Mail Order Megan (Widows, Brides, and Secret Babies Book 11)

by Elissa Strati

  Mail Order Megan

  (Widows, Brides, and Secret Babies Book 11)

  By

  Elissa Strati

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  DEDICATION

  MAIL ORDER MEGAN

  COPYRIGHT

  EDITION LICENSE NOTES

  DESCRIPTION

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE – The Matchmaker

  CHAPTER TWO – Fare Thee Well

  CHAPTER THREE – All Aboard

  CHAPTER FOUR – “Auntie”

  CHAPTER FIVE – Aftermath

  CHAPTER SIX – The Pinkerton Agent

  CHAPTER SEVEN – Mrs. Kemble

  CHAPTER EIGHT – No Rest

  CHAPTER NINE – Benson

  CHAPTER TEN – Mr. Bristol

  CHAPTER ELEVEN -- Explanations

  CHAPTER TWELVE – Starting Over

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN – Gossip

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN – With This Ring

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN – A Little Excitement

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN – “Droopy Pete”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN – News

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN – Broken Heart

  CHAPTER NINETEEN – Tombstone

  CHAPTER TWENTY – Kidnapped!

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE – Following Clues

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO – The Mine

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE – Tom McNeel

  EPILOGUE

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  ABOUT THIS SERIES

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElissaStratiAuthor

  Twitter: Betababe [@AvenueAntiques]

  Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Elissa-Strati/e/B077GLWD94

  Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17307510.Elissa_Strati

  BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/elissa-strati

  Sweet Promise Press: https://sweetpromisepress.com/authors/strati

  AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/author/elissastrati

  (Nota Bene: The cover of this book was a runner up in the March AllAuthor cover contest!)

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  DEDICATION

  Dedicated to the memory of my dear friend

  Maura Crist

  Who faced with courage all that life had to offer, even death.

  MAIL ORDER MEGAN

  (Widows, Brides, and Secret Babies Book 11)

  By

  Elissa Strati

  COPYRIGHT

  Mail Order Megan © 2020 Elissa Strati

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author, Elissa Strati, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, or events, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  ~~~

  EDITION LICENSE NOTES

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

  ~~~

  Cover design and logo inset by Black Widow Books, Virginia McKevitt, cover artist.

  Series concept by Cheryl Wright.

  DESCRIPTION

  Megan, a young, second tier, Philadelphia debutante, of average looks and stature and not above average intelligence, has enjoyed two seasons but not met anyone who’s made an offer for her hand. Her brother, Paul, wishes to wed and is anxious that she find a home of her own.

  When Paul’s classmate, Ted, mentions in a letter that he is in need of a wife to entertain visiting executives, and there are no candidates suitable in his new location in Benson, Arizona Territory, Paul thinks a marriage arranged between his friend and his sister would be the ideal answer for everyone involved. But of course, fate always steps in to lend a hand.

  WARNING: Murder, mayhem, trains, robbers, and miners may be involved.

  PROLOGUE

  She gazed at the sleeping infant in the basket atop her trunk, then turned around at the sound of approaching footsteps.

  "Miss Maddux?" The speaker was taller than she but not imposing despite the stiffness of his bearing. His uncertainty was obvious but he was clearly trying not to let it show. His nervousness actually relaxed her own a bit. And then she saw him take in the basket and its contents. And the outrage it sparked.

  "Miss Maddux, I was expecting a maiden!"

  "And I, sir, was expecting a gentleman!"

  A shocked silence ensued as each glared at the other, then Megan turned her back on Mr. Bristol and raised her arm to summon a porter.

  "Hrmmm, uhm," he cleared his throat, "perhaps you have an explanation for this, erm, uh . . ." His voice sounded plaintive and Megan felt herself waver from her own outrage. She turned back to him.

  "You're right. I had no opportunity to write to you about the child before I left. But this is hardly the place for extended discussion." She glanced around at the passersby who quickly averted their heads as if they hadn't been gawping at the evident disagreement being enacted before them.

  Mr. Bristol pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and mopped his forehead.

  "No, this will not do. It will not do at all." Seeing the porter approach he nodded to the man abruptly and pointed toward the trunk. "Please assist the lady with her things. My buggy is just over there," he pointed with his chin. Then, giving a stiff bow, he offered Miss Maddux his arm.

  "One moment, sir," she replied, dipping her head slightly; then, turning back to her luggage she secured the basket over her free arm before resting the other hand lightly on his extended appendage. The babe remained asleep.

  Silence reigned as Mr. Bristol neatly handled his equipage, conveying them a scant few blocks from the station over dusty roads. The town wasn't much to look at. There were a few wide streets with a fair amount of commerce, mostly consisting of what Megan took to be ore wagons, based on Mr. Bristol's descriptions in his letters.

  Those letters had been rather sweet and Mr. Bristol had sounded quite lonely. It was that, finally, that had convinced her to come west. But now?

  CHAPTER ONE – The Matchmaker

  Theodore Alexander Bristol, known by his friends as Ted, had gone to the University of Pennsylvania with Paul Maddux. Paul was fond of pointing out to all and sundry that his alma mater was the sixth oldest university in the country, having been established by Royal Charter in 1755.

  You’d think that Royal Charter made him royalty, thought his sister Megan, rather disloyally.

  As fondly as Paul always spoke of Ted, Megan could not recall having ever met the man. This was not surprising as she had not yet been out of the schoolroom herself, and thus not out in society, while Paul was at the university. And Paul hadn’t brought his friends around, preferring to socialize out from under his parents’ eyes.

  Not that her family had any pretensions among the rather snobbish upper class of Philadelphia, but she had an active social life and attended her fair share of balls, theater events, soirees, and other such activities.

  But Megan had not yet found anyone with who
m she wished to spend the rest of her life and Paul was concerned about her future. Their parents had been killed in a carriage accident several years earlier, while she was still attending the Philadelphia Ladies’ Seminary and Finishing School in which her parents had enrolled her at the age of seven, and Paul, an up-and-coming attorney, had taken good care of her and seen to her coming out.

  Now he was courting seriously, and rather hoped to bring his bride to her own home, without his somewhat flighty sister to contend with. As much as he loved her, and he had to admit she did a quite tolerable job running the household, he had heard from friends about conflicts when more than one woman thought she was in charge. And besides, he wanted to see her happy in her own establishment with doting husband and children.

  Ted and Paul had remained in correspondence over the years and Paul spoke with approbation about Ted's rising career with the railroads, any time he received a letter. Now Ted had been stationed at a new railroad junction out in the Arizona Territory. Ted was quite excited; this was rather an important location due to all the mining interests in the mountains to the south, where gold and silver had been found.

  Then Ted had mentioned he was in need of a wife, decrying the lack of suitable candidates locally.

  Really, Paul, it is shocking how few people of culture and class there are here. Most are ranchers or miners and the only entertainment seems to be at the local saloons.­­­ I despair of finding someone with whom I could conceive of entrusting my hope for an heir, for you know my family is counting on me to continue our name. I am seeking a woman of refinement.

  Paul looked over the top of his letter at his sister, who was sitting quietly doing some needlework. Megan was certainly refined. And in need of a husband. He was actually quite fond of his sister and Ted was a good fellow. He stroked his jaw thoughtfully. He rather liked the idea of a brother-in-law in Railroads. Now to convince his sister.

  “Megan, have you thought about setting up your own household?”

  “Of course, silly! It is every woman’s dream to find her true love and settle down to rear a family.”

  “And have you found such a gentleman?”

  She looked down. There were several she had quite fancied, but they’d never quite seen her. Oh, she was popular enough and never lacked dance partners, but no one seemed to take her seriously as a potential wife.

  “It’s alright, my dear sister! Besides I think I may be holding the key to your future happiness in my hand.”

  She looked up at that, a bit bewildered.

  “But isn’t that just a letter from your schoolmate, Ted?”

  “Exactly! And he is in great need of a helpmeet to be his hostess and mother to his children. He has fine prospects but is, at present, not in the way of meeting eligible females. I rather think the two of you would suit remarkably. And I do know you both quite well.” Smugly, he felt quite proud of himself. He spoke naught but the truth, and he was sure Ted would cherish his sister as she should be.

  “Would you be willing to correspond with him to learn if you have as much in common as I believe?”

  What harm would a few letters do? She started to build a small fantasy in her head and then reined it in. No, she would be practical and see if Paul’s friend had any merit as a potential suitor.

  ~~~

  Megan opened Ted's first letter to her.

  Dear Miss Maddux,

  Your brother has given me his permission to address you with the object of getting to know you a bit. I have been posted to Arizona Territory to manage a brand new Railroad Junction at a recently Incorporated Town called Benson. It has been established to handle the ores coming from the rich mines of Contention, Tombstone, and Bisbee, among others. The Ore Wagons are cumbersome things, each pulled by 20 teams of Mules and carrying huge weights.

  The importance of this Junction to the Railroad is such that I have frequent Important Visitors and find myself in need of a hostess. When Paul suggested you might be amenable to such a venture, I made haste to put pen to paper to contact you and inquire whether such an arrangement would be suitable. My income is more than appropriate to establish a household for a wife. Of course the railroad has supplied me with an adequate lodging and staff. Unfortunately, most only speak Spanish but I am learning a few words. I now know that Way Bose means eggs.

  She laughed aloud. They had studied languages at school and even read El Cid in Spanish. Most of the girls had thought it a bore but she’d quite enjoyed the singsong cadence and the words that were so similar and yet elusively different. Way Bose. Hmmm. Oh! Eggs! Huevos!

  The weather here is quite, quite hot, but not so unpleasant as at home in summer, when the moisture in the air can make one feel he is wrapped in a wet blanket. And the scenery is most remarkable. I am told when it rains that the desert here bursts into bloom but I have not yet been present for that season. However the rock formations are quite stunning and the mountain peaks take one’s breath away. I hadn’t expected to enjoy the views so much.

  Megan quite liked the way he described things.

  She wrote back of the play she had just seen and some tittle tattle from the last ball she’d attended. And he was charmed.

  He wrote:

  My housekeeper, Mrs. Suarez, is quite a good cook although her meals are a little spicier than those to which the Eastern palate is accustomed. But I have learned that when one consumes spicy hot foods it causes one to perspire, and the act of perspiration cools the body. I am sorry, that is probably not a topic for a lady, but I feel I can tell you anything, and I found the whole concept intriguing, and seemingly true! Although I must admit, especially at first, it was a little hard on my digestion and I still cannot eat some of the really hot chilies.

  She replied:

  We went to see Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream and there is much confusion among the characters with all sorts of comings and goings but it is quite droll and true love conquers all in the end. Possibly with a little help from potions, but they actually seemed to cause all the mix-ups.

  It has been dreadfully hot here and quite sticky. I was thinking I might wish to try some of your chilies!

  The letters continue to flow between them with increased frequency. Somehow, before she quite realized she had agreed to Paul's scheme, she found herself packing to leave.

  “My one regret,” commented Paul, peering over the top of his morning paper as he reached for his coffee, “is that I cannot come with you to see Ted and walk you down the aisle! But this Nuttering case,” he shook his head, “it could be the making of my future!”

  And, as always, his future must take precedence over mine. And to think this whole affair was his idea! Megan sipped her tea without comment nor outward show of her irritation. She knew her brother well enough to understand his seeming smugness and self-importance stemmed from the insecurity of having lost his father and mentor just as he was starting out. And, having heard him discuss “Nuttering” ad nauseum, she knew how completely consumed he was with winning for his client—apparently, at all costs!

  CHAPTER TWO – Fare Thee Well

  As she made the farewell rounds of her friends, Megan elected to turn the unexpected tidings of her arranged marriage into a lark and adventure. All wished her well, some a bit envious of her fortune in marrying a Railroad Man.

  Several of her friends, including Gemma and Sonia, were already married and starting families. Gemma was enceinte and dearest Sonia had recently been delivered of a beautiful little girl, although Sonia herself was not recovering well from the birth.

  Her husband had taken off to make his fortune mining for silver and gold shortly before Sonia had realized she was with child. He had written on a regular basis, but suddenly the letters had stopped and Sonia was becoming concerned, especially as her own family had disowned her upon her marriage and made it clear she was to make her own way. Even presented with a grandchild, her parents wanted nothing to do with her. She had married beneath her station, against their wishes, and s
he was a disgrace to the family.

  In fact, Tom had a reasonable income from his Grandfather and had left her well provided for, planning to send for her to join him once he became established out west. He merely wanted to save her from the initial hardships of moving into the unknown. And then they had discovered her condition and agreed to postpone any move until the child was old enough to travel. Now it had been almost a year since she’d seen her husband and she hoped to join him soon—as soon as she recovered her own health.

  So, Sonia’s eyes had lit up when she learned where Megan was heading.

  “Arizona Territory? But that is where Tom has gone. A place called Tombstone. Oh, you can find out what has become of my Tom! His last letter said he had found an ore vein that looked to be very rich and he was quite excited that the claim he had staked might be sufficient for him to return to Philadelphia a rich man.

  “But that was the last letter I received from him, just before my darling Camellia was born. I wrote to tell him about her but haven’t heard back. Please, won't you look for him while you are out there?”

  “But of course I shall!” Megan promised. “I am convinced, from his letters, that Mr. Bristol will be pleased to assist us in learning what Tom is doing that keeps him from being able to communicate with you.”

  Sonia, laying weakly in her bed, sighed tremulously and thanked Megan repeatedly. She also expressed gratitude that Megan had never deserted her nor forsworn their lifelong friendship when her parents had cut her off.

  Then she had requested one last favor.

  “I know it is an imposition, but of all my friends you are the one to whom I most look up and whom feel I could entrust my darling girl’s education and upbringing. You have always been faithful in your religion and put yourself in God’s hands. Won’t you please be my Camellia’s godmother?”

  “I’ve always loved you like a sister, you know that, Sonia! I would be beyond honored to stand as godmother to Camellia. I look forward to sharing with you her introduction to our Father.”