“He didn’t’ change after all, even when he was sent away from home. He got into a bad crowd in Pennsylvania and took to drinking a lot. Last month ago, he got involved in a gambling fight and he got stabbed with a knife. He’s gone Violet.”
Violet closed her eyes and her hands shook. He held them tighter.
“What about the child?” Violet finally said.
“Our child. We’ll raise him or her as our own, to love the Lord and to walk in his ways. I know what you’re afraid of. That his blood may be that of his father.”
Violet nodded.
“Well, I believe a child is not its background or its parents. What matters is how that child is brought up. After today, we shall never mention the matter ever again. The child is ours and shall remain so.”
“I don’t know what to tell you Maxwell. Surely, you’re an angel sent from above for me,” Violet cried out.
“I’m no angel my dear. Have you heard my snoring at night?” Maxwell said and they both laughed, Violet a bit shakily.
The dangerous moment had passed and he gave a silent prayer of thanks. They could move forward now.
“Do you feel up to that picnic?” Maxwell said.
“I wouldn’t miss it even though I’m afraid I’ll slow down your pace.”
“We are in no rush. You know how it is with James. He wants to know the name of every little animal and bird he sees. I know just the spot. I can keep an eye on the herd while we eat.”
Maxwell had gone a step further and branded his animals. That would make it hard for rustlers to steal his cows. He looked at Violet. She was playing with her fingers. He smiled knowingly.
“And what is it you want to tell me Mrs. Grant?”
Violet beamed. “You do know me husband.”
Maxwell nodded and waited.
“I have just remembered about the inheritance. Maxwell, it’s for all of us, me, you, James and the new child. I want to move it to your account. I know you’ll make good decisions over how we can use it.”
Even before she finished speaking, he shook his head.
“Keep it as your nest egg Violet. It’ll be good to know we have something to fall back on during hard times.”
She protested but he was adamant. He had no problem with taking money from his wife, but Violet had lost so much, he wanted her to have the security of knowing she wasn’t bound to him and James by lack of money. That she was free to be with them and to love them, but she had the means to do as she pleased.
Besides, Maxwell knew as she grew more into herself, she might discover something she would like to do. She could start a project in the town or here on the farm, and she would enjoy knowing she could buy her own things without having to ask for it.
TEN
When Three Become Four
Violet’s threshold for pain was large. The pains started somewhere in the middle of her back and flowed down, before erupting into the peak. She bit her lower lip, keeping the cry muffled. It was much harder than she had thought. Sweat dripped from her forehead. James, under strict instructions to keep out of the bedroom while his father was gone, crept in.
She tried to smile at him. He did not say a word. Merely sat on the chair by the bed and held her hand. She looked at him and loved him more than she could have imagined. He was the best son a mother would want, Violet thought to herself, before her thoughts were overtaken by another wave of pain.
What was taking Maxwell so long? She made sure not to squeeze James’s small hand.
“I hope it’s a girl. I’d like a little sister,” James said quietly.
She turned to him and smiled. “A little girl would be nice.”
Another wave followed by another. They reached a point where they gave her no break and just when she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, Maxwell burst in, followed by the doctor. He shooed James our and then the doctor shooed him out. He squeezed her hand before he left and she gave him a weak smile.
An hour later, Ann-Marie Grant made her way into the world. Violet was anxious to examine her daughter. When the doctor handed the little girl to her, Violet smiled so hard, that her cheeks ached. She had dark hair like her own and dark eyes. Her face shape was Violet’s. There was no trace of Aiden in the child and she could have wept with joy.
She had prayed a lot. She would love the child no matter what; Maxwell had taught her that whatever had happened had nothing to do with the child. He or she was a creation of the Lord. Violet kissed her daughter’s creased forehead. The doctor called for Maxwell and James. They were awestruck by the Ann-Marie’s tiny features.
“She looks so like you mama,” James said. “Can I hold her?”
She and Maxwell exchanged glances. They were both thinking the same thing. She had confided in his her fervent wish that the child not resemble Aiden in any way. They had even prayed together about it though Maxwell had told her that the Lord’s will, would prevail.
“Of course you can son,” Violet said and helped James to sit down and to hold his sister.
The doctor left shortly afterwards and they sat in the bedroom, Violet marveled at the fact that they were now a family of four. Months ago, she had nothing and now the Lord had blessed her with everything. She considered herself a much stronger Christian and her faith had grown. She now knew that faith meant trusting that Lord had a good plan for you.
He had converted a bad thing into a good one. All the pain of her past was worth it. She had good memories too, of growing up with her parents and reading the scriptures together. They had been church going and simple people. It gladdened her to know that she came from good and decent people.
As for her Aunt Eliza, Violet had forgiven her. There was nothing to be gained by holding on to the anger and bitterness of the past. She gave her Aunt Eliza credit for one thing. She had not believed Aiden when he told her that Violet had issued the invitation. For that, Violet was grateful.
“Look, she’s trying to eat my shirt,” James cried out in delight.
Violet laughed and took the baby. “She’s hungry, that’s why.”
Her motherly instincts came right away and she felt natural feeding her child. James stood with his face right in her bosom to watch the baby feeding.
“James, let’s go to the living room and let mama feed the baby,” Maxwell suggested.
“No, it’s alright. I like having James with me. He’s my special helper, isn’t that right son?” Violet asked.
“Oh yes mama, and I’ll help with Ann-Ma…”
“Ann-Marie, “Maxwell said.
“You know what I’d like to do?” Violet said. “I’d like us to give thanks to God at this very moment. We’re a family if four now, isn’t that wonderful.”
Maxwell smiled at her and nodded. She gave him a nod to indicate that he should pray. When it was over, she felt drowsy and on looking outside, she saw that the sun had set. It was already evening. James, tired of looking at a sleeping baby tiptoed out and Maxwell took the chair that James had vacated.
He stroked her hair. She moved the baby to the side of the bed and lay down again. Bliss was what she felt. She turned her sleepy eyes towards Maxwell. She still felt that excitement she had felt that first day when she saw him. He was strong with a wide chest and arms, but more than that, Maxwell had to be the nicest person that walked on earth.
She closed her eyes and focused on the movement of his hand as he stroked her hair. The image of her mother came sharply to her brain with urgency and she popped her eyes open. Then it hit her.
“She looks like my mother,” Violet said, her voice filled with wonder.
It felt as though her mother had returned to her through the resemblance between grandmother and granddaughter. Her mother would never be forgotten.
“She must have been a very beautiful lady to have such a beautiful daughter and granddaughter,” Maxwell murmured.
“She was,” Violet said and this time she allowed she allowed sleep to come, though she wanted to keep talking to Maxw
ell. There would be a lifetime of time to talk, was the final thought that Violet had before she fell asleep.
The End
16. Cowboy Cuddles For A One Arm Bride
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ONE
An Intriguing Proposal
Joanna Hunter, owner of the Lexington Mail Order Bride Agency in New York was alone. She had been, ever since Ada Devine; her loyal assistant traveled to Nevada as a mail order bride to marry Jacob Evans, a widower with two children. The union proved successful and they were now blissfully happy and expecting another addition to their family. Although she was proud of all the marriages she had helped arrange, Ada’s union held a special place in her heart.
Joanna took a deep breath. Now truly alone for the very first time in a long while, she could no longer push the thought of her own marriage prospect to the back of her mind. The excitement of matching mail order brides with gentlemen in the West had faded. Her life, which previously had been fulfilling, felt empty. Each time she sent off a new bride, at the back of her mind she thought, that could have been me.
She realized that unconsciously, the need to find her own match had grown until she thought of nothing else.
On the other hand, perhaps it was this last letter that had finally torn down her last bit of resistance. It intrigued her and piqued her curiosity like no other. She looked at it again.
To the owner of the Lexington Mail Order Bride Agency,
Hello to you and God bless you for the good work that you do. My name is Naomi Hayward and I am writing this letter on behalf of my brother-in-law Bernard Hayward.
His wife ran off, leaving Bernard with a young son and an infant to look after. With her action, she broke his heart and left two little boys yearning for the love of a mother. I do the best I can, but I have my own three boys and I am afraid time does not allow me to give the boys all that they require. I write this letter with permission from Bernard as he is not one to reveal such personal details about himself.
Let me tell you a little about Bernard’s two son, Joshua and David. The boy is seven years old and resembles a miniature version of his father. He has the sweetest smile you have ever seen and a kind disposition, always thinking of others before himself. His little brother is such a delightful baby, that should a prospective bride meet him, she is sure to fall in love with him immediately.
His father, before the tragedy of Susan running off, had the kind of laugh that made everyone around smile in response. Sadly, we do not hear that laugh too often and he has withdrawn into himself. My husband and I believe that with the right woman, he would blossom again and believe in love once more. I am not ignorant of how much we are asking of any potential candidate. It is a lot to take on and requires a woman of inner strength but we promise to support and encourage her. Bernard is a wonderful man and whichever woman ends up as his wife, will be blessed indeed. I pray and believe that such a woman will be found. A mature person, who can make Bernard’s house a home again.
It is my sincere belief that there is someone out there for Bernard and his boys and I pray that with God’s guiding hand, you will find that woman of virtue for us.
We look forward to your reply.
God’s love and blessings,
Naomi Hayward.
In her rational mind, Joanna knew it was an insane idea to be interested in a man who clearly was not eager to get married. However, the thought of the little boy and baby growing up without a mother tugged at her heart. She knew what it felt like to ache for a mother who was not there.
It was not just that, she had to admit to herself. This arrangement sounded like a challenge and Joanna loved nothing more than a challenge. She liked to defy the odds, like finding a bride for a man out West. She remembered flicking through the newspaper, years ago, and reading adverts from desperate men in the West, looking for suitable wives. By taking on the challenge of bringing couples together, she found fulfillment and curbed her own desperate wish for a family. Truly a perfect solution to her own deep desire of a marriage that would never be. It had worked, until now.
Her eyes inevitably lowered to her right arm. Only a discerning eye, could tell that the long sleeve was, partially empty, filled with nothing but an invisible ache. Emptiness, where once her arm had been. The loss of her arm had taken away her dreams and desire for a family. After all, what man would marry a woman with a missing hand? No matter how many times Joanna told herself that she had much more to offer, even with one hand, the question still haunted her. What man would want to marry a one-arm woman? Not Tim…
Biting her lower lip, she clutched the letter. Ada was gone. There was only her left. Every cell in her body urged her to cast away her fears of rejection and reply to the advert herself.
Her faith had grown over the years and she had come to believe that the Good Lord had a plan for everyone. Maybe this was his plan for her? Some of the brides she had sent West had been scarred or short of stature, somehow the Lord had made those matches work. If he could do that much for them, he would surely do no less for her.
Taking a deep breath Joanna realized her missing arm did not matter. The right man, would look beyond the arm and see her for the person that she was, she had faith.
She would write to Naomi Hayward and let her know of her interest in becoming a mail order bride for Bernard Hayward. As Joanna set about taking action, it felt like a huge weight was lifted off her chest.
She took a pen, a writing pad and penned a reply. The words failed her at first, something that she had never experienced. She thought with a nervous laugh, how odd it was to be the mail order bride. She was used to giving instructions to scared brides and soothing impatient gentlemen, eager to have their brides in the West. Right now she would appreciate someone soothing her own nerves. Joanna felt a little vulnerable as she wrote. This would be the first time she told a stranger about her injury. She felt as though she was bearing her soul for the whole world to see.
Dear Mrs. Howard,
I received your letter and read it with a measure of surprise, as I must admit; this was the first request of that kind that I have ever received. I was intrigued and moved by Bernard’s and his sons’ situation and I find myself doing something I have prayed about and contemplated for a long time but never quite worked up the courage to do.
As a little girl, I nurtured hopes of one day getting married and raising a family. It did not quite work out as I had envisaged. Some years ago, I was engaged to a young man. Before our wedding, I was in a riding accident and lost my arm, he left me while I was still convalescing. Therefore, I put away those dreams. Now at twenty-six years old, I find the old longings resurrected. After a lot of prayer, I believe that the time has come for me to find a good God-fearing man and build a family.
I am honest and hardworking and I adapt easily to any situation. My lost arm has in no way hindered me from undertaking everyday chores. I am well aware that life in the West can be tough, and everyone in a home must work hard to eke out a living, however, as the scriptures says in the book of Thessalonians, ‘For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.’
It is with this that I end this letter, with the prayer that it will find you and your family well. Give my warm regards to Mr. Bernard Hayward and his sons.
Sincerely,
Joanna Hunter.
TWO
A Reluctant Groom
Bernard took his time reading the letter, aware of the two pairs of eyes awaiting his reaction. While his interest was piqued by the incomplete tale of a woman who see
med to have known suffering as he had, albeit in a different way, his curiosity ended there. He had no wish to know her or any other woman for that matter. He finished reading the letter and he let it drop to the board that served as their kitchen table.
He looked up into his sister-in-law’s brown eyes, alight with hope. He did not want to disappoint her, yet he could not force interest that he did not feel.
“She seems all right,” he finally said.
Naomi beamed at him and he took the opportunity to speak to his brother Henry. He pointed to the header of the Wyoming weekly. SHEEP WARS ESCALATE, the headline screamed out.
“I don’t understand why they cannot amicably resolve the grazing problem without it becoming a fight. I read that just last month, two men lost their lives,” Bernard said heatedly.
Henry wore a look of serenity, unbothered as he always was by anything happening beyond the borders of his farm.
“The cattle men have taken to killing the flock of sheep to stop shepherds from crossing into Colorado. I say all land belongs to God and given to all men,” Bernard continued.
“That may be so, but why can’t they do as we have done and fence off their lands,” Henry pointed out mildly.
Bernard felt his exasperation growing. He swallowed his impatience with his brother. Henry had a tendency to overlook the facts of a matter and instead draw a conclusion based on his own biased thinking.
“You know as well as I that those are public lands. Anyone can graze on them. Wyoming is part of the Union, which means that all its citizens are free to enter Colorado and graze their animals.”
Henry yawned, a sign that he had tired of the discussion.
“Whatever will be, will be.”
Mail Order Bride: JUMBO Mail Order Bride 20 Book Box Set Page 62