A meaty hand closed around her elbow and yanked her around. She barely kept her feet as she slammed into Stuart’s filthy denim-covered chest, face-first. He yanked her head back, forcing her to look him in the eyes. She wanted to slap him, but her arms were trapped against his chest.
“I just want you give me a chance,” he snarled. “No one ever gives me a chance.”
“Stuart, that’s enough.” Foreman Abel’s deep voice boomed with authority. “Let her go.”
Thank goodness. She would have breathed a sigh of relief if Stuart’s hold on her hadn’t been so tight. Foreman Abel had always treated Caroline as if she were just another American.
“This is personal business, Foreman. We’re both off the clock.” The muscles in Stuart’s arms flexed. Caroline couldn’t help squeaking as the rest of the air was forced out of her lungs.
What if he dragged her outside the factory, where the foreman had no authority? Would Abel try to rescue her anyway? Or would he leave her in Stuart’s clutches?
Foreman Abel walked around so she could see him in her peripheral vision. Caroline felt a surge of gratitude. Just the sight of his stern, weathered face made her feel safer.
“Miss Holt? Do you have personal business with Mr. Evans?”
Caroline shook her head so hard she felt wobbly. Or maybe it was not being able to breathe that made her giddy.
Fury flashed across Stuart’s face. She’d just made an enemy.
Foreman Abel resumed glaring at Stuart. “Let her go, Evans. Or you and I will have personal business.”
Stuart leaned closer. “This isn’t over.”
He released her abruptly, giving her a little shove as he moved away from her. She stumbled, nearly fell. The foreman put out a hand to steady her.
Caroline refused to look up until Stuart was out of the room.
“Sorry I didn’t notice sooner.” Foreman Abel patted Caroline’s arm. “Only reason he hasn’t been fired, he can put a rocking horse together faster than anyone else in his unit. Every time I report him for chasing after one of the ladies, the boss just tells me to keep an eye on him.”
“Thank you.” Caroline sighed. “There’s something I need to talk to you about, sir.”
“I can move Gardner’s bench closer to you, let him know that he needs to keep Evans away from you.”
“I appreciate that, sir, but it’s not necessary. I…” The words caught in her throat. What if today was her last time holding a brush? It wasn’t practical to expect to keep painting, once she’d committed to her new life.
“Something wrong?”
“I resign.” It came out as a whisper. She cleared her throat and tried again. “I resign, sir. I’m leaving.”
“Because of Evans?”
“No, sir. Because I’m engaged.”
“Your fiancé objects to you working?”
Caroline hesitated. She hadn’t told anyone outside her circle of friends, because she couldn’t bear them trying to talk her out of it. She was perfectly capable of imagining what could go wrong for a mail-order bride. Outlaws. Natives. Diphtheria. She’d be leaving all the comforts of civilization behind.
But her biggest fear, the one that woke her up in the middle of the night—what if the man she’d agreed to marry was no different than Stuart?
She’d pored over Maxwell’s letters, looking for signs that he was not who he claimed to be. All she’d found, though, were kind words, curious questions, and glimpses into the life of what seemed to be a hardworking, honest man who wanted to start a family.
Foreman Abel raised one eyebrow. “Miss Holt? Should I be concerned?”
“My fiancé is a rancher. I’m leaving for Arizona tomorrow.”
“A mail-order bride?” He looked aghast. “I could have introduced you to my cousin. Recently widowed, and a decent man. You don’t need to go to the frontier to find a husband.”
“I’ve been corresponding with him for months.”
“I know you haven’t visited him because you haven’t asked for a single day off.” A pause. “Have you exchanged photographs?”
The unstated thought behind the question—that Maxwell would reject her once he saw her—was too much to bear. She’d told her fiancé the story about her grandparents’ romance in the very first letter. How Grandmother Akiko given up her life as the daughter of a Japanese diplomat to marry a common sailor. How Grandfather William had been court-martialed for striking an officer who’d suggested that Grandmother Akiko was more suited to a life of prostitution than to be the wife of British sailor. How her grandparents had worked their fingers to the bone raising a family in a New World that seemed to have the same prejudices as the Old World.
Learning that Caroline was one-quarter Japanese hadn’t stopped Maxwell from writing her back.
Caroline held up one hand. “Please, Mr. Abel.”
“As you wish.” The foreman sighed. “If you want to come back, you’ll have a job here.”
“Thank you. For your kindness, and for…” Stopping Stuart. “I’ve enjoyed working here.”
“If you want to meet my cousin before you go—“
Caroline smiled, her frustration evaporating. Foreman Abel had been a kind boss, and a fair one. She would miss him. “My train leaves tomorrow.”
“God be with you, Miss Holt. I pray you know what you’re doing.”
So do I.
Caroline couldn’t help looking over her shoulder as she headed for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This isn’t over, Stuart had said. A shudder ran up her spine. Every time she looked behind her, she half-expected to see him following. Every time she passed an alley, she kept to the far edge of the sidewalk, even though there was no way Stuart could know where she intended to go after work.
But he wasn’t following her and he didn’t jump out of the alleys she’d passed.
She smiled and quickened her step as she caught sight of Sarah waving gaily from the museum steps. Eva and Angie stood nearby, arms linked.
Caroline gathered her skirts and hurried up the steps, nearly out of breath by the time she reached her friends.
“Sorry,” she panted. “Stuart. Again.”
Sarah frowned. “I’m glad you’re staying with me tonight.”
“Me too.” Caroline put on her most carefree smile, not wanting her friends to worry. She withdrew an envelope from her reticule and handed it to Eva. “A letter from Mae. It came yesterday. She sounds so happy.”
Eva read the letter aloud, and by the time she finished, they all sighed happily as one. Each of them delighted that Mae had found love. And a little bit hopeful that the same would happen to them soon.
An hour later, as she stood before an oil painting on loan from the Musee d’Orsay by a Frenchman named Gaugin. In the foreground, the artist had painted a white horse that somehow radiated exuberance even though its head dangled down between its forelegs. In the background, a naked, brown-skinned figure rode a darker steed. Something compelling about the simple, vibrant image kept Caroline rooted to the spot. It stirred a longing in her that she’d only felt one other time: when reading Maxwell’s letters.
“Scandalous!” Eva whispered behind Caroline, then giggled.
“Art’s supposed to be scandalous,” Angie whispered back. “Who’d pay to see it if it wasn’t?”
“Ooo, look at that one!” Eva moved to the next painting in the exhibit. Angie followed, leaving Caroline and Sarah alone.
“Are you all right?” Sarah patted Caroline on the back. “You seem…sad.”
Was it fair of her to express her fear when Sarah might be struggling with doubts about meeting her own husband-to-be?
“Caroline, what is it?”
She took a deep breath. “Maybe I should have sent Maxwell a portrait.”
“You said you wanted him to love you for who you are, now how you look.”
“I do. But what if that’s not possible?”
Sarah took both of Caroline’s hands in her own. “You’re a talented art
ist and you’re going to be a wonderful mother.”
Caroline sighed. “I wish I knew what to expect.”
“You didn’t know what to expect when your parents died. But you found a job and you found friends. You’ll find friends in Arizona, too. And I’ll just be a train ride away. We can visit.”
"This is different. I didn't have a choice then. Now...I could stay."
"You want to work at the factory your whole life? Dodging the likes of Stuart until you're a spinster?" Sarah pursed her lips. "Promise me you won't stop painting, Caroline. Promise me you’ll never be ashamed of who you are."
“I promise.” She wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep that promise. But Sarah always did know exactly what to say to make Caroline feel silly for worrying. And it was time to stop being such a wet blanket. “How about you? Are you ready to meet Wade?”
Sarah blushed, but before she could speak, Eva and Angie returned.
“We’re starving,” Angie announced. “Dinner at Mrs. M’s?”
Caroline’s mouth watered even as her eyes stung with tears. Mae, Maddie and Jewel were already gone. Tomorrow, she and Sarah would take a hansom to the train station and leave for different towns. Eva and Angie would find husbands soon too.
This could be her last time eating chowder with her friends at their favorite delicatessen.
Her last time sharing a ham-and-cheese sandwich with Sarah after a visit to the public library to check out another art book.
Her last time out with the women who had been her closest friends since her parents had died.
She vowed she would enjoy every moment.
Continue reading the story here:
http://www.amazon.com/Faith-Parsons/e/B015BZQ192/
Thank you for reading Sarah’s Journey and the sample chapter from Caroline’s Promise. Both stories are part of a series put together by the Sweet & Clean Book Club.
The authors of the Sweet & Clean Book Club love to collaborate on romance and other stories. We share characters, locations, and all sorts of details (and a great deal of fun too!). You can learn more about the other books in this Valentine’s Day series and the Club here:
Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/SweetAndCleanBookClub/
Amazon Page:
http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Clean-Book-Club/e/B01BD3MPY6/
Further Reading
Enjoyed this book? :) You should also try the stories below.
Love for Christmas
Christmas Angel (Prequel) – http://amzn.to/1Qc7agK
Julia’s meant for greater things, at least according to her mother, but what good is her precious voice, if she has no say who her heart can sing for.
Widows of Virginia Series
Maude’s Trials – http://amzn.to/1JjMIZ0
Meet Maude, a widow desperate to provide for her children. But the last thing this mail order bride expected when she arrived West, was for her future husband to already be engaged to another.
Laura’s Second Chance – http://amzn.to/1nMRaG4
Meet Laura, a widow haunted by her husband's passing, who refuses to consider other suitors. Instead, she finds solace in the letters from an old friend. But when Robert shows up on her doorstep ready to sweep her away to the frontier, can she find the strength for a new beginning?
Love by Mail series
Love by Mail Boxset Bundle – http://amzn.to/1OtBKSO
Get all five Angel Creek stories in one handy bundle (you get a saving over buying the individual stories one by one too!). Included are books 1-5: Undertaker, Miner, Fur Trader, Sheriff & Thanksgiving
~ or get the individual stories ~
A Mail Order Bride for the Undertaker – http://amzn.to/1R2b0t7
Meet Mercy, an orphan desperate to help those who had raised her and maybe, just maybe, find true love while she supports those in need. But is Cole, a strangely jolly undertaker in a town full of unwelcoming strangers, really what the Lord had in store for her?
A Mail Order Bride for the Miner – http://amzn.to/1R2b4ch
Meet Mercy, an orphan desperate to help those who had raised her and maybe, just maybe, find true love while she supports those in need. But is Cole, a strangely jolly undertaker in a town full of unwelcoming strangers, really what the Lord had in store for her?
A Mail Order Bride for the Fur Trader – http://amzn.to/1R2b5wO
Meet Joy, a fashion lover intent on finding her prince charming. But when forced to marry a man she despises, even the life of a mail order bride seems a better fate. But will her prayers be answered when she meets a hardy fur trader in the West?
A Mail Order Bride for the Sheriff – http://amzn.to/1R2b8ZB
Meet Mary Ann, a down to earth kind of gal, running away to the West in search of a simple, honest life. But with Warren looking for a classy lady to boost his reputation can the two find love despite their differences?
A Mail Order Bride for Thanksgiving – http://amzn.to/1R2bdfH
Meet Betty, the best cook in town. But while her mother taught her the way to a man’s heart leads through his stomach, the suitors don’t seem to line up for this curvy gal. To avoid being judged by her looks she becomes a mail order bride, but when she meets John, her Christian, part-Lakota husband-to-be, she might need to overcome her own prejudice first.
Contact Christina Ward
Email: [email protected]
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChristinaWard
Twitter: @AuthorCWard
Book Updates: http://eepurl.com/bwaPnf
Sarah's Journey (Valentine Mail Order Bride 4) Page 7
