by Holly Blake
Much to Anna’s delight, James had also gotten a letter. He was expecting his new bride in a few weeks and Anna was thrilled for him. Her match making days were not over yet though. She was determined now to find every single man in Wyldewood a bride, starting with Sheriff Grover Wright.
She hoped that she could find the right woman for the quiet man by Christmas. He had been so good to her and had supported Brody as soon as he learned the truth about him.
“As long as he makes you happy Anna, I am happy,” Grover told her the day before her wedding. There was sadness in his eyes that she knew she was responsible for.
“He does Grover, and one day there will be a very fortunate woman who will make you as happy as Brody makes me.”
And as she spoke the words, Anna knew she would move heaven and earth if need be to accomplish that task.
The End
The Brides of Wyldewood: Book Three
Esther and James
©2016 Holly Blake
All Rights Reserved
Esther and James
Chapter One
Esther Buford looked at herself in the large mirror of her dressing table. The woman who looked back at her was barely recognizable from the young girl she used to be. She was only thirty-one years old but so much had happened in her life that her once sparkling eyes where now dull and tired. Her long dark curls no longer shone in the sunlight as they used to. Her pale skin looked somewhat grey and she knew that all of this was caused by the pain and loss she had experienced in recent times. She wondered how any man would have looked at her photograph and thought her pretty. But that’s what James Halverson had written. He thought her beautiful and wanted her for his wife.
Esther studied her reflection, reminiscing about her life, remembering the chain of events that had led her to this point in time. Her childhood had been happy and uneventful. She had been doted on by both her parents until her mother died. After that, it seemed her father could barely stand to look at her. Her likeness to the woman he had lost was simply too much to bear. And so it was at his insistence that she marry. But the man her father had in mind for her, had not been a man of her choosing.
Harry Buford, was in his mid-thirties, an old man to Esther’s mind, but that was the man her father had chosen. She resisted the pressure as long as she could but by the time she was eighteen she was given no choice and she married the man.
Just three months after her wedding Harry had gone off to war, and Esther had no idea how much the next series of events would change her life. She was a Southern lady, married to one of the wealthiest landowners in the country. Then, in the five short years of the war, she became a widow, an orphan, penniless and homeless. Her mother in law was her only remaining family and even she was not well.
As a matter of fact, Virginia Buford was dying. She had contracted an illness that caused her to cough so violently that it racked the poor woman with convulsions. But she was determined that Esther would not be left all alone when she died. After writing dozens of letters, she surprised Esther one day with the news that they would be travelling to Wyoming territory where she would become the bride of an Innkeeper.
Esther pulled herself away from the mirror with a sigh. Soon she would begin a new life in a new place. She hoped with all of her heart that this time she might find true happiness.
Chapter Two
James Halverson had always been a happy man. Even after losing his wife he rejoiced in the years they had spent together. He found pleasure in serving others and tried his best to be a friend to all he came in contact with. James had grown up in New York City born to an Italian mother, eight siblings and a Norwegian immigrant father.
He had decided as a young man that he would leave the big city and set out to help settle the west. He married his childhood sweetheart who shared his dreams of adventure and they set off weeks after their marriage to the wilds of Wyoming territory.
James worked his way across the plains and finally settled in Wyldewood, Wyoming. He and Theresa used all their savings and opened an Inn. She cooked her wonderful Italian food and James worked by her side welcoming guests and tending to the Inn.
The couple was happy and hoped to start a family, but it was not to be. So they shared their love with their guests, and the many friends they made in Wyldewood. When Theresa died nearly fifteen years ago from a smallpox epidemic that swept through the area, James had determined that he would honor his bride by helping as many people as he could. He doubted that he would ever marry again. But his good friend Anna had other ideas.
He smiled to himself remembering a conversation he had had with Anna just before Brody’s return. She had asked him one night at the dinner table if he would ever consider remarrying. He laughed inwardly, thinking back on what he had thought she meant; that Anna had wanted him to marry her. As much as he loved the girl, she was just a girl. He was horrified that he might break her heart, but he could not marry a girl that was as much a daughter to him as any girl had been.
To his relief, that had not been Anna’s intention. She had instead set out on a mission to find James a bride. James decided to humor the girl. He did not expect her plan to come to fruition but, he was willing to go along with the plan. He knew that Anna was eager to repay him for all of the help he had given her, and he did not want to begrudge her the opportunity.
Anna had taken on the project with her usual energy and enthusiasm. The girl was a whirlwind of activity, determined to find him a woman that would make him the perfect wife. She poured through ads, wrote responses and read every letter to James seeking his opinion on the women that exchanged letters. Weeks passed and Anna never tired of seeking out a response that seemed a good fit for James.
Finally, a letter came from an older woman from the southern states. She was not writing for herself but for her widowed daughter-in-law. The woman told her daughter-in-law’s tragic story and how the young woman would soon be alone. The woman, Virginia Buford, told the story of a beautiful young woman named Esther.
“Look at this letter,” Anna had announced one early morning, dancing and twirling her way into the Inn’s kitchen. “This is the one, James,” she announced. “This woman shall be your bride.”
Esther sounded wonderful but what really convinced James to correspond, was that this woman needed help.
Anna helped him compose his letters back to Virginia and over several correspondences it was agreed that he would marry Esther. Although he was quite happy with the arrangement, James just wasn’t sure if he could ever love another woman the way he had loved Theresa.
Keeping this concern to himself, James allowed Anna to continue with the arrangements. Soon Mrs. Esther Buford would become Mrs. James Halverson, for better or worse. James hoped in his heart that it would all be for the better….for both of them.
Chapter Three
The sound of the train engine lulled Virginia to sleep. Esther was a bit jealous of Virginia’s ease and comfort on this journey. Only a few short weeks ago had her mother in law told Esther of her impending nuptials. She was to marry a man named James Halverson in some far off place called Wyldewood in the Wyoming territory. Esther had agreed out of a sense of duty but she was scared. Here she was again being married off to some man she didn’t know. Would she ever have any say in her own life?
Esther loved Virginia. The woman had always been good to Esther and she trusted her mother-in-law’s judgment. As a southern lady she was obliged to do as her elders told her, but she resented being married off again. She had not known love and wanted, just once to experience it. She had been given the letters from Mr. Halverson to read and she had become familiar with his life, his business and his friends. Esther would become an Inn Keeper’s wife. “How biblical,” she thought to herself. “Perhaps something important like the second coming would occur in their barn.” She chastised herself for being sacrilegious.
On the bright side, as they travelled to warmer and drier air, Virginia’s cough didn’t seem quite
as bad as it had been back in North Carolina, where they had been living since the war.
Everything had happened so fast that Esther had had little time to ponder her situation. Virginia sold the family home and most of their possessions. What few things she had kept had been quickly packed and put on the train. Now here they were, travelling miles from home heading for a new life.
But sitting on the train for too many days to count, listening to Virginia’s steady breathing and the chugging of the train engine had given Esther plenty of time to think and work herself into a state of dread. So many questions filled her mind. Neither she nor Virginia knew this man that Esther was promised to, they didn’t know his people. What if he was mean, or violent?
The sound of the whistle brought Virginia out of her slumber and Esther out of her own head. They were here, in Wyldewood, and Esther would be meeting her fate. Virginia reached over and took Esther’s hand.
“Don’t worry so much Esther, my dear. Everything will be fine. I would not feed you to the wolves. I told you before we left, I have thoroughly investigated Mr. Halverson, and he is a good man and will treat you well when I’m gone.” Virginia smiled at Esther and gave her hand a reassuring pat.
Esther didn’t feel so assured. She smiled at Virginia and nodded, but she was terrified of meeting this man. She didn’t want to get off of the train. She wanted to sit here and let it take her someplace else, anywhere but here, to a man she didn’t know in a place that was not her home. She wanted to cry, scream, run away, but she stood as the train stopped and reached out her arm to help Virginia stand. Her obligation was to this woman and she would do as she was told. She was a good southern lady and no matter what happened she would hold her head high and with dignity and accept whatever God set before her with grace.
Chapter four
James and Anna waited at the train station. James had brought flowers for both Mrs. Buford and Esther. He thought it was only polite to treat both the ladies to some of Wyldewood’s loveliest blooms in welcome. It was mid-summer and the air was hot and dry. James had set up rooms for Esther and her mother-in-law and had cleaned the Inn from top to bottom to freshen it up and make the best impression he could. He was nervous and Anna had accompanied him as much to settle his nerves as out of her own curiosity to meet the soon-to-be Mrs. Halverson.
James stood smiling from ear to ear, Anna attached to one arm and the other full of the flower bouquets the pair had arranged that morning. As the train pulled into the station James felt his belly flip fop. In one instance he thought he might be sick or pass out and the next he was hopeful and full of compassion.
He thought how this situation must also be very frightening for the two women. They were coming to a place they didn’t know and to people they didn’t know. He reminded himself that Esther was probably far more afraid of this arrangement than he was and that he should be as kind and warm as he could to reassure her that she was in safe hands.
The wedding would not take place for another month and a half, so there was time for the two to get to know each other and for Esther to become comfortable in her new home. It was also James’s intent to have time to get out of the arrangement if he couldn’t’ bring himself to re-marry. He was still concerned that he was not being loyal to the memory of his Theresa, although he knew that she would not have wanted him to remain alone for the rest of his life. He was so torn over the whole situation that the time he had created before the wedding was like a security blanket for his heart.
As he and Anna watched people disembarking the train James began to relax. Maybe they had changed their minds and headed back to North Carolina. He would receive a wire in a few days letting him know that they were not coming. But then, a beautiful dark haired woman in a pale green dress stepped down from the train. She stopped and waited with her arm out for another lovely older woman with snow white hair who was just behind her. The older woman clung onto the younger one’s arm and stepped hesitantly off the steps of the train and onto the platform.
Anna nudged James. “That must be them.”
James gulped. He was so transfixed by the dark-haired woman that he could hardly breathe let alone respond. He recognized her as Esther and yet she was more beautiful than the portrait he had in his pocket. She looked up at him and he felt his smile falter as he gulped again. He decided that this woman was far too good for him, she was far his superior in every way, her grace, her loveliness, and her elegance was breathtaking. He could not be so fortunate as to marry such an amazing woman. He did not deserve such a gift from God, she was too much.
Anna looked at James and seeing the look on his face she laughed. “Put your eyes back in your head James, you’ll scare the poor woman.”
Anna’s words seemed to break the spell and James managed to compose himself. He looked at the flowers and thought for a second that they were not as beautiful as the woman before him, but he would give her his humble gift and hope that she would accept it. “Mrs. Buford, Miss Esther I presume,” James managed with a wide smile and a tip of his hat as he approached the two women.
“Mr. Halverson?” Virginia smiled and offered her hand.
“Mrs. Buford, it is an honor to meet such a distinguished lady; I hope you will accept this token of my appreciation.” James offered the small bouquet to Mrs. Buford who accepted them with a widening grin.
“You are very kind Mr. Halverson. May I present my daughter-in-law Mrs. Esther Buford?”
James gulped again. Esther’s scent was equally as intoxicating as her beauty. Her warm golden brown eyes twinkled in the light and her smile was like a rose in bloom. “Mrs. Buford, it is a pleasure to meet you. I have these flowers for you.” He stumbled on his words and Anna laughed.
“I guess everyone is a bit nervous. Let’s go back to the Inn and we can have some tea and get to know one another.” Anna took Esther’s arm in welcome and gestured to where the wagon was waiting to carry them home.
James did not notice the look on Esther’s face until Anna spoke. She was pale and was shaking. James felt the urge to take her in his arms and hold her, but he knew that was inappropriate. His heart melted and he felt drawn to Esther in a way that was beyond compassion. He felt genuine love for her.
“Thank you Miss,” Esther said quietly, her voice barely a whisper.
“It’s Anna, Esther. It is so nice to finally meet you. Your mother-in-law has written such lovely things about you. I just know that we will be good friends.” Anna smiled and embraced Esther who looked somewhat relieved.
“Thank you Anna, I am sure we will be good friends in no time.”
James took Mrs. Halverson’s arm and guided her to the wagon as Anna and Esther led the way, arm in arm. He would have liked to be taking Esther’s arm himself, but at the same time he was grateful to be in Mrs. Buford’s company instead. He realized that he might embarrass himself further if it were any other way. He needed to gain some control over his feelings for Esther before he could trust himself in her company. He felt like a schoolboy with a crush, but he was a grown man of forty. He should not be acting so silly around anyone, let alone a woman he didn’t know.
Chapter Five
Esther’s first impression of James Halverson was of mild amusement. She could tell that the man was nervous, but she hadn’t expected him to be so awkward. He was an attractive man, a few years older than she and his black wavy hair had tuffs of grey forming at his temples. He was shorter than Harry had been, probably a little under six feet, but still taller than her petite five-foot two. He had deep green eyes that were filled with warmth and compassion. Esther’s fears of his being mean or violent instantly vanished when she looked into those deep green pools. His smile was sincere and full of kindness. The young woman that clung to his arm, she knew to be Anna, the woman who had initiated the correspondence between Virginia and him.
Esther instantly took a liking to Anna. The young blonde woman was buzzing with excitement. Her energy was like a breath of fresh air to Esther and she f
elt a renewed energy in the young woman’s presence. She could understand James’s affection for the girl. She seemed almost childlike in her enthusiasms and yet her charm and wisdom seemed years beyond her.
They travelled to the Inn, and Esther was immediately intrigued. Upon their arrival, Esther noticed a few loose shutters and some painting that needed doing, but the Inn looked well loved and cared for. The interior of the building showed signs of age and use, but it looked like James had tried his best to keep the place clean and in fairly good repair.
They had dinner in the dining room after a tour of James’s private quarters; his space was pristine yet worn. It was well lived in and comfortable for a bachelor. The rest of the Inn was kept in good condition and the kitchen was of special pride to James. Esther could tell it was a place of importance as he ran his hand over the counters with a reverence as much for his late wife as their time together in these walls.
The rooms that had been assigned to her and Virginia were the best in the Inn, and Esther thought them too good for his future wife and her mother-in-law and yet this too made her feel more comfortable in her decision to honor Virginia’s wishes. The man this woman chose for her was a good man with a kind heart. Although he spoke little during their first day together she saw in his actions how kind he was.
As guests milled through the Inn, he and Anna tended to their needs and James became more animated and chatted with them feverishly. It was as if he felt relieved to be talking to his guests rather than having to make conversation with Esther. Instead of being discouraged by his behavior, Esther saw in it his sweet nervousness around her. He wanted to impress her but didn’t know how, and to take away from his anxiety, he became more welcoming to the people he did not have to make a vow to.
