No Choice but to Marry: A Historical Mail Order Bride Romance

by Stephanie Hunt

  “We just heard word of that battle,” said Edward. “I was amazed at the outcome. Say what you will about the Scots, eh honey? They sure know how to fight. I have heard legends told of soldiers shaking in their boots at the sound of the highland bagpipes.”

  “So you approve of him then?” asked Elizabeth with wide eyes. “I mean, you approve of us? Hamish and myself?”

  “Well he isn’t royalty,” admitted Edward. “But I suppose there comes a time when a woman must make up her own mind. And you two are clearly in love.”

  “Excellent!” exclaimed Elizabeth. “Let’s start wedding preparations at once!”

  “Yes dear,” said Bridget. “But a little supper first?”

  Elizabeth was famished. The four of them sat down to dinner and it was one of the tastiest meals she had ever eaten. They ate roast lamb with garlic potatoes and grilled asparagus. They drank wine and were merry. She couldn’t have asked for a better outcome in telling her parents about her engagement. “Father,” she said. “It turns out that on the basis of this military victory, Hamish is going to be promoted to an even higher rank. We will likely go back to Glasgow and he can continue to contribute to the Scottish cause from a safe distance. He won’t have to go to war any more! And we can settle down and have a nice life together.”

  “That is fantastic news Elizabeth! Congratulations you two,” said Edward. “I have never served in the military myself, for I am a man of commerce mainly. But I have nothing but respect and admiration for people who do.”

  “Well,” explained Hamish. “It is not always a glorifying role. But when you can help out your country and build strong young men at the same time it all becomes worth it. I have been involved in the army since I was twelve years old. So I have had the benefit of a lot of experience. I don’t like taking lives, but sometimes you have to. I took many lives on the battlefield but the goal of taking Prince Albert’s castle was worth it.”

  “Sounds like it,” said Bridget. “Dessert anyone? We have chocolate cake and oatmeal cookies. They might go nice with a bit of brandy, eh Edward?”

  Edward went and fetched the good brandy from his liquor cabinet. He poured everyone a glass and they all drank merrily.

  That night as they were getting ready for bed, Hamish came into the bathroom where Elizabeth was removing her makeup. “My dear,” said Hamish. “I am just so happy that I am going to be your husband. And your parents are remarkable. I felt an instance rapport with them. I know they are going to make great in-laws.”

  “I am glad you feel that way!” said Elizabeth. “I was a little worried about whether or not they’d accept you. It turns out they are much more open-minded than I had thought. I guess they saw that it was true love between you and me.” Elizabeth kissed Hamish on the cheek.

  “You look beautiful without your makeup,” said Hamish.

  “You are sweet.”

  Hamish and Elizabeth retired into the same bedroom that night. As they slept on their comfortable, large feather bed they each had so many thoughts going through their minds that it was difficult to articulate them. But they were both happy, and for the first time in her life, Elizabeth felt that everything was going to be okay.

  The following weeks were devoted to planning the wedding. Edward spared no expense in laying out the costs and it was going to have everything from a formal ceremony, to a delightful reception with one hundred and fifty guests, to a catered dinner, to a live musical band. And of course plenty of wine. Elizabeth was thrilled to hear all the details of the wedding and as it turned out, Bridget was a very skilled party planner. Finally, the big day of the wedding came and Elizabeth was in her room getting her dress on. Bridget entered, who was wearing a beautiful silk blue dress with pink ribbons and bows. Elizabeth had on a very tasteful white dress with a veil and a blue flower over her breast. “Are you ready?” asked Bridget.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be, Mom,” said Elizabeth.

  The next thing Elizabeth knew she was being walked down the aisle by her dad and one hundred and fifty guests stood up to either side of her. The music almost brought a tear to Elizabeth’s eye as it was a very emotional moment. Hamish looked positively gallant in his military attire and kilt. She was so proud to be marrying such a handsome and well put-together man.

  Finally, she reached the end of the aisle and took her place among her maids and across from Hamish. A few words were said by the presider and before long they were exchanging rings. Their vows were read and then it was time to kiss. As they kissed, the guests erupted in a thunderous applause which made Elizabeth’s heart skip a beat. Then they walked down the aisle again, hand in hand, and made their way to the formal table where they would sign their marriage certificates.

  After the ceremony was a positively delightful reception. The whole time guests were coming up to her congratulating her on a magnificent ceremony and finding a great catch in a husband. Almost every guest brought presents. Elizabeth had no idea how she was going to go about opening them all and as for thanking everyone, that was going to be a daunting task indeed.

  Their first dance as a married couple went off swimmingly. They danced to an old Scottish folk song and as a special treat, two players with bagpipes emerged onto the scene and played magnificently. They even managed to get out the song that they first danced to and that went very well indeed. Practically the entire room got on their feet to dance to the beautiful melodies that the bagpipes spewed forth.

  It was a whirlwind of a day. Finally, after everyone had gone home, and it was just Hamish and Elizabeth in the house, they retired to their bedroom. Elizabeth undressed, and so did Hamish. Their bodies came together as one and they made love in a beautiful and passionate fashion.

  A few months later, now living in Glasgow, Elizabeth had a house of her own – a modest thing with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and was now expecting a child on the way. Hamish worked every day in the front office of the military quarter. He planned battles and used his cunning and military prowess to orchestrate some of the most decisive victories the Scottish army enjoyed.

  Every night when Hamish came home to Elizabeth they would talk, and cook, and dance, and sing, and drink wine, and make love. They had many friends who would come over and spend entire evenings with them. Elizabeth made friends with many other military mothers-to-be and shared gossip and stories about the local merchants and citizens. Elizabeth, it turns out, became quite a well known socialite. And when her son was born, she became a very devoted parent as well. As the years passed, she bore more children until eventually their home was blessed with a full household. Hamish worked in the military until he was old enough to retire, and took great pleasure in watching his children grow up to be strong, confidant young adults. Every now and then, when they felt the urge, they would go out dancing. They would go to the local watering hole where they had a band that played the bagpipes. And as they danced, in a whirlwind of song and wine and cheers from the crowd, they would always remember back to that first dance when they became enthralled with each other. They would always remember the sound of the bagpipes.

  When they reached old age, and their children all had families and children of their own, they would sit together and reminisce on old times. On the wedding, on the battle at Prince Albert’s castle, and a smile would come to their elderly faces. They knew that they lived full, healthy lives and if they had to change anything they wouldn’t.

  ***The End***

  A Soldier’s Last Hope

  By: Stephanie Hunt

  Chapter One:

  Scott sighed, leafing through the thick sheaf of papers in his hands. The end of his career. A career that he’d thought would take him to retirement was over before his twenty fifth birthday. He looked out the window, focusing on the landscape instead of the cold black and white words.

  The landscape wasn’t much better. What should have been a verdant and flourishing cornfield was dry and stunted. The crop had failed while he was gone.

  A bitter
smile curved his mouth. Maybe he had something in common with this place after all. He’d heard his parents talking last night about selling some of their stock. Not for a vacation or to do some of the repairs the old place desperately needed, but simply to pay the bills that were piling up. Feed and seed bills, utility bills, the payment for the tractor that they would owe for another three years. He’d left with plans to help them take care of all of that. Now he was back, jobless and humiliated. They’d been so proud of him when he’d left.

  “Scott!” his mother called up the stairs. “Suppers on the table!”

  And he was simply another mouth to feed. With a heavy sigh, he pulled himself upright and went down the stairs. The paper was lying on the table and he picked it up, pulling the want ad section out. Every day he hoped for something different, but there weren’t very many jobs in the farm town.

  He was desperate enough to take anything now, but even that hadn’t turned up any luck. The grocery store wasn’t even hiring. He scanned the ads. A law firm needed a paralegal, but he didn’t have the qualifications to do that. And the local dentist’s office was hiring a hygienist. He had even less qualifications there. At least he’d been in court before.

  His father laughed suddenly. “Hey, I might have found you the perfect job,” he said as he looked over his own section of the paper.

  Scott looked up eagerly and saw a large ad surrounded by roses. “Looking for love?” It read in curlicue cursive. “Come out to Cargill Estate Friday, April 22nd to meet Miss Catherine Cargill, our lovely daughter! The lucky chosen man will be her groom!”

  Scott stared at his father who was chuckling and then at his mother was looking at the paper with wide eyes.

  “That can’t be serious!” she said, dropping a pan of cornbread onto the table. “No one in this day and age would--”

  “That’s the Cargills for you,” Eric said with a shake of his head. “Nothing crazier than a person with money and too much time on their hands.”

  Linda shook her head too. “All the money from those hotels and this is how he spends it? Publicity to marry off his daughter?”

  Scott took a thick slab of cornbread and crumbled it into his potato soup. “Hotels?”

  Linda handed him a napkin. “You know who he is,” she said. “All those luxury hotels? From the rocky peaks of Vail to the shores of Hilton Head,” she said in a refined and soft toned voice. “Come and relax while the Cargills take care of your every need...and want.”

  “Oh,” he said, plunging his spoon into his bowl of soup with a grin at his mother’s acting. “Yeah, I’ve seen that commercial.”

  She smiled back before dishing up her own bowl of soup. “And just think!” she said dramatically. “You could marry into all of that! Scott Cargill, hotelier!”

  He laughed, but the idea stuck with him. Not the idea of running a chain of hotels...that seemed like much more trouble than it was worth...but the idea of being the one to win Catherine Cargill’s hand. With that much money at her disposal, she could help out the ranch. And if she was disinclined to do it...well...even with a good prenup, the other half usually got a good settlement in these cases. He barely tasted the rest of his meal. Maybe he wasn’t quite out of options yet.

  Chapter Two:

  Scott stood outside the Cargill mansion staring. There was a massive wrought iron gate and an impeccable lawn stretched behind it. The Cargill’s actually had a fountain. He hadn’t thought people really bought fountains.

  Or that the fountains they bought could look like they were worth more than his father’s truck. This one was gold. A huge fish stood on its tail in the middle, spurting water liberally into the air.

  He pressed the buzzer and a cool voice asked his name.

  He leaned forward, trying to match the accent less voice. “Scott Lawson. I’m here to meet with the Cargills about--” The gate swung open and the voice talked over him.

  “Come in. Through the front door, first hallway on your right.”

  “Okay.” It was pointless to answer, because the intercom had already been cut off.

  Scott took a breath and walked up the driveway. The first hallway on his right turned out to be what he would have called a living room, but what the butler had called a drawing room. A butler, for God’s sake. He hadn’t thought people had those anymore than they had fountains.

  He wasn’t the only man in the room. It was a big room, but there were at least 20 other men milling around it. Some of them, leaning near the fireplace, were talking together. In their well cut suits and with their soft hands, he knew that they came from money as well. He couldn’t figure out why they were here.

  Some men stood in corners, not looking at anyone else, seeming twitchy. He’d had a friend on base that got twitchy like that when he wanted a smoke. They were more obviously there for the money.

  He walked over to a large window and looked out. So far so good. He was the only man in uniform. He adjusted his crisp Navy whites just slightly, making sure that they were straight.

  “What branch?” a man to his right asked.

  “Navy,” Scott said. And then, unable to resist. “SEALS.”

  “Hell, every woman goes crazy over a man in uniform,” the man said with an unfriendly smirk. “Wish I’d thought to dig one up. Maybe hit the Army/Navy supply store.”

  Scott gritted his teeth, determined not to speak. Even more determined to keep his hands to himself. The last thing he needed to do was start a fight and call too much attention to himself. There was a chance...slight...but a chance, that they would take him at face value. That they wouldn’t go digging through his career.

  He’d earned his uniform. Every stripe and bar on it too. But there was more to it than met the eye and he really didn’t want to have to explain himself before he had the money in his hands.

  Chapter Three:

  More than half the men in the room had gone before Scott heard his name called by the impeccable butler. He followed the man down a hallway lined with Oriental rugs and then stepped into a room lined with books. The Cargill’s didn’t seem to believe in having empty spaces.

  “Come in, come in,” called a red haired man. “Scott...Lawson,” he said, looking at a sheet on his desk. “Military man, eh?”

  Scott resisted the urge to ask if Andrew Cargill thought he’d picked up the dress uniform at the Army/Navy store and settled for a nod. There was a blonde woman behind the desk, but there was no way that this was Catherine. Though the woman hid her age cleverly, Scott knew that she had to be in her middle 40’s. Her pale blue eyes scanned him as if he was merchandise on sale.

  “Have a seat,” she said at last, gesturing to a leather chair in front of the desk.

  “Thanks.” He sat down and looked around. There was no one else in the room. Wasn’t he even going to get to see the woman he was hoping to marry?

  “Sorry!” A voice said from behind him. “I had to step out for just a--”

  She trailed off as Scott stood up. He’d taken off his hat and now he almost dropped it as he put it under one arm and held his other hand out to her. Catherine Cargill was gorgeous.

  Red hair fell down her back in waves and her large green eyes looked boldly into his. Her skin was pale and fair, telling him that the red hair was natural. Though she’d tried to cover them with makeup, he saw a faint dusting of freckles across her small nose.

  “Scott Lawson,” he said, his voice a little rough.

  “Catherine Cargill,” she replied, leaving her hand in his for a little longer than she really needed too.

  His hand still felt warm when she took her seat at the side of the desk. In what world did this woman need help finding a husband? There should have been men packing that drawing room constantly, and not out of a desire for money.

  “Navy?” she asked as her father dug through some papers.

  He nodded, but he didn’t have time to say anything else. Mavis Cargill had cleared her throat and Andrew Cargill’s questions began.

  “
How long have you been in the military?”

  “I joined when I was 18.”

  “What are you doing here? Obviously you must be on leave,” Mavis put in.

  “Yeah,” he said. “My parents needed some help on their farm.”

  Catherine leaned forward. “Their farm?” she repeated.

  He glanced at her, hoping that he wouldn’t see scorn on that beautiful face. He didn’t. He saw open, avid, interest.

  “They raise cattle and corn and wheat,” he said. “Up closer to the mountains.”

  Catherine opened her mouth to continue, but her father spoke over her, while her mother waved her into silence.

  “I guess we don’t need to ask about your health,” Andrew said. “The Marines will have checked all that, right?”

  “Navy,” Scott corrected automatically. “And yes, but I’m happy to see any doctor you choose.” And pay for, he thought, but he didn’t add that part. “Clean as a whistle with no health issues at all.” That was the absolute truth. Health had not been the reason for his discharge 6 months ago.

  The questions went on. What had he done before the military? Worked the farm. That was true. What had made him decide to enlist? He’d wanted to help defend the country he loved. That was almost entirely true. Money had been a factor, but not the only one. What had made him decide to answer the ad? Curiosity. That was a blatant lie. What did he think made him stand out above the other candidates?

  “I’m not sure,” Scott admitted. “I don’t know them. I just know that I’d really like to get to know Catherine.” He looked at her as he spoke and she smiled before glancing back down at her lap.

  “Interesting interview,” Andrew said, standing up. “We’ll be letting you know. We’ve got a lot more people to see!”