Mail Order Bride 22 Book Boxed set: 22 Brides Ride West :CLEAN Western Historical Romance Series Bundle

by Faye Sonja

  “Really? That’s wonderful. I’d have married you in any clothes, of course, but I do thank you for your efforts.”

  “I knew you’d be radiant. Could hardly turn out in my dusty and ripped ranch duds.”

  Amelia felt the blush rise on her cheeks at his compliment. “Thank you, Jack.”

  * * *

  As they left the cases in Amelia’s room, Jack could not believe how pretty she was. Her skin glowed and her cheeks were softly pink. She’d worn no make-up and he was pleased. She’d said it was too difficult in the movement of the train and she wanted to wait and look special for their wedding day.

  Amelia Archer, soon to be Amelia Blair, was a vision of blossoming womanhood and she belonged to him. The poems and prose he could write about the moment he first laid eyes on her; he’d go on forever. His half-written book languishing in a drawer would be continued with renewed passion.

  What he wanted more than anything was to be published, but that was even harder than ranching, and ranching had proved almost impossible for Jack. Yes, his crops had grown well, and he’d sold half a dozen cattle, but it wasn’t in his heart.

  His father had made part-payment on the land for both him and Jacob, his younger brother. Said he wanted to see them settled down, and not wasting their lives away over impossible dreams and crazy notions. Jack had to work this ranch well to pay his father back. He refused to be in debt to him over anything.

  “You’re very quiet now, Jack. Are you having second thoughts?” Amelia touched his hand.

  “No. Just thinkin’ how lucky I am.”

  “You may not say that after our first supper.” Amelia longed to be capable and resourceful like Adeline, but she fell way short of the mark.

  “I haven’t poisoned myself, so I’ll be all right with yours. My cookin’ is simple.”

  “I’m not sure that makes me feel better. I was hoping you might be able to teach me.”

  “We’ll learn together.”

  “We can do everything together once we’re married. I fear you’ll get sick of me.”

  “I think you’ll get sick of the amount of work involved before I get sick of you.” Jack squeezed her hand as they strolled along the path towards the restaurant.

  “Do you want to wait before we get married, to see if you’ve made the right choice?” Amelia stopped walking and looked at him, her question sincere.

  “No. I want to marry you, Amelia.”

  She breathed out and he saw the relief in her face. “This is so romantic. Everything I’ve ever dreamed of. As a little girl I knew my true love would come to me on an adventure.”

  “We should hold off to see if you’ve chosen right. Nothing much romantic about ranch life.”

  “Nonsense, if we’re together, it’ll all be perfect. Sunsets, picnics, walks, making new friends. I can’t wait for it all.”

  Amelia would need her spirit and positive attitude on the ranch. His fifty head of cattle needed his constant attention and if he was to double that number from the sales then he’d need to be putting up fences non-stop. The ranch was a constant source of aggravation for him, but he also loved being there and feeling free.

  “Speaking of meeting new people, I have a surprise. My parents will be dining with us this evening. Neither can make the wedding tomorrow back in Goldrush, so they wanted to meet you and wish us all the best.” Jack glanced at Amelia to gauge her reaction. She hadn’t spoken. “Amelia? Is that okay?”

  “Why, yes, of course. I’ll be honoured to meet them. I’d wished for them to be at our wedding, though.” Her voice held a slight quaver. “Out of everything, I’m most nervous about your parents thinking I’m the right choice for you and seeing me as a daughter-in-law they can love.”

  “If they dislike my choice, it won’t matter a chit to me.” He’d like to reassure her that they’d love her and be happy for both of them, but that would likely be lying. His Pa would be concerned about the cattle prospects and making money to pay him back. His Ma would likely be comparing Amelia to Felicity, the vapid young lady she wanted him to marry.

  Felicity had the richest parents of the highest standing in San Francisco, and she’d taken a shine to him at a dinner party last year. He didn’t want to be rude but her beauty came from falsities like thick make-up, extra tight corsets, and, he was sure, false hair pieces.

  Her smile never reached her eyes and her eyes saw things to criticize in everything. She’d been sweet to him, too sweet. She’d taken him aside saying she needed fresh air and then attempted to kiss the air clean out of his lungs. He’d pushed her away.

  Not that he’d ever been immune to a stolen kiss, but Felicity was one to use it against him to get what she wanted. He didn’t trust her and he certainly didn’t want it happening again. The truth was, he’d come up with finding a bride very soon after that because his mother had a way of making things happen if she truly wanted them to.

  He wasn’t changing his mind and if they were rude then it would be a very long time before they saw him again. Pa and Ma never tried to railroad his younger brother Jacob into marriage. They’d probably given up on him ever doing what they wanted him to.

  This time he was standing up to their ideas. He would never get to be a writer because of the way his father felt about artistic pursuits, but he could stand up for who he’d marry. Being pressured out of one thing he loved was enough. He steadfastly refused to give up Amelia, whom he’d fallen hopelessly in love with.

  * * *

  2

  Reality

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  “I’m marrying you, tomorrow,

  not your parents.”

  .

  Amelia was relieved she’d worn a very special dress today; the deep bronze and copper sheen at least gave her brown eyes some spark. She finished touching up her makeup in her hotel room bathroom. She may not be the prettiest woman in the room tonight, but she definitely wouldn’t be the least attractive either.

  She finished the look with the set of pearls her father had bought her on her last birthday. She’d always gotten compliments when she wore them. The pearl necklace and earrings made her feel good. Her own good luck charms. She’d always had a wonderful time and lovely memories when wearing them.

  What she wanted to do most was please her dear fiancé, Jack. To think he’d gotten a new suit for their wedding. Amelia twirled in front of the mirror and a few tendrils of hair loosened from her bun and framed her face. Perfect. This had to be her most favourite dress with the burnished, rich metallic tones and understated cage underneath.

  Soon, with ranch life, she’d be wearing much simpler outfits, and she doubted she’d get another romantic dinner out for a while. From what Jack had said, money was tight. She had a small allowance from Adeline tucked away for an emergency, and she could earn a wage in the bakery one day a week.

  Amelia touched some perfume to her neck and wrists. This was it. She was about to meet her future in-laws. She hoped they were half as kind and caring as Jack, but even if they weren’t Amelia would strive to win them over. Having a closeness with her mother-in-law especially was important to her.

  She’d heard some awful stories about mother-in-laws from her many young, married friends and she’d vowed to always do anything she could to make a good impression. She didn’t want to be in tears over anything; she was sure her friends just didn’t try hard enough. There must always be something redeeming about the mother of the man she loved. He was the way he was because of her, after all.

  A knock came to her door. “Amelia…are you ready?”

  “I am, Jack.”

  “I’ll meet you in the lobby. I don’t want anyone thinking you haven’t been proper with a man escorting you down from upstairs alone.”

  “Thank you, Jack. I’ll be along shortly.” There, see… Jack was so kind and thoughtful; the butterflies in her tummy eased a little and she took
a deep breath, picked up her glass bead evening bag and left the room.

  On her way down the huge staircase, Amelia lightly held the banister. More than one set of eyes was on her as she descended into the lobby, but only one set of eyes concerned her. Jack stood looking like the man of her dreams in his brand new, double-breasted suit coat with matching pants, and a rose in the wide lapel. His unruly hair was tamed under a high-crown bowler hat.

  “I swear I’ll be marrying the most handsome man in the world tomorrow.” Amelia let her smile send out all the love she felt in her heart for Jack Blair at this moment. This perfect moment.

  Jack continued to stare at her. He took off his hat, held it over his heart and bowed his head to her as she alighted form the stairs and went towards him. “I swear, a vision so lovely has never before been witnessed by the eyes of California, perhaps the world.”

  Amelia stopped in front of him and he raised his hat to his head again, and looked her in the eyes. “You are very lovely, my lady.”

  “You are sounding very poetic and romantic.”

  “Forgive me. For a second you knocked the rancher right out of my brain. For that, I thank you.” Jack bowed again as he crooked his arm for her to hold.

  “I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”

  “It won’t get those cattle to the markets, but for tonight, I’ll gladly be whatever you wish me to be.”

  “I wish you to be yourself, above all things.”

  “Let’s walk to the restaurant. It’s a lovely evening and it’s not so far.”

  “I’d love to, Jack.”

  “You are very beautiful.”

  “I just hope your parents are pleased with me and take kindly to me.”

  “As do I, Amelia. Believe me, if they aren’t it’s not your fault; it’s their true nature coming out. You’re to pay no attention to their drive to control every facet of my life.”

  Amelia didn’t like the frown that darkened his face. “Don’t worry. My father could be very critical. Let’s just hold fast to our love and know that after tomorrow, we’ll be married. Then we have a lifetime to convince them we’ve made the right choice.”

  “Their opinion means nothing to me… I mean, if they don’t like you, I don’t care. I love you and we’re gonna make this work.”

  “Yes, Jack.” Amelia’s belly churned now for his words made her worry that this wouldn’t work. What if his parents hated her? Could she really go through her entire married life with no support from her husband’s parents? She glanced sideways at Jack. His brow was still knitted tight and his eyes were downcast as they left the building.

  She squeezed his arm and tiptoed to give him a quick peck on the cheek. A little forward of her with no chaperone, but they were to be married tomorrow, and of all the things that felt right. Amelia wanted to put the smile back on Jack’s face and let him know that she would stand by him for better or for worse and uphold her vows.

  Vows made in the eyes of the Lord, who’d provided her a wonderful future. One she’d prayed for. Amelia refused to let anyone come between them when it was fated that they be together. She’d be quiet and demure, and eventually win his parents over. She had to. She could see how much it worried him not to get along with them.

  * * *

  “Evening, Ma.” Jack kissed the back of his mother’s hand. He nodded to his father. “Pa. Thank you for joining us for dinner.” His heart was in his throat because he hadn’t even married Amelia yet and he was throwing her to the wolves. But this was a torture better to be done with as soon as possible.

  His parents’ attitude was not a secret he wished to keep festering inside him, because he couldn’t avoid her meeting them one day. Amelia deserved to know what she’d be up against before their wedding. If she chose to walk away, he wouldn’t blame her. He prayed like he’d never prayed before that she wouldn’t.

  “Son.” His pa nodded back and stood up as a mark of respect in front of the ladies and sat down again as Jack offered Amelia her seat.

  His ma’s scowl hadn’t changed. “Jackson. You’ve a new suit, I see. Quite last year’s fashion. You should’ve come to me for advice.”

  Neither of them had as much as glanced in Amelia’s direction.

  “There’s nothing wrong with this suit, Ma.” Jack sat beside Amelia.

  She gave her usual huff of derision and her cold eyes were directed to Amelia at last. “So? Who do we have here?”

  Jack swallowed and braced his shoulders. “Ma, Pa, please meet Amelia Archer. She’s here from New York.”

  Both sets of eyes now trained on Amelia, who looked a little paler than before but gave a small smile. “Nice to meet you both.”

  Neither his mother nor father spoke. Jack felt the need to fill in the silence. “Amelia is Adeline’s sister.”

  “Who on earth is Adeline?” His pa asked before sipping his bourbon on ice.

  “She’s that mail order bride of James’. Fits in very well with the riff raff, that one. Always has an opinion, so I hear.”

  Jack watched Amelia bite at her bottom lip. He squeezed her hand under the table.

  “James?” His pa frowned like he was hearing the name for the first time.

  “Your nephew. The farmer.” His mother’s exasperated tone filled the restaurant.

  “Oh. Good Lord. He’s married?”

  “Really, Peter. Won’t you listen to a word I say? I’ve spoken of this disgusting trend of women practically selling themselves to men because they can’t hook decent husbands back east. All crackpot if you ask me.”

  Jack cleared his throat and pulled out the chair for Amelia. He could feel her trembling as she sat and he wished he could just take her in his arms and tell her to ignore their words. “Amelia has travelled a long way to get here.” He looked at Amelia. “Would you care for a drink?” He smiled at Amelia, who never smiled back.

  “Just some tea would be lovely, thanks Jack.”

  He should’ve given her more warning.

  “So, are you here to visit your sister then?” His ma asked Amelia.

  “Forgive me, Mrs. Blair, I thought you were aware I’ve come here to marry Jack. Tomorrow. I’d hoped you would join us at the service…”

  “Marry Jack? Gotten your hooks into him already I see.”

  “Ma! I’ve asked Amelia to be my wife. You’ve known about this for a long time. Stop being so rude.”

  “Well, what does Felicity think of all this? She’ll be heartbroken.”

  Amelia looked at Jack with wide eyes and he knew he should’ve told her everything before bringing her here.

  “Felicity is not a consideration in this matter, or any matter of mine.”

  “You should’ve thought about poor Felicity’s feelings before you kissed her at the dance last month. Really, Jack, when did you turn so cold? Felicity is a perfect choice for a wife and now you’re throwing her away for a whim.” His mother shook her head and made that tsk-ing sound he hated so much.

  “Are you from a family of means, Amelia?”

  Amelia gave a small cough and her cheeks had deepened in color. “We used to be. Till Papa passed on.”

  “I see. I’d think twice about marriage out here. You’ll have to live like a savage. I’d much prefer the refinement of the city.”

  “The cities get fed by the farmers and ranchers.” Amelia’s voice was quiet but determined.

  “Jack can do that alone. He doesn’t need a wife. But then, you are a little plump and he’s always liked rounder girls.”

  Jack’s anger flared. “That’s enough, Mama. I swear, I’ll walk right out of here and you’ll never see me, or any grandchildren. Amelia is my fiancée and I won’t have you put her down.” He didn’t want to scare Amelia, who looked like the tangled mix of emotions churned inside her also. “You’re impossible.”

  “Watch your temper, dear.” His ma treated him like he was five. He’d lost his appetite.

  This was a very bad idea. When would he learn? The sooner he cut his p
arents out of his life, the better.

  But he couldn’t do that until he’s paid his pa back every last cent. He must get all fifty of his cattle to the markets and have them as fat as he could get them. If he could sell the wretched ranch and run off to some deserted place to write he would.

  “I hear cattle prices will be down at the markets in a month. Only the best stock sell.” His father finally spoke.

  “I’ll have the best.”

  “How’re you getting them there?”

  “Jacob and another cowboy he knows will take them through.”

  “If he shows up.”

  “He’ll show. He knows how important this is to me.”

  “That little brother of yours cares about no one but himself. You’ll see. Only an idiot would trust him.”

  Jack stood up and threw his linen napkin on the table. “That’s it. No more. You’ve no right to put me or Amelia down, either of you. We’re leaving.” He held his arm out for Amelia and she looked shocked at his outburst.

  “You’re always overreacting. I only have your best interests at heart,” his ma stated.

  “You only have your interests at heart, as always, Ma. Will you reconsider and come to celebrate my wedding day in Goldrush tomorrow to prove your claim?”

  “I shall not. I don’t have one pair of shoes in bad enough repair to set foot in that awful town, with women dressing like men, and likely swilling beer and gambling. It’s the Devil’s work. Just like this marriage of yours.” His ma scoffed in her unique way and set her sights on Amelia. “You’ll see, this rancher has no money, and is a failure at everything. If it wasn’t for his pa’s money, he wouldn’t even have the ranch. You’d do better to get back on that train and head for home and snag the richest old man you can. I’m sure your favors would gain some extra allowance.”

  “Ma! Do not speak of Amelia that way.”

  Amelia glared at his ma and her eyes shone with unshed tears. “The only one doing the Devil’s work here is you, as far as I can see, Mrs. Blair. I won’t be going home to New York. I’d come here thinking to hold my mother-in-law dear to my heart. But I see now, it’s quite impossible.”