Alice_Bride of Rhode Island

by Kristy McCaffrey

  Alice gasped. “That’s terrible. A boy this young shouldn’t be living a life of crime.”

  “Well, be that as it may, life is what it is sometimes.”

  Alice frowned at the callousness of the man.

  “Are you new to town?” he asked. “May I help you find your way somewhere?”

  For a moment, Alice thought to keep her predicament private. But, truthfully, she could use help. “I was to meet a man by the name of Frank Martel, but it would seem he’s been detained.”

  When she mentioned her betrothed, the man’s expression changed from stern to surprise.

  “Do you know him?” asked Alice.

  The man’s countenance closed down again. “He’s my brother.”

  “Oh, lovely.” Alice extended her gloved hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Martel. Are you James or Theo?”

  He frowned. “James.” He took her hand then released it.

  “Would it be too much trouble to ask you for transportation to Frank’s home or business?”

  Mr. Martel rested hands on his hips, looking a bit stunned. Alice wondered why.

  “And who are you?” he asked.

  “I’m Frank’s mail-order bride.”

  “His what?”

  A bad feeling settled over Alice. “Did he not mention me?”

  Mr. Martel gave a slight shake of his head.

  “Are you certain?” she persisted. “I’ve come all the way from Massachusetts, although I was born and raised in Newport.”

  Mr. Martel’s gaze honed in on her. “What’s your name?”

  “Alice Endicott, sir.”

  She couldn’t be positive, but the barest hint of a smile tugged at the man’s mouth. He was undeniably handsome. She swiftly shook off that wayward thought. Perhaps Frank would favor the good looks of his brother. If that was true, then she might be fortunate to have strong, healthy children.

  “Well, I do believe it’s my duty to escort you, Miss Endicott.” He retrieved her two satchels.

  “My thanks, sir.” Abruptly she turned back to the boy; Toby hadn’t completely departed. She opened her reticule, dug out a five-cent piece, and handed it to the boy. “Try to stay out of trouble.” The lad grabbed the coin and ran away.

  Still watching the youth, she retreated. When she spun around, she bumped into the hard wall that was Mr. Martel’s chest and jumped back.

  “Why did you give him money?” he asked.

  “Everyone deserves help in this life.”

  “He’ll just keep stealing.”

  “Then perhaps you should offer him a job and a place to live.”

  “You have a far kinder heart than I do, Miss Endicott.” He strode away from her, and she had to walk quickly to keep pace with him.

  She hoped Frank wasn’t as serious and unfeeling as his brother.

  Chapter Two

  “What could’ve possibly compelled you to send for a mail-order bride?” James asked his brother, leaning back in his office chair, letting out a frustrated sigh.

  The day had started off bad and just kept getting worse. His meeting with Lillie Jenkins, widow of his friend Stephen, hadn’t gone as hoped. She was reluctant to merge Stephen’s fishing holdings with the Martels’, confounding James. He and his brothers had worked hard at the enterprise their father had toiled away at for years; now, James wanted to expand. He’d escorted Lillie to the train station when, soon after, he’d bumped into Frank’s new fiancée.

  Frank pivoted from the window that overlooked Pierce’s Wharf, a pier along the Sakonnet River. “I’ll admit, it was rather impulsive, but it killed two birds with one stone.”

  “I can’t wait to hear this,” James mumbled. Frank was always impulsive, the complete opposite of him.

  “Well, Mary Jane and I had broken things off, and I felt a little lost. I thought this the perfect rebound solution. I wouldn’t marry for love, and Mary Jane would realize very quickly that she’d ruined her chances with me and regret it forever.”

  This sounded like a Frank Plan. James remained silent to hear the rest.

  “So, I found out about a ridiculous number of girls looking to marry. I guess some factory had burned down where they all worked, and they were out on the street and desperate.”

  “Clearly that would make them good wife material,” James cut in.

  “But wait.” Frank moved to the desk and stared down James. “I managed to get a gander at the list of names. I requested her specifically. Her name is Alice Endicott. Don’t you see?”

  James waited again.

  “She’s Daniel Endicott’s daughter.”

  “That’s impossible. Why would Endicott’s daughter be working in a factory?” Daniel Endicott was a wealthy man who made his home in Newport. He was also the source of heartache and discord for the Martel family. “She only had a few coins in her purse when I found her looking quite lost at the train station. Which, by the way, was terribly irresponsible of you for not meeting her.”

  “Yeah, well, I forgot.” Frank started pacing. “Look, she’s his daughter. I made inquiries. I don’t know why she’s acting all poor and down-on-her-luck, but that’s for you to figure out.”

  “And why is that?”

  “Because I can’t marry her. You’ll have to.”

  “You’re out of your mind.”

  “Look, Mary Jane and I reconciled just last night. I can’t marry Miss Endicott now. I should’ve sent word, but obviously it’s too late. Besides, one of us has to marry her.”

  “Why?”

  “Several months ago, when I was down in Newport, I settled in for a bout of cards, and there was a fella at the table by the name of Evans. Seems he was destined to marry Alice Endicott before she ran off and disappeared. He was so liquored up he shared with the table that she’s to inherit Menhaden Fishing Company when she turns twenty-one.”

  James eyes snapped to Frank. “Are you certain?”

  Frank sighed. “Of course, I can’t be completely certain. Further investigation turned up nothing. I doubt her inheritance is meant to be public knowledge. In fact, I’m not even sure Miss Endicott herself knows.”

  James’ pulse quickened. This was the closest he’d ever come to finding a way to exact revenge for what Daniel Endicott had done to his father almost ten years ago. Menhaden Fishing Company had belonged to Jean Martel before Endicott ruined him and stole it away. Jean had struggled to rebuild his business—renamed Martel Fishing Enterprises—but it had been a slow and laborious process, and he’d never recovered from the blow of losing his business, neither financially nor mentally.

  “How old is she?” asked James.

  “Twenty. Her birthday is December twenty-fourth. In two months, she’ll be in possession of papa’s heart and soul. But more importantly, so will her husband.”

  James shook his head. “There are so many unknowns in this plan, I don’t even know where to begin. Not the least, of course, is marrying against one’s will. Mine and hers, I suspect.”

  “She came here. Clearly she’s agreed to the marriage.”

  “She agreed to marry you, though I can’t imagine why.”

  Frank moved back to the window.

  “Have Theo marry her if you’re so determined to use her like a horse you plan to run to ground,” James said, but as soon as the words were out, he didn’t like the sound of them. A vision of her blue eyes and rosy cheeks popped into his head, along with sun-kissed tresses peeking from beneath her bonnet.

  Frank faced him. “You know Theo can’t handle her.”

  James understood what he said, but pretended not to. Their youngest brother, barely twenty-one, was too wet behind the ears to handle a woman, let alone a wife. And Alice Endicott was a beautiful woman.

  “She’s lovelier than I expected from the likes of that snake Daniel Endicott,” Frank continued.

  “You seem to be forgetting Mama and Papa’s devout Catholic beliefs,” James asserted, even though he sensed his life was about to take a drastic cha
nge. “Marrying out of spite would have Mama fainting.”

  Frank paused. “Leave it to you to throw our dear maman in my face. All right, marry Miss Endicott, but leave her virtue intact if you must. When all is said and done, get an annulment. No harm done. She’ll be free to marry again, as will you. I know you’re saving yourself for true love.”

  Frank could convince a mother to give up her child if it suited him. He didn’t lack in charm, an attribute he inherited from their papa. Their mother had always had a soft spot for Frank. James understood it, but it also rankled. After the sudden deaths of Jean-Francois and Ada Martel five years prior, the struggling family business had been left to James to run. He was also responsible for cleaning up Frank’s messes.

  He was about to mop up another one.

  James stood. “I guess we best break the news to the young lady.”

  Frank grinned. “You don’t have to look like you’re about to attend your own funeral. Enjoy it, older brother. By the end of the week, you’ll be married.”

  James glared at his kin and departed the office to find his newly-betrothed.

  Chapter Three

  As soon as Alice had arrived at the office of Martel Fishing Enterprises, the older Mr. Martel had sequestered himself away with Frank, her betrothed. Frank—with the same dark hair as James but shorter in stature—hadn’t appeared too happy to see her, barely shaking her hand. She had a sinking feeling she’d soon be headed back to the train station.

  She ruminated over what she should now do. She didn’t have enough money for a return ticket. Besides, she had nothing to return to. All her good friends from the factory were in the process of departing for their own new husbands and lives. And besides, Massachusetts wasn’t really her home. She exited the stifling atmosphere of the office and wandered down to the stone pier, holding her bonnet in her hand and enjoying the crisp breeze upon her face. In the distance lay the Atlantic Ocean. The Sakonnet River must be more of a tidal inlet than a true river.

  She stopped and closed her eyes; for the briefest moment the weight of the past several weeks left her. Seagulls squawked, and a breeze blew wisps of blonde tendrils that had escaped her bun across her cheeks. The odor of fish—thankfully not as pungent as at the rail station—and briny air accosted her, and tears burned her eyes as she thought of her father. Gavin Harrington had truly loved the sea, maybe even more than his wife and daughter.

  Into each life some rain must fall. The words of her papa’s favorite poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, filled her mind. Well, it would seem her life was drenched at this point.

  Alice decided that whatever the Martel brothers had in store for her, she wouldn’t leave Rhode Island. She would simply have to find work...somewhere. Somehow she’d get by. She would never return to the home of Daniel Endicott.

  Footsteps from behind signaled the approach of, she guessed, Frank Martel, but she was surprised when his older brother James stood beside her and leaned forearms on the railing. In the distance, a steamship called the Queen City slowly approached.

  “Do you like the sea, Miss Endicott?”

  She nodded. “If I’d been a man, I would’ve worked on a ship. I can think of nothing more liberating than being at sea, sailing to some unknown land. It must be terribly exciting.” She glanced at the elder Martel and was taken aback by the contemplative gaze he bestowed on her. The frock coat was gone; the cuffs of his white tailored shirt were rolled to his elbows, revealing muscled forearms. With his hat also discarded, the breeze lifted his tresses with the gentlest of caresses, putting her in mind of a pirate from her school books.

  Unsettled, she returned to staring straight ahead before continuing. “Let me save you the trouble of an uncomfortable conversation. I’m not completely witless. I’ve gathered that I’m not as welcome here as Frank’s letters had conveyed. I’ll just be on my way, but if it wouldn’t trouble you, I’d like to watch the water for a bit longer.”

  “We’ve not been acquainted for long, but witless is hardly a description I’d apply to you.” He took a deep breath. “It’s true. Frank isn’t in a position to marry you. He’s promised himself to another.”

  “I see.” Humiliation engulfed her. Beth had been right—she should’ve waited for Mr. Hughes of Iowa to respond. Now, she was left with nothing.

  The man beside her shifted, reminding her she wasn’t alone. From the corner of her eye, James Martel appeared...nervous. But that couldn’t be. He was imposing, stalwart, and remote. A man who seemed shaken by very little in life.

  “I’d like to offer you an alternative.” He cleared his throat and faced forward. “I’ll marry you.”

  Shocked, Alice faced him. “I beg your pardon.”

  His eyes met hers. “If you’ll have me,” he added.

  Panic threaded through her. She’d been prepared to wed Frank. His letters had shown an earnestness towards her, along with a good dose of humor. James appeared to be the furthest creature from whimsical. Then again, Frank had obviously not been truthful. Perhaps wittiness wasn’t a good measure of a suitable husband.

  “I’m no charity case, sir. You don’t have to do this. I’ll figure something out.”

  “As I understand, you left a situation in Massachusetts that was somewhat...desperate. Do you have family here that would help you?”

  She considered her stepfather and his mansion in Newport. “No, I don’t.”

  James watched her intently. “You couldn’t go back to your father?”

  “My father is deceased.”

  James raised an eyebrow. “He is?”

  “My stepfather is still living, but he and I are distant.”

  “And why is that?”

  Alice stared at this man who had offered to become her husband. He was a stranger. Becoming a mail-order bride was more difficult than she’d imagined. She truly was in over her head. “I’d rather not say, sir. I don’t know you.”

  His response was silence.

  “May I ask why you would want to take a woman you don’t know to be your wife?” she blurted. “You’re very handsome. Surely there’s a woman you fancy.”

  His piercing gaze had her shuffling uncomfortably from foot to foot.

  Then, he smiled and her breath caught. He had certainly been handsome in the stoic stance she’d only ever seen of him, but when he grinned, a boyish, rakish appeal snagged her as if he’d reeled her in on a fishing line.

  “I accept your compliment,” he said. “The truth is, I wasn’t planning to marry. Running our fishing fleet keeps me busy, but Frank was irresponsible in how he handled this situation, and I feel compelled to rectify it.”

  “You sound like a knight in shining armor.”

  She wished he would stop grinning, as she was swiftly losing her train of thought.

  “I like that,” he said. “Will you let me rescue you, Miss Endicott?”

  Alice didn’t know what to say. She knew the correct answer was no. But looking into Mr. Martel’s eyes, more deep blue than green, much like the ocean beside them, fate tugged at her, whispering in her ear. Life is a grand adventure. Her papa had told her such when she was young.

  James Martel represented a new beginning, and perhaps it wasn’t altogether a bad one.

  “Yes, Mr. Martel,” she answered quietly. “I’ll marry you.”

  Chapter Four

  Alice took a deep breath and smoothed her hands down the lovely gown that Mrs. Irwin had altered for her. The white silk material draped in cascading waves from a modest, high-necked bodice. Puff sleeves adorned longer ones, intricate lace encircling the cuffs and an overlay that covered her bosom. A wide ribbon at the waist ended in a large bow at the back, sitting atop a short train that could be bustled after the ceremony. White silk gloves completed the ensemble.

  For the past week, Alice had resided in the cottage home in town of the portly Mrs. Irwin and her husband. The older woman apparently cooked, cleaned, ironed, and essentially kept house for the Martel brothers, who all lived together. Ali
ce had yet to see the residence, situated on the banks of the Sakonnet, but by this evening it would become her new home.

  Mrs. Irwin reached up to pat Alice’s curls that were tucked into place with pins and a spritely array of flowers. “You’re so very pretty, my dear.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.”

  “Are you ready?”

  Alice nodded, hoping the butterflies in her stomach would settle down. It was November 2, her wedding day. She wished fervently that Beth or Leora or any of the girls were here. Without a confidant to serve as a witness, it was decided that Mary Jane Beckett—Frank’s sweetheart—would be her Maid of Honor. Frank would be James’ Best Man. Alice soon learned that Mary Jane had no idea it was to Frank that Alice was originally betrothed. James had murmured under his breath during one of the few times they were together this week that she should probably keep that fact to herself.

  The dark-haired Mary Jane appeared slightly distracted whenever Alice spoke with her. She was cordial, but it was clear she didn’t consider Alice worth her time. Alice wasn’t sure how to handle this. She yearned for a familiar face, for a devoted friend to stand beside her rather than the impatient Mary Jane.

  The only one of her newly-found acquaintances that she genuinely liked was Theo Martel, the youngest brother. They were close in age, and he was open and agreeable in ways that seemed to elude James. The one bright spot in all of this was that she would finally gain a brother, or rather two.

  The more she knew of Frank, the more grateful she was that their marriage had never materialized. He was clever and funny, but their personalities simply didn’t suit one another.

  Then there was James.

  Whenever he was near, her heart set to pounding. She hoped he would be satisfied with their marriage. At the same time, she wondered what on earth they would talk about for all the years of their life together. Whenever she was in his company, he was mostly silent. And the two of them hadn’t been alone since that afternoon at the wharf when he’d proposed.