EMMA (Mail-Order Brides Club, #1) (2 page)

Mrs. Richardson was an early riser and could usually be found at her office desk by eight a.m., where she did paperwork most of the morning. Emma hadn't been back to the orphanage she'd grown up in since she'd left over four years ago, shortly after turning eighteen. When she knocked lightly on her office door at a few minutes past nine, Mrs. Richardson looked startled for a moment, then rose from her desk, walked over and gave her a hug.

"This is a pleasant surprise! What brings you by, my dear? Have a seat, let's catch up." Emma sat in the wooden chair beside Mrs. Richardson's desk, took a deep breath and then explained why she was there.

"Katie said that you're acting as a match-maker for men out west who are looking for brides. I'm interested."

Mrs. Richardson raised her eyebrows. "You want to be a mail-order bride? May I ask why?"

Emma told her about Gerald and that she had less than a month before he would return.

"That is unfortunate." She frowned and thought for a moment. "Usually, the process is a bit slower. The men write to me, letting me know about them and what they are looking for in a wife. You would have a selection of them to choose from, then you'd pick the one you like the best and would write him a letter about yourself and why you think you'd make a good match Then, if he agreed, he would write back and forward a train ticket for you to travel out west."

Emma's heart sank. She didn't have that much time. Her eyes started to well up from frustration. She'd thought this would be the ideal solution. Now she had to come up with another plan.

Mrs. Richardson reached out and squeezed her hand. "I still think I can help. That is usually the process, but every now and then a man is in a hurry and leaves the decision up to me, trusting me to pick the right girl. I've developed a bit of a reputation." She smiled proudly at that and Emma relaxed a little. Maybe there was hope after all.

"I have a new search—this gentleman's letter just arrived yesterday. I think he sounds like he could be a good option for you." She rummaged through a stack of papers on her desk and then found the one she was looking for.

"His name is Ethan Donovan. He's thirty-two, and lives near Bozeman, Montana. He describes himself as six feet tall, with blonde hair and blue eyes, and says that he comes from a large family, nine brothers and one sister. His parents, Jed and Naomi, are originally from Ireland. They came to the states many years ago, during the potato famine, and along with several relatives decided to head west."

She paused then to see Emma's reaction and she nodded. So far, everything sounded almost too good to be true. Mrs. Richardson then turned back to the lengthy letter, and continued talking. "He's also a widower. His wife, Susan, died during childbirth a little over a year ago. The baby didn't make it either. But he does have a young daughter. Emily is three, and she needs a mother."

Mrs. Richardson set the letter down then, and looked intently at Emma. "Are you really ready to be a wife and a mother? There's a ticket here, too—you could be on a train out west as early as next week if I post the letter tomorrow to let him know."

Emma swallowed. This was a huge step. She was both terrified and excited at the same time.

"I'm ready. It seems almost meant to be, with the timing." She tried to sound confident, to convince both Mrs. Richardson and herself, that she was sure this was what she wanted to do.

"It does feel like it could be meant to be," Mrs. Richardson agreed. They went over the details, and less than an hour later, Emma was on her way to meet the girls.

***

"I
can't believe it's gotten so bad with Gerald that you'd consider doing this!" Emma's best friend, Julia, was not happy when she heard the news. They were sitting in their usual meeting spot, by the boathouse at the Charles River.

"What if what you find out there is worse than your situation here? Have you thought of that? You'd be stuck, clear across the country, and all your friends are here." Julia looked thoroughly distressed at the very idea of Emma leaving and the unknown future that faced her.

"I have thought of that. Of course I have, but I've also decided that it's a risk worth taking," Emma assured her. "Plus, I have a fair bit of money saved that I'll be bringing with me. It's not enough for me to live on for long, but it's a safety net, in case I need to buy a ticket back or put myself up for a short while."

"I still don't like it. I understand why you think it's your only option. But selfishly, I'm going to miss you something fierce and I think it's just wrong that you're in this position to begin with. Gerald shouldn't be allowed to do that to you."

"It's not fair," Emma agreed. "But, he has all the power. He made it very clear that if I don't agree to go along with these new 'duties', I will be easily replaced. And you know that's true. There'd be a line of girls eager to take my position, even if they knew about Gerald."

Julia and Katie were silent. By the solemn looks on their faces, Emma knew they agreed with her assessment of the current job market.

"Did you say he is one of ten boys in the family?" Katie asked, with an impish look upon her face.

Emma smiled, sensing the mood shift to acceptance, "Yes, and maybe some of them are eager for wives, too."

"I still think you're crazy to do this—my best friend, a mail-order bride! But I understand, and I'll be praying for you, for safe travels and that this Ethan is a good and kind man." Julia's voice broke a little and Emma felt her eyes start to water again. It had been an emotional morning.

"I'll write you both as soon as I'm settled and I'll expect you to write often as well, and fill me in on how everyone is doing."

"I'll write every week," Katie promised. She was the writer of the bunch, always scribbling away in her journal, and Emma looked forward to her stories.

"When do you leave?" Julia dabbed at her eyes as she looked away toward the Charles.

"Next Tuesday, at nine a.m. Ethan's brother and sister-in-law will be meeting me at the station when I arrive in Bozeman."

"Ethan won't be meeting you?" Julia looked puzzled.

"His letter explained that his brother has a store in town, and that it would be easier for them to collect me and then bring me out to his farm."

"Hmmm, that seems a bit odd. Is his farm far from town?" Katie asked.

"I don't know. It seemed reasonable the way Mrs. Richardson explained it." Emma frowned then as a wave of doubt that she was making the right decision washed over her.

"I'm sure it will be fine, and maybe even a bit less awkward if you meet some of his family first." Julia pulled her in for a hug and Katie joined in as well. Emma felt her fears ease away and promised to let them both know she'd made it there safely and to keep them posted on her new life.

T
he thrill of the train ride wore off by the third day. By the end of the third week, Emma had never felt so grimy before. She couldn't wait to take a bath and hoped that she would have a chance to do so before she met Ethan. She was so dirty that he would smell her well before he even saw her and she didn't want that to be his first impression.

It was just past three p.m. when the train arrived in Bozeman. Emma walked off the train with her one bag that carried everything that she owned, which wasn't much. She just had a few simple dresses and other clothing and personal items, shoes and several books, which she'd read more than once during the trip. She set her bag down and took a good look around. A tall, blond man and a woman with long, wavy brown hair looked around uncertainly as if they were hoping to recognize someone, and since there were no other couples in the area, Emma started walking towards them, hoping it was Ethan's brother and his wife, Hannah.

"Are you Emma?" the woman asked as Emma drew near. Her voice was soft and she wore a friendly smile.

"Yes, and you must be Hannah?" Emma breathed a sigh of relief.

"This is my husband, Joshua." Hannah introduced Ethan's brother and he smiled and held out his hand.

"Everyone calls me Josh. It's a pleasure to meet you, Emma. Do you have any other luggage with you?" He reached for her bag and picked it up as if it were as light as a feather.

"No, this is it." They walked a short distance to where two horses and a wagon waited and Josh placed her bag in the back.

"I'll run the two of you to our house while my assistant, Bill watches the store for a bit. I'll need to head back here to close up for the day."

"I thought you might want a hot bath as soon as you arrived," Hannah explained. "Ethan will be coming for dinner and you'll meet him then." 

Emma was grateful that she'd have a chance to freshen up before meeting Ethan. "Will I be going home with Ethan, then, after dinner?" she asked a bit nervously.

Hannah and Josh exchanged glances and then Josh spoke. "It might be best if you stay with us for a week or so, to give you and Ethan a chance to get to know each other first."

Emma was instantly relieved, but also a bit confused. Something seemed off. She looked at Hannah, who glanced at her husband again. Josh sighed and then admitted, "This came as a bit of a shock to Ethan. He didn't write to Mrs. Richardson for a wife. We did."

"He didn't know I was coming?" Emma was horrified.

"We told him as soon as we heard from Mrs. Richardson that you were on the way. We did it for his benefit, but he didn't see it that way. Not at first."

"Is he okay with it now?" Emma asked. What if he refused to marry her? And she had to return to Boston?

"He's not happy with us. But, he did admit that he should marry again and he knows he needs help with Emily. He agreed to meet you and see how the two of you got along."

"What if he doesn't like me?" Emma was almost afraid to ask the question but knew that she had to mentally start preparing for plan B, and was grateful that she had some money saved for just this kind of emergency. Though she'd hoped not to need to use it.

"This is our fault. We invited you here. So, we're hopeful that you and Ethan will find each other compatible," Hannah assured her.

"I also reminded Ethan that he has eight single brothers and now that I've met you, I can say with confidence that if he's not interested, you'll likely have your pick of the others."

Emma blushed at that and didn't quite know what to say, so she said nothing. It was all a bit overwhelming and she was suddenly feeling exhausted. She was looking forward to resting after her bath, if possible, before dinner, and knew she'd sleep well that night.

Twenty minutes later, Josh turned the wagon onto a long driveway and a moment later a two story wooden home came into view. Hannah led the way inside and Josh brought her bag upstairs and into their extra bedroom. He then left to head back to the store.

"Sit down and relax," Hannah ordered her as she set about in the kitchen, putting a teakettle of water on the stove to boil. "I don't know about you, but I could use a nice cup of tea. It should be ready in just a few minutes and I'll go get started heating up some water for your bath as well."

"Can I help with anything?" Emma offered.

"Yes. As soon as you hear that teakettle whistle, go ahead and pour for us both. I've set out two cups and there's a jar of honey on the counter if you want to sweeten it up a bit."

While Hannah was off getting water to be heated for her bath, Emma sat at the kitchen table and glanced around the house. It was very different from the Beacon Hill mansion she'd lived at for the past few years, but it was neat and clean and there was no Gerald. That made it far superior as far as Emma was concerned. When the teakettle whistled, Emma jumped up and poured hot water into the cups that Hannah had set out. She was just adding a touch of honey to her tea when Hannah was back with a large bin of water that she set on the top of the woodstove.

"By the time we finish our tea, it should be ready. Let's have a seat and chat a bit." 

They both sat at the kitchen table and Hannah asked, "So what is it like in Boston? It must seem like another world, coming here?"

"It is very different," Emma agreed. "It's an exciting city. I love it there, but it's a difficult place for young women, unless they are married. There are not enough jobs to go around."

"Did you ever consider getting married there?" Hannah asked.

"I would have loved to," Emma admitted. "But with the hours we work, there was no opportunity to meet any eligible young men."

"You're very brave to come here. It must seem like quite an adventure."

"It is an adventure and I will admit to being nervous. I think I am equally excited and terrified, to be honest," Emma said, and then after a moment of debating whether or not to ask, she went ahead and asked what she was dying to know. "What is he like, Ethan?"

Hannah smiled and thought for a moment. "He's a good man. Josh is the oldest and Ethan is next after him. He's always seemed a bit serious to me, very focused. He's a good father. His little girl, Emily, adores him. She's three, and has blonde curls just like her mother did." She grew quiet then and Emma guessed that she was thinking of Susan.

"Susan and I were great friends," Hannah confirmed. "We all grew up here together and she and Ethan were childhood sweethearts. It was tragic what happened to her. But, it's a real risk that every woman faces when she has children."

"It sounds like I have some big shoes to fill." Emma worried that she'd never measure up.

Hannah sighed at that. "It's been just over a year. Ethan needs to move on, for his sake and for Emily's."

"I suppose," Emma agreed.

"You'll meet both of them tonight at dinner. Everyone, actually, including Naomi and Jed."

"They're all coming?" The nerves came rushing back. Emma found the thought of meeting Ethan and his whole family at once a bit intimidating.

"They're all dying to meet you. Naomi, especially." Hannah glanced over at the stove and steam was starting to rise. "Well, it looks like your water is about hot enough. Are you ready for your bath?" When Emma nodded, Hannah got up and Emma jumped up to help her. Together, they carried the basin of hot water into the bathroom and filled the tub. Hannah had already put some water in earlier and adding the steaming hot water to it made for a perfect, warm temperature. Hannah left, and within seconds, Emma slid into the tub and sank into its soothing warmth. The heat felt wonderful, and after she'd soaked for a bit, she reached for the bar of soap and washcloth that Hannah had set out for her and proceeded to wash every last bit of the last three weeks grime off her. Once she'd scrubbed herself nearly raw, she sank down again and stayed there until the water grew cool. Then, reluctantly, she eased herself out and patted herself dry. Hannah had told her to take her time and that she'd probably be able to squeeze in a short nap or rest before dinner.