Annie: A Bride For The Farmhand - A Clean Historical Western Romance (Stewart House Brides Book 3)

by Charity Phillips

  At once, Virginia stood up and carefully placed the letter aside on her desk. Then she rummaged through her drawers until she found a series of photographs that had been taken of her with her friends at the factory. They were meant for identification purposes, but she thought that they were more like glamorous pictures to show off the types of girls they had working in the factory, which might further entice more young ladies to join up.

  She carefully selected one of the photographs. Her only regret was that it was in black and white, of course, and therefore would not truly show Archie the color of her hair and eyes. Virginia had lovely blonde hair, and in the photograph, it was held up and pinned back in place in a delightful and sophisticated design. She felt she looked like a princess. Her clear blue eyes stared out of the photograph and they appeared sort of haunting because of how light they were. She hoped that he would find her picture appealing and would continue to write to her.

  Dear Mr. Monroe,

  I was quite excited when I received your letter. Thank you ever so much for writing back to me. You asked me about my hobbies and I am afraid that the list is laughably short. I enjoy needlework and reading, mainly. I suppose that my interest in the textile factory came from my love for embroidery. That sort of thing is not utilized in the work that we do, but I like to believe that it helps my abilities. We sew using machines which I am still trying to get used to. Before I started in the factory, I did all of my sewing and hemming by hand. In any case, I do suppose that the machines make it faster.

  Besides working on the ranch, what are some of your hobbies? Surely you must relax inside some of the time. I am dreadfully sorry to hear about the Indians attacking your ranch. That sounds awful! I will not worry too much, for it seems as though you have it well enough under control. Perhaps you should train your dogs to be proper guard dogs and keep those horrid men away. I cannot imagine what it must be like. The only dangerous men around here are the drunkards who spend all their time around the taverns. I do not walk near such establishments if I can help it.

  I have included a portrait of myself in the envelope with this letter. I hope that you will like it. I promise that I do not always look so serious. It is simply hard to smile for so long whilst a portrait is being taken! Now you shall see what I look like while I am at work, for that photograph was taken with my friends at the factory.

  I promise not to work my fingers too hard. It is kind of you to think of that. Please stay safe on your ranch. Ride carefully. Oh, it is so silly to say such a thing to a professional like you. I hope that I may someday smell the fresh air and watch you at your work there.

  Fondest wishes,

  Virginia Campbell

  As she had promised, Virginia placed the photograph of herself into the envelope along with her letter. She carefully sealed it shut and then strolled out to send it off with the rest of the post from Boston. Now that she had taken the time to consider her hobbies, Virginia hoped that Archie would not find her dull. She felt rather dull, but she believed that had more to do with the fact that she was herself and less to do with the fact that she was truly boring to others. Her friends never seemed bored of her.

  In fact, when she arrived back home, they were delighted to greet her and talk about their beaus out West. Virginia was pleased that they all had good fortune. All of their letters had received a positive response! She wondered how much longer she must wait until her Archie asked for her to join him on his ranch. It would be sad to leave her friends, but she had faith that they would find each other again. If nothing else, they could be pen-pals. That had proven to work out so well in regards to these Western gentlemen. Still, there was something to be said for the friendship of ladies. Virginia did not expect that there was much of that to be found in the male-dominated Frontier. She decided that she must therefore not take her remaining time with Eliza, Dorothy and Margaret for granted.

  ****

  Several weeks went by without a word from the West. Virginia and her friends were now anxious and on edge. Some of the thrill of daydreaming had worn off and now they simply wanted that change to come in the form of a proposal—or at least an invitation. Virginia tried to not get too ahead of herself and put in her notice at work before she actually had a plan set in motion, but the temptation was great at times. When she was a young girl, she never could have imagined wanting to leave Boston, but now it was all that she could think about.

  At last, she received a letter postmarked from Missoula Mills. Her friends received letters in the mail bundle as well, which made Virginia even happier.

  As soon as they got back to their apartments, she went into hers and sat at her desk once more, carefully ripping the top of the envelope so she could read the letter it contained.

  Dear Miss Campbell,

  You are absolutely stunning! The photograph that you have given me is one that I shall treasure always. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sending it along to me. I have given it a place of honor in my billfold so that I can feel as though you are with me wherever I may be.

  Your hobbies sound interesting to me. I never learned a thing about sewing of course, so it would be an advantage having you here with me to mend my clothes when they get ripped. Not that I plan to put you to work, however. If and when you are here with me, I promise to treat you like a princess. You certainly look like a princess, if the storybooks I have read are true.

  That is a good idea about the dogs. They are well trained and loyal, so I imagine they would do well to keep the Indians at bay if they should ever come back. I thank you for your concern and interest. Apart from my work on the ranch, I enjoy going for rides and walks around the area. The Montana territory is truly a beautiful place. I feel confident that you would like it here, and it is my strongest desire that you come out here and join me.

  What do you say, Miss Campbell? Would you please do me the supreme honor of joining me on my ranch? There are plenty of things you might enjoy out here, and you seem like a girl who knows how to busy herself. We shall have quite a lot of fun together, I reckon.

  Please respond and let me know how you feel. I would love to get to know you better in person.

  Sincerely,

  Archie Monroe

  Virginia beamed down at the letter she held in her shaking hands. Had he really and truly asked her to move out to Montana? She was overjoyed! He had not asked for her hand in marriage outright, but she believed that there was subtext there. Oh, but of course she would move to Missoula Mills to be with her Archie! She had been dreaming of this moment ever since she first read his advertisement in the paper.

  My Dearest Archie,

  I am thrilled by your invitation! Can it be true that you wish for me to live out West with you? My friends will be tickled pink when they hear that you have asked me to join you in Missoula Mills. It sounds like a wonderful place where I shall be able to live carefree and happy for the rest of my days. Oh, but I do not want you to feel as though you must shelter me from work. I promise to work in the home at the very least and, yes, mend the tears on your clothing.

  I shan’t write too much because I want this letter to get to you as soon as possible. I adore you so and cannot wait to get to know you all the more as time goes by.

  All my love,

  Virginia

  ****

  The friends had all received letters that contained proposals or invitations. There was much squealing and bouncing when they reconvened to update each other on their correspondences. “He has proposed!” Eliza announced when the girls all met in her room. “I will be leaving soon to be with him in Missoula Mills, Montana!”

  Virginia gasped, amazed at their luck. She had just been thinking about how much she was going to miss her friends, and now it turned out that she might be able to spend time with them out West after all! “I will be going to Missoula Mills as well!” she cried out in her excitement.

  “Me, too!” Dorothy and Margaret added.

  They all hopped together in their glee.
Virginia felt like a schoolgirl again. The following day, they all sent off their letters of affirmation. Virginia was so happy that everything had not only worked out well for her friends, but that she would not have to part with them for good. Sure, they were each going to create a new life for themselves, but how fortunate that they should all be going to the same destination?

  In the meantime, while she waited for Archie’s next letter, Virginia handed in her resignation notice at the factory so their boss would know that she would soon be gone. He seemed quite perplexed to find that four of his swiftest, most dedicated workers were leaving his textile mill. “I don’t think I will be quite able to replace any one of you,” he said. “I truly appreciate all of your hard work over the last few years.”

  In her excitement, Virginia began to pack her belongings into a suitcase. It truly felt like the beginning of a new life! All she needed now was one last thing from Archie: she needed to be sent that much sought after train ticket to the West.

  Weeks went by; the slow passage of time was painful. Virginia had never been fond of waiting, but now that she knew what was coming, it was much more difficult to be patient. She did her best to stay focused on her work at the factory, but one afternoon, she found herself gazing down at her fingers, which had been swiftly feeding a smooth piece of silk under the foot of her sewing machine. Princess hands, she thought with a smile. He loves my dainty princess hands, so I must keep them dainty and unharmed.

  Finally, a letter from Missoula Mills arrived in her name. She gladly took it and opened it, not worrying this time about reading it away from her friends. Now that she knew they were all somehow–miraculously–going to the same place and having the same wonderful luck, she did not need to worry about hurting their feelings.

  In fact, she decided to read this letter aloud to them so there were no secrets.

  Dearest Virginia,

  It pleases me tremendously to know that you have accepted my proposition. I cannot wait until you are out here with me, sharing in the lovely sunsets and perhaps reading to me by candlelight. I have never professed to be much of a reader, but I have a feeling that if you read stories to me, your sweet voice will turn them into songs.

  Oh, sweet Virginia, please say that you shall be my wife. I have enclosed a train ticket so that you may come out to Montana and be my bride. You do not have to answer now, but answer in your use of this ticket. I pray that you have a safe and swift journey. My heart is close to bursting with love and adoration for you!

  All my love,

  Archie

  Virginia blushed and fanned herself when she was done reading. There was a massive grin on her face, and her friends were all smiles. “Well,” she said with a laugh. “He certainly is fond of hyperbole.”

  “How romantic!” Dorothy said in a dreamy voice.

  “He sounds just perfect for you,” Eliza said.

  Margaret had a hand clutched to her heart and she was slowly shaking her head as she smiled. “My beau does not have quite a way with words,” she said. “You are lucky in that. I hope he shall be all you have hoped he will be.”

  ****

  The four friends went to the train station to bid adieu to Eliza first. Her sheriff beau had proposed to her and wanted her to join him right away. Virginia was sad to say farewell to her friend, but it made her feel so much better to know that they were all going to end up in the same place. Not long after Eliza’s departure, it was her turn. Dorothy and Margaret went with her to the station to wish her well.

  Virginia carefully handed off her luggage to a patient conductor, then turned and beamed confidently at her friends. “This is not goodbye,” she told them. “This is merely a bon voyage until we meet again.”

  Dorothy nodded and Margaret dabbed at her eyes with a delicate lace handkerchief. “We wish you all the best,” Dorothy said. “It’s going to be so quiet here soon, with all of you leaving.”

  Virginia hugged her friend. “Write to me,” she told Dorothy. “I promise to respond. If there is one thing I have discovered that I enjoy, it is writing letters!”

  The friends laughed a little at that. Next, she turned to Margaret and gave her a hug as well; she was often the most tearful of the group of friends, and Virginia found it endearing. “I hope you’re crying because you’re happy for me.”

  Margaret nodded, sniffling. “Of course.” She smiled at her through her tears.

  Virginia climbed aboard the train not long afterwards and then she waved at her friends through the window. It did feel a bit odd to see them standing there. Only two of her friends remained in Boston, and soon enough it would only be one. She thought of poor Dorothy, the last to receive a train ticket. She would have to rule the roost for a bit until her day of departure came.

  Virginia did her best to relax in her seat on the train, but she felt so restless and excited. She knew that it was going to take weeks before she finally arrived in Missoula Mills, but that did nothing to abate her anticipation. She had, after all, been waiting a long time between letters.

  She could not wait until she was in the arms of her beloved Archie at last. It pleased her to have his photograph and not have to wonder about what he looked like. Finding him at the station should be easy, she thought. I wonder if he will arrive there on horseback and sweep me right off my feet? As she had told him, she was fond of books, so it was no great surprise that she found herself daydreaming about what things would be like for her once she was with Archie on his ranch. Her groom was charming and dashing, in her mind. Virginia was fond of the idea of him saving her, as if she was truly his fair princess to defend. But, God willing, she hoped that she would never actually run into any danger once she was out there by his side!

  Missoula Mills, Montana - 1887

  When Virginia’s train finally rolled into the station in Missoula Mills, she was dozing in her seat. She opened her eyes at the last, sudden jolt forward and then she looked out the window and smiled triumphantly. She had made it! She was soon going to be with her Archie! At once, she got out of her seat and asked a kindly conductor to assist her with her bag. He helped her depart from the train and brought her suitcase down onto the platform as well. She gazed around the bright place, hoping by some miracle to find her beloved waiting there somewhere.

  Suddenly, there in the distance, she noticed a tall, slim young man making his way toward her. He looked just as handsome as he was depicted in the photograph, his gentle brown eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled down at her. Virginia would never have been able to guess that he was a great deal older than she was. He looked so young and pleasant, and she could see right away that the ranching life had not turned him into a haggard, rough-necked sort of fellow at all.

  “Miss Campbell?” he asked, removing his hat from his head and showing off his full head of thick dark brown hair. Beads of perspiration dripped from his temples as he had been waiting for her arrival in the direct sun, but it only made him seem more perfect in Virginia’s eyes.

  She smiled gaily at him. “Yes,” she said. “Mr. Monroe?”

  He beamed at her. “Yes, indeed,” he replied, offering his hand to her. “It’s awfully nice to finally meet you.”

  Virginia gave him her hand; he reached out to caress it and then bent down to plant a light kiss over her knuckles. Archie longed to have a bride who was the opposite of everything he knew out West, and here she was.

  “You have no idea how glad I am to be with you at last,” Virginia said with a smile. “The days aboard the train were so long, but I knew that each day that passed would bring me closer and closer to you.”

  Archie adored her sweet little voice. As they stood there together on the train platform, they looked like rather an unlikely pair—Virginia in her lovely pale pink traveling dress, and Archie in his denim overalls and boots—but none of that mattered to Virginia. The way that he responded to her made her feel as though she could fly if he asked!

  “I brought something for you,” Archie said, reaching
down and effortlessly lifting her suitcase, “but it’s back at my ranch. Are you ready to come with me, or do you need anything else?”

  Virginia shook her head, biting her lip a bit in her excitement. “I came all this way to be with you, so lead the way,” she said, batting her long lashes.

  Archie led her over to a coach. She felt a little disappointed that they were not going to be riding back to his house on horseback like she had dreamt, but she was pleased to see that they would be traveling in comfort. As soon as her suitcase was safely secured in the back, he joined her in the seat and they made their way along the dirt road away from the train station.

  “You did not have to get me anything,” Virginia told him sincerely. “It is wonderful enough to finally be with you. I hope that things have been going well for you on your ranch. I was so excited to say farewell to Boston and the textile mill, you have no idea! Oh, but I am talking too much. I always talk too much when I am nervous.”

  Archie grinned at her and she could tell that he was smitten with her by the look in his eyes. “You’re not talking too much. I don’t think I could ever hear your voice too much. And why are you nervous?”

  Virginia laughed, giving him a funny look. “I am not used to meeting strangers like this, especially going all the way across the country to meet them… It’s unusual for me, and to be honest, a bit frightening.”

  “You’re afraid?” he asked, taking her hand. “Please don’t be afraid of me.”

  “Oh, Archie, I am not afraid of you,” she said. “I am a little nervous about what happens next…”

  He smiled sweetly at her. “I promise that you will be happy here. I will listen to your requests if ever you have a suggestion that will make you happier, too.”