by Indiana Wake
It was time.
If she wished to make something of her life, then she had to be bold.
Picking up her skirts, she walked as best as she could towards the red door. It seemed a shameful color; she reached to the cross at her throat and said a little prayer. “Please Lord; guide me in this darkest hour.”
That done she was ready; she walked through the door and into her new life.
Sat at her big old oak desk, Mrs. Hawkins looked towards the door. Had that been a shadow? Did she have a customer? No one entered, and nothing passed the windows. She must have been mistaken, she glanced around her neat and tidy office. On the far wall was a daguerreotype of Mr. Hawkins. Even now he made her knees feel weak and caused her heart to hammer against her tired old chest. “Why did you leave me Jefferson?” she asked the empty office.
There was no reply, and she knew she was not the only widow that still grieved twenty years after the war. It was not his fault she was alone. Not his fault she had to run the Pioneer Brides Agency, and not his fault that she enjoyed it so much. But this last week had been slow and the last thing she needed was time to think.
Usually, her days were spent contacting clients from various parts of the country. She would then search through her list of ladies and proceed to make the best arrangements. How she loved to hear of the marriages between various clients, and she was good at match making. Always knowing what to tell a prospective husband and what to leave out. Often she would stay up late at night pouring over her forms and deciding who she deemed was most suited for each other. It was basically a long distance marriage bureau and so far Mrs. Hawkins was doing a wonderful job with it.
But this week had been slow. There were no new clients writing or walking in to ask for help getting hitched and that meant no money coming in to pay the bills. She needed a client and pulled out her bottom drawer. It held the people she thought could not be matched. Maybe if she took another look, something would come to mind. As she bent down, the doorbell chimed and in walked a beautiful yet timid young lady.
She had auburn ringlets for hair and blue eyes. Rosy cheeks complimented her face. Looking at her as she stood awkwardly in the door, Mrs. Hawkins couldn’t help but wonder what such a beautiful thing like her was doing in a place like this. That was until she took her first step through the door.
A beautiful red dress graced her fine young figure and she lifted it slightly and looked to the floor. Why was she so shy? Ah, such a shame. The gorgeous young girl had a pronounced limp as she made her way to the desk. Now it was obvious to Mrs. Hawkins why a pretty thing like her had been passed up. She was defective in the eyes of so many, so no one must have even bothered to take the time to get to know her.
A lump formed in Mrs. Hawkins throat, she felt a sudden bond with the young girl, and smiling at her kindly, she waved her forward. “Come in, child, she said. “No need to be shy. I am not that bad a lady.” She laughed at her own joke and saw the young girl relax a bit. She limped into the room and took a seat across the big, tidy desk.
Mrs. Hawkins smiled at her. “What is your name, dear?” she asked.
The girl looked down at her hands for a moment and Mrs. Hawkins was beginning to worry. But then she looked up, her clear blue eyes all shiny and scared.
“I’m Anna – Anna Montgomery,” she said in a voice that was barely audible.
“Hello, Anna, it is nice to meet you. I’m Mary Hawkins, but you can just call me Mary. I know how difficult this must be for you, but do not worry. Think of me as an Aunt, who will guide you through the process. Now let’s get a few details from you and I will see if I can find you a wonderful husband. Here are the forms I need you to fill out.” Mary handed over the large document and noticed how Anna’s eyes widened.
Do not worry if you can’t answer everything and do take your time. There is a desk over there if you prefer, and if there are any questions, feel free to ask me. Once you have filled them in, I will go through your likes and dislikes. Your tastes and passions, what you’re looking for in a husband, and we will find the most suitable match or matches for you. Once you have approved of your potential match, I will then proceed to contact them on your behalf and if God be willing, soon you can travel out to meet the would-be suitor. Is the process so far, reasonable?”
“Yes, it is; Thank you,” Anna replied timidly.
Taking the form she got up and limped over to one of the corner seats, as far away from Mary’s desk as possible. She began to fill out the forms nervously and Mrs. Hawkins couldn’t help but feel bad for the poor thing. If not for her minor disability, she would have been such a catch. Her clothes though not expensive were nicely made, she obviously had skills, and despite her shyness Mary believed she had a strong spirit. She made a resolution to find the best possible match for her, and to send her off to a place where she would be happy and accepted. With these thoughts in mind, she turned back to her paperwork and gave the girl as much privacy as she could.
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About the Authors
Belle Fiffer is not your ordinary girl. She grew up in the west where she loved to ride horses and walk in the wilds. At fifteen, she moved to England when her father’s job took him across the pond. Leaving behind all her friends she lost herself in books and if she is honest she fell in love with food. She is not ashamed of her curves and loves stories about good, honest men that love their women on the large side.
As a committed Christian, her books are clean, sweet and inspirational. Belle hopes you enjoy her books and would love to hear from you. She can be contacted at [email protected] or on her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BelleFiffer
Indiana Wake was born in Denver Colorado where she learned to love the outdoors and horses. At the age of eleven her parents moved to the United Kingdom to follow her father’s career. There her mother raised horses. Indiana escaped into fiction and dreamed of the West and all the friends she had left behind. From that day onwards she loved stories and was often making up her own as well as reading others. She is a committed Christian and likes her fiction to be sweet, clean and inspirational.
Earlier last year (2014) she was approached by a friend from church and decided to start and publish those stories. She hopes you will enjoy them as much as she does.
You can contact Indiana via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Indiana-Wake/841466929264702
Or via email at [email protected]
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