voice was devoid of enthusiasm.

  Phillip’s face haunted her. His letter had indicated that he was looking forward to their union. Would he still marry her? She knew that with time, he could grow to love her, as she already knew she loved him.

  “Which of these is your luggage Miss. Amelia?” Emil asked her.

  She pointed him to a black medium sized case. Phillip still stood at the spot where they had left him. Mercy urged her forward and they walked out of the station.

  “Give him time Amelia. He’ll come to realize what a gem you are,” Mercy whispered to her.

  Amelia smiled bravely. “I believe so. Maybe I should have said something.”

  “It’s too late for that now. Let’s be cheerful, we have a marriage ceremony to attend.”

  Amelia’s eyes widened. “Today?”

  “Just now. Philip organized to have another preacher marry the two of you. He doesn’t want to take you home before marriage as it might set a bad example to the parishioners,” Mercy replied and they both erupted into giggles.

  “I’m glad you’re here Mercy. I’ve missed you so much,” Amelia voiced, her eyes misting.

  “You missed having someone to carry your water for you?” Mercy teased.

  “That too and, also someone to speak to.”

  “I know, me too. Our home is far from people as most homes are, so I haven’t made a friend yet. It won’t be so lonely for you though, since you will be living at the church,” Mercy said.

  “We’ll live in the church?”

  “Not inside,” Mercy said with a laugh. “Phillip’s home is just next to the church.”

  “Oh, I thought he had land next to yours, the agency lady told me so.”

  “He does, but he hasn’t built a home. Maybe he has plans to build one in the future,” Mercy said with a shrug.

  Amelia saw the church further on, a white building, raised slightly from the ground and the entrance accessed by a couple of steps. The news that Phillip lived by the church dampened her spirits somewhat. She had visualized acres and acres of empty land stretching as far as the eyes to see, and days spent gathering wild fruits and vegetables.

  “How does he earn a living?” Amelia finally asked the question that was at the tip of her tongue.

  “Oh, the church pays him to minister, not just in Oakland. During certain weeks he travels across the state to preach and presides over other services, such as last rites and weddings, in more remote areas. But he is the main pastor for Oakland, so most Sundays he is here,” Mercy replied.

  What about me, Amelia wondered. She had looked forward to growing her own food. But lo
oking at the church now, it was surrounded by green grass and she could see Phillip’s house to the side of it, further back. And it didn’t sound like she would have the opportunity to, even if she could, with Phillips travelling.

  “Let’s go get ready. Oh I’m so excited; I get to be your bridesmaid.”

  Amelia wished she shared her friend’s enthusiasm. The last ten minutes had brought her back to reality. She was about to get married to a man who may not want to marry her. She would be living near the church, where there was no privacy and no space for her to grow things.

  “Don’t look so low in spirits, all will be well. Aren’t you the one who kept reminding me about the Lord’s plans for us,” Mercy said.

  “You’re right. The Lord is still in control,” Amelia said and smiled.

  The door was unlocked and Amelia found herself in a tiny front room, even smaller than her home back in New York. She could not help the feeling of dismay that crept back. A family could not fit in this room. A soft knock sounded on the door. Mercy opened it and took Amelia’s case from her husband. Her husband to be had not even bothered to carry her case for her, Amelia thought. Still, she would not let Phillip’s behavior cloud her day. Mercy was opening her case and she noticed that her friend was ready for the ceremony in a light green flowery dress and a hat.

  “What will you wear?” Mercy inquired, rummaging through Amelia’s clothes.

  “Let me show you,” Amelia said, removing a pink long sleeved dress with decorations at the front.

  “It’s lovely!” Mercy enthused holding the dress up. “Do you have a hat?”

  “No, do I need one?”

  “With your hair, no you don’t. I’ll just nip outside and get a few flowers to arrange on it. You will look beautiful, Phillip will be blown away.”

  Amelia doubted that anything about her would blow Phillip’s mind away but she smiled bravely. Once Mercy had left, she went to the kitchen to look for water to throw over her face. There was a little in a pail by the sink and she splashed the cold water over herself and even washed her armpits.

  With that done, she returned to the front room and undressed and wore her new dress. She twirled herself round and round, admiring the wide skirt of the outfit. She felt like a princess.

  The sound of the door opening brought her dance to a stop.

  “The men are already waiting in church and knowing Phillip, he’s probably rowing impatient. Sit down and I’ll do your hair,” Mercy said, her breath coming out fast.

  Ten minutes later, they walked out into the sunshine, Amelia’s hair flowing over her shoulders. The slight breeze blew some of her hair into her eyes and she pushed the strands away.

  “I’ll go in first and then you can come in,” Mercy said.

  Coming from the sunlight to the shelter of the church, it took a while for Amelia’s eyes to see. When they finally adjusted, she looked to the front and saw the preacher clad in a cassock robe and a white collar. Next to him was Phillip, his face stern and his arms hanging stiffly by his side. He stayed!

  She let out the breath she hadn’t even known she had been holding. She could now admit to herself that she had been secretly afraid that she would get to the church and find out he had abandoned her on sight. Mercy and Emil also stood next to the altar, their eyes lit with cheer. She focused her eyes on her friend as she walked down the rather long aisle, feeling self-conscious with every step. She reached the front and felt more aware of her size than she ever had. Phillip was a tall man and she only came up to his waist. He gave her his hand with reluctance and Amelia took it into her own sweaty one.

  It’s going to be alright. The good Lord would never bring me to a man, incapable of loving me. Her fears firmly locked away, she turned her eyes expectantly towards the preacher.

  FIVE

  Alone At Last

  Phillip sat in the hotel and toyed with his steak. He kept his eyes downcast. Every time he looked up, he met with Amelia’s gaze, which was full of questions, of which he had no answers. He had recovered from the initial shock of seeing her, but he couldn’t recall a single moment of his marriage ceremony.

  No matter how he looked at it, his brain could not come to terms with the fact that his new wife was a dwarf. She barely came up to his waist. How would he ever see her as his equal when to look into her eyes, he had to squat? Away from the confusion in his mind, he could hear Mercy and Amelia speaking and sometimes breaking into laughter.

  Phillip himself felt like a candle whose flame had been snuffed out abruptly. Separated from everyone as though he were enclosed in a sheath, where he could see and hear them, but was not with them. He forced his mind back to the conversation at the table. As soon as he looked up, Amelia’s forest-green eyes searched his.

  “Tell me about your family Amelia,” he invited, his voice hollow. Even to his own ears he did not sound as if he was interested in her response.

  “Where do I start?” she said and he noticed her eyes dancing in merriment. “Well I’m the last born of three sisters and I lived with my mother and father, in the apartment below Mercy’s,” she said.

  He did not hear the rest of her reply. He found his eyes shifting to her hands. They were as short as the rest of her. She could barely reach her plate. Her head came up at the top of the table and anyone looking at the group, would think that she was a child. Phillip inhaled deeply at the knowledge that he had stumbled on the problem.

  How could he see her as a wife, when all he could see was a child? His mind wandered to his congregation, and he broke out in a sweat. Tomorrow morning he would have to introduce Amelia to his flock as his wife. Would he be a laughing stock, the preacher who married a dwarf? Why Lord, why me? his brain screamed out.

  If it was the Lord’s test for him, then Phillip had already failed. His heart had hardened the moment he had laid eyes on Amelia. He knew that his thoughts were not that of a man of God, but he couldn’t seem to help it. It had never mattered to him previously what people thought of him. What mattered was his worthiness in God’s eyes.

  Now he found himself fretting over people’s reaction to his new wife. He looked at her now, her face animated as she talked about her life back in New York. He wondered how people had behaved towards her; did they see her as something of an oddity? Because that’s what she was. Wherever they went, she would draw attention to herself.

  The turmoil Phillip was feeling grew. For a moment in church before saying his vows, he had contemplated cancelling the ceremony. What had he been thinking, going ahead with the ceremony? Even as he asked himself the question, he already knew the answer. Emil and Mercy expected better of him. His preacher colleague expected better of him. How would he ever have been able to look them in the eyes again?

  Besides, it would have been unfair. He couldn’t send Amelia back to New York after promising to marry her. But he felt duped and betrayed. She must have known when she sent her likeness that he would assume she was of normal height. He clenched his fist under the table. He should have known there was something wrong. No woman as pretty would willingly move out West based on a few letters and a promise.

  He took a deep breath. There was nothing for it. The deed was already done, and now he had no other choice than to live with it.

  The moment he had feared arrived. It was time to take Amelia home and he dreaded being alone with her. The group stood outside and said their goodbyes. He watched the two women embrace her, Mercy on her knees so as to reach Amelia. He found the scene disturbing and he looked away.

  “I wish you all the best and remember what we spoke about,” Emil whispered to him in his ear.

  Phillip nodded in understanding, but the truth was, the situation between him and Amelia was very different. Emil had spoken of finding out that his wife was badly scarred, something about an incident with hot water in a pot tipping over her. That Phillip could have handled. But Amelia had not told him the whole truth about herself. Now, he was likely to be a source of ridicule.

  “Let
’s go home,” he told Amelia, when the wagon carrying the Duvals’ faded from view.

  They walked together not speaking, each of them lost in his and her own thoughts. He opened the door and held it for Amelia to enter. Her case lay on the front room floor; he took it and carried it to his sleeping quarters. He looked at the bed and tried to imagine him and Amelia on it that night, and failed.

  Unfortunately, the house was small and had no spare room, which Phillip would have gladly taken. When he returned to the front room, Amelia was not there. But he heard her in the kitchen, probably seeing to their dinner. He knew he should go in there, and show her where things were. But he suddenly felt mentally exhausted, and he let himself collapsed on the chair.

  “Dear Lord, I beg you to help me. I don’t know where to turn or how to go about this union. I want to believe that it is part of your good plans for me. Help me Lord.” His prayer echoed in the room, as he dozed off. The next thing he knew, Amelia was standing over him trying to wake him up.

  “Supper is ready,” she said, carrying a plate of something hot.

  It was vegetable stew and rice. Phillip took it gratefully and waited for Amelia to sit down with her own plate.

  “Let’s pray,” he said and proceeded to say a blessing over their meal.

  He was used to far simpler meals. Most of his food came from the parishioners as gifts, from vegetables to flour and other food items. He found himself devouring the meal that Amelia had prepared. The stew was thick, and the rice was tasty.

  “It’s very delicious, thank you,” Phillip said, without making eye contact with Amelia.

  After dinner, they stayed up for a while, him pretending to read his bible while dreading every second that went by. Soon it was time for bed, and he took the lamp and headed for the bedroom.

  “This is our bedroom,” he mumbled. “The washroom is next door if you wish to change.”

  Phillip stood by the window; the curtain held with his finger and looked out at the moonless night. What was expected of him? Surely, she did not expect the normal relations between married people tonight? He couldn’t even bring himself to think of Amelia and himself in that way.