As we grew older we left the school yard and I worked on my parents’ farm, helping them bring in the crop and raise the cattle. Claire always made fun of me for having dirt under my nails and having my hair in an unfashionable braid.
I would sit on the porch and watch the pretty girls walk by. They were dressed in the latest fashion, even though most of their parents could only afford one dress. They wore those same dresses every day and strolled by my house, casting knowing glances and laughing behind their gloved hands. I’d begged my mother to take me into town and buy me a dress like that but she ignored me like always.
As my younger sister got older, my mother saw potential in her. She devoted all of her time and attention to Agnes, ignoring me completely, though that wasn’t really anything new. It took me a long time to figure out why my mother held so much disdain for me, but when I figured it out it broke my heart even more.
She saw everything she hated about herself in me. I had plain features and red hair. She always told me that my only saving grace was my emerald eyes. My mother was almost as cruel as Claire, though her cruelty was her silence and the disappointment that skittered across her face when she looked at me. I wanted so badly for my mother to look upon me with the love and adoration that she offered Claire and my sister. I wanted my name to fall from my mother’s lips with pride, but I knew that would never happen.
As I got older I began to feel all the things a young woman should feel. I was eighteen and most of my friends were starting to get married. They were falling in love and having babies. I wanted that life so badly. For as long as I could remember I’d dreamed of having a family.
There was one boy in particular who caught my eye. His name was Cody Roy and he had sandy blonde hair and blue eyes as bright as the ocean. He was stunning in every way possible. We’d spoken a few times and he seemed kind enough. He didn’t go out of his way to spend time with me, but the few waves and smiles he’d offered were enough to make me pine after him.
I found myself praying that he would notice me. I wanted to be Cody’s wife, and even if it was a long shot, that didn’t matter. I was still going to hope and pray with all my might. I didn’t have much in this world, but I did have prayer.
I sighed as I thought of Cody, wandering into the barn to care for the animals. Just inside the barn there was a small pink envelope. It had clearly been slid under the door. I picked it up and unfolded it, reading the messy handwriting.
Meet me down by the river. I want to talk.
-Cody
My heart began to slam in my chest and my eyes widened. I dropped the bucket and ran towards the woods. The sun was just starting to come up, casting a golden glow over the land. My throat was dry and I knew I’d be in trouble for leaving the animals unfed, but I had to do this. This was the first break I’d gotten! I wasn’t going to leave Cody at the river.
I broke into the clearing that led to the river and as I raised my head I saw Cody. He was smiling, hands tucked in the pockets of his dirty work jeans. He was smiling softly, looking just as handsome as always.
A blush tinted my cheeks pink and I walked over to the river, my heart pounding so hard I could feel it in my temples. He smiled and tilted his head to the side just a little. I stared up at him, my eyes wide and bright with excitement. This was my prayer being answered. Something good was finally starting to happen.
“Hello,” I said, unsure of how to start the conversation.
“Hello. I just wanted to talk to you, alone.”
My entire body flushed with heat and I cleared my throat. “I can’t imagine what you’d want to talk to me about.”
“Honestly, it was just an excuse to spend some quality time with you. You’re always busy.”
I laughed nervously and tucked some hair behind my ear. “I run my family’s farm.” I wasn’t sure why I said that, but I was nervous.
He nodded and reached out, gently touching my cheek, smiling. “You look really beautiful this morning. The sunlight is catching your eyes just right.”
My breath hitched in my throat and I stared up at him, wondering what was happening. This was all so sudden and wonderful. Something felt off about it, but I didn’t want to ruin the moment. This felt like a dream and I didn’t want to wake up.
“Close your eyes, Elizabeth. I have something I want to give you.”
I swallowed but closed my eyes, my lips parted just a little. I was waiting for a peck on the lip or a flower to be placed gently in my hair, but instead I found myself stumbling back after he slapped a handful of the thick, smelly mud from the river on my face. The putrid and coppery smell made my eyes water, though that could have just been tears.
The mud slid off my cheek and plopped on the ground. For a moment I just stood there, staring at him as he laughed. Within moments a group of girls led by Claire emerged from the woods, howling with laughter. Most of the girls and boys I’d grown up with were scattered around me, laughing so hard some of them fell to the ground.
Tears burned in my eyes and I turned, taking off into the woods and pushing people aside. I needed to get out of here. I needed to get as far from the clearing as possible and I needed to get out of this town.
Chapter 3
I ran through the forest, mud drying on my face in the warm spring sun. It smelled coppery and awful. I wanted to get it off my face, but in order to get home I’d have to run through a small collection of houses. One of those houses happened to belong to my one and only friend.
Kate was out in her mother’s garden when I ran past and she must have heard my crying because she jumped up and started after me, calling my name. I collapsed into the soft earth, my hands and knees sinking into the dirt. Her eyes were wide as she looked me over.
“What in the world happened to you, Elizabeth?”
Tears were rolling down my cheek, mixing with the mud as Kate helped me to stand. “I…It was Claire! It was Claire and Cody!” I screamed.
Kate frowned deeply and pulled me close. “Come with me,” she said gently, leading me to her house.
She knew how awful my mother could be and she knew that my mother had no patience for me. If I came home covered in mud she’d scold me for horsing around by the river bank and getting myself all dirty. My dress was already stained from the mud, and there was nothing I could do about that.
Kate sat me in a chair and started to wipe my cheek as I stared blankly at the floor. “Someone has to do something about her,” Kate mumbled.
“No one ever will.” My voice sounded so defeated and I could tell it was breaking Kate’s heart.
“Well then, it seems you have to do something, then.”
“But what?”
Kate hesitated and leaned in close. “You’re of marrying age, Elizabeth,” she began. “You could get married.”
“Who’s going to marry me? I have a reputation here thanks to Claire and he goons.”
“Then you don’t get married here.”
I frowned at Kate and looked her up and down, wiping what was left of the mud from my face as well as the tears. “What do you mean?”
She sighed. “I’ve heard of this thing called ‘mail order brides.’ Men out west send ads back to the east and try and get women to go out there and live with them. It’s a tough land so the women are sparse.” She chewed her lip. “I would miss you, but you could start over there. Claire wouldn’t be able to find you and her words couldn’t follow you.”
“It seems a bit drastic.”
“It is, but it might be your only option to find a husband.”
I hesitated a moment before nodding. “You’re right.”
She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me close. “I don’t want you to leave, but I know life is impossible for you here. Maybe you just need to start over.”
I pulled away and nodded numbly, thanking her before leaving and setting down the muddy path that would take me home. My skin tingled from the perfumed water Kate had washed me with and I was thankful for the pleasant
smell. The smell of the acrid mud made it impossible not to think of Cody’s betrayal.
As I pushed the door open and wandered inside my heart dropped into my stomach. My mother was leaning over a fire, stirring dinner. I tried to sneak past her but she heard me and frowned, looking me up and down.
“What in the world happened to you, child?”
I knew I couldn’t tell her the truth. She wouldn’t believe me. She never did. If I told her that Claire came up with a plot to embarrass me in front of the entire town she would accuse me of slandering the poor girl and send me to my room, shaking her head in disappointment.
“A horse rode by and splashed mud onto my dress.”
“Why were you walking so close to the road? Do you know how much work it’s going to take me to get the mud out of that dress? And that’s if I can get it out at all!” she scolded, standing up and stomping over to me.
She jerked me around, untying my dress and leaving me in only my slip. “Stupid girl,” she murmured. “Go get cleaned up for dinner.”
I turned and all but ran up the stairs, managing to hold the tears back until I was safely behind my door. My heart was pounding in my chest and my eyes stung with tears. I made the decision right then and there that I was going to leave. If I stayed I’d wilt and die.
After that night I started going to the church every day and looking at the ads that were posted on the side of the building. They were all ads requesting mail order brides. Some of them requested that women with certain hair and eye colors answer the ad, but most seemed to be directed at any woman who was willing to take the risk.
I started communicating with a man who owned coal mines in the west. He told me he was very wealthy and I told him I was very obedient. After we exchanged a few letters back and forth I was surprised when an envelope with $100 arrived in the mail. It was my traveling expenses. He instructed me to pay my way onto a wagon train and have them drop me off in Madison, Wisconsin.
It seemed like a long and hard road but I was ready to take on the challenge. After all, anything would have been better than staying here. I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by.
Chapter 4
The road to Wisconsin was even more terrifying than I could have imagined. The wagon train I’d managed to buy passage on set out early one morning, and we made our way through the near west. I didn’t tell my parents I was leaving. The only person who knew was Kate. We said a fearful goodbye and she offered me provisions for the road. She didn’t want me to leave, but she understood that I didn’t have a choice. I had no options left in Virginia.
As we rode through the lands, I wrote a letter to my mother and sent it off when we came to a stop at a trading post with a post man. I didn’t tell her where she could find me, but I told her what I’d done and why I did it. I secretly hoped that it broke her heart just a little to know that she’d driven her daughter away. It was selfish of me and I prayed for forgiveness, but I needed her to know.
The land was settled, but there was still so much danger. I’d seen a tribe of natives more than once and their strange markings and minimal clothing made my stomach do somersaults. I’d never met natives before. Well, not natives that hadn’t assimilated.
They watched us intently as we moved through their land. I tried to ignore the fear that bubbled in my stomach when I saw them, but it was difficult. There were a lot of things to be afraid of in this new land and I was trying to stay strong and brave, but I wasn’t a strong or brave person.
It took weeks of slow and steady travel, but we eventually made it to Madison. They left me in the town center and it was up to me to find my husband-to-be. I had my letter that had his address and his name. I showed it to a few locals and soon enough an elderly gentleman walked me down a fairly deserted road and pointed out the largest house in the whole town.
My eyes widened a bit as I approached the grand door, knocking on it slowly. It was easily four or five bedrooms and had a second story with a balcony. As I raised my hand to knock a second time, a handsome man opened the door and looked down at me, his eyebrow cocked.
He was tall and rugged despite his mansion and had eyes the color of cold steel. He wasn’t clean shaven but the beard gave him an even more manly look. He had high cheek bones and a sharp jaw that made my knees week. His dark hair gave him an intense look and his height wasn’t anything to scoff at. This was Adam and I was going to marry him.
I’m sure my eyes were as wide as half dollars as I tried to take him in. He was so beautiful. He cocked a thick brow at me. “Are you alright?” he asked. “Are you lost?”
I finally jumped to attention and cleared my throat “Oh! No! I, uh, I’m Elizabeth Harbin. We wrote to each other. You’re my fiancé.”
He chuckled and scratched his head. “Don’t get ahead of yourself darlin’,” he murmured. “Why don’t you come in? It’s hot as Hades out there.”
I nodded and walked into the house, surprised at how sparse it was. He clearly didn’t have an eye for decoration. It was so beautiful on the outside and I’d expected it to be just as lovely on the inside. Instead it just looked rather sad.
Once we were inside I let out a sigh, my body feeling heavy. Adam closed and locked the door behind me. “You must have had a long journey. Come in and sit,” he said, motioning to a thick, plush couch.
The couch looked inviting but my eyes were heavy. “I hope you don’t think this rude of me, but I think I’d rather lie down for the evening. I’m very tired.”
A slow smile came across his lips and it looked more like a smirk, as if he knew something I didn’t. “Of course. Follow me.”
The house was much larger than the one I’d left in Bethel and I was looking forward to having my own room. Me and my sister had just slept on the floor near the fire place. I couldn’t help but grin at the thought of a bed and a wardrobe. Maybe this wasn’t as crazy a decision as I initially thought.
He led me up the stairs and pushed one of the bedroom doors open. “Right in here.”
I walked into the room, surprised at how lived-in it looked. There was a glass of water beside the bed and an oil lamp that looked as if it had been burned recently. There was even a gun propped up against the wall beside the bed which wasn’t even made. The disarray of the room made me start to wonder who’d been in here before me. I wasn’t sure if I was up for marrying a man who had a habit of inviting women to stay with him.
When I turned to ask him about the state of the room, my eyes widened at the sight before me. Adam was stripping out of his shirt, the expanse of his muscular belly and chest revealed to me. I gasped and turned around, clapping a hand over my mouth to prevent the surprised squeak I was holding back from slipping out.
“What are you doing?!”
“Getting ready for bed,” he said easily.
“This is your room?”
“Whose room did you think it was?”
“MINE!”
I was exasperated at this point, my eyes wide and full of shock. I couldn’t believe that a man who I wasn’t married to was taking his clothes off in front of me! Did he have no decency?
“This is our room, and our bed,” he explained.
“NO! I am not sharing a bed with a man who isn’t my husband.”
“Do you think we’re getting married?”
“You called for a mail order bride!”
“Bride is a term we use loosely. When I said bride, I meant a woman who would lay in my bed, keep the house, and raise my children.”
“You just described a wife,” I pointed out.
“I don’t believe in marriage.”
The words hit me like a bag of bricks and I actually stumbled a little. “You don’t believe in marriage?”
“No.”
I don’t know if it was anger at being misled or the fact that I was in a new place trying to reinvent myself, but when he told me that, I did something I’d never done before: I stood up for myself.
“Well I don’t believe in sleeping in th
e beds of men who aren’t my husband.”
I left him with a shocked look on his face as I turned and walked down the hall to an empty bedroom, feeling something new. It was a sense of pride.
Chapter 5
Things didn’t get easier after that. Adam continued to try and convince me that marriage wasn’t necessary for us to do the things that husbands and wives did. For a while I even contemplated the fact that maybe he was right. Maybe things were different in the west, but after long and thoughtful prayer I came to the conclusion that he was wrong. I was going to follow through with my promise to myself and to God.
Madison was an entirely different world from Bethel. The longer I stayed there, the more I realized that without Claire, I could have friends. There weren’t many women in Madison but they were all good friends and welcomed me into their group with open arms.
I formed many wonderful friendships, but I got on exceptionally well with a young woman named Penny. She had long black hair and beautiful, kind eyes. She was married to the local butcher and had two children. They seemed to be with her wherever she went.
We were walking through the street, looking at the fresh vegetables and fruits that farmers were starting to sell. She hummed and bounced her youngest son on her hip before glancing over at me.
“Is Adam still insisting that you two don’t need to be married?”
“Yes. He refuses to accept that it’s how it has to be. I’m afraid he might send me back.”
Penny looked at me and touched my shoulder. “He can’t make you go back, sweetheart. He can’t make you do anything. Hold true to your beliefs. If it’s meant to be, God will make him see the right path.”
Romance: Western Mail Order Bride Bethany's Love -Clean Christian Historical Romance (Western Mail Order Bride Short Shorties Series) Page 148
