Mail Order Bride: Ultimate Mail Order Bride Collection: 6-Book Bundle ~ Clean Historical Romance (Shades of Romance Series)

by Jill Maguire

  Elizabeth walked right up to Noah, until her face was parallel with his chin. “Believe in yourself, Noah. You’re more than what this place has made you.” She turned away slowly, leaving Noah to watch her go.

  “Wait,” he called. “I have something for you.” Elizabeth stopped as Noah pulled a chain from his pocket and handed it to her. It was her necklace, the turquoise sea glass pendant still hanging delicately from the center.

  The sight of her cherished pendant brought a tear to her eye and the only words she could seem to muster were to ask Noah where he had found it. “Jeremiah Hagen has no use for a pretty necklace like that.”

  “Thank you, Noah,” Elizabeth smiled, her cheeks reddening at the thought of Noah disappearing from her life again. “Seems you’re always giving this to me when it’s time to say goodbye.”

  “I wish it wasn’t,” Noah told her. “I mean, I wish this wasn’t goodbye.” Noah took the necklace from her hand and helped fasten it behind her neck. She was so close he could hardly restrain himself. All he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and kiss her – just once before she became a married woman. “But I know it has to be.”

  Elizabeth looked longingly into Noah’s eyes. She knew he was feeling the exact thing she was feeling. That they belonged together. That they always had. But why wouldn’t he say it?

  And then, Noah did one better than simply tell her they should be together. He proved it with a sweet, tender kiss that tasted like her past, her present and her future all rolled into a single embrace.

  As their lips came apart, Elizabeth’s eyes fluttered open and met Noah’s. He traced his thumb over her cheek, wiping away her tears and caressed her face as he held it in his hands. He took a deep breath and an even bigger leap of faith and said, “Marry me instead.”

  His words were simple and pure. A request so magical, Elizabeth could almost feel her feet lifting from the ground. Those were the words she had been waiting to hear since she was twelve years old.

  “Nothing would make me happier, Noah Cartwright.”

  Noah brought his lips to hers once again and for what seemed like an eternity, they were completely lost in the moment. That was until Molly Timmins appeared at the door.

  “What in the……,” she snarled as she plugged her nose and marched toward them. “Ms. Ridgeway, I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that you’re legally bound to another man. I don’t think Doctor Blackwood would appreciate seeing his future wife like this.”

  “Doctor Blackwood may as well get used to seeing Ms. Ridgeway in the arms of another man because I intend to hold her this way every day for the rest of my life,” Noah told her with a confidence Elizabeth hadn’t seen since she arrived.

  Molly Timmins’ hands shot to her hips. “There is a contract saying otherwise,” she insisted.

  Elizabeth, still numb from Noah’s attention, suddenly became worried. What if Molly was right? What if she was bound by law to marry Henry and there was no way to avoid it? Her father would know the answer.

  Elizabeth yanked Noah out of the barn and as the two bolted across the yard, Elizabeth didn’t make eye contact with Henry, even though she could see he was still perched on the wagon waiting for her to join him. She and Noah ran into the cabin and stood at his mother’s bedside in front of their parents.

  “Father,” Elizabeth started, slightly out of breath. “I know what you’re going to say, but please listen to me. I want to be in love the way you and mother were in love. I want my children to love me the way I love you and the way Noah loves his Ma. I want a love that is pure and real and meaningful, not a love that is determined by a contract and legal instruction. I am not going to marry Henry Blackwood, and nothing you can do or say will change my mind. I want to marry Noah. I love him with all my heart and I always have. He is the only man I want to call my husband.” Elizabeth exhaled and squeezed Noah’s hand, waiting for her father to respond.

  The only sound that came from her father’s mouth was laughter, followed by a whole-hearted snort and a glance at Marion in her bed. She too began to laugh, followed by some coughing, wheezing and more laughter.

  “What is so funny?” Elizabeth said, perturbed by their reaction.

  “You,” her father answered. “It took you long enough.” He looked again to Marion who shook her head and rolled her eyes.

  “What do you mean, father?”

  William Ridgeway got up from the chair and took Elizabeth’s face between his palms. “Marion and I have known that you and Noah belong together since you were both knee-high to a grasshopper. This was destiny, my dear. And we’re thrilled that the two of you finally figured it out.”

  Elizabeth had never felt so relieved in her whole life. She hugged her father so tight she was afraid she may have broken his rib. “But what about the contract with Doctor Blackwood? And your colleague? Won’t he be furious?”

  William shook Noah’s hand and looked into his daughter’s eyes. “Your happiness is all that matters to me.” He dug into his pocket and took out a faded piece of paper. He unfolded it and shredded it in half. “If you want to marry Noah, then you have my blessing. As far as I’m concerned, this contract never existed.”

  The tiny cabin was filled with tears and laughter, hugs and handshakes, and Noah and Elizabeth both agreed that this was the happiest day of their life. But there was still one thing that needed to be done.

  “I’ll do it,” Elizabeth said bravely and left the cabin to tell Henry Blackwood the news.

  The good doctor and Molly Timmins were sitting side-by-side on the buckboard; she was flirtatiously batting her ink black eyelashes and he seemed amused by her idle chatter.

  “Henry?” Elizabeth said, feeling a twinge of guilt about her deception. “I’m sorry but our contract is no longer valid. My father has torn it in two and I intend to marry Noah Cartwright.” Elizabeth waited for the doctor’s argument and insistence. But instead, he simply nodded, smiled and wished her well.

  Molly on the other hand, couldn’t help but get the last word.

  “You have no idea what kind of mistake you’ve made Ms. Ridgeway. Doctor Blackwood is a kind and decent man and any woman would be foolish not to want him.” Molly threaded her arm through Henry’s and pouted at him, letting him know that she would be more than happy to mend his broken heart. “Come on Doctor, let’s get back to town and I’ll fix you a nice dinner.”

  Henry snapped the reigns and the horses lunged forward. As the wagon pulled away, Molly Timmins looked over her shoulder and stuck out her tongue at Elizabeth. Elizabeth couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the woman’s immaturity.

  She turned and skipped back to the porch, meeting Noah at the bottom of the steps. He gathered her into his arms and lifted her, twirling her through the air and kissing her tenderly. He lowered her to her feet and adjusted her turquoise pendant that had shifted to the side.

  “I told you one day that you would marry a man who would spoil you with riches. I’m not sure I can do that, Eli.”

  “I don’t need riches Noah Cartwright. You’re love makes me feel like the wealthiest woman in the world.”

  The two shared another embrace as Marion and William smiled lovingly from the window. William leaned close to Marion and whispered in her ear, “First love is the purest of all.”

  Epilogue

  Elizabeth stood next to her husband as he studied the sign above the door. He squinted one eye and tilted his head from side to side to make sure it was level. She could barely contain her pride.

  “It’s fine, darling,” she insisted. “I love it.”

  Noah wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “So do I.”

  “The Sea Glass Inn is officially open for business,” Elizabeth announced. “Thanks to your savvy business sense.” Together they stared at the carved wooden sign that swayed in the wind above the Ridgeway’s family home in Cranberry Bay. “Father would be so happy. And your Ma would be beaming with pride.”

  “Thank y
ou Eli.”

  She still loved it when Noah called her by her childhood nickname. It never seemed to get old.

  “I wonder when we’ll have our first guests,” Elizabeth pondered.

  “Hopefully not until I touch up that sign a little. The turquoise lettering is a still a little too light. I’ll darken it up a tad.”

  “Don’t be silly, Noah. It looks absolutely perfect.” Elizabeth playfully tapped Noah’s arm to dismiss his nonsense.

  “Excuse me,” a soft voice said from behind them.

  Noah and Elizabeth turned to see a small child, standing in the sand, holding out his hand. “I thought you might be able to tell me if this is sea glass.”

  The youngster opened his palm and showed them a tiny red gem, sparkling in the sunlight. It was only the size of a pea, but Noah could tell it was the finest treasure the tiny lad had ever seen.

  “Why, yes. Indeed it is. And red is one of the rarest kinds of sea glass you can find. My guess is that it was washed ashore from a shipwreck now resting at the bottom of the ocean.”

  “Really!” The child’s eyes flew open and his chin almost hit his chest. Elizabeth grinned and admired her husband as he crouched next to the boy. Even though his hair was starting to silver, his love of the ocean and the treasures it contained were ageless. Her heart swelled as Noah ruffled the boy’s hair and chuckled as the youngster raced back to the beach.

  Elizabeth and Noah watched as the young boy knelt next to a blond haired girl, about the same age as he, and proudly told her he had found real sea glass.

  “They remind me of us,” Noah commented as he kissed Elizabeth on the top of her head. “I hate to think what may have been if we hadn’t met by circumstance in Tangle Creek.”

  Elizabeth rested her head on Noah’s shoulder. “I might have become Mrs. Elizabeth Blackwood. And you may have put a ring on Miss Molly Timmins finger.”

  “I heard that Doc Blackwood married Molly Timmins, but I’m not sure that’s true.”

  “Well if it is, I hope they’re very happy.

  Noah and Elizabeth smiled at each other and took a stroll hand-in-hand down the beach. The salt in the air tickled their noses and a parade of footprints followed them like a lost dog. Just like the good old days.

  Home sweet home.

  The End

  Coming Soon to Kindle:

  Love By Mail: The Whistle Stop Brides Series

  Meet 10 couples in the quaint railroad town of Whistle Stop, Wyoming. Each has endured triumph and tragedy on their way to the altar. Can love really conquer all?

  “A captivating new series by Jill Maguire & Kalyn Keyes.”

  His Magnolia Bride

  Copyright 2015 © Jill Maguire & Kalyn Keyes

  Prairie Wind Publishing

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted by any means - electronic, mechanical, photographic (photocopying), recording, or otherwise without written permission from the author/publisher.

  Cover Design by Renee Barratt @ www.thecovercounts.com

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  A Note from Jill and Kalyn

  His Magnolia Bride

  Chapter One

  Black smoke billowed all around her. She couldn’t see a thing and all she could hear was the roaring of the wind as it carried the flames and smoke across the fields. She was alone.

  “Mama! Mama where are you?” she cried. Her heart was racing and her breathing labored as smoke filled her lungs. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t see. She stumbled through the field, finally falling to her knees, positive that she was dying. “I love you, Mama.”

  Virginia awoke with a start, drenched in sweat, her pillow soaked with tears. The dream was always the same. The smoke, the heat, the fear…and the face…always the same face, smiling as he set the torch to her house and then finally to the stable where she had been hiding. She tried to push the dream away as she listened to the sounds of the morning.

  Downstairs children were gathering for breakfast, their happy chatter shattering the silence of early prayer sessions for the nuns. By about this time Mother Superior would be chasing them all into their seats with her walking stick, appearing stern but her great heart obvious to even the wildest of the bunch.

  These children had been dealt a raw hand by the world and the nuns at this orphanage aimed to make sure it didn’t get any harder. Each child had a different story but the common bond that held them together was the need for each other. Some had never known their parents and others had arrived later in life holding tight to loving memories of a happy childhood that was forever lost.

  Virginia herself had been sent to this place at the age of six after her parents died in the fire that destroyed their farm and land. It was that fire and the trauma of that night that still haunted her dreams. Now at almost seventeen, it was time for her to move on. Her days here as an orphan were drawing to a close.

  She languished in bed for just a few moments more as she pondered her future. It was Saturday so she wasn’t expected downstairs to start lessons. For the past two years she had been helping to teach the younger children, but now Mother Superior said it was time for her to decide her path.

  All of the other teachers at the orphanage had committed themselves to the church and had taken their vows. As much as she loved the Lord, Virginia was certain that he was not calling her to serve in that way.

  She had a strong memory of love and family. She remembered her mother’s soft touch, her father’s gentle voice when he read to her at bedtime. She loved children and could see herself dedicated to a teaching profession, but she also dreamed of finding true love and raising a family of her own. So she had put her plan in motion and soon it would be time to reveal her secret.

  Footsteps and voices outside her door drew her thoughts back to the moment. Hushed whispers followed by giggles gave away the identities of her visitors.

  “You go in.”

  “No, you go in.”

  Virginia smiled and pulled the covers over her head, remaining completely still as her door creaked open. Holding back her laughter, she waited until the quiet steps stopped just beside her head. Then she threw back the covers and bolted upright as two startled little girls screamed.

  Laughing along with them, she corralled the two of them into her bed and tickled them mercilessly. “So you think you can just come up here and wake me up on a Saturday morning?”

  “But you told us to,” they chimed in unison. “You said, if you slept too long we were to come wake you. We just didn’t know for sure how long was too long.”

  Virginia laughed all the more. “Well I think you timed it just right. Are you ready for our adventure?” Two sets of blond ponytails bobbed. “Then let’s get started.”

  She had promised to take the girls out to gather leaves for a science project. They were determined to find as many specimens as possible, and since that would mean travelling some distance from the orphanage, supervision was required. Virginia loved the outdoors, and had quickly volunteered for the job. She was glad too of the diversion. By Sunday evening she would have had her chat with Mother Superior, a meeting she was somewhat dreading. She wanted to forget about all of that for a while.

  Armed with a picnic lunch and bags for collecting leaves they set out for the day. It was sunny and hot and time passed all too quickly as they ran from tree to tree gathering their treasures. By the time they had all the leaves they could identify all three of them were exhausted.

  As she lay in bed later that night reflecting on the day, Virginia realized just how much she wanted
children of her own. She drifted off to sleep with visions of the perfect husband and family filling her mind.

  Sunday was a quiet day at the orphanage. The nuns spent much of the day in worship, and the children were expected to entertain themselves quietly. No boisterous activities were allowed so most of them spent the day reading, doing school assignments or playing quietly in the yard. It was always a more trying day for the boys than for the girls, and Virginia smiled as she watched a few of them trying to keep their voices low as they squabbled over a game of marbles.

  After watching them for a while, she returned to her chores. She smoothed the covers on her bed, finished dressing and then got comfortable in the small chair by the window to read her morning scriptures. When she picked up her old bible, it automatically fell open to the page where a small, tattered photograph had been placed.

  Virginia gently picked up the fragile picture and held it to her chest. It was the only memento she had of her past. In the faded picture stood a petite woman, smiling down at the tiny wrapped bundle in her arms. In the background stood a beautiful, fully grown magnolia tree. She had seen the photograph many times, and remembered asking her mother over and over if the baby in the picture was her.

  “Yes, my darling. That is you when you were just a few weeks old. See the magnolia there in full bloom? That’s how you’ll always be able to tell when your birthday is near. The magnolias will be in bloom.”

  Though the picture itself was dark and faded shades of gray, Virginia could close her eyes and see the bright pink of the magnolia blooms in her mind. If she tried hard enough, she could also imagine their sweet fragrance on the warming spring breeze.

  “Someday,” she thought to herself, “I will have a magnolia tree of my own.” Then, knowing that today she would disclose a decision that would lead her closer to that plan, she tucked the photograph away and concentrated on her scriptures.

  A soft knock at her door sometime later roused her from her reading. She opened the door to the smiling face of Mother Superior.