Roberta: Bride of Wisconsin (American Mail-Order Bride 30) (12 page)

Dear Roberta,

I hope this letter finds you well and happy. I have reached my new home in Flat Rock Point, Arkansas, and married my groom, Mr. Griffin Benning. He seems kind, loving, even tempered and has a sense of humor. He has two daughters, Josie and Coral, who I will meet when their grandparents bring them from Little Rock in about three weeks. If they are as lovely as their names, I feel we
’
ll get along very well.

He has a log home that he built himself and he appears to be quite a talented craftsman. There is much for me to learn here and I send you my sincerest thank you for recommending
Aunt Jennie
’
s Household Bible
. I feel that Aunt Jennie will be my salvation.

Are you still bothered by remembrances of the fire? I confess I have had a few nightmares. Please write to me to let me know how you are getting along, as I am most interested in your wellbeing.

Most Sincerely,
Laurel

She smiled as she looked at who the last letter was from. Victoria, the girl who'd helped all of them financially after the fire, had promised to keep in touch, but this was the first letter she'd received.

December 15, 1890

My dear friend,

You have been on my mind ever since I arrived in Kansas to meet my shopkeeper. Please write and tell me all about your adventures in Wisconsin. Have you milked any cows yet? Do they bite? You see my appalling ignorance about farms, so you must educate me.

What have you heard from the other women who worked at the factory? Do you know how many of them have found husbands? I hope the fund I set up for them was enough to provide sufficient aid. I know you worry about them, as do I.

Oh, Roberta, I
’
m so thankful we met, even if it was under adverse conditions. The fire at the factory destroyed your place of work, but because of your courage and persistence, it didn
’
t destroy lives. Your dedication to the other workers and your willingness to step out into the unknown inspired us all to pursue a new life and learn to hope again. You did me the greatest service when you offered me your copy of the Groom
’
s Gazette. I was at wit
’
s end about what to do after the terrible scandal. Had you not been so kind, I would never have met my Mr. O
’
Brien.

He looks very much like the photograph I showed you, only more handsome in person, with melting dark eyes and black wavy hair. It is puzzling, though, there are times I wonder whether the man who wrote to me is the same one I met. Until recently, he hasn
’
t acted like it. At first, I feared he
’
d taken a dislike to me. Lately, he
’
s been much more pleasant, more like my romantic suitor.

I
’
m delighted to say I
’
ll soon no longer be a Lowell from Boston. I
’
ll be Mrs. O
’
Brien from Fort Scott, Kansas. We
’
re to be wed on Christmas Eve. My father will surely disinherit me once he learns I married an Irish Catholic shopkeeper. But money and status don
’
t make one happy. Just look at him. He
’
s been a grouch for as long as I can remember.

Well, I must be off now and help Mr. O
’
Brien prepare the store for opening.

With fondest regards,

Victoria Lawrence Lowell

P.S. Mr. O
’
Brien
’
s six-year-old daughter, Fannie hasn
’
t spoken a word for nearly two years, not since her mother deserted them. Whether she will talk again remains to be seen. David
’
s sister, Maggie, will leave after Christmas for a teaching job in Kansas City. I know David and Fannie will miss her terribly. I shall miss her, too. She
’
s been more of a sister to me than Louisa ever was.

As Roberta closed Victoria's letter, the last of them all, she sighed. She was happy for her friends. Well, happy for the ones who had found happiness with their new husbands. She bowed her head a said a quick prayer for all of them, and for Fannie, Victoria's future step-daughter.

She would write Sarah that day, and she would spend a couple of hours writing all of the others on the day after Christmas. She hoped Sarah was as happy as she was. Roberta wondered if her friend was spending Christmas alone with her husband or if they had family to see. Wherever she was, Roberta prayed for her happiness.

If you enjoyed reading this book, there are forty-nine other books in the series. Find out about the rest of the American Mail-Order Brides
here.

Interested in reading about Sarah, Roberta's best friend?
Sarah, Bride of Minnesota
will be out on December 20th.

For other books by Kirsten Osbourne, click
here
.