Nelly's Mail Order Husband

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  He just didn’t know how he was going to do it. Factories and railways were things he understood. He had grown up surrounded by those things. But he had never stepped foot on a homestead. Just how did he manage the employees who’d work under him? How would he oversee the management of the animals? When would the employees harvest the crops growing on the land, and what would be done with those crops to maximize profits? He didn’t know the first thing about pricing corn or beans. There were so many new terms he’d have to learn, and he’d have to become acquainted with a whole new system of expenses.

  He sat on the veranda with Jim that evening and showed him the letter Nelly Larson had sent him.

  “Land is a valuable commodity,” Jim told him once he finished reading it. “Businesses that are contained inside buildings come and go, but land is forever. Land is the one thing in this world you can count on. I think this might be a wise choice. Write to her, and we’ll see what she says.”

  Since Jim agreed with him, that was exactly what Valentine did. He spent a full two hours working on his letter. He went through multiple drafts before he settled on the one that he felt best represented who he was. He sent the letter off early the next day.

  After he left the post office, he went to a part of the city that overlooked the Atlantic Ocean. His family had already left for London, and they had promised to send him a letter after they made it to their destination. If he left for some place like Nebraska before the letter made it to Boston, Jim had promised he would send the letter to him.

  At the moment he was living with Jim’s family. He tried not to think of how different things were going to be from this point forward. The change had already started, of course, but the reality of it hadn’t set in yet. He supposed that was to be expected. It was going to take him time before he got used to having them in London. Meanwhile, he was going to have to figure out where he fit in.

  He was torn between wishing he’d been able to go with them and being glad he’d been able to stay in America. America, after all, was his home. He’d been born and raised here. But he wasn’t going to watch his little sister grow up. He wasn’t going to play cards with his father. And, as silly as it was, he wasn’t going to grimace every time his mother commented on how quickly he had grown up while she patted his cheeks.

  From this point forward, everything was going to be different. Maybe getting married would be good for him. It would give him a place to belong. As much as he appreciated Jim and his parents for letting him stay with them, he didn’t belong with them. He was a guest. He was supposed to leave eventually. What he needed was a permanent home. With a sigh, he turned from the ocean and headed back to Jim’s.

  ***

  In the month Valentine waited for a response from Nelly Larson, he received missives from three other women: one in Georgia, one in Virginia, and one in Rhode Island. And as he had feared, they didn’t interest him, either. The only one he kept thinking about was Nelly. Something about her seemed right, and that was something he couldn’t put his finger on.

  When the second month came, he was starting to fall into a pit of despair. Nelly hadn’t sent a response. He was going to have to pick one of the other women. If he had to do that, he might as well pick the one who had the most money since they all sounded exactly alike. But every time he sat down to write a reply to the woman who fit his financial qualifications, something stopped him.

  Another week passed by before Jim’s butler brought him the letter he had given up hope on ever getting. He nearly cheered with relief as soon as he saw it was postmarked from Nebraska.

  “I take it Nelly Larson wrote back,” Jim commented as he glanced up from the book he was reading.

  Valentine set aside his own book and tore open the envelope. “Finally. I was beginning to give up on ever hearing from her again. I thought I would have to resort to picking one of the other women who wrote to me.”

  Jim chuckled. “Oh, the horror of having women vying for one’s hand in marriage.”

  Valentine shot him a pointed look. “You could have plenty vying for your hand if you’d get out once in a while.”

  “I like my solitude. Besides, I’m only twenty. I have lots of time to run from dinner party to dinner party while I search for the right woman. Right now I’m learning how to manage my father’s company so I can take over when he dies.”

  “What’s there to manage? Your family makes candy. Everyone will always want candy. Even Carla sneaks in a piece of candy when she thinks no one is looking.”

  “There’s more to managing candy than overseeing its production. A lot of it has to do with promoting the brand. Advertising is going to become more and more important. I’m learning how to use words and pictures to attract customers. It’s all about perception. If people perceive something as having quality, they’ll want it.”

  As eager as Valentine was to read the letter, he directed his attention to his friend. “I thought you didn’t like the family business.”

  “What has that got to do with anything? Money is money. All that matters is how much you make.”

  “Sometimes you sound just like my father. I realize money is important. That’s why I’m making sure I pick a woman who has some, but is it too much to ask to also be happy? Why not do something you can get excited about and make money at it? Let your younger brother run the business when your father dies.”

  Jim shook his head then turned his gaze back to his book. “I’m the oldest. As the oldest, I have a responsibility to follow in my father’s footsteps. My brother has the luxury of picking what he wants.”

  “Says who?”

  “Says everyone.”

  Valentine was ready to disagree, especially since Jim’s younger brother actually seemed interested in the family business, but Jim gestured to the letter as a way to let him know he didn’t want to continue on with the discussion. Since Valentine was eager to find out what Nelly had written, he decided to let the matter go.

  He started to read it to himself when Jim asked, “You aren’t going to tell me what it says?”

  “I thought you wanted to read your book.”

  “I can read it when you’re done telling me what she said. You’ve been talking about Nelly for the past month. I want to know what it is about her that has you excited.”

  His friend made a fair point. Valentine cleared his throat and began reading, “‘Dear Val.’” Surprised, he stopped and looked at Jim. “I’m pretty sure I ended my letter with my full name.”

  “What’s wrong with Val?”

  “Well, nothing, I suppose. I just didn’t expect it. No one’s ever called me Val before.”

  “That could be a good sign. Maybe it means she’s the one.”

  Valentine considered the possibility. Jim could be right. Maybe this was God’s way of letting him know this was the woman he should marry.

  “It’s a suitable nickname,” Jim continued. “Given the fact that you might marry her, she’s probably using it as a term of endearment.”

  Valentine smiled. He liked that. It gave him an unexpected warm feeling in his chest that he’d never experienced before. Clearing his throat, he read, “‘Thank you for your response. You sound like the kind of man I’m looking for. You’d be surprised by how many men think it’s silly for a woman to own her own homestead. They don’t think a woman can be smart enough. I assure you that I’m plenty smart, but I will admit it’ll be nice to have someone to help me with the day-to-day tasks around here.’” Valentine glanced up from the missive. “She must have too many people in her employment.”

  “Or she might be trying to manage employees while buying supplies and dividing up the profits. On top of that, she has to oversee the servants who are running her home. That would be a nightmare for one person to do.”

  “It would be a nightmare. I wonder how she’s managed to do it all so far.”

  “This is probably why she needs a husband. She took on more than she could handle.”

  Valentine nodde
d then continued reading the letter. “‘You asked me how many acres I own. I managed to obtain two hundred and forty acres. I was able to purchase the land at half price because the previous owner no longer wanted the homestead. I got rid of the sod buildings and, with the help of family, was able to put up stable structures made of lumber. Since I have an uncle and cousin who work in construction, I was able to get a nice discount there, too.’”

  Jim whistled. “Talk about a shrewd business woman.”

  “I know.” Valentine was impressed. “Some of the men around here could learn how to negotiate a better deal from her. Imagine getting two hundred and forty acres at half the cost. I mean, men will get special deals because of family members, but few of them are able to get an entire business for half of what it’s worth.”

  “You’d better marry her before someone else does. I don’t think a woman like that will stay single for long.”

  “You don’t need to explain that to me.”

  “Did she mention what she looks like?”

  “Does it really matter? She’s better than any of the other women I’ve corresponded with.”

  Jim gave him a pointed look. “You’ll want to have children so they can continue the family business.”

  He was right. In a perfect world, he would get a wealthy, intelligent, and attractive woman. He read through more of the letter. “She says that, unlike her sisters, she has brown hair, though earlier in her life she had blonde hair.”

  “She has sisters?” Jim interrupted. “Do they also own their own businesses?”

  “It doesn’t say anything about her sisters except that she has three of them. All younger. Maybe they’re waiting before they own their own homesteads, or maybe they’ll decide to go into a different business. In her last letter, Nelly did say she only recently got the homestead.”

  “Or maybe she’s the only one with an entrepreneurial spirit.” Jim motioned for him to keep going.

  “It also says she has gray eyes and is just under 5’5”, but despite her height, she can do the more challenging tasks around the homestead like pulling a calf out of a muddy ditch.” He frowned. “Why would she need to do that? Isn’t that what her employees are for?”

  “She must own so many animals that she has to help out once in a while. Your father used to pitch in from time to time before he had to sell his factory in order to pay for the passage to London.”

  That was true. If that was the case, then Nelly really needed a husband’s assistance. And not just any husband. She needed one who understood the way business worked. It was probably why she had held off on getting married for as long as she had. In her last letter, she did mention that she’d had her share of offers from the men in the area but hadn’t been interested in any of them.

  “Did she say she’s attractive?” Jim asked, bringing Valentine’s attention back to him.

  “Yes,” Valentine said. Then, he read, “‘I’m not one who brags, but I am a very pretty woman.’” He couldn’t help but like the way she was reluctant to point out how attractive she was. It was refreshing after spending time with Carla and her mirrors.

  “For what it’s worth, my vote is for Nelly,” Jim replied. “She has everything a man could want. Brains, beauty, money. You’re not going to get a better deal than that.”

  “No, I won’t. I need to jump on this before she takes an interest in someone else. I’m going to get a train ticket then write to let her know I’m coming.”

  “If I were you, I’d do that before the day is up.”

  “Why don’t you go with me? You can always read that book later.”

  After a moment, Jim put the book down. “Why not?” He got up from the chair and followed Valentine out of the room.

  Chapter Four

  Patricia picked up the letter at the post office two weeks later, surprised Valentine Silverton had written so soon. She bit her lower lip. She knew she should wait until Erin and Daisy were with her before seeing what he had to say, but her curiosity got the best of her. She was dying to know if he would agree to marry Nelly or not. He had seemed interested in the last correspondence.

  At least, he’d been interested enough to ask what Nelly did on the homestead and what she was like. But he could have letters from a dozen other young women who were looking for a man to come out west to marry them. If she knew what Nelly was competing with, she and Erin would have written a response with the aim to convince him that the other women were wrong for him. Instead, they’d had to focus on Nelly’s strengths. They could only hope that was good enough.

  She went to the side of the busy post office and opened the envelope. Then, excited, she opened the letter. He had written on the front and back of the paper. That was a good sign. If he wasn’t interested in Nelly, he would write something short and to the point.

  With a grin, she read it. He wrote more about himself, but he also added that he was intrigued by Nelly’s independent spirit and savvy business sense. Patricia wasn’t quite sure what to make of the savvy business sense part, but it had to be good because he said he was going to come to Omaha to marry her.

  Patricia let out a cheer. Several people glanced in her direction. Face warm, she closed her mouth then lowered her gaze back to the letter.

  She continued reading the letter, and as she got toward the end, her excitement was replaced with panic. She gasped and ran to the wall where the calendar was hanging. She looked at the letter again, just to make sure she’d read the date right. She gasped again.

  Oh dear! She’d read it right. He said he was due on the train that would be coming in that very day!

  She asked a kindly looking gentleman what time it was and realized that Valentine was due to arrive in two very short hours. She didn’t have time to waste!

  She rushed out of the post office and down the boardwalk. She made it to the mercantile just as her father was loading his purchase into the back of the wagon.

  “Where are Ma, Erin, and Daisy?” she asked him.

  “They went to visit Margaret and Eva,” he replied.

  She bit her lower lip. Now she wished she’d taken Erin with her to the post office. Erin might know the best way to proceed from here. But what could Erin do to help? Valentine was coming into town this very day. They had to meet him at the train station. They couldn’t just leave him there.

  She turned back to her pa as he shoved another crate into the wagon. This wasn’t how she imagined telling her parents about their scheme, but she had no choice.

  “Pa,” she began, “I have something important to tell you.”

  “What is it?” he asked as he arranged the items in the wagon.

  “Um, well…” Gee, now that she was doing this, her mind went blank.

  Her pa stopped and looked at her. “What is it, Patricia?”

  After a moment, she said, “Erin came home a while back with a newspaper she got at the mercantile.” Yes, that was a good way to start. Go to the beginning and explain how all of this came about. “In this newspaper were some ads. You know how the newspaper always has them.”

  His eyebrows furrowed. “Did you offer to buy something someone was selling?”

  “No. It’s nothing like that.”

  He didn’t hide his relief. “Good because I spent all I had at the mercantile. I won’t have any more money until the harvest is done.”

  “You can rest assured, Pa. This doesn’t involve money.”

  And that was a good point to make. It would help her pa put things in perspective. She knew he wasn’t all that interested in seeing any of his daughters marry. As her ma had pointed out, he didn’t think there was a single man in the world who deserved any of them. So he wasn’t going to like what she and Erin had done.

  In hopes of putting him in a good mood, she repeated, “I didn’t buy anything.”

  “Then what’s worrying you?”

  Alright, here it came. Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, “There was an ad posted from a man who wanted a wife,
so Erin and I answered it on Nelly’s behalf. Well, this man is coming out to marry her today.”

  Her pa’s eyes got so wide she thought they were going to pop out of his head. “You did what?! He’s coming here to do what?!”

  “He’ll be arriving in two hours,” she hurried to finish.

  He stared at her for the longest time, and she could tell he was trying to process everything she’d just told him. She was afraid if she said anything else, it might get her and Erin into more trouble.

  Finally, his gaze went to the letter in her hand. “What’s that?”

  “It’s a letter from Valentine Silverton,” she replied. “That’s the man who posted the ad.”

  He grimaced as if he’d just tasted bitter coffee. “Give it to me.”

  She hurried to obey then took a step back. She watched him as he read through the letter. As she feared, he wasn’t pleased by this news. And worse, he seemed less pleased by it the further on he read.

  When he finished it, he asked, “Does Nelly know about this?”

  “No.”

  “But he thinks he’s marrying her.”

  “That’s because Erin and I were pretending to be Nelly when we wrote to him.”

  “And you did that because…?”

  “Because Nelly should have a husband helping her on the homestead.” Never mind that it would be nice for Nelly to enjoy a romance. Patricia, herself, hoped to enjoy her own romance someday.

  “That’s the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. How many times do I have to keep telling you that Nelly’s just fine? She has me and her uncles to help, not to mention some cousins.”

  “But she doesn’t have anyone she can hug and kiss and make a life with.”

  He shook his head. “Nelly’s said she doesn’t want that.”

  “She only said it because she doesn’t know any better.”

  He got ready to reply when the mercantile owner came up to them. “Did you need help with those crates?” he asked Patricia’s pa.