New Beginnings Spring 20 Book Box Set

by Hope Sinclair

  Emma took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She sighed a long, heavy sigh, then opened her eyes again and stood up.

  “I’m all right,” she replied, walking to the door. She opened it and greeted Mrs. Carson with a forced smile. “I’m sorry about all the noise. I’ve just had an awful morning, that’s all.”

  Mrs. Carson arched her neck to the side and peered past Emma’s body to appraise her apartment and make sure there weren’t any signs of something contrary to what she’d just said. When she saw the apartment in order and empty but for Emma and Charlie, she nodded politely and smiled in relief.

  “Very well,” the older woman said. “I’ll be on my way then… I hope your day improves.”

  Mrs. Carson turned to walk away, but before she could make any progress, Emma called out to stop her.

  “There’s something I need to tell you,” Emma said, stopping Mrs. Carson in her tracks. The landlady turned back around. “Yes, dear?” she asked with a look of curiosity mixed with concern.

  Emma bowed her head and took another deep breath. The “ugliness” that had befallen her was still so fresh, and it still stung sharply. She didn’t think she’d have to recount it so soon, but she figured since Mrs. Carson was right there at her door, she might as well do it now.

  “I went to the church this morning to meet with Reverend Hicks,” Emma explained. “Matthew and I had an appointment with him to discuss our upcoming wedding. As you know, the ceremony is scheduled for two weeks from now.”

  “Yes,” Mrs. Carson replied cheerily. “I’m very much looking forward to—”

  “Matthew never showed up,” Emma interrupted. “And Reverend Hicks was considerably late.”

  Mrs. Carson’s cheerfulness faded into a worried frown.

  “When the good reverend finally arrived,” Emma went on, “he sat me down and delivered terrible news. He told me that earlier in the morning he’d received word that Matthew ran off, in the middle of the night, with another woman. He went to Matthew’s house to investigate the matter, only to find the house abandoned with a note confirming the rumor affixed to his door.”

  “Oh, my goodness,” Mrs. Carson gasped, bringing her hand to her chest. “That is terrible news.”

  “Indeed, it is,” Emma agreed. “So as much as you’re looking forward to my wedding, I regret to inform you that it will not take place. I’ve been jilted, and betrayed. And at this point, my heart aches so badly that I fear I might never love again. It might just be the spinster’s life for me, holed up in this apartment with Charlie.”

  “Oh, my goodness,” Mrs. Carson gasped again, moving her hand from her chest to her mouth. She covered her lips with her fingers and shook her head lamentingly from side to side.

  “There’s something I have to tell you too,” she said, pulling her hand away from her face. She looked at Emma with a heavy heart and heavy eyes. “Two months ago, when you told me about your plans to marry Matthew and subsequently move into his house, I did as any business-minded landlord or landlady would do and advertised the vacancy in the local and regional periodicals.

  “I received a good number of replies and, after sorting through them, entered into a housing contract with a young woman who’ll be coming to New York in three weeks to start her employ as a secretary at a leading law firm. So as much as I regret saying this, in three weeks’ time, your apartment won’t be yours anymore. It’ll he hers.”

  Now it was Emma who gasped—and the aching she felt in her heart intensified and brought great pain to her core.

  “I wish I could change things,” Mrs. Carson went on. “But the paperwork has already been signed, and I’m sure the young woman has already acted in reliance upon it. And given the fact that she’s a law secretary and already has a professional relationship with powerful attorneys here, if I were to break that contract, I have no doubt she’d pursue legal action against me. And I simply can’t afford—”

  “Please,” Emma interjected, maintaining her composure as best she could. “There’s no need to explain yourself, Mrs. Carson… And there’s no need to worry. I completely understand the position you’re in. Charlie and I will just have to find a new place to live.”

  “I really am sorry,” Mrs. Carson replied.

  “I know,” Emma said. “But don’t worry, I’ll be okay.” She smiled at Mrs. Carson, then went back into her apartment. As soon as the door clicked shut behind her, she leaned against it and buried her head in her hands to muffle the sobbing that ensued. Now she wasn’t just upset and heartbroken, she was also scared.

  TWO

  “You poor thing,” Mr. Thomas groaned. “I heard about Matthew running off on you. You must be so sad.”

  “Yes, I am,” Emma replied politely. “But rest assured, I’ll be fine.”

  “Hmm, I sure hope so,” the elderly man replied. He reached into the sack he was carrying and pulled out a shiny red apple, which he gave to Emma along with his advice. “Take this apple, honey,” he said. “The sugar in it will make you feel better.”

  “Thank you,” Emma smiled. She bid Mr. Thomas good day, then placed the apple in her satchel, where it joined the variety of other “treats” she’d been given over the last few hours, including the two cookies from Mrs. White, the muffin from Mr. Jenkins, and the book of poetry from her former schoolmate, Estelle.

  After learning that she and Charlie needed to find a new place to live, Emma left her apartment with her dog in tow to conduct her search—and along the way, several other townsfolk stopped whatever they were doing to stop her and console her over her recent, unfortunate twist of fate.

  Emma appreciated their concern and considerate gestures, but that said, it all bothered her to a certain extent. She, herself, had only learned of Matthew’s leaving a few hours earlier, and it seemed that everyone else in town already knew as well. Gossip was spreading, and it wasn’t just spreading to those with kind hearts. For as many people as there were who stopped her to give her sweet words or gifts, there were just as many, if not more, who whispered when she came near or sniggered behind her back after she passed.

  But as disturbing as all this was, it wasn’t nearly as disturbing as what else Emma encountered during her housing hunt. By the time Mr. Thomas gave her that shiny red apple it was already late afternoon. She’d visited the other four apartment houses in the area and found that not one of them could accommodate her needs. Three of them did not have any vacancies and the last one did not allow dogs.

  So when Emma walked away from Mr. Thomas, she walked away very disappointed and with little hope. There wasn’t another apartment house or boarding house of any kind for many, many miles, which meant that she’d have to move even farther away from town to find a new home. But such an option, if it even existed, was impractical both as far as she and Charlie were concerned. As it was, she worked part-time as an assistant seamstress at the tailor’s shop in town and moving further away from town would mean moving further away from work, making her journey to and from the shop incredibly time-consuming and quite burdensome on both her and Charlie’s legs.

  As Emma made her way back to her apartment house, she took the “back way” so as to avoid running into other people and give herself some time to clear her head. Her mind was racing. She’d just lost her fiancé and her apartment, and now she was envisioning all of the scenarios that could make her lose her job.

  I’d spend more time walking to and from work than actually working if I moved further outside of town, she thought to herself. And I’d probably be so tired every day that my work would suffer, or I’d wind up oversleeping and coming in late. Oh, and when winter comes! I couldn’t walk such a distance in the snow… Charlie’s feet would freeze, and he’s too heavy from me to carry him the whole way.

  When Emma arrived home, her head wasn’t any clearer, and her mind was still racing. But she forced a smile across her face when she saw Mrs. Carson upon entering the house.

  “Good evening, dear,” her landlady said. “Any luck
finding an apartment?”

  “Not yet,” Emma answered as pleasantly as she could, hurrying toward the staircase so that Mrs. Carson would not see through her ruse. “But tomorrow’s another day, and pray, it’ll be a better one.”

  Mrs. Carson fell for Emma’s guile. “Pray it will,” she said merrily before turning to head off down the hall. She only made it a few steps before turning around again.

  “Oh, Emma,” she called out, just as Emma made it halfway up the stairs. “I almost forgot… The postman delivered a letter for you while you were out. I put it on the table by the door.”

  With those words, Emma’s aching heart fluttered with joy, and she smiled the first sincere smile all day. There was only one person who could have sent her that letter—and she couldn’t wait to read whatever had been written.

  THREE

  Greetings, Sister!

  I hope this letter finds you well, and that it reaches you around the time that you and Matthew are to be wed. I want to offer you my best wishes and my prayers that God grant you and Matthew the happiness and closeness that my Frank and I have found. As you, too, will soon learn, marriage is a divinely wonderful thing! It is a blessed union that brings two people together and enlivens them as one.

  I could write volumes about the joys I have experienced since my wedding day. But why spoil the surprise for you? Suffice to say, I am happier than I have ever been. What’s more, I’ve found life here in Moon Crest quite enchanting. It is a very different place than New York, but those differences have charmed me, as have the many delightful people I now call my neighbors and friends.

  Once you and Matthew have settled into married life, I would very much like for you to come to Moon Crest to visit. I can’t wait for you to meet my Frank, and I look forward to congratulating you and my brother-in-law in person.

  Until then!

  With Love,

  Louise

  Despite Louise’s mention of Matthew’s name and her sentiments regarding a marriage that would never take place, Emma was absolutely thrilled by the message her sister sent. It basically expressed that Louise was very happy, very much in love, and very pleased with her new surroundings and home—and what more could a sister want for her sister! It brought Emma great comfort to know that her sister was doing so well, and given the pain and uncertainty she was feeling, comfort was exactly what she needed at this particular point.

  Plus Emma was elated to hear from her sister at all, for she missed Louise very, very much. In addition to being sisters, the two young women were also best friends, and they’d weathered a lot of tough times together over the years, including the death of their father when they were both rather young and the death of their mother some four years ago.

  As Emma read Louise’s letter for the second and third times, she recalled the series of events that had called her to Montana and couldn’t help but feel both happy and sad. Louise had always been one of those fanciful girls who dreamed about the day she’d meet a handsome, tender man who’d sweep her off of her feet and make her his wife. But alas, as the years passed, that day never came. So about a year ago, when Louise turned 25, she spent the majority of her savings to hire a professional matchmaker to find a spouse for her.

  Sadly, however, after a few months of work, the matchmaker turned up no results. You see, the East Coast had a shortage of eligible single men at this time, due to the war and westward expansion, and the men who remained nearby had very high standards for a bride, which Louise did not meet. Though she was sweet natured, hardworking, reverent, and smart, she didn’t come from a wealthy, established family, and her looks were only “average” as compared to other women, including her younger sister.

  But Louise was still determined to find a husband, and she started looking for one herself and vowed to do what the matchmaker could not. To these ends, she purchased numerous editions of the most popular mail-order bride periodicals—and after several days of scouring them, she found the man of her dreams in the Matrimonial Times. That man was Frank Sanders, a 31-year-old rancher from the settlement of Moon Crest in Miles City, Montana. He was handsome, tender, and blessed with many attributes. After communicating with Louise for a few months, he asked her to come out to Moon Crest and become his wife. Needless to say, Louise eagerly accepted Frank’s proposal and promptly made arrangements to go to Montana.

  “I know Montana is very far away from New York,” Louise told Emma when she informed her of her plans. “But all things considered, it is a short distance to travel to find the love and companionship I deserve.”

  “But what about me?” Emma asked. “How am I to go on without you?”

  “Oh, Emma,” Louise laughed. “God made us sisters, and life made us best friends. We will always share these connections, no matter where we are. And it’s not like I’m leaving you here all alone. You have your own sweetheart, remember. I know it’s just a matter of time before Matthew proposes to you and the two of you are wed. You also have a good number of friends, as well as a kind landlady and a considerate boss. And let’s not forget Charlie! You’ve got him as well.”

  “I guess you’re right,” Emma conceded. “But still, I’ll miss you terribly.”

  “As I will you,” Louise replied. “But that’s what the post is for. We can write to each other as much as we please. And we can visit each other from time to time. It only takes about two weeks to get from New York to Montana by train, you know.”

  Emma smiled and nodded, and the sadness of their conversation was through. A week later, she and Charlie escorted Louise to the train station where, after a tear-filled goodbye, Louise left to start her new life. She sent Emma a brief letter upon her arrival in Moon Crest, then sent her another a few days after she and Frank were wed. Emma replied to those letters and about a month later when Matthew proposed, wrote to Louise to share her own good news.

  But now, that good news had transformed into something bad, and Emma dreaded the idea of responding to her sister’s cheerful letter with ugly words like “jilted,” “heartbroken,” and “betrayed.” So after reading Louise’s letter a few more times, Emma decided not to respond at all. She had a better idea, one that would solve the bulk of the problems she faced.

  FOUR

  “What’s that funny noise?” the young boy sitting beside Emma asked. He couldn’t have been more than five years old, and he was the most adorable thing Emma had ever seen. He had big blue eyes and a bush of curly blonde hair atop his head, and he was wearing short pants with long socks that came up to his knees.

  “What noise?” Emma retorted with a small smirk. She shifted in her seat a little and gently rocked the oversized satchel she had on her lap.

  “That noise,” the child answered as soon as he heard the soft grumbling sound again. He eyed her bag curiously, then added, “You got a baby in there or something?”

  “No,” Emma giggled with a smile. She examined the area around her carefully, then bowed her head and went on. “It’s not a baby,” she said quietly. “It’s something else… And if you promise not to tell anyone, I’ll show you what it is.”

  The little boy’s eyes widened, and he bobbed his head up and down. “Okay,” he replied.

  Emma glanced around her once more, then raised her finger to her lips. “Shhh,” she whispered as she gently pulled back the fabric of her bag. Her new friend gasped a tiny, excited gasp, and his eyes widened all the more. “But you ain’t supposed to have dogs on the train… Are you?” he asked, admiring Charlie’s fluffy white form and face.

  “Animals are allowed on trains,” Emma explained in a hushed tone. “But they’re supposed to travel in separate cars designated just for them. But I couldn’t bear to put Charlie, here, in the animal car. As you can see, he’s just a tiny thing, and I feared the other, bigger animals might bully him or give him a hard time. Plus he’s very special to me, and I’d miss him terribly if we had to be apart for the length of our journey.”

  The child nodded and smiled. What Emma s
aid made sense, and young as he was, he could understand why she’d chosen to break the rules.

  “Can I pet him?” the boy asked.

  “Of course,” Emma answered, opening her bag a bit more. “But be quiet and calm, and don’t make too much of a fuss. I don’t want to get in trouble, and I don’t want Charlie to be sent to the animal car.”

  The little boy nodded again and reached out his hand to pet Charlie on his head. The tiny dog started wagging his tail against Emma’s leg as he licked at the child’s hand.

  “Hi, Charlie,” the boy said softly. “My name is Lawrence, and I’m happy to meet you.”

  Emma laughed quietly at Lawrence’s introduction, and as she watched him and Charlie get further acquainted, her heart warmed. I hope Charlie lives long enough to meet whatever child or children I might have, she thought to herself. But moments after that happy thought, she felt sad—for as much as she wanted to start a family, she feared she would never get the chance.

  When Emma left New York approximately two weeks earlier, she had left her apartment, her job, and her friends and associates behind, as well as the gossip about her and Matthew that had continued to spread. But she didn’t leave her heartache behind. That she took with her. It was a part of her now, a part that, despite her prayers, she feared would never leave or be muted.

  She’d decided to take Louise up on her invitation to visit, albeit without Matthew, and she’d decided to turn that invitation into something more. She wasn’t going to Montana to merely call upon her sister and catch up, but rather, to start a new life—though something inside of her told her that new life would not, could not, include love. She’d been hurt before and wasn’t willing to take the risk of getting hurt again… at least not for a long, long while.

  “So why was he making that noise before?” Lawrence asked. “Was he lonesome?”