by Annie Boone
A Christmas Proposal
Annie Boone
A Mail Order Bride Short Story
This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this story are products of the author’s imagination. Any misrepresentation or discrepancies about the places or history are research or interpretation errors by the author.
For more information about the author, Annie Boone, check out her website.
http://www.AnnieBoone.com
Chapter One
Lillian Spencer was on the way to the post office to see if she had any mail, just as she did every day. She had been corresponding with Andrew Booker from Cheyenne, Wyoming and she was excited beyond words every time she heard from him. The exciting life he described running his ranch made her long to go there to be with him as soon as possible.
This annoyed her parents. Well, actually it angered them greatly. They thought it was improper that she was considering marrying a man she had only met through letters. A man they didn’t know. They found a list of problems with this situation that was too long to dwell on. They were normally critical of her decisions and this was far from the exception. They often reminded her that this was the worst decision they’d ever seen her make.
At twenty-three, she should already be married and have a growing little family. Her friends were married. Her cousins her age were married. Practically every woman in the town near her age was married. This made her parents very nervous. She was getting left behind and all the good men were being taken by others.
But she’d never been a traditional girl, and marriage had never really been her first priority. Now, though, she found herself older and if she were honest, she was a little concerned that she was on the road to becoming a spinster. She’d never admit to her parents that she was bothered by her current marital status. Lillian didn’t need that trouble. Oh, no. Her parents weren’t wealthy and they could barely afford to pay her way. On top of that, she didn’t want to have to abide by their restrictive rules for the rest of her life.
She would have to find a job to take care of herself if nothing else worked out. The problem with finding a job was that the respectable positions for women were boring or required skills she didn’t possess. She much preferred to make a living in a profession that would allow her to be with people or at least do something interesting. She wasn’t really a tomboy and she did like girlie things, but she wasn’t afraid of hard work, either. There weren’t many jobs for girls who weren’t afraid of hard work, though. Those jobs were reserved for men who needed to support a family.
However, she believed her current plan was going to work out very well. She had found a man to marry and that would take care of the spinster scare. He was also wealthy and that would take away her need to get a job. She was feeling pretty good about her future.
When she arrived at the post office, there was indeed a letter waiting for her, just as she had hoped. Her heart sped up just a tick when she took the letter from the clerk. She held it firmly against her heart and walked out into the bright sunlight. She spotted an empty bench in the shade just on the other side of the bakery and she headed in that direction to sit and read the letter with some privacy.
She sat down, took a deep breath, and opened the envelope with trembling fingers. She started to read and was immediately on edge. This letter wasn’t as loving as the last ones had been. She detected a distinct difference in the tone. This worried Lillian.
But her betrothed had already bought her a ticket to Cheyenne and she was scheduled to depart right away. She was in the final stages of packing her trunks and she’d finish that task tonight. She couldn’t worry about the tone in his latest letter. She’d worry later, if it became a problem. She prayed that he was just a little grumpy when he wrote this letter and that all would be well when she saw him. She smiled dreamily when she thought of seeing him.
Lillian’s parents thought she should find someone from her home town of Chattanooga to marry. They thought it would be much more proper if they knew the man she was courting. She wasn’t interested in anyone she knew, though. All the men she knew were uninteresting and fairly tedious. Most of them had some sort of employment in town. Dull men doing dull work. She didn’t want a life like that.
The hectic nature of the city made her dizzy. There was too much bustle for her liking. Too many people. She loved being outdoors and in a simpler uncluttered environment. She craved a life that kept her wild mind occupied. Being kept cooped up in her city home was horrible. She needed a way out and Andrew was her way. The way he described Cheyenne made her long for him and for the clean, fresh air he told her about.
She had been corresponding with Andrew for about a year. They had shared many of their dreams and she felt like she knew most everything about him by now. She had certainly shared details about herself that would help him understand more about her. She had even told him secrets. Things that she’d never shared with anyone before.
Their relationship grew and he had finally written that he wanted her to make the trip to Cheyenne. When she arrived, he wanted her to marry him. This was the proposal letter she had been hoping for every day. He had written back right away to tell her he was delighted with her acceptance and that he was ecstatic to finally see her lovely face in person. He’d written such sweet things. She loved that.
After reading the latest letter from Andrew, she decided to ignore it. He could be getting cold feet or he may have just been in a bad mood when he wrote it. Either way, he was still expecting her to be there in just about a week’s time. She was going to handle any issue there might be in person because she felt that would be the most effective.
***
She had already packed her trunks and cleaned out her closet. Everything she owned was packed away, even her hairpins and combs. She was ready to leave on the westward bound train the next day.
Her mother came into her room, very late that night. She held up a lantern and Lillian sat up in the bed, not feeling a bit tired. Her mind raced with thoughts of her new husband to be and the life they would build together.
“Well, when are you leaving us?” her mother asked.
“I told you, Mama. In the morning.”
“And you’re never coming back, I presume.”
“No. Not to live. If my marriage works out the way I think it will, I will live with him on his ranch. I need to do this. I need to leave. You can always visit, or perhaps I will come back for a visit. We’ll see each other again.”
Lillian’s mother set the lamp on the nightstand and went to the bed to sit down. Lillian scrambled to move over to make room for her.
“What makes you think this man can give you what you need?”
“Well, I’ve corresponded with him for a year and he has everything I want. He lives near a river, he hunts and fishes, not like any of the men around here. He’s a real man, and that’s what I want. That’s what I need.”
“Well, I sure hope it all works out. I want the best for you. I’ll miss you.”
Lillian smiled wide. “Really?”
Her mother smiled back. “Yes, really. This place won’t be the same. I love you, girl. Be happy.”
Her mother kissed her forehead, then took the lamp and left the room.
Lillian closed her eyes and thought of the words her mother had spoken. It was good to know that she mattered to her mother and she hoped she wasn’t hurting her by leaving. She still felt that her own well being depended on moving to the west and becoming the mail order bride of one Andrew Booker. Soon, she fell asleep and dreamed o
f the life she was going to have as Mrs. Booker.
The next morning, Lillian kissed her parents goodbye and left for the train station. The hired carriage driver took his time working his way through the traffic in the city. The station wasn’t that far away, but it seemed to take over an hour to get there. She wanted to arrive early so that she would have time to make sure she was in the right place. The last thing she needed was to miss the train because she didn’t know where to go.
When she finally arrived at the station, she found that the foot traffic was heavy. Many people came and went from Chattanooga and activity was high at this time of day. The bustle drove Lillian nearly mad. She pushed through the throngs of people with strong shoulders, making her way to the platform. She was nearly late. Being late made her uncomfortable.
At last, the train arrived and she got into a line of people, waiting for the appropriate time to board. Lillian dreaded the train ride. It was such a small, confined space, much like the city itself. She couldn’t wait to be in Wyoming where she could spread her clipped wings. And then there was Andrew. She smiled as she thought of the reason she was even boarding this train. Being married to him in a place with mountains and wide open spaces was a dream come true for her in so many ways.
Once the conductor called for people holding a ticket to Chicago to board the doors were opened. Some people shoved forward in a hurry to get on. Lillian grabbed her bags and soon met the car attendant. He sweetly took her bags from her and handed them to another attendant, inside the train. She followed the man to her seat, where she sat in anticipation. The ride would be long and she would likely be awake for most of it. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to sleep much from excitement. She also expected her compartment to be quite uncomfortable.
Her journey would go through Chicago where she would have to change trains. She had read that Chicago was a much larger city than Chattanooga. She wouldn’t have to go into the city, but she imagined that the station would be more crowded than the one she started out in. She prayed that she’d be able to make it to the right place to change trains and that her trunks and bags would be transferred with no issues.
She was thinking about how different her new life would be and she was lost in thought before the train started moving. Excitement streamed through her and she looked around the train, taking in the surroundings. Her eyes settled on a woman holding a little blond boy on her lap. He waved to her and laughed. She waved back with a smile. Maybe children would be in her near future. She sure hoped so.
***
After days on the train nicknamed “Big Boy,” Lillian found herself in desperate need of a proper wash and toilette. She was nervous to meet her new fiancé in such a condition. She had done her best to keep herself presentable, but there was only so much you could do in a tiny washroom on a train.
She was thankful that she was going to have an extra day before Andrew came to meet her. Their plan was for her to send a messenger to his ranch when she arrived in Cheyenne. He would fetch her the next day. That would give her one day to rest up and unwind after her long journey.
After the train came to a stop in Cheyenne, she went outside to the street. The first thing she noticed was how different it was here than in Chattanooga. There were far fewer people and more horses without carriages. She even saw a few chickens scattered along the paths. The market was alive and Lillian looked around her in awe as she took it all in. She turned her face up and smelled the fresh air. Because she wasn’t watching where she was going, she bumped into a woman on the street.
“Oh! I’m so sorry! I’m so clumsy!” she said.
“No mind, everything is fine,” the woman said, patting her on the shoulder.
“You wouldn’t happen to know where the hotel is, would you?”
“There is a pleasant little inn just around that corner to your right. It’s called the Mountain View,” the woman offered, pointing down the street.
“Thank you. I’ve just arrived in town and I have no idea where anything is,” Lillian said and nodded, then she was on her way.
“Welcome to Cheyenne!” the woman yelled as Lillian was walking away.
Lillian turned back around to the woman and smiled and waved. Then she was on her way again to the inn.
She came to the establishment and thought it quite charming. She wondered how expensive it would be. She only had a little bit of money saved up. Maybe it had been a bad idea to travel with so little money, but this had been the least of her concerns. She knew that Andrew would be ready to take charge of her finances when she arrived in town.
She went inside the little white building and met a sweet red-headed woman at the counter.
“Hello. How can I help you?” she asked.
“One room, please,” Lillian said.
“That’ll be two dollars, please. I’ll get you set right up, too.”
Lillian took the money from her purse and then went to grab her bags, but a man already had them in his arms. “I also have trunks that are at the train station. Could someone bring them here?”
“Of course. I’ll send someone to get them right away. Follow me to your room, miss,” the man said and went for the stairs.
“Oh, and one more thing. I need to send a message to a Mr. Andrew Booker at his ranch. Can you get a messenger for me?”
“Certainly. You can write your note before we go up. Seal the envelope and leave it on the desk and I’ll make sure it’s sent,” he replied.
She smiled and took the paper and pencil offered by the clerk behind the counter. She had been listening and was prepared to provide just what Lillian needed. She wrote out a quick and precise note, sealed it, and left it on the counter as she had been instructed.
“I guess I’m ready to go up now. Thank you for your help today,” she said.
He nodded his head in response. “Now you can follow me to your room.”
Lillian smiled and followed the helpful gentleman up the stairs. Dark green carpet flowed down the hallway and pictures hung smartly on the walls, mostly of landscapes. There was a nice feminine touch to the place. It felt cozy and homey. She liked it.
The attendant stopped at a door and opened it, going inside to put her things down. She followed him and was welcomed by a beautifully adorned four poster bed and gorgeous curtains on the windows. A small table with flowers sat next to the bed and a plush rug was thrown in the center of the room.
Lillian immediately plopped down on the bed with a weary smile.
“Is it to your liking, miss?” the attendant asked.
“Absolutely,” she said. “It’s perfectly comfortable.”
“Rest well, then, miss. We start serving breakfast at six.”
Lillian still wore her smile as she waved the gentleman out. “Who eats breakfast at six?” she asked herself, thinking it a ridiculous time to even be awake. She never started her day before seven back in Chattanooga. Well, tomorrow she would wake up early. If that’s how they do it here, then she would get used to a new routine. In fact, she looked forward to the change.
She had asked for a bath to be run for her in the small washroom and the attendant came to do it soon after she was settled in her room. She soaked her body until the water was tepid, tired from her long journey. Once she was clean and relaxed, she got into the cozy little bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. Soon, she was fast asleep.
Chapter Two
Lillian woke grumpily to a bell sounding in the hallway. It seemed to be the morning alarm. She checked her much beloved pocket watch and saw the time was five-thirty. Quickly, she dressed in her blue bodice and flounced skirt and slipped on her shoes. She hurriedly pinned her dark hair up in a messy bun and then flew out the door for breakfast. She realized she was very hungry and didn’t want to miss this important meal.
She sat at small table and watched people, until she was served coffee, biscuits, gravy, eggs, and sausage. This was a much heartier breakfast than she normally had. S
he realized that most of the people in the restaurant looked just like the people from Chattanooga. There were some minor differences, such as the women were less adorned, but in general the people were about the same.
The clothes people wore were a bit different. Not as fancy or smart as city clothes. Lillian was happy to see this. She usually dressed in plainer clothing than most of her friends. She hated corsets and ties and lace. All of it suffocated her. She wanted to be able to move around easily and a simpler wardrobe made that easy. On Sundays she wore her finery. She did like to look pretty when she was going somewhere important, like church. As the hymn said, “Give of your best to the Master” and Lillian thought that dressing nicely was one way to show reverence and respect on God’s day.
She smiled as she ate and then fled to her room to ready herself to meet Andrew. Today was another day that she would take extra care with her appearance. This would be his first impression of her. While she believed that the true way to judge a person was by what was in their heart, it was undeniable that people still judged others by how they looked. She wanted to be sure to get a wonderful first reaction from her future husband when he saw her for the very first time. Just the thought of this first face to face meeting made her legs go weak. She was beside herself with giddiness at the thought of actually beginning her life with him.
She pulled on one of her best dresses. It was a sunny yellow with a fitted bodice and full skirt. Then she lightly powered her nose and dabbed a bit of rouge on her cheeks and lips. Feeling like she looked the way she wanted, she dabbed some toilet water behind her ears and on her wrists as the finishing touch. Then she checked the time again. She had received a note back from Andrew that he would meet her in the lobby of the inn at nine. It was only seven. Lillian frowned, unsure of what to do with her time. She decided that a stroll down the streets of her new city would be a lovely way to pass the time.
