Mail Order Bride- Twenty-Two Brides Mega Boxed Set Read online

  Mail Order Bride: Twenty Two Brides Mega Boxed Set

  Emily Woods

  Fairfield Pulishing

  Copyright © 2018 Emily Woods

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Except for review quotes, this book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the written consent of the author.

  This story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual people, places, or events is purely coincidental.

  Contents

  Miracle Baby

  A Bride for Arthur

  The Uncertain Bride

  Love at First Sight

  An Unconventional Love

  Lessons of Love

  A Faithful Love

  Katie May Finds Love

  New Love for Ellen

  Hilda Finds True Love

  Blind Love

  A Bride for the Innkeeper

  High Spirited Love

  Fostering Love

  Love for Another

  A New Love

  Finding Love Again

  Hoping for Love

  A Deceptive Love

  A Healing Love

  A Reluctant Love

  New Life and Love

  Thank You

  Bonus Content: Story Preview

  Miracle Baby

  1

  Boston, Massachusetts

  “I’m not going to the party tonight,” Ruby Walker said with finality.

  “Oh, but you have to,” whined her younger sister Blanche. She held up an elegant gown of dark green and twirled around the room, nearly bumping into their other sister Hattie.

  “No, I don’t, and that’s final.” Ruby’s voice conveyed her certainty.

  “What’s final?” Hattie said with a questioning look at both.

  “Ruby says she’s not coming to the party tonight. But she has to. Convince her she has to come, Hattie. You must.”

  Hattie stepped up to Ruby, extending a hand toward her with a look of sympathy. “Why won’t you come to the party tonight, Ruby?”

  “Because I'm tired of all of these parties. You thrive on it, Blanche, but I’m not cut out for this.”

  “Cut out for what? Dancing? Eating fine food? Flirting with men?” Blanche laughed and twirled around again. “Maybe you’re right. Leave the men to me.”

  “Blanche,” Hattie said, her tone turning sharp. “Don’t be rude to your sister.”

  “I’m not.”

  “She’s not,” Ruby said, agreeing with a smile on her face. “Ruby can have all the men for all I care.”

  “You don’t mean that,” Hattie said, stepping closer. “Do you?”

  “Of course I do,” Ruby said. She walked to the window and drew back the sheer curtains. “I'm tired of mother trying to set us up with reputable young men. I'm tired of being a bargaining chip.”

  “You’re silly,” Blanche said, putting the dress down and coming toward her. “We’re not bargaining chips, just beautiful jewels mother intends to trade for a good price.”

  Ruby caught herself in a smile. “I don’t see the difference.”

  “Maybe there isn’t one.” Blanche shrugged.

  “For a girl of seventeen, you are very cynical,” Hattie observed. Then she turned toward Ruby. “Just because—” She cut her words off.

  “It’s all right, Hattie. You can say it. Just because I can’t have children… I know it’s a reality even if I don’t like it.”

  “All I was going to say is that there are more things to life than children.” Hattie looked worried, as if her words could be considered harsh. Hattie could never be accused of being too harsh.

  “Not to young, wealthy men there aren’t. It’s all about finding a wife and then having children to carry on the line. I'm not the woman any young man in Boston is going to want to marry. I’ve come to terms with that, so why would I continue to put myself in their way if I’m not of interest to them? And that, dear sisters, is why I’m not going to the party.”

  “Nonsense, of course you’re going,” came a booming voice from the doorway. All three turned in time to see their mother bustle into the room in all of her elegant and astute glory. “You’re all attending the party and you will look resplendent. Do you hear me, girls?”

  “Yes, Mother,” they all replied.

  Ruby wanted to argue, but there was no arguing with Morgana Walker.

  “Now, Ruby, what is this nonsense you speak of? Not wanting to attend a party? And a party held in our home? You foolish girl.”

  “But, Mother—” she tried to protest, but her mother spoke over her.

  “All of you girls are like the feathers to my cap. Your father—may he rest in peace—would have been so proud.” She feigned a sniffle and wiped at the edge of her eye though there were no tears present. “And to make him even more proud, you must find husbands.” She clapped her hands in front of her ample bosom.

  “I’m ready for marriage,” Hattie said in a timid voice, “should that be what is required of me.”

  “It is required of you all,” Morgana said. Her tone brokered no room for argument or exchange. “Now dress well and make yourselves look as lovely as possible. The night will come more quickly than you expect.”

  With her words hanging in the air like the scent of her heavy perfume, Morgana left the room.

  “See,” Blanche said with a smirk. “Told you that you were going.”

  Ruby rolled her eyes and shooed her sisters from the room so she could have peace and quiet before the dinner party that evening. It was one thing to disagree with her mother and another entirely to defy her. She wasn’t a cruel woman, but she usually got what she wanted.

  Hours later, Ruby lifted her skirt and descended the staircase to the sound of laughter and tinkling glasses. She hated this. Hated how fake everything was. The cheer, the jokes, the laughter. All of it was formulated to make one appear a certain way in order to get something.

  When she reached the landing, she saw Hattie with a small group of women near the bay window in the library. To her left she heard the boisterous laugher of Blanche. Peering around the corner, Ruby wasn’t surprised to see her youngest sister surrounded by young men. They doted on her, one fetching her crackers and cheese while another refilled her glass.

  She had them wound around her little finger.

  Ruby resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she felt a light tap on her shoulder. To her surprise, she saw a man standing next to her with a cup of punch in his hand.

  “I thought you might like this, Miss Walker,” he said, extending it toward her.

  “Thank you,” she said, accepting the drink. “I don’t believe we’ve met?”

  “I'm new in town.” He smiled at her, his teeth startlingly white against his tan skin. “My name is Robert Cobb.”

  For a moment, Ruby’s heart refused to listen to reason and flittered at the mere thought of a man showing her interest. He was handsome, tall with broad shoulders, and light sparkled in his blue eyes.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cobb.” She was about to ask about his business, knowing men loved to talk about such things, when a woman appeared at his elbow.

  “Ah, there you are. Miss Walker, may I introduce my wife Flora to you?”

  Ruby blinked, caught off guard by the woman’s presence, but she recovered quickly. “Mrs. Cobb, what a pleasure. I’m so glad to have you both here.”

  The woman smiled, resting a hand on her abdomen. Only then did Ruby notice that she was with child, though it appeared to be early in her pregnancy.

  A pang of hurt shot through Ruby’s heart. Of course Robert Cobb wasn’t interested in her. No man was. No man could ever wa
nt a woman who couldn't have children.

  Forcing herself back to the present, she extended a hand toward the library and plastered on a smile for her guests. She would do as her mother demanded, but soon she would need to find a way to escape the prison that the Boston social scene had become.

  2

  Green Springs, Colorado

  Adam Sullivan closed his eyes and ground his teeth. He hadn’t signed up for this.

  “It’s okay, little one,” he said, picking up the wailing child and resting it against his shoulder. He patted the little guy on the back, but nothing would help. Finally, he resorted to pacing back and forth and that seemed to have the desired effect on the child, though he knew from experience that he couldn’t put the baby down or he’d wake up again.

  The sound of footsteps on the stairs filled him with relief.

  “Finally,” he whispered. The sound came out harsh but quiet—but he wanted to let his brother know he didn’t like being left alone with the child.

  “Sorry,” Will said, gently taking the sleeping boy from Adam’s arms. “It took longer than I thought in town today. But I got us a goat.” He looked pleased with himself and Adam had to laugh.

  “Never thought I’d see you so happy about a goat.”

  Will’s features fell. “Neither did I.”

  The awkward tension in the room caused Adam to quietly clear his throat. “Why don’t you get that little bugger down and then come out back with me. We haven’t sat on the porch in ages.”

  Will nodded and Adam left him to coax the child to sleep in his crib. Taking the stairs quietly, he took a few of the cookies their cook Viola had left out and stepped out on to the old porch.

  Immediately, the sounds of crickets enveloped him and he took in a deep breath of the cool night air. The large pond fed by a small stream that ran north to south on their property provided the accompaniment of trickling water. It was the perfect evening.

  A baby’s wail shattered the stillness of the night. That little guy did not want to be asleep right now.

  Adam slid into his favorite chair, the wood creaking beneath him, and took a bite of the cookie. The sugar melted on his tongue and the hint of cinnamon lingered even after he swallowed. It was refreshing, being out here and enjoying a nice evening by himself, and yet he felt lonely.

  That was foolishness of course. He hadn’t had a moment’s peace since Will and little Simon moved in with him over a month ago. An image of his brother on the day he showed up at his front door wouldn’t leave. He’d looked so hopeless. So…devastated.

  And why wouldn’t he? Will had been married to Cecilia for four years and they’d just had Simon six months prior. To lose the woman he loved to a disease he could do nothing about had nearly ruined Will. It was the least that Adam could to do have his brother stay with him, but his brother’s company was far from companionship.

  Adam roughed a hand over his face. He couldn’t get past the empty pit of loneliness he felt to his core. It was the kind of ache a man had for a woman—a wife. Like Adam knew anything about having a wife.

  The door opened and Will stepped onto the creaking boards of the porch, cookies in hand.

  “Nice night,” he said, easing himself into the chair next to Adam.

  “Yeah. Though a little loud.” He shot his brother a look barely visible through the dim lantern light that shone out from inside the house.

  “Oh hush, you,” Will said with a grin. “Your nephew just has healthy lungs.”

  Adam chuckled. “Agreed.”

  “What’s on your mind, brother?”

  Adam’s attention jerked toward Will. “What? Why do you say that?”

  “I may be five years younger, but I can still tell when something’s bothering you.”

  Adam resisted the urge to groan. Why couldn’t his younger brother Jack be the one living with him? Jack was oblivious to all but fun and women—not necessarily in that order.

  “Just thinking…”

  “About?”

  Did Adam dare tell his brother his true thoughts? Wasn’t that kind of like admitting your hand hurt to an amputee?

  “Come on, Adam,” Will pressed. “Spit it out.”

  It was possible he’d regret this, but knowing Will, he wouldn’t give up without a response.

  “I’ve been thinking about…marriage,” he choked out.

  “You, the confirmed bachelor, is having thoughts about marriage?” Will laughed. “It’s about time.”

  “I'm sorry if—” He paused. “What did you say?”

  “I said it’s about time. I knew the bug would bite you someday, just didn’t think it’d be now. It was Simon, wasn’t it? Babies tend to do that.”

  Adam sputtered, spewing bits of cookie everywhere. “Wh-what?”

  “You want children. I get it. I was the same way. I mean…I just wanted to marry Cecilia first, but then friends of ours had children and I caught that urge as well.” Adam watched, horrified, as his brother slipped into a memory.

  “No,” he said, more loudly than he’d intended.

  “What do you mean, no?”

  “That’s not it at all. I mean…” Adam held up his hands. “Don’t get me wrong. Simon’s great and all, but I don’t want children.” If he knew anything, he knew that was the truth.

  “Sure, whatever you say,” Will said. “But you should consider doing something about these feelings. There’s nothing wrong with opening up the door for marriage. And who knows? Maybe you’ll change your mind about kids one of these days.”

  They slipped into companionable silence and Adam considered his brother’s advice. Maybe he should open the door for marriage. His brother could be right about that, but if there was one thing Adam knew, it was the fact that he would never have children.

  3

  Ruby didn’t want the day to begin. With it began the reality that she would be forced to go through the motions of a single woman living in a socialite’s world. There had to be a way around this type of life, didn’t there?

  She groaned and pushed up onto her elbows just as the door burst open. It was Hattie—of course.

  “Good morning, dear sister,” she cried out in a singsong voice as she pulled the curtains aside, letting light flood into the room. “It’s a beautiful day.”

  Ruby groaned and fell back onto her covers. “Why are you so happy?” It was a foolish question because Hattie was always happy.

  With a large yawn, Blanche walked into the room still in her dressing gown, her hair in a disheveled braid. “Why all this noise? I was sleeping.”

  “Goodness,” Hattie said, her hands instantly going to her hips, “You two. It’s nearly nine o’clock and you’re not even dressed.” She looked at them aghast.

  “We were up until midnight last night,” Blanche protested, slipping into bed beside Ruby.

  “Don't I know it,” Hattie said, eyeing her with distaste. “You were awfully well accompanied last night.”

  Blanche let out a childish giggle and lay back on the soft pillows. “I know.”

  Ruby rolled her eyes.

  “Did you two see how attentive Marshall was last night?”

  “Oh please,” Ruby said, tossing a pillow at her sister. “All of the men were attentive to you last night—you made sure of it.”

  “Someone’s jealous,” she said, tossing the pillow back at Ruby.

  Heat flared into Ruby’s face, but she wouldn’t give her younger sister the satisfaction of seeing how her comment had hit its mark.

  “Oh, do stop,” Hattie said, perching on the edge of the bed. “I thought we could all go out to the dressmaker’s today. I’ve got that party at the end of the month and they said I’m due for a fitting.”

  “Sounds fun to me,” Blanche said with an airy I-couldn’t-care-less attitude.

  “Of course we’ll come with you, Hattie,” Ruby said, squeezing her sister’s arm. “I know you’ve been looking forward to that party for weeks now.”

  “How did you do
last night?” Hattie asked while Ruby’s gaze was still on her.

  Ruby didn’t want to answer. She didn’t even want to think about the fact that she’d assumed Mr. Cobb was interested in her. She’d never hear the end of it from Blanche, and Hattie would give her that pity-filled look she hated.

  “It was almost as bad as I expected it to be.”

  Blanche grunted. “If you would just be pleasant to some of the men, they’d stop saying that you’re—” She cut herself off with a hand that slammed over her mouth.

  “What did you say?” Ruby said, turning toward her sister who still lay on the bed.

  “Nothing. It’s n-nothing.”

  “Don’t say that. Tell me what you were going to say, Blanche.” Her tone held a warning.

  The young woman sat up, pushing her messy braid over her shoulder. “It’s nothing. I’m sorry, Ruby. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  “If you said something then that means there is something to tell. Come now.”

  Blanche looked at Hattie then back at Ruby. She actually looked hesitant and Ruby felt her stomach clench in response. Whatever she was going to say, Ruby had a feeling she wasn’t going to like it.

  “It’s just that… Oh, I don't know, some of the young men think you’re…”