Amelia (The Marriage Market Book 1)

by Stevie MacFarlane

  “Maybe I don’t want a gentleman any longer,” she teased, grinning up at him.

  Hugh laughed and set her on her feet before the bureau.

  “Where’s your nightgown?” he demanded.

  Amelia opened a drawer and took out a long white gown trimmed in pink satin. Handing it to Hugh she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him in challenge.

  Spinning her around he swiftly unfastened the back of her dress and pushed her toward the dressing screen with a smack to her bottom.

  “Put that on,” he ordered, tossing it over the top of the screen and turning his back.

  “Is this what you meant about obeying you in the bedroom?” she demanded angrily. “We only get to do what you want, when you want it?”

  Hugh remained quiet until she stepped from behind the screen covered from neck to toe. Taking her hand, he pulled her back in front of the mirror and began taking the pins from her hair.

  “You don’t even know what you want,” he informed her. “At least you didn’t until I showed you.”

  “Oh yes, I’d forgotten,” she drawled. “How lucky that my husband is so experienced he knows what I want at all times.”

  “I may not know what you want, but I know what you’re going to get if you don’t stop,” he promised, meeting her eyes in the mirror. Swiftly he unbraided her hair and picked up her brush, giving it thoughtful consideration until she looked away with a pout.

  “I thought so,” he said with a satisfied smirk.

  She stood still and quiet as he brushed all the tangles from her hair. Putting the brush down, he turned her toward him and gathered her into his arms with a sigh.

  “I’m just trying to do the right thing, honey. I think we’d better get married very soon.” Tipping her chin up, he kissed her and her anger melted away. “I’ll always do what I think is best as far as you’re concerned, Amelia. Whether you particularly like it or not, understand?”

  Standing on tiptoes, she kissed his cheek and nodded.

  “Good, now come and lock the door and go to bed. We have a lot to take care of tomorrow and I want to head home as soon as we can. Suddenly dallying here in San Francisco with you is becoming much too appealing,” he said with a grin. “A man could forget his responsibilities entirely.” Kissing her once more, he waited in the hall until he heard the key turn in the lock.

  In his room, Hugh undressed and lay on the bed, his arms behind his head. She was going to be trouble, he admitted with a sigh. Placing the advertisement had seemed like an excellent idea at the time, but he’d looked at it as somewhat of a business deal. He wanted someone pleasant to look at and amenable. A women who would provide him with a child or two, keep his home running smoothly and not make too big of a nuisance of herself. Basically, he wanted someone the exact opposite of his mother.

  Tempest Aurelia Beauchamp was easily the most aggravating woman he’d ever known. There weren’t enough words to describe what was wrong with her, and some that came to mind couldn’t be spoken in polite company. Insistent, demanding, flighty and infuriating were just the tip of the iceberg. While his father affectionately referred to her as his ‘tempest in a teacup’, Hugh and his brother Sam frequently wondered why their father didn’t string her up or at least gag her.

  The first years of their lives, they’d been dragged all over the world. Spending much of the time in France, they’d also been to India, Egypt and Australia. Around the age of thirteen, Hugh decided he’d had enough of ruffled shirts and prissy suits to last him a lifetime. Upon returning home to Seattle, he and Sam refused to leave, engaging in a war of wills with their mother that lasted nearly a year before she threw up her hands and packed her bags for an extended trip to her homeland.

  Duncan kissed his wife good-bye and they all breathed a sigh of relief as she sailed away. After that, it seemed she came home long enough to have everyone in the house and surrounding area in an uproar, flaunt her wealth to those less fortunate and torment her husband and sons. At times it seemed to Hugh she was daring his father to stand up to her and put his foot down about her extravagant ways and impossible behavior, but Duncan never did.

  “That’s just her way, son. I can hardly fault her when I’ve spoiled her from the moment I met her. She was very young when we married and so beautiful she could have had any man she wanted. Sometimes I still can’t believe she chose me, a lumberjack with calluses on his hands trying to get his business off the ground when she could have married a Duke.”

  “Did it ever occur to you she chose you because she needed someone to rein her in, someone strong enough to take her in hand, someone who was not awed by her family’s wealth and social position?”

  Duncan patted him on the back.

  “You’ll fall in love one day, son and then you’ll understand how hard it is to say no to someone like your mother.”

  “I may fall in love, but I’ll never let my wife run roughshod over our family the way you have. I’ll never sit calmly reading the paper while she screams and upbraids me in front of our children,” Hugh insisted firmly.

  “What would you have me do?” Duncan demanded. “She’s only a bit of a thing.”

  “I can’t tell you what to do, Father, but if my wife ever speaks to me like Mother speaks to you, she’ll be over my knee so fast she won’t know what happened. I will take great pride in my accomplishment if she doesn’t sit comfortably for a few days.”

  “Hugh, son, you must never strike a woman,” Duncan rebuked him. “We are big men, and women are such fragile, delicate creatures. You could cause her great harm.”

  “The only things I’m going to hurt are her pride and her bare bottom as I’m spanking it cherry red. She’ll learn soon enough what behavior I will and will not tolerate.”

  Duncan walked away shaking his head sadly.

  Thankfully, Amelia was nothing like his mother, but he did see a few signs she could be stubborn. One moment she was shy and demure, and the next she could be sassy and opinionated. Already he felt something more for her than he’d expected. He found he cared what she thought of him.

  It bothered him that she was worried about the physical side of marriage and he wanted to show her there could be pleasure involved. Now he lay in bed, uncomfortably hard. He could have taken her tonight, what was the difference? Soon he would have the right to avail himself of all of her charms. But he hadn’t and it concerned him a little. He was usually decisive, quick to take stock of the situation and respond accordingly. For some reason, with Amelia he felt uncertain. She was lovely, everything he’d advertised for and more. And she was honest, A rare trait in a woman as far as he was concerned. Amelia told him how she felt about equal rights for women and he still sent for her. What harm could a few speeches do, or a little marching? Now he wondered how far she was willing to take it. Some men didn’t take kindly to that sort of thing. Would she be foolish enough to put herself in danger, just to make her point?

  Ach, there was no point in worrying about it. There were barely enough women to rally to any cause. In a few days he would make her his wife, teach her the pleasures associated with the marriage bed and head home the day after. If she had any ridiculous notions regarding her position in the chain of command, he would easily disabuse her of them. He would be the head of his household, and as long as she wasn’t exposed to the kind of havoc his mother wrecked on a regular basis, he had no doubt she would be a well-behaved wife. Either well behaved or well punished, in the end the choice would be hers. It was best not to let all that love nonsense get in the way.

  Chapter Seven

  Alice Baker held tightly to her young daughter’s hand as they carefully walked up the gangway and boarded the ship. Emotions warred within her, each vying for supremacy. Fright, exhaustion, excitement, doubt, they all wanted their piece of her, but she forced them down and took Delia to the ship’s rail.

  “Look at all the ships, darling. Did you ever see so many at one time before? We’re having a grand adventure, aren’t we
?” she asked, smiling with a confidence she didn’t feel. What if Mr. Henderson wasn’t what he claimed to be? Yes, his picture was nice, showing a young man who appeared to be of good character. But photographs could be deceiving. Suppose the fine house he said he had turned out to be nothing but a hovel? Where would she go? What would she do? If she married him immediately upon arrival as he requested, and he turned out to be a fraud, she’d be stuck, she and Delia.

  Maybe she could find a hotel for a few days and get to know him a little. She was seeing his home before the wedding. That she would insist on. She had to know she was taking Delia to a safe place. There wasn’t much money left over after she paid their fare, but maybe she could take a room somewhere. She still had a small sum from the sale of her meager possessions. Oh dear.

  Stop it, she ordered herself. There was no need to panic. Mr. Henderson offered much more than she could ever hope to have if she stayed in Virginia. All she was there was a widow woman with a daughter to care for. What men had been interested in her weren’t the kind she wanted around her daughter. Delia needed a stable environment.

  Alice couldn’t abide liquor in any form. Her own husband had shown her just what it could do to a man despite his best intentions. Mr. Henderson said he didn’t drink, although he did occasionally have a brandy when the weather was exceptionally harsh. That was acceptable. Brandy was nearly medicinal.

  She watched more women board the ship. Apparently she and Delia weren’t the only ones who were eager to get to their destination. The captain had been accommodating when she asked if they could spend the night aboard ship. They were due to set sail with the morning tide and it saved her the cost of another night at the boarding house. The apples and sandwiches she had in her bag would suffice for their evening meal and the gentle rocking of the ship would give her some indication whether she or Delia would be ill on the voyage.

  A smartly dressed woman soon separated herself from three tittering girls and joined her at the rail.

  “Are you sailing tomorrow?” she asked, gripping the rail tightly.

  “Yes,” Alice replied. “My daughter, Delia, and I are heading to Seattle. I’m Alice Baker.”

  “Martha Jonas,” she said, offering her hand. “I’m going to Seattle too. Is your husband aboard?”

  “No, I’m a widow,” Alice replied, looking over the water.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to pry, Mrs. Baker,” Martha apologized with a blush. “I guess I’m a little nervous. You see I’m going to meet my future husband.”

  “Please call me Alice. I don’t think they stand much on formality out here in the west, at least not from what I’ve seen,” Alice offered with a smile. “Where are you from, Miss Jonas, if you don’t mind my asking?”

  “Philadelphia. I had a dress shop there, but my prospects were pretty slim as far as getting married. You see, I’ve always wanted children,” she continued softly, touching one of Delia’s curls gently. “Well, I’m not getting any younger, so I’ve been told,” she said with a laugh. “I believe the expression is ‘long in the tooth’.”

  Alice studied the pretty young woman. She didn’t look much over twenty as far as she could tell. The traveling outfit she wore accentuated her trim figure and was quite lovely. Her light brown hair was swept up under a stylish bonnet that made Alice’s hat look very plain.

  “Did you make your dress?”

  “Why yes, I did,” Martha replied, turning in a circle. “Do you like it?”

  “It’s charming. Are you going to continue your work as a seamstress once you’re married? The only reason I ask is because Delia and I may need some things more suited to this weather.”

  “I don’t really know. I think my husband is quite wealthy. He may not want me to continue working, but I don’t see how making some clothes for a friend would be an issue. I hope we are going to be good friends,” she said hopefully.

  Alice smiled and patted Martha’s hand. “It’s my belief a woman can never have too many good friends, Martha. I’d like very much for you to be one of mine. I’ll tell you a secret,” Alice continued, lowering her voice. “I’m going to Seattle to be married, too.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful,” Martha squealed, taking Alice’s arm and giving it a squeeze. “So you’ll be staying in Seattle. I feel ever so much better about things now. At least I will have someone to talk to. What is your intended’s name?”

  “Mr. Henderson, Clarence Henderson. He’s employed as a clerk for a timber company. I hope we suit,” she whispered nervously.

  “I’m sure you will, you’re so sweet and Delia is adorable. What man wouldn’t want such a wife?” she scoffed. “I also am marrying a man affiliated with timber. Perhaps they are acquainted. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they were friends?”

  “Yes, it would make everything better,” Martha agreed. “What is his name?”

  “Hugh Jordon. Has your fiancé mentioned him perhaps? I really know very little about him.”

  So this is the young woman Mr. Jordon had chosen over her, Alice thought. Well it wasn’t any wonder. She was lovely and wanted children, what more could he ask for? Alice waited a moment to consider how she felt about this. Jealousy or envy would be appropriate responses given the circumstances. Mr. Henderson wrote her that the Jordons were the wealthiest family in the territory, but Alice found she didn’t feel any of these emotions.

  She liked Martha and was happy for her. Mr. Henderson seemed to be exactly what she wanted in a husband. As a rule, she didn’t care for a calendar full of social obligations. She’d much rather be home of an evening, sitting by the fire knitting or reading to Delia. Cooking was something else she enjoyed. She didn’t want a cook in her kitchen shooing her out. No, things have a way of working out for the best.

  “I hope you’ll be very happy,” she told Martha sincerely. “My Mr. Henderson works for the Jordons so I imagine we’ll see each other frequently, at least I hope so.”

  “Oh, so do I,” Martha gushed.

  “The deck seems to be filling up,” Alice observed. “I had no idea there would be so many women traveling with us. Perhaps we’d better find our cabins.”

  “I agree. I was a bit worried about traveling on a ship with so many men, but I see that’s not going to be a problem.”

  Working their way through the group of women, they found the steward and asked to be shown to their cabins.

  “I’m afraid there has been a miscalculation, Miss. There seems to be a lot more passengers than we usually have, a lot more ladies. Would you two mind sharing a cabin?”

  Martha and Alice looked at each other and smiled.

  “Not at all, in fact we’d prefer it,” Alice replied.

  “Thank you, ma’am, that’s good news indeed. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to your quarters.”

  They followed the man below deck and down a long corridor.

  “This here’s the galley,” he said, stopping for a moment as they peeked in a room full of tables and chairs. It’s where you’ll be taking you meals starting tomorrow.”

  Continuing on, he made a turn and walked past an open door. Martha and Alice both paused and gasped.

  “Whose cabin is this?” they asked at the same time, sticking their heads in and looking around at the luxurious furnishings.

  “That’s the owner’s cabin and the door is usually shut,” he replied, ushering them on and pulling the thick oak door closed. “He sails with us now and again. In fact, he’ll be boarding in the morning for this trip and word is he’ll be bringing along his new bride.”

  “This certainly is a marrying section of the country!” Martha laughed.

  “Oh yes, ma’am. It doesn’t take long out here for a woman to catch herself a husband. There’s a real shortage of the feminine gender in the west. In fact, if you ask me, I’d say we was transporting a bunch of them Mail Order Brides.”

  “You don’t say,” Martha drawled.

  “Oh yes, I do say, I do indeed. Here we are ladies,”
he said, opening the door to a cabin with two wide berths. “I’ll be back once I get some of the others settled to see if you need anything.”

  “Thank you, Mr….”

  “Oh, just Charlie, ma’am. Everyone calls me Charlie.”

  “Well, thank you, Charlie,” Alice said sweetly.

  Martha broke out in giggles as soon as he closed the door.

  Delia pulled on her mother’s hand. “I gotta go, Ma Ma.”

  Alice located the chamber pot under the berth and helped her daughter on it.

  “Do you really think all those women are Mail Order Brides?” she asked.

  “Possibly and I’m glad we got our men before the stampede,” Martha said dryly.

  “Me too.”

  *

  Hugh slipped his arm around Amelia’s waist as they stood before Judge Phillips. She was shaking so hard the netting on her little pink hat trembled. This morning at breakfast, she seemed calm and collected, but that was before she changed into her wedding finery. For some reason, once she put on her wedding dress, she fell apart.

  It was lovely and he was glad he’d thought to hire a photographer at the last minute. While not a typical wedding dress, the pink satin gown with the fitted waist suited her. He didn’t like the small bustle, he preferred to have a good view of her bottom, but that was just him and the bustle was in fashion. At home he would insist she wear more natural clothing with easier access as he intended to avail himself of her charms on a regular basis. Based on her response the first night, he was certain she would come to enjoy the physical benefits of marriage. First he had to get through the wedding night.

  It seemed some women were very attached to the little scrap of flesh protecting their virginity. He’d been told it wasn’t unusual for certain females to cry for days. That wasn’t something he was prepared to tolerate. No wife of his was going to try to make him feel guilty for claiming what was rightfully his.

  He would be gentle, yet firm, but come morning there would be no doubt in her mind to whom she belonged and what was expected of her. Amelia would have the benefit of his name, protection and money. He would have a warm, willing woman in his bed to give him the sons he desired. If they got along, so much the better, but there would be no hysterics or vapors or any of the nonsense his mother pulled to get her way or his sweet wife would be sitting on a very sore hind end.