“Mr. Hansen, chances are quite excellent that we’ll be studying at another college. Good day.” She turned on her heel, and the other girls followed.
Once they were outside the building, she leaned against the fence, trying to bring her heart rate back to normal. “That was simply horrible,” she said to no one in particular.
“What are we supposed to do now? I used the last of my savings on the train ticket here,” one of the girls replied.
Wynonna nodded. She wasn’t quite that destitute, but she wasn’t far from it. “Wait a moment,” she said. “I’ll be right back.”
She didn’t want to return to the admissions office, but they’d been made a promise, and she would insist on that promise being kept. “Excuse me,” she said to the secretary, who looked more than a little nervous when she glanced up and saw Wynonna approaching. “Mr. Hansen said he’d provide a night’s stay at the hotel and dinner for us.”
“Yes, he did say that, didn’t he?” The woman fumbled in her desk drawer and pulled out a sheet of paper. “How many ladies are in your group?”
“Five, counting myself.” Wynonna paused. “I’m not sure where the first girl went, but we might as well add her to the mix in case she turns up again. Make that six.”
“All right. Please wait a moment.” The secretary disappeared into the office again, returning a moment later with a note that she handed to Wynonna. It was a letter to the hotel owner requesting dinner and lodging for six young ladies to be paid for by the college.
“Thank you,” Wynonna replied, tucking the note into her bag. This gave the girls one night to decide their next move—she hoped that would be enough.
***
Each of the girls had left their trunks at the train station, and they sent for them to be delivered to the hotel. Now they all gathered in the room Wynonna was sharing with a pretty redhead named Helen. The other three girls had been put in a larger room across the hall.
“Let’s do introductions first, shall we?” Wynonna said. “I’m Wynonna Westcott, I came here from upstate New York, and I have no idea what to do now. Both my parents are dead, and I have no other relations.”
“I’m Helen Ashby, and I’m from right here in Pennsylvania, but I don’t have anywhere else to go either,” said the redhead. “I’m just as stranded as you are.”
“I do have somewhere else to go, but I refuse to go there.” The petite brunette folded her arms across her chest. “My name is Rowena MacDonald, and I’m supposed to be going to live with my odious aunt and her equally odious children. She wants me to be their governess, and the only way I could get out of it was by heading to college. If I return home, my mother will just pack me off again, and I couldn’t bear it. I honestly couldn’t.”
Wynonna turned to the next girl. “What about you?”
She looked up from the handkerchief she was knotting in her hands. “I’m Cora Whitmer, and I suppose I’ll just go home. Being a nurse is all I’ve ever wanted, and if I can’t have that . . . well, I don’t know what I’ll do.”
“Who says you can’t have that?” The last girl was another brunette, one with fire in her eyes. “You should apply somewhere else. You can’t let these . . . these fools determine your future for you.”
“It took me months to get up my courage to apply here,” Cora replied. “I don’t know if I could do that again.”
“We’ll help you. We’ll sit right here while you fill out the papers. I’m Fiona, by the way. Fiona O’Hara. I’ve just recently graduated from Miss Prudence’s Home for Orphaned Girls and Misfits . . . not really its name, but it might as well be.” She grinned. “I’m likely the biggest misfit of them all, and I’m glad to be out. Now, I picked up a newspaper downstairs, and we can look at the advertisements. We know that Cora’s going to apply at another nursing school—let’s see what the rest of us can do to keep ourselves out of trouble.”
Wynonna liked Fiona immediately. She was a girl with a lot of spunk, someone who would help the others stay motivated, and that’s what they needed on this disappointing night. Come morning, they’d all go their separate ways, but they could rally each other’s spirits in the meantime.
“I can’t apply again. I know you’d help me, but . . .” Cora shook her head. “Let’s see what jobs are available.”
Fiona spread the paper out on Wynonna’s bed, and the girls gathered around. “Here’s one sewing at a factory,” Helen said.
“I knew it. I just knew it.” Wynonna shook her head. “Tell me there’s something else—I detest sewing.”
They spotted a few decent possibilities, but nothing that particularly excited Wynonna. She supposed she didn’t have to be excited, though—she just needed a way to earn some money.
“Wait.” Rowena’s finger landed on an advertisement tucked away in the left corner of the page. “Listen to this. ‘Geraldine Green, matchmaker, seeks pleasant young women to travel west to marry eligible bachelors intent on marriage.’ We could become mail-order brides.”
“I don’t think so,” Helen said. “I couldn’t tie myself to someone I’d never met. What if he was cruel? What if his breath smelled bad?”
“A matchmaker wouldn’t arrange a marriage for a cruel man, would she?” Rowena asked. “She’d lose her business if word got out.”
“I just don’t think it’s a risk that should be taken.” Helen continued to scan the page. “Here’s an advertisement for a governess.”
“We already know how I feel about that,” Rowena pointed out. “I’m sure one of you would be suited, but I’m not.”
Wynonna nodded, but she wasn’t really listening anymore. The advertisement for the matchmaker had talked about going west. She’d dreamed of going west from the time she’d learned about Lewis and Clark in school. Of course, their explorations were seventy years ago and things were different now, but she still liked to imagine the uncharted terrain and the dusty stretches of land undisturbed by buildings or factories. “I think I might do it,” she said, blurting out the words before she’d thought them over.
“You might become a mail-order bride?” Helen asked, her voice incredulous.
Wynonna nodded. “I can’t explain it, but there’s something about it that appeals to me.”
Rowena went back to the advertisement. “It says that interested parties should call on Miss Green on weekday mornings between ten and eleven. The address isn’t too far from here, either.”
“But she’s not serious,” Helen said. She turned to Wynonna. “Are you serious?”
“I think I am. I’m not sure. At the very least, I want to ask some questions.”
“Then I’m coming with you. You can’t leap into something like this without someone there to pull you back from the precipice.” Helen shook her head. “I just can’t believe you’re considering it at all.”
“I can’t either, to be honest. But I’m not sewing in a factory.”
Fiona laughed. “You’d rather marry a stranger than sew?”
“I’d rather be eaten alive by a saber-toothed tiger than sew.” She’d been fascinated by those too ever since she saw pictures of the excavated fossils in the newspaper.
“Then it’s a good thing there are plenty of other jobs listed here.” Fiona shook her head, a smile on her face. “There’s no need to throw you to the extinct prehistoric animals. I think we need to go downstairs, eat a good dinner, and get some sleep. In the morning, we can decide where to apply, and Wynonna can meet with this woman and see if that’s really what she wants to do.”
“Agreed,” Rowena said. “I’m starving, and I’ll think much better with dinner inside me.”
The girls headed downstairs to see what was being served, and as they made their selections, Wynonna continued to think about the other jobs on offer. There were plenty of things to choose from, but deep in her heart, she knew she’d be going out west. Something was calling her there.
Chapter Three
“We’ve discussed it, and we’re all going with you,�
�� Fiona informed Wynonna the next morning. “There’s strength in numbers, as they say, and we need to make sure we’re comfortable with your decision before we part ways. Otherwise, we’d wonder about you for the rest of our lives.”
Wynonna smiled. Even though she’d only met these four girls the previous afternoon, she felt as though she’d known them her whole life. She’d miss them when she left, but she knew they all had different places to be and different paths to take. “Thank you,” she replied. “I’d love to have you there with me. I’m sure you’ll think of questions to ask that would never have crossed my mind.”
“I’m full of questions,” Helen said. She turned from the mirror, where she’d just finished pinning up her red curls. “And I’m going to keep trying to talk you out of it.”
“I’m concerned about Miss Green’s credentials,” Fiona said. “How do we know she’s trustworthy?”
“We trusted the nursing college, and look where that got us,” Rowena said. “Let’s not be too hasty to judge this woman before we’ve even met her.”
“Precisely that.” Wynonna finished putting on her shoes and stood up. “Now, I spoke with the hotel, and they agreed to let us store our trunks in their back room until we know where we’re going. That was kind of them—they didn’t have to agree, but I think they understand our situation.”
“Very kind,” Cora said. She had been sitting quietly near the window since they had gathered in Wynonna’s room, and Wynonna wondered what the girl was thinking. She was the only one Wynonna was concerned about—the other girls had at least some idea what they wanted, but Cora seemed defeated.
“Well, it’s a quarter to ten,” Wynonna said, picking up her hat. “Shall we be on our way?”
“Yes. Let’s get this over with,” Helen replied.
They went downstairs and informed the hotel that their trunks were packed and ready to be moved down to the storage area. Then they exited the building and stepped out onto the sidewalk.
Philadelphia certainly was a lovely city. Wynonna craned her neck looking up at the spires on Independence Hall as they walked past. Under ordinary circumstances, she wouldn’t mind staying here and looking for work, but these weren’t ordinary circumstances. She was supposed to go west, and this Geraldine Green woman was going to help her do it.
“I looked at the newspaper again this morning, and I noticed an advertisement for a waitress that I didn’t see yesterday,” Rowena said as they crossed the street. “I think I’ll stop in after we’ve met with Miss Green.”
“Would you like being a waitress?” Cora asked.
“I don’t know, but I can only imagine I’d like it better than being a governess. And it’s not that I have anything against children—it’s these children in particular. They’ve been given everything they want, they have no rules or consequences, and they believe they own the entire world. They’re just little beasts.” Rowena kicked at a stone in her path. “I wouldn’t be allowed to say no to them—I’d have to sit back with my hands folded while they ran amok and destroyed everything in the house.”
“That sounds dreadful,” Helen said. “I can see why you wouldn’t want to get involved.”
“I think this is it.” Wynonna stopped in front of a tall building with a red awning extending over the sidewalk. “It’s rather fancy, isn’t it?”
“It certainly is.” Fiona looked over Wynonna’s shoulder to read the address on the newspaper clipping. “Hmm. She must be doing all right for herself to afford this place.”
The girls entered the building and found themselves in a nicely decorated lobby. “Over here,” Wynonna said, indicating a door to the right.
The office of Miss Geraldine Green looked like any other office Wynonna had seen—with the exception of the dozen potted plants that stood in the corners, on the bookshelves, and even on the desk. She felt as though they’d stepped into a jungle. In addition, the rugs were green, the curtains were green, and the woman sitting behind the desk wore a green velvet gown.
She looked up when they entered and smiled brightly. “Good morning,” she said. “Welcome. I’m Geraldine Green, and you must be here to inquire about the exciting new lives that await you out west.”
“I am,” Wynonna said. “My friends are just here to support me.”
“That’s perfectly all right, my dear.” Miss Green came to her feet and waved the girls toward the chairs that lined the walls. “I’m glad to meet all of you—Oh, my goodness!”
Her exclamation was so loud and so sudden, Wynonna jumped. “What’s the matter, Miss Green?”
The older woman’s eyes were darting back and forth between the girls. “Are there five of you?”
“Yes,” Wynonna answered slowly. Why would that fact be so alarming?
“This is kismet. This is destiny.” Miss Green picked up a letter that had been sitting on her desk. “This very morning, I received a letter from five prosperous ranchers out in Kansas who are looking for brides. Five of them, and five of you—this is fate, pure and simple!”
“But we aren’t interested in becoming mail-order brides,” Helen said. “We’re only here to support Wynonna.”
“Oh, but ladies, let me explain.” Miss Green sat back down and studied them earnestly. “The opportunities that await you, your potential happiness, your place in society . . . These men all live on the same property, so you’d be near each other, but you’d each have your own lovely home. As for the men, they’re well read, thoughtful, and industrious. They’ve included money for your train fare, and they’ve asked that you come as soon as you’re available, as they’re most eager to meet you.”
“You’re speaking as though you assume we’re going,” Fiona said. “We’ve promised no such thing.”
“I like to focus on the bright side,” Miss Green replied with a smile. “Life is so much better when you look at the possibilities, isn’t it?”
Wynonna glanced over at her friends. This did seem like a wonderful opportunity, but she wouldn’t pester them into it.
“I might be interested,” Rowena said.
“Oh, that’s splendid.” Miss Green looked at the other three. “Are you completely against it, my dears? Is there any way I could persuade you?”
“I just can’t picture myself marrying a man I’ve never met,” Helen replied. “Marriage is complicated as it is—I’d like to know that my husband and I get along before we make a permanent commitment.”
“And I don’t think I’m the marrying type at all,” Fiona said. “I’m far too stubborn to be a wife. I like my independence and making my own decisions.”
Miss Green nodded. “And you, dear?” She turned to Cora.
“I think I’m just going to go home,” Cora replied. “There’s not much for me there, but it’s safe and predictable. I’m not as adventurous as these other girls.”
Miss Green shook her head, looking sorrowful. “I must say, I’m disappointed. I was so sure this was destiny speaking—five handsome young men in search of five beautiful young ladies, and here you are, right in my office.” She sighed. “Well, I suppose it’s not always meant to be. Would the two of you please write down your names for me?” She slid pieces of paper across the desk to Wynonna and Rowena. “I’ll keep looking for three more girls, and in the meantime, we can make arrangements for you. Would you be agreeable to leaving on tomorrow’s train?”
Wynonna glanced over at Rowena. That was so soon, but she supposed it didn’t really matter. “That would suit me, but I confess that I have nowhere to stay tonight.”
“Neither do I,” Rowena said.
“Never mind about that. I have a room always in reserve at a hotel next to the train station, and you’ll spend the night there as my guests. We must have you well rested before you head off.” Miss Green smiled. “Would you please stop by again this afternoon? I need to prepare a telegram for your young men, as well as writing up our contract, and I’ll be ready for you to sign at four o’clock.”
“Contract?” W
ynonna said, glancing at Rowena again.
“Of course, my dear. It protects all of us in this situation. This is a business agreement, even though I do hope you fall madly in love and it becomes a matter of the heart.”
Her face took on a dreamy quality, and Wynonna smiled. “Four o’clock will be fine.”
“Excellent. I’ll see you then.”
The girls left the office, and as soon as they were out of earshot, Helen said, “She doesn’t seem as questionable as I thought she’d be, but this is so final. Contracts, and leaving tomorrow? Are you sure you want to rush into this?”
“You heard what she said—these men are educated and wealthy,” Rowena said. “I think we have equal odds of happiness with them as we would with someone else. After all, how well do you really know someone before you marry them? Don’t people always put their best feet forward when they’re courting, and then they discover all sorts of unpleasant things about each other after the knot is tied?”
“Yet another reason why marriage isn’t for me,” Fiona replied. “Too much uncertainty.”
“I understand,” Wynonna said. “I know I’m making a strange choice, and yet it feels like what I should do—I can’t explain it, even to myself. I also know it’s not the choice everyone should make, and I hope you’re all very well suited for the jobs you find.” She turned to Helen, who was now in possession of the newspaper. “What’s on our list? Rowena isn’t going to the restaurant after all—what’s the next closest availability?”
“You’ll come with us while we look for work?” Helen asked.
“Of course. You came with me, and I have several hours before I have to be back at Miss Green’s.”
Helen smiled. “Thank you. Let’s go to the factory next and inquire about sewing. That is, if it wouldn’t bother you too much, Wynonna.”
“I don’t mind being around sewing. I just don’t want to do the sewing,” Wynonna explained.
For the next three hours, the girls visited the most likely businesses on their list only to be told time and again that the positions were filled. They were feeling quite discouraged when they decided to take a break at a small tea shop off one of the main streets.
A Wrangler for Wynonna Page 2
