Once Upon a Mail Order Bride: Mail Order Brides: Book One

by Hannah West

  “No, I’m just nervous is all. I’ve never been the wild child before like you. Though we share the same face, we are not much like-minded.”

  “It will be fine, you’ll see. I have all of my pin money father gave me since I was six saved up, we’ll have plenty if we need anything. I have my allowance as well.”

  “Me as well. I have already started packing. I think I can be done within the hour.”

  “I’ll meet you down stairs in an hour then. I still have to pack. This is going to be an adventure! I can’t wait to meet our new husbands. We should write them letters telling them we have left and when we’ll be there. We can drop them off before we get to the train station.”

  “Good idea Cara. Now go and get ready!” Emmy giggled.

  Chapter Five

  Washington Territory 1869

  One week later…

  The trip was quite something, one would never guess the land between the two oceans were so different, the East was warm and humid, the Plains were dry and had little by the ways of trees; and finally as they reached the edge of the Plains and into the mountains that would take them on the last leg of the journey, the twin saw that this side of the country they were to live in was rich in trees and rain! It seemed the closer they got the more it rained on the final days.

  When the train pulled in the station they were surrounded by green and a fine mist. It was raining lightly and the girls giggled as they looked out the window as people started leaving the train cars.

  Carrow looked at her sister with wide green eyes and smiled. “This is it! Are you nervous?”

  Emmy nodded and bit her lip, her nervous habit. “I think so; I’m just not sure what I am going to do without you.”

  “We are in the same town, it can’t be so bad. We can meet at the mercantile on Main Street every day to see each other. When we both get settled in we can visit each other. I hope you and your new husband gets along. I wish you the best Em.”

  Emmy pulled her in a tight hug and sniffed a little and wiped her eyes with a silly smile. “There is that at least. I hope he is kind to you.”

  “There is going to be a plus side to being married other than just being free of Uncle. There is the bedroom sport as it were,” Carrow said wagging her eyebrows.

  “Carrow!” her sister gasped in surprise.

  “It’s not like I would know, but I have friends who were married and they did so enjoy their tea time talks,” Carrow giggled. “From what I hear most enjoy it but the first time is a bit of a pinch. I hope his is good in bed, it would make liking him so much better, I think.”

  Emmy whacked her on the shoulder. “That is enough, you are being crude!”

  “I am the wild child. I might even dare to start wearing pants instead of skirts while I am here,” Carrow said winking at her sister. She grabbed her carry on carpet bag and dismounted the station onto the platform and was greeted by a wave of stream that nearly blew her hat off her head. She reached up to keep it on with a laugh.

  She had never felt so free or alive. This was going to be her adventure and she was going to get everything she could out of it.

  She opened her eyes after the stream stopped and turned to look at the other end of the platform. Her mouth opened in surprise.

  Standing at the entrance of the platform stood a very tall man in a plain dark blue cotton work shirt, dark tan work pants, dark blonde hair falling around his chin line in a windswept look; a five o’clock shadow covering those high cheeks and all Carrow could think was that he was sin born to flesh. Surely it was a sin to look that good and go around breaking the hearts of woman with nothing more than a glance.

  Someone bumped into her from behind and she heard her sister say, “Move over Cara I can’t get off. What are you looking at?”

  Carrow turned her sister’s face from her own with a finger under her chin. When her sister saw the walking sin she breather, “Oh my!”

  “Oh my indeed, Sister. Let’s hope that one is for me,” Carrow said dazed.

  She moved away from the train and the man was still staring at her, but when he got a good look at the two sisters, a look of surprise covered his face.

  He moved forward slowly and came up to them and smiled slightly.

  “Are either of you Ms. Carrow?” he asked, his voice as rich as chocolate.

  “I am,” Carrow said quietly, suddenly shy.

  The man looked between the two of them, took her hand and bowed slightly over it and kissed the back of her hand. “Charmed, Ms. Carrow. I don’t believe in the letter you send your sister was indeed a twin. An identical twin at that. She is just as beautiful as you are.”

  Emmy blushed and smiled shyly at him. “Thank you, sir.”

  A grin curved his lips and Carrow about faint. She never fainted.

  Just then another man came up from behind Emmy and cleared his throat looking embarrassed. He was handsome too if you liked the dark rouge look, his dark honey colored eyes eyed us with curiosity.

  “Would one of you be Emmy Cole?” he asked.

  Emmy turned around to the hand and she grinned. “I am, and you must be Mr. Eric Forster.”

  He tipped his hat. “Indeed I am, my good woman.” He flashed us a grin and looked over to the other man in surprise. “You too, huh, Clay? Well doesn’t that beat all odds and twins too?”

  Clayton Stone smiled at the other man and nodded taking Carrow by the hand. Carrow noticed the man wore a silver star pinned to his shirt. So her sister was going to marry the sheriff, huh? Good for her.

  “I’ll see your later Emmy. We’ll meet tomorrow right?”

  Her sister nodded and walked away with the man, hand in hand. Carrow was suddenly nervous to be left alone with a man she barely knew, but they were going to be married soon.

  “So…its nice to meet you,” Carrow said shyly.

  “I’m glad you came,” the man said simply and suddenly he bent to kiss her gently on the lips.

  As quick as he was there he was gone. Carrow stood stunned to the spot as she watched him walk away to collect her trunk and spare bag. She could swear the man’s face was flushed. She had never been kissed before and it left her stunned to the spot in delightful shivers.

  “You ready?”

  His voice pulled her out of her thoughts and she nodded, following behind him meekly to a buggy where he loaded her bags and helped her up into the front seat. She took his hand and stepped up and he hopped on next to her.

  He smiled at her and snapped the reins, the horse pulled onward.

  “So, when were you thinking of us getting married?” Carrow asked as she looked around the town and waved to people who smiled up at her. When he didn’t answer she glanced over and saw that his ears and cheeks were red again. Carrow wanted to laugh, he was easily embarrassed.

  “Um…well I hadn’t thought quite that far. I was in a hurry to get the house ready and in between work and such, I forgot. I’m sorry,” he mumbled and ducked his head a bit not looking at her.

  “Well if we aren’t getting married today then where will I stay?” she asked confused, but glad he had been honest with her.

  “There’s plenty room at the house. Six rooms in total, you can have your pick, I guess,” he said looking around and waving to a few curious on lookers.

  Carrow gasped. “You mean alone with you in the house?!”

  That got him to look at her and she winked at him just as he heard the words he just said to her. He blushed again and shook his head.

  “I’m sorry; I just realized what I said to a young woman coming from a well off background. I should know, my mother was the same way. It’s no problem putting you up at one of the hotels or the boarding house. I have the money to do it, I just thought, maybe…”

  “Thought what,” Carrow asked with a winged eyebrow.

  “That maybe, I don’t really know what I was thinking I guess,” he sighed.

  Carrow laughed at the joy of it and he looked at her surprised.

  “I di
dn’t laugh to be mean, I assure you. I was just enjoying our banter. I really don’t see any reason why I can’t stay at your house if you propose to me before I step over the threshold and say yes. To hell with what any of the nosy biddies in town would think of it,” Carrow said with a grin.

  Clayton looked shocked on account of two things. First the woman had a mouth on her and second that he had brought her all the way out west without really asking her to marry him. If his Ma was alive she would have skinned him then and there.

  Also it surprised him that a woman of rank and money would not care about what others said of her.

  “I know that look,” she said with a sigh. “My mother used to give it to me all the time when I did something eccentric or crazy. My sister is the one who follows the rules and would never step a foot out of place. I, on the other hand am the wild one; I think rules were meant to bend just a little to have fun.” She eyed him closely. “My personality doesn’t put you off does it? If so I’m am afraid I’m not much for change, my mother did try, but-”

  “It’s just a little surprising, but fresh. I’ve never met someone like that and glad you are the way you are. Eccentric though you are,” he said with a small smile.

  Carrow smiled. “I can be quite shocking sometimes.”

  “Really?” he asked as he leaned in a little.

  Carrow could feel his warm breath on her face. She took and chance and leaned in the rest of the way to kiss him. Before she knew it she had her arms wrapped around his neck and she was straddling his lap. He hadn’t pulled away like she thought he would instead he deepened the kiss and pulled her closer.

  A throat was cleared and Carrow snapped back to herself. She slowly pulled away and breathed, “Sorry ‘bout that.” She untangled herself and sat back in her seat with a blush.

  Clayton looked thunderstruck and shook his head as if to clear it. He looked around for the person who had cleared their throat and looked at his porch where he had parked in front of and his fourteen year old daughter and their great aunt stood looking quite shocked. Sadie had a hand covering her mouth to hide a giggle and his aunt glared at him.

  “Highly inappropriate, Nephew,” she grunted. “Go inside Sadie.”

  “Aunt Linda, good to see you. Please meet my bride Carrow Cole. She came all the way from New York to be with us out here. Carrow meet my aunt.”

  Carrow stepped out of the buggy with his help and gave a deep curtsy to his aunt. “Pleasure is all mine Madam.”

  His aunt eyed the girl and she sniff without farther greeting. She turned to her nephew with a glare. “My brother has taken ill and I must go see him in Colorado. I thought since you were getting married it was time Sadie come back to live with you. After hearing for your bride’s parentage I thought she could finish Sadie’s teachings better than I could.” She flicked her gaze to said young girl. “She hardly looks older than Sadie.”

  “I am quite small; I will admit though not to fault of my own. My mother was a rather small lady and not much taller than I and my sister,” Carrow said with a smile at his aunt.

  Clayton was impressed at her being so kind to his aunt after being so rude. But Sadie come back to live with him? She hadn’t lived with him since his wife died ten years ago. He barely knew her anymore. It had to painful to have her around and he had no idea how to take care of a young girl.

  She was right, Carrow did look really young, but he had put in his letter he needed someone who was at least twenty-one, and here she was, so that was that. Maybe with Carrow in the home his daughter could-

  “Daughter?” Carrow asked as it sank in. the girl looked nearly her age and Clayton never mention having a daughter.

  Clayton refused to slap his hand to his head like he wanted to. He had forgot to mention Sadie to Carrow. He turned to her and grimaced.

  “I forgot to put it in my letter. Jenny and I married real young. I was eighteen and she was sixteen. We have Sadie real young too, not even after a year of marriage. She’s, um, fourteen now. She’s been living with my aunt since she was four. The last ten years or so.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess my aunt figured since I’m marrying she could move back and, um, have a mother figure.”

  Carrow looked at him in disbelief. A child?! More like a teenager! She was only four years older than the poor girl; and to have been stuck with such an aunt!

  Well it couldn’t be help that he had a girl, and she would just have to take it in step. She wanted children of her own too, but it wouldn’t hurt making friends with his daughter. When the time came she might even be able to help. So Carrow took a deep breath and nodded.

  “Of course she should live with us,” Carrow announced and the aunt looked shocked. “There is no reason she shouldn’t. I am not be much of a mother figure since we are so close in age but I would love to be friends and can teach her anything she wants to know. Who knows, she might be a help when we have a baby of our own. I hope she wants brothers and sisters.”

  Clayton cleared his throat while looking away red-faced and his aunts mouth flopped open and closed like a fish.

  “Well if you excuse me, I’ll just take my bag inside,” Carrow said with a smile. “It was nice to meeting you, Aunt.”

  Carrow walked in the door holding her breath and the moment she was on the other side of the door she heard his aunt hiss at him.

  “What are you doing, marrying a harlot like her!”

  Carrow winced at the tone.

  “And even keeping her in the house before the wedding? What will others say?”

  “She isn’t a harlot, and I quite frankly don’t give a care for what others think. There is nothing wrong with her staying if Sadie is in the house,” Clayton argued.

  “Your marrying someone who is the age of your daughter!” she screeched. “Don’t you feel any shame? What is your poor daughter going to think with this and then the town talking?”

  “She is twenty-one, not the age of my daughter. And if you don’t mind, keep your mouth shut. The only way for people to know is if you start gabbing!”

  “I wasn’t the one mauling her on the front see of a buggy in broad daylight, Clayton James Stone!” the woman gasped in outrage.

  Carrow looked over to her left when she heard a giggle and saw Clayton’s daughter. Carrow pointed to the door. “Is she always like this?”

  Sadie nodded with wide eyes. “She is a nosy woman and likes her option to be heard.” She shrugged, “Even when she is wrong.”

  “Horrid woman,” Carrow mumbled and covered her mouth with a hand.

  But Sadie didn’t look shocked or offended, she simply nodded.

  “I’m Carrow,” she said with a smile.

  “I’m Sadie, is it true? Will Daddy be marrying you soon?” She looked quite hopeful. “If he does that means I can stay here and live with you and not have to go back with Aunt.”

  “If your father says it’s okay I see no problem. There isn’t much difference in our age, but I hope you will look to me as a friend. I’m afraid I’m not old enough to be a mother just yet,” Carrow laughed. “But maybe someday soon. How do you feel about a sister or brother?”

  Sadie blushed but nodded eagerly. “I would like that. It’s always just been me.”

  “Shall we go save him from the harpy?” Carrow asked. Sadie giggled but nodded so Carrow poked her head out the door and the two closed their mouths.

  “Clayton,” Carrow asked using his first name intimately to get his attention. It worked and she was rewarded with a glare from his aunt.

  “Yeah?” he asked with a wistful smile.

  “Can you come in? I don’t know where to put my stuff.” Carrow looked at the aunt. “Would you like some tea?”

  The older woman drew herself up and shook her head with distain. “Not with a hussy, like you!” She looked at Clayton. “As soon as I am back from Colorado I am taking Sadie back home with me where she belongs!”

  Carrow was mad at the woman, but with her threat to take the girl away and
the look of horror on Sadie’s face she had had enough of this nonsense.

  Coming out the door Carrow came to stand in front of the much taller woman and crossed her arms. “You will do no such thing.”

  Aunt’s eyes narrowed on Carrow. “Yes, I will! She doesn’t belong in a house of unmannered people and bitch like you!”

  Carrow sniff disdainfully. “Such language from a woman of your breeding. For shame, if I do say so. Let me make this clear and see if you understand. Mr. Stone here, Clayton, is her father and guardian, not you. So if he says she stays, she stays. I want none of this nonsense from you, if you want to take legal action I will have my lawyer get in contact with you. But the girl stays.”

  “Why I never,” she gasped clutching at her throat.

  “Besides, she has had enough of your stuffy self. Now I bid you a good day and not to come back any time soon,” Carrow finished with a sweet smile.

  His aunt looked to him for help but he shook his head stepping forward and putting an arm around Carrow’s waist. Carrow looked up at him in surprise then smiled gently. It warmed his heart and made up his mind about her and Sadie.

  “Sadie stays here. I think it’s about time she came to live with me. Now do be nice and leave without comment, I have heard just about enough,” Clayton said with a nod toward the street.

  True to her huffy nature the woman left in a huff and mumbled angrily under her breath.

  He looked down at Carrow. “Did you mean it?” he asked.

  Wide green eyes stared up at him. “Mean what?”

  “What you said about Sadie staying with us,” he said gruffly.

  Carrow nodded. “I like her already. It’ll be nice to have another woman around. She is a lovely girl.”

  Clayton grinned then and Carrow caught her breath.

  “That’s good to hear. How about we get your stuff settled and then get Sadie settled in. I was thinking I could go talk to the pastor and see if he could marry us tomorrow if not on Friday which is a couple days away.”

  Carrow nodded and went to fetch her other bags while he pulled her trunk behind him. He took her to one of the three bedrooms on the mail level just off of the dining room and put Sadie in the one just next door to her, leaving him in the master room upstairs by himself.