ROMANTIC TREASURES from Avon Books
THE HUSBAND LIST by Victoria Alexander
LION HEART by Tanya Anne Crosby
NO MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE by Elizabeth Boyle
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
ALWAYS AND FOREVER. Copyright © 2000 by Beverly Jenkins. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
ePub edition January 2007 ISBN 9780061736476
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1 February 1, 1884 Dear Cousin Grace, Greetings from Kansas. I hope my letter finds you well. As you know, I’ve joined the Great Exodus and am now a member of a newly founded colony in southern Kansas. It has not been an easy task, trying to carve out a life in a place where none has existed before, but we’ve done it. We’ve built houses, cleared land, and put in our first crops. Now, many of the unmarried men wish to start families but lack the most necessary element—wives. We’re wondering if you could make inquiries on our behalf as to whether any decent, god-fearing women in Chicago would be willing to travel here and marry. I’m writing to you because no one else knows of anyone capable of taking on such a daunting task. Our men are stalwart individuals, most are educated, and many like me are veterans of Mr. Lincoln’s war. Since new men are arriving weekly, by the time this letter reaches you, we will undoubtedly need between thirty and thirty-five women. If you decide to ta
Chapter 1
Chapter 2 Grace looked out over the sea of women who’d come to the church in response to the flyers she’d posted for bride candidates and was amazed. She’d never expected so many. Women of all shapes, ages, and sizes were squeezed into the pews. Most had come dressed in their Sunday best and the sight of such a colorful display of hats, gloves, and dresses on such a dreary rainy evening filled her with joy. A buzz of voices also filled the church as some of the women greeted old friends and speculated on the meeting to come. A few were seated quietly, hands in laps, while others were gazing around speculatively as if gauging the competition and their chances of being among the chosen brides Grace was standing at the back of the church, greeting women as they arrived. She smiled as Tulip and Dahlia entered, shaking the rain from their parasols. They’d kept their promise to come to lend her moral support. After greeting Grace, Tulip looked over the crowd and said in an amazed voice, “My
Chapter 2
Chapter 3 True to his word, he arrived the next morning at exactly six-thirty. Grace greeted him at the door dressed and ready to go. She stepped back to let him enter and said coolly, “As you can see, I already have on my hat.” Figuring he’d earned that crack, Jackson stepped inside. While she closed the door, he studied the olive green hat on her head, the full green skirt and matching jacket, and the black high-heeled boots. “I thought we were going to look over some horses.” “We are.” “You look like you’re going to tea.” Out west, women wore hats to protect them from the sun or to church; here, women wore confections. “How would you describe that?” he asked, holding her faintly hostile eyes. “My hat?” “Yes, your hat.” “It’s olive colored and made of fine Milan straw. It’s medium high and has a round top. The material draped around the brim and crown is made of crêpe, and the ribbons and bow on the front are faced with black velvet and gimp.” “That’s what I thought.” Grace didn’t ca
Chapter 3
Chapter 4 Grace spent the rest of the week turning over the reins of the bank to Lionel and the other clerks, packing for her trip, and trying to keep her mind off Jackson Blake. She hadn’t seen him since the night on the porch and she’d decided to take her own advice and distance herself from the Texan and his fiery kisses. Although Tulip and Dahlia supported the idea of the wagon train, it didn’t stop them from being sad about losing their niece’s company, if only for a few months. Monday morning was more than forty-eight hours away, but Tulip was already in tears. By Saturday night, Grace had most of her belongings secured. Unlike the brides, she would be traveling light. Since she planned on returning to Chicago once the adventure ended, she had no need to include household goods or furniture. Her godfather, Martin Abbott, had agreed to give her a ride to the site where camp would be set up. Because he and his fleet of his wagons would be delivering all the supplies she’d ordered t
Chapter 4
Chapter 5 Grace awakened tired and stiff. Thoughts of Jackson Blake had filled her dreams. Now, as she lay in her bedroll listening to the dawn silence, she came to the conclusion that regardless of how well Jackson Blake kissed or how tempting being reckless with him appealed to her inner woman, it had to stop. Yes, she’d had this talk with herself before, and no, she hadn’t followed her own advice, but this time she planned to chisel it into stone, mainly because she was developing feelings for him, feelings that had to be nipped in the bud before they grew any stronger. He’d said it himself, they’d probably never see each other again once the wagon train reached its destination, he’d return to his life and she to hers, but the more time she spent around him the more time she wanted to spend around him, and that made little sense to a woman as well known for her good sense as Grace. She’d been devastated when Garth Leeds backed out of the wedding, but now she could admit that a small
Chapter 5
Chapter 6 That evening after dinner, Jackson called everyone together. As the tired and weary women took seats at the trestle tables, Loreli leaned over to Grace and whispered, “Do you know what this is about?” Grace shook her head. She hoped it had to do with her earlier suggestion that he say something positive to the women, but after his declaration this afternoon concerning their undergarments, who really knew why he’d convened the gathering. Once everyone was settled, Jackson stood. “Ladies, I brought you together just to let you know what a fine job you did today.” A stunned silence filled the air. Someone called out humorously, “What did you do with the real Blake, mister?” Laughs followed, and even Jackson had to smile. “I’m serious. I know I didn’t win any prizes from you today, but you ladies won one from me. Oh, you grumbled and fussed and wanted to boil me in oil, or so I heard—” He looked at Grace. She ducked, her head hoping he wouldn’t see her grin. “But you worked hard,
Chapter 6
Chapter 7 As Garth neared, Loreli asked, “Does any
one know this handsome man?” “I do,” Grace offered tersely. She noted he had the nerve to be smiling at her as he made eye contact. Trudy cracked, “First Blake and now this one. How come you have all the luck, Grace?” “Believe me, this one you can have.” Garth’s steps slowed as he came abreast of Grace and the rest of the laundry detail. “Well, hello, Grace. I found you.” “Yes, you have. What do you want?” Her chilly manner seemed to throw him off balance. “Why don’t you introduce me to your friends?” “Garth, why are you here?” As if sensing Grace had no intention of thawing out, he said, “I’d like to speak with you, if I might.” “Concerning?” Aware that the other women standing near Grace were eyeing him curiously, he declared, “It’s a personal matter.” Grace didn’t think she and Garth had anything even remotely personal to talk about, but she took the bait. “Follow me.” She led him up the hill to the old church. When they reached it,
Chapter 7
Chapter 8 On the morning of June 3, 1884, the women prepared to leave. In spite of the gray day, townspeople and relatives of the brides descended on the valley to witness the departure, and at precisely 8 A.M., all bowed their heads as Belle recited a prayer to bless the journey. After the amens faded, the atmosphere lifted when to their surprise a five-man band from the town appeared on the rise and broke into a rousing tune. The elated women mounted their wagons, and while the onlookers cheered heartily, expertly guided their teams up the rise. Grace was so moved by the outpouring of support she had tears in her eyes as she drove past her waving godfather, Martin Abbott. He’d come to see her off and to deliver some letters from the aunts and her friends at the bank. “The aunts send their love,” he shouted. “Keep yourself safe, baby girl!” “I will,” she yelled back. “Tell the aunts I love them too and I’ll write as soon as I can.” Her heart full, Grace Prescott Atwood set her eyes fo
Chapter 8
Chapter 9 On the twentieth day of the journey, the brides spent four hours ferrying their wagons across the Mississippi River and into the state of Missouri. They were wet, exhausted, and drained, but glad to be in Missouri at last. However, by the twenty-third day, their elation turned to misery as they were forced to travel through a cold, bone-chilling rain. The thick, deep mud slowed travel considerably and they spent more time pushing wagons out of the axle-deep mire than they spent driving. “We look like a tribe of mud women,” Grace called out over the blowing and driving rain, as she and a good many of the women set their shoulders against the back of the Mitchells’ wagon to try and free it from the mud. “Remind me why we’re going to Kansas City again?” Fanny wailed in mock misery. “I don’t remember!” Tess Dubois shouted in response. It rained for three long days, and in those three days they covered barely twenty miles. Day 26 was a Sunday, and after a few Bible readings, the w
Chapter 9
Chapter 10 The following evening, Grace tried her best to be cheerful while viewing the brides’ mass wedding at the local AME church, but neither the celebratory air nor the happiness sparkling in the couples’ eyes were enough to lighten her mood. Later on tonight she would be pledging to love Jackson until death too, and she was still adamantly opposed to the idea. It did please her to see the brides so happy, though, and the men looked proud and pleased as well, but she felt as if she had the weight of the world resting upon her shoulders. While the brides and their new husbands danced their first waltz, Grace made her way outside, ostensibly to grab a bit of fresh air. She was soon joined by Loreli Winters. “You’ve had a fake smile on your face all evening, Grace, what’s the matter?” Grace told the truth. “Jackson thinks I may be carrying his child and he’s forcing me to marry him.” “Not happy about it, I take it.” “No. I don’t like being told what to do.” The two women shared silen
Chapter 10
Chapter 11 Jackson stopped them a few miles away and slid from the saddle. He’d expected resistance, but not from folks like Maybelle Champion. Jackson, Maybelle, and her brother Champ had grown up together; they’d hunted frogs together, swum together, and tipped over privies together. He and Champ had been such good friends, there’d been no question about him being named deputy when Jackson was elected sheriff. Jackson trusted Champ with his life, but now Maybelle treated him like a Reb. How would he get justice for his father in the face of such fear? If she did know her brother’s whereabouts, she’d given one hell of a performance, but the desperation and anger in her voice and eyes seemed too real to be an act. Had Lane really paid Champ to leave town? More than likely he’d threatened Champ or Maybelle’s life to get him to comply. During the height of the killings during Reconstruction, Texas rivers had run red with Black blood, yet he’d come here, one lone Black man trying to bring
Chapter 11
Chapter 12 By the first week of August Jackson’s wounds had healed well enough for M’dear to pronounce him whole. The skin on his chest, shoulders, and thighs no longer resembled raw meat, and the swelling and bruising had faded. In spite of the still-mending ribs, he’d become his old vibrant self again and Grace couldn’t’ve been more pleased. It also pleased her that by all indications she was indeed carrying a child. “So, you’ve accepted the fact,” he asked, as they sat on their porch eating dinner at a small table. “It wasn’t so much accepting the idea, I just wasn’t sure.” “And now you are?” “Yes. M’dear says I have all the signs: I can’t stay awake. My courses haven’t come, and I’m eating every-thing that moves. Do you want that last piece of fish?” she asked him, indicating the piece on the platter between them. Grace had never really liked fish prior to coming to the swamp, but now it seemed as if she couldn’t get enough. Across the table Jackson shook his head at her and her bu
Chapter 12
Chapter 13 Evidently, Grace’s babies didn’t like riding Jim Crow anymore than she, because as soon as she headed north, the morning sickness caught up with her and she was sick and nauseated the rest of the way. To make matters worse, at an Indiana border stop, a change in conductors resulted in all passengers of color being asked off the train because of one woman’s complaint about Grace and the others riding. The woman’s tender sensibilities couldn’t tolerate them riding anywhere. She wanted them off the train and the conductor concurred. For two days, Grace and the others waited alongside the track for a train that would let them ride. When one finally did, its conductor refused to draw the color line, and so, for the first time since leaving Louisiana, Grace had a seat. She didn’t care that none of the other passengers wanted to sit beside her. Their disdain made it possible for her to stretch out, and as soon as she did, she fell asleep. When the exhausted Grace finally stepped of
Chapter 13
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