Mail Order Mix Up

by Kirsten Osbourne

  Malinda made a face, but counted out some money for Harriett as well. “Thank you for buying the fabric for us so we could make our dresses. I’m thrilled we’ve gotten as much done as we have,” Ellen told her. “There’s no way we would have been able to make wedding dresses in the three days we have before we leave for Colorado.”

  Harriett pushed the money back into their hands. “It was payment for all the work you’ve done. Both of you have done a wonderful job here.” She looked at Ellen as she said the words. Ellen had looked for work every day while Malinda had found reasons to take breaks.

  “I can’t accept that. You gave us food and a place to live!” Ellen offered the money again.

  Harriett shook her head. “Absolutely not. I won’t take it.” She paused for a moment with a serious look on her face. “I really want you to keep it. I’m always worried when I send one of my brides off that they’re going into a bad situation. I want you both to promise me something.”

  Ellen’s brows drew together. “What’s that?” She’d promise her first born child to Harriett for all the help she’d given her. She’d never met such a selfless woman in her life.

  “If you’re treated badly at all once you arrive, you’ll use that money to come right back here. You can live with me while we find you a job or something you can do. You never have to stay in a relationship where you’re being mistreated.” The look on Harriett’s face told Ellen she was serious about it. Ellen couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to make her so worried about her brides.

  Both of the sisters agreed they wouldn’t stay in a bad situation. “We’ll be close to each other, though, and I’m sure we’ll be able to help to one another,” Malinda told her.

  Nothing more was said about the subject then, but Ellen woke in the middle of the night, and when she went downstairs to get some warm milk from the kitchen, she overheard Harriett and Higgins talking. “They got their letters today. They’ll be leaving for Colorado on the eighteenth. I’m going to miss them.”

  Ellen smiled as she head Harriett’s voice. She was glad they hadn’t been a burden on the kind woman. She’d been worried that Malinda would have annoyed the woman with her constant breaks, but it sounded as if Harriett had simply enjoyed them both.

  “They never should have been here in the first place,” Higgins told her. “We don’t want anyone here to know what happened. It could ruin your life here if people found out. What if one of them had overheard us talking?”

  Harriett sighed heavily. “I know it could. It would be worse for you than for me, though. I hate the idea of anyone finding out that you killed him. Even though the jury found you not guilty, the stigma would be enough to cause people to treat you badly.”

  “I shot him in defense of you. If I’d known it was happening sooner, I’d have killed him sooner. It’s good it happened like it did, because I was able to claim I was protecting you. I’d have killed him in cold blood otherwise.” Higgins voice was loud and clear as it rang out throughout the room.

  “I appreciate your feelings. I’m just glad you were there that day. I think he was about to kill me.” The obvious fear in Harriett’s voice sent a chill through Ellen.

  Higgins voice was bleak when he said, “He crippled you for life. I would like to kill him again when I think of how I felt as you bounced down those stairs. I promised your father I would protect you, and I didn’t.”

  “That’s enough. Let’s not speak of it. I need to get to sleep.” She yawned audibly. “I know you’ll be pleased when the girls are gone, but I’ll miss them. They’ve been good friends to me.”

  “I wish we didn’t have to hide what happened. Then you could have friends around you more often.”

  Ellen had heard enough. She hurried up the stairs without her milk. She stared at the ceiling through the night as she hurt for her friend. She’d known Harriett was a widow, but when the other woman didn’t want to talk about her husband, she didn’t press things assuming she was still mourning him. Now she knew why she didn’t want to talk. Poor Harriett. Ellen hoped that someday she’d find love.

  *****

  On the morning of their departure, Ellen and Malinda thanked Harriett repeatedly for her hospitality. Ellen had said nothing about what she’d overheard the night they’d received the letters, but she found herself observing Harriett more than ever. It seemed hard to believe the sweet woman had lived through the type of marriage she’d overheard her talking about.

  Harriett walked with them to the train station, providing them each with sandwiches to make it through the first day. “You’ll have to buy food after today, but I can at least help with the first day’s meals.”

  “I want to tell you again how much we appreciate you helping us find husbands and giving us a place to stay until it was time to leave. I don’t know what we’d have done if you hadn’t helped. You were our guardian angel.” Ellen walked slowly beside Harriett, making sure her stride was matched to the lame woman’s.

  Malinda smiled sweetly. “Yes, thank you so much. I don’t think I could ever tell you how much you’ve helped us.”

  At the train station, they all hugged goodbye and Malinda and Ellen promised to write as soon as they arrived in Colorado. The worry in Harriett’s eyes as they left was obvious. Ellen would have wondered why if she hadn’t overheard the conversation she did, but she understood now. Harriett worried about anyone going into a marriage. Ellen wondered why she’d gone into the mail order bride business if she was so worried about abusive marriages.

  “We’ll write soon and often,” Ellen promised.

  “I’ll miss having you two with me. I’m going to have to work hard to keep up with all my work without my special helpers.”

  Their train was called then and Harriett watched them board. If they’d turned around, they’d have seen the tears in her eyes as she watched them go.

  Chapter Three

  Ellen stretched in her seat, rubbing the back of her neck. “I’m so glad we’re almost there. I feel like we’ve been on this thing for years.” The two sisters sat next to one another taking turns watching out the window. Malinda had brought some books for them to read, but they’d both found that reading while the train was moving caused them to become queasy.

  Malinda nodded. “I thought riding on a train would be some grand adventure, but really, it’s just a dirty place. I’m ready to be there.” She leaned her head against the window, because it was her turn to look out, and she wanted to see every last detail of the state that would be their new home.

  “Are you nervous about meeting Patrick?” Ellen asked.

  Malinda shrugged. “A little, but not terribly. I know I’m going into the situation I need to be in. I mean, what more could I ask for than a man with a lot of money who can take care of me for the rest of my life?”

  Ellen sighed. She could see her sister truly believed there was nothing more important in life than having enough money to live well. She knew Malinda would eventually learn better, and she hoped it would happen soon. “You could ask for a good kindhearted man who helps others. Like the one I’m getting.”

  “You can have the good man. I want the rich one.” Malinda didn’t even turn her head from the window as she made the pronouncement.

  “Do you have any idea how you sound?” Ellen was appalled that her sister could even talk that way, let alone believe what she was saying.

  Malinda sighed. “You know I don’t mean it. I just can’t stand the idea of being in the kind of situation we were in before with no money and nowhere to go. That really scared me.”

  “I know.” Ellen squeezed her sister’s hand. “It scared me, too.” She hoped her sister would be able to refrain from making the kind of statement she’d made to her over and over since they’d begun their journey in front of her future husband. She didn’t want him to think Malinda was only marrying him for his wealth. “You should be really careful what you say around Patrick, you know. He may think you’re only marrying him because of h
is wealth.”

  Malinda nodded. “You’re right. I’ll watch what I say.”

  The train began slowing down, and the conductor called out their stop. The sisters waited for the train to stop moving before they stood to get off. Ellen wondered how they’d find the right men, but decided they’d figure it out once they were off the train.

  They slowly went to the front of the passenger car and down the steps. Standing on the platform, Ellen scanned the crowd hoping she’d see the men they were waiting for. She reached out to squeeze her sister’s hand to give them both a bit of confidence as they waited to meet the men they’d spend the rest of their lives with.

  After a minute two tall dark haired men approached them. They were each wearing slacks, white shirts and vests. Ellen’s eyes zeroed in on the slimmer of the two men. As their eyes met, she felt a tingle in her belly. That must be Wesley. She stepped forward, offering her hand to him.

  “I’m so glad to finally meet you,” she said. His hand gripped hers, not too hard, but solidly. She couldn’t believe how drawn she was to him. His brown eyes seemed to sparkle in the sunlight.

  He smiled. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve been looking forward to your arrival.” He tucked her hand into his arm and walked with her toward the buggy. Wow, he thought. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but the beautiful woman walking beside him passed his every expectation.

  She walked with him, forgetting all about their trunk. After a moment, she stopped short. “Our trunk!” He would think she was silly, forgetting something so important because she’d been lost in his brown eyes.

  He laughed. “I guess it should have occurred to me that you’d have luggage. I was so lost in your beauty, I wasn’t thinking straight.”

  Ellen blushed. She’d never been called a beauty before. Was he just trying to flatter her or was he being sincere? She pointed toward the platform. “I can see they just unloaded it.” She walked back toward the platform, still clinging to his arm.

  Ellen could see Malinda off in the distance being helped into a buggy. When they reached the platform, he put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a coin. “Would you be willing to deliver that to the black buggy over there?” he asked, indicating the buggy.

  The uniformed man nodded. “Right away, sir.”

  Ellen and the man walked slowly back toward the buggy. “I’m glad you were able to get the day off to come get us,” she whispered. She’d never seen a man as handsome as he was. He was dressed immaculately, and his brown eyes seemed to dance as they looked down at her.

  He smiled. “I wouldn’t have missed it.”

  Once they reached the buggy, he handed her up into the front seat beside him. She could see that Malinda was already sitting happily in the back seat. Ellen turned and smiled at the man sitting beside her sister. Just because he was a banker didn’t mean she should treat him poorly. “You must be Patrick.”

  The man blinked twice then laughed. “I’m Wesley. You’re sitting next to Patrick.” He shook his head. “Please tell me you’re Malinda.”

  Ellen blushed. She’d been so focused on the man she hadn’t bothered to learn his name, just immediately assuming he was Wesley. She looked at Patrick. “You’re Patrick? I’m Ellen.” She bit her lip. Now what? She’d come out here not necessarily thinking she’d meet a man she was attracted to, but certain love could come on its own. Now that she’d met them, she knew she didn’t want to marry Wesley. She wasn’t attracted to him at all. The shocked look on Malinda’s face told her she felt the same way about Patrick.

  Ellen looked back at Malinda. “Should we switch places then?”

  Malinda’s eyes were wide and confused. She looked from Patrick to Wesley. “We can ride where we are. We’ll figure it all out when we get there.”

  Ellen nodded and sat back in her seat. What did she have to say to a banker? How many people have you evicted from their homes today?

  Patrick looked at Ellen just as surprised as she was. He’d seen her and immediately known she was the woman he’d been waiting for. There was something in her eyes that told him he needed to spend the rest of his life with her. For whatever reason, she seemed to be wary of him now that she knew he was Patrick and not Wesley. Did that mean she hadn’t wanted to marry him for some reason and had deliberately passed his letter onto her sister? And if that was the case, was there some way to convince her that he was the man she’d come out here to marry and not his brother?

  “Well, Ellen, I didn’t get a chance to read your letters. Tell me about yourself. What do you like to do with your spare time?” He began maneuvering the carriage through the busy streets of Denver listening carefully for her response.

  Ellen shrugged. “I’ve honestly never had a lot of spare time. I like to read, and go for walks. I enjoy sewing.”

  Patrick smiled. “I love to read and go for long walks. I’m not much on sewing, though.” He watched out of the corner of his eye to see how she’d react to his words.

  Ellen laughed. “Most men aren’t much on sewing.” She paused, almost afraid to talk to him knowing he was meant for her sister. “I hate bankers,” she blurted out. As soon as she spoke, she raised her hand to cover her mouth. How could she have said something like that to him?

  “Really? Why?”

  “When our father died, just two months ago, he was in debt and we never knew it. After his death, a banker came and told us we had to get out. I was able to talk him into letting us stay for three days, but I could never respect a man who kicked people out of their homes.”

  Patrick smiled ruefully. “Neither could I. I’m the worst banker alive,” he confided in a whisper. “I always give people more and more time. I have one family who hasn’t paid a dime in a year, and they still live in their house. In fact, I sent my housekeeper over with a meal just last night because I heard the mother was sick.” He shook his head as if disgusted with himself. “If I were a good banker, I would never do anything like that!”

  “How can you make a living that way?” She stared at him in surprise.

  He shrugged. “I do okay. Most of my money came from my gold claim, and I just break even on the bank.”

  Ellen smiled at him. “Seriously?”

  He nodded. “Seriously!”

  She felt a lot more at ease with him, knowing that, and they passed the time chatting happily about their favorite books. He told her about the places he’d seen on their trip from Missouri where he’d been born and raised.

  By the time they’d arrived in Gammonville, Ellen felt as if she’d known him her entire life. She couldn’t hear what Malinda and Wesley were talking about, but every once in a while she’d hear laughter coming from the back seat, and she knew they were getting along every bit as well as she and Patrick were.

  After they pulled up in front of Patrick’s house, Ellen went inside with Malinda while the men brought the trunk inside. Ellen spoke to Malinda in a low voice. “I’m attracted to Patrick.”

  Malinda nodded. “I could tell. I’m attracted to Wesley. It’s too bad you’re marrying Wesley and I’m marrying Patrick.”

  Ellen bit her lip. “How would you feel about switching? I could marry Patrick and you could marry Wesley. Patrick is someone I could love, but I don’t think I could ever love Wesley. Not as anything more than a brother.”

  Malinda tilted her head to the side while she thought about it. “But Wesley is poor. He’s just a sheriff.”

  Ellen sighed. “I know that. But don’t you think you should be attracted to the man you marry and not just his money?” Ellen said a quick prayer her sister would listen to her and finally understand her words. They’d had this discussion over and over, and Malinda hadn’t wavered.

  Malinda frowned. “I really like Wesley, but I’m afraid of being poor.”

  “You know if Wesley ever has financial problems, his brother is a banker, right? I’m sure Patrick wouldn’t let his brother live on the streets!”

  “You don’t even know him yet. How can you say
that with such certainty?”

  Ellen wanted to scream. “Why don’t we do this? We’ll give it some time. We’ll ask them to give us a month to see who we want to marry. I know that Wesley is attracted to you and Patrick is attracted to me. I’m sure they’ll agree to it.”

  Malinda nodded somewhat reluctantly. “That makes sense. I need to know if I could fall in love with Patrick before I marry him.”

  She looked anxious about making the decision, but Ellen was relieved and didn’t give her time to reconsider. “Do you think they’ll be angry with us?”

  Malinda shrugged. “Probably not. I mean, they want to be happy in their marriages too, right?”

  When the men were finished carrying the trunk upstairs, the four of them sat down in the parlor. “We have something we’d like to ask you,” Ellen began. What’s the best way to say this without hurting any feelings or making them angry?

  Patrick smiled. “Certainly.” Patrick’s smile reached his eyes, and Ellen found herself almost mesmerized by it.

  “We’d like to have some time to get to know you. I’m sure you noticed that we both automatically paired off with the wrong person. Would you be willing to put off the weddings until we know each other better and can decide who we think we’d be better matched with?” Please say yes, she prayed.

  Patrick frowned slightly. “How long are you asking for?” He didn’t look thrilled at the idea of waiting, but he didn’t look like he was going to reject them outright either.

  Ellen looked at Malinda who nodded slightly. “A month.”

  Patrick shook his head. “No. That’s too long. How about two days?”

  Ellen gasped in shock. “That won’t work! We’d have no time to get to know either of you! How about three weeks?” She’d always enjoyed bargaining, and by the look on Patrick’s face, she could see he was enjoying the negotiations.