A Valentine's Sorrow (Mail-Order Bride) Read online

  A Valentine’s Sorrow

  Emma Ashwood

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  New York, February 1867

  She paid the toll at the booth and walked onto Brooklyn Bridge with the wind slicing through her threadbare coat. It was Valentine’s Day and although it was a day of love, today would be her last in this life.

  Fear crept up her spine, but she took a deep breath to quickly force it back down again. She had no choice; if she did, she wouldn’t be climbing the railings of the bridge. She held on tightly, the wind whipping as her breath expelled in white little puffs. She glanced down at the inky black water below and knew it would be freezing.

  But the water didn’t frighten her. It might be freezing and drag her under within seconds, but it would also bring an end to this life of misery and misfortune. Clinging to the railings, she closed her eyes and thought back on all that had brought her to this moment.

  It isn’t every girl who feels blessed to be married at the age of seventeen, but that had been the way Mary Beth Collins had felt.

  After her mother had passed when Mary was just a little girl, Mary Beth had spent most of her childhood looking out for her alcoholic father. When her father announced that she was to marry Arthur Everston, Mary Beth had been abhorred at first. Arthur Everston was her father’s bookie and she knew that her marriage to Arthur was a way for her father to pay off his debt.

  She had been desperate to find a way out of the wedding but living in the slums of New York in 1867 didn’t really give Mary Beth much of an option. She had cried on her wedding day but soon learned that marrying Arthur Everston might have been the best thing that could ever have happened to her.

  Not only did Arthur treat her with respect and kindness, but he treated her like the daughter he never had. At the age of fifty-four, Arthur wasn’t looking for a romantic relationship but rather a companion to share his life in his large mansion.

  Arthur paid her father handsomely never to contact Mary Beth again, which provided a reprieve from the horrible life Mary Beth had known. He had bought her the finest dresses, the most beautiful jewelry and had taken her to balls she had only ever dreamed of ever attending.

  The fact that Arthur was a bookie didn’t bother Mary Beth in the least. His business dealings were none of her business and if a few dodgy-looking men happened to stop by their large brownstone now and then, she pretended not to see. They were living in tough times and, seen from a certain perspective, Arthur was doing nothing wrong. He was simply offering short term loans to help those who wouldn’t get relief elsewhere. If he took a few bets on the side, at least he paid the winners their dues.

  Mary Beth’s father passed a year after her wedding to Arthur. She attended the funeral alone, with only herself and the priest in attendance. It had been a dreary day, but Mary Beth couldn’t help but feel relieved. Her father had finally been released from a life of misery and debt, and the disease that had destroyed his lungs over the last few years.

  Arthur had supported her throughout that horrible time and suggested she take some lessons to help her take her mind off her problems. She had expected Arthur to instruct her on what lessons she was to take, but even there he had given her a choice.

  Mary Beth had opted for sewing lessons, having never had a mother to teach her the coveted skill. Soon she knew how to sew her own undergarments, and with time she even learned to make shirts and dresses. Mary Beth was finally feeling as if life was no longer throwing lemons at her.

  Until the day the doctor had come in early January. Arthur was sick with an ailment that could not be cured with any form of medication. This ailment was of the type that would rob him of his life.

  Consumption.

  He hadn’t noticed the disease until it rendered him bedridden. The prognosis wasn’t good and little by little Arthur’s business began falling apart. The hounds were knocking at the door even as Mary Beth was praying for Arthur to be healed. She had come to love the kind older man and knew that without him her future would be bleak.

  On Valentine’s Day, she had sat by his bedside and told him for the first time that she loved him and that she appreciated everything he had done for her. Arthur had lapsed into a minor coughing fit and then declared having fallen in love with her and how their future would now be stolen from them.

  The revelation had startled Mary Beth. If she had known sooner, her relationship with Arthur could have meant so much more.

  Arthur died on the evening of Valentine’s day when his lungs could finally not draw breath for even another moment. Mary Beth had cried over his body and knew that she would never love again. Arthur might have been old enough to be her father, but he had shown her the meaning of patience, love, and kindness.

  One by one the debt collectors had come to claim their due. Arthur who had been very affluent was soon stripped of almost everything but the house.

  Then the bank had made an appearance.

  Mary Beth had left the home she had shared with Arthur carrying nothing but a carpetbag and the pearl pendant he had gifted her the year before. Destitute, she headed back to the slums where she used a little of the pittance she had inherited to secure a room in a tenement building. For a woman who had lived a life of luxury, Mary Beth couldn’t believe she was once again poor with no prospects of change in sight for the future.

  She opened her eyes and again glanced down at the water, feeling a tear slip over her cheek. She had no real choice other than to jump. It had been a year since Arthur had drawn his last breath, a year of struggling by with the small inheritance he had left her.

  Mary Beth barely had enough to pay for another’s month’s rent and with the economy being what it was, there weren’t very many job opportunities available in the slums. Over the last few months, Mary Beth had applied for every available position she knew about. Everything from a cleaner, to a nurse right down to the lady sitting in the toll booth on the bridge.

  No one wanted her.

  No one cared.

  All that was left for her was to put an end to her life. She had thought this over a few times and knew drowning would be a better way to go than to starve on the streets.

  Mary Beth looked down at the water and felt her breath catch in her throat even as sobs began racking her shoulders. Was this to be the culmination of her life? Drowning herself in the Hudson on Valentine’s Day?

  There simply was no other option. She glanced up at the cold cloudless sky and shook her head. “Lord, if You had other plans for my life, now would be a good plan to reveal them. I’m destitute, hungry and I know there is nothing in store for me but more heartache. I know You don’t approve of what I’m about to do but I pray that You will understand. That You will see I have no choice.” Her breath caught when her foot slipped off the railing. She quickly regained her balance, her heart racing in her chest.

  In the darkness, she heard a voice. Or was it in her mind? Mary Beth wasn’t completely sure, but the voice was as clear as if the speaker was standing right beside her.

  For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

  A frown creased her brow as she brushed away the tears with one hand, almost losing her balance again. That wasn’t a voice; that was a verse, she realized, remembering the verse from the bible. Jeremiah 29:11.

  A warm blanket of relief folded over Mary Beth. She wasn’t going crazy after all; God had simply answered her prayers. She carefully stepped down from the railing, away from the inky black waters rushing below and took a deep breath.

  She might not know what that future held or when the plans might come to fruition, but at least she knew that tonight wasn’t the night she would end her life, because God still had plans for her future.

  Chapter 2

  Mary Beth walked home with her coat wrapped tightly around her waist. The night was cold and dark and have her no feeling of hope, but the words of the Lord remained with her. She might not understand what plans God had in store for her, but now at least she could look forward to a future that one day it would no longer resemble the life she was currently living.

  She walked past men making fires on the side of the road, drunkards being lewd in front of the taverns, and soiled doves offering their promiscuous services. When she reached the lower slums she was just about to turn the corner onto the street in which her tenement home was located, when she saw a man on the corner waving a newspaper.

  “Matrimonial Times, get your copy today. Handsome bachelors looking for wives all over the country. Special price for tonight only.”

  Mary Beth frowned, shaking her head. The matrimonial times was not sold on street corners. This was a chancer trying to make a quick buck. She crossed over to walk on the other side of the road in the hopes of avoiding the opportunist looking for a quick buck to pay for his next drink. She kept her head
low, hoping he wouldn’t notice her, but once again her luck was out.

  The man rushed through the muddy thoroughfare towards her. He stopped right in front of her with a toothless smile, smelling of alcohol and tobacco. “Looking for a husband, Miss?”

  Mary Beth quickly shook her head trying to get away. “No, thank you. I best get home.” She tried to maneuver around him, but he was quick on his feet and with a few steps stood in front of her again.

  “Come on, Miss, just think about it. You can pick a husband like you would a dress with this newspaper. They’re only printed every second week, and this is the latest copy. Just a few quid, ma’am.”

  Her heart began to race, wondering if this wasn’t an ambush. Could it be that five other men were waiting for their chance to jump her at any moment? Were they going to rob her or hurt her?

  “Miss, you can pick a husband that will bring you happiness, joy and possibly even prosperity. Think of the future, ma’am.”

  Mary Beth was about to run when something caused her to stop and frown. How was it possible that the man had just promised her the very words that had come to her on the bridge? Wasn’t this a sign? Wasn’t this God’s way of leading her to the plans that would prosper her and not harm her?

  She shook her head, certain that she was just imagining things through her desperation and her destitute state. Then she remembered what Arthur had once told her. You can’t complain about the future if you don’t try to create it for yourself. Always think ahead, Mary Beth.

  Mary Beth reached into her pocket for a few coins, hoping beyond all reason that she was making the right decision. The toothless hawker’s smile split his face in two as he handed her the newspaper. “Thank you, ma’am, I hope you find a good one.”

  He shoved the newspaper into Mary Beth’s hand and quickly rushed across the street to the tavern. The newspaper was wet, with traces of mud here and there, but she tucked it under her arm and headed home.

  On the way, she couldn’t help but think about all the stories she had heard about women heading out West to find love. Surely it couldn’t be that easy. She had heard of girls falling in love with handsome cowboys, others finding love with successful proprietors of shops in gold rush towns. It sounded too good to be true and probably was, but as Mary Beth glanced around her at the horrible state of the slums, she couldn’t help but admit that anywhere would be better than New York right now.

  She unlocked her one-roomed tenement home and stepped inside. She placed the newspaper on the small table and made herself a cup of tea, glancing at it every now and then as if it would jump up and bite her if she was not careful. After the first sip of tea, she felt the cold slowly melt from her body, having spent so long outside at the mercy of the winter elements. It was Valentine’s evening and instead of jumping off the bridge, she had bought a copy of the Matrimonial Times. An ironic laugh bubbled from her throat. If that wasn’t pathetic, she didn’t know what was, but that didn’t matter right now. All that mattered was that she needed to find that future, promised to her by God on the bridge.

  After stoking the coals in the fireplace Mary Beth finally gathered enough courage and collected the newspaper before sitting down by the fireside. She shook her head, unable to believe that she was even considering becoming a mail-order bride, but soon found herself enthralled.

  There were men from all over the country seeking wives for different reasons. Some for companionship, some needed care for their children and others were simply seeking love. The advertisements gave little information about the men, but enough to raise curiosity.

  Some advertisements were overly embellished, promising handsome children and a humble life sweetened with love. Mary Beth wasn’t foolish enough to fall for any of them, but there was one advertisement that caught her attention.

  Handsome Rancher searching for a wife

  Thomas Hickok is a gentleman of good breeding searching for a wife who will brighten his days even more than the Californian sun. Tall, dark-haired and handsome; Thomas is searching for true love. If you think that you can be a rancher’s wife, enjoy hard work along with great rewards, then Thomas Hickok is the man you have been looking for.

  With a large ranch in sunny California, only a day’s ride from Gambler’s Creek, Thomas can offer a wife the best of both worlds. Life on a ranch with the comforts of town only a short ride away. With ample grazing for his large herd, this rancher is looking forward to becoming one of the biggest ranchers in California, but he would like a wife at his side to help him celebrate this future victory. A stream lush with gold runs through his property and Thomas also enjoys prospecting at times.

  Tired of having no prospects? Thomas Hickok can give you the prosperous future you have always dreamed of. All you have to do is to write to him with your intentions, age, height, and estimated weight and Thomas will answer your letter swiftly.

  Don’t hesitate; grab this opportunity to find love, change and a chance to become the wife of the coveted Thomas Hickok.

  A smile tugged at the corners of Mary Beth’s mouth. The advertisement was completely absurd. Thomas Hickok was advertising himself as if he was a prize bull on a county auction, and yet it intrigued her. It was clear he had a good sense of humor, and perhaps a little humor was what Mary Beth needed.

  She shoved the thought aside, thinking it was as ridiculous as putting herself on auction. But Thomas’s advertisement kept mulling over in her mind. She couldn’t stop thinking of the prosperous future Thomas promised. By the time midnight rolled around Mary Beth couldn’t help but admit that without prospects for the future, perhaps Thomas Hickok was the future that God had promised her on the bridge.

  After searching for paper and pen, Mary Beth sat down with a lamp and began writing a letter she never imagined ever penning. She told Thomas about her marriage to Arthur and his subsequent death, along with his hopes for the future. She didn’t know much about California but made it clear that she would enjoy a more temperate climate than that she had come to know in New York. It had taken her nearly thirty minutes of writing and rewriting before she finally folded the letter and placed it in an envelope to post to Thomas Hickok.

  Dawn had barely broken when Mary Beth rushed out of her tenement home to post the letter before she had any chance to change her mind. By the time she returned she was both exhausted and excited. Thomas promised to write back swiftly, but Mary Beth couldn’t help but wonder how soon she might hear from him.

  She shook her head, baffled at the prospect of becoming a rancher’s wife, and wondered how big his ranch could be. If he was close to becoming the biggest rancher in California, Mary Beth could imagine him to be quite wealthy. Would his home be a log cabin or a more sold structure? She had heard so many stories about the West that she wasn’t completely sure what was true and what was fabricated for the sake of the telling. Of one thing she was certain, though, and that was that life on a ranch was hard work.

  Mary Beth had never been afraid of hard work, especially not if it brought the great rewards Thomas mentioned in his advertisement.

  She closed her eyes and prayed that God would bless her letter and that Thomas would write back to her soon.

  Chapter 3

  For months the letters had passed back and forth between Gambler’s Creek and New York. Mary Beth found a job at a tailor which enabled her to pay the rent for her tenement apartment. On some months she received correspondence from Thomas twice or even three times, while on others, she might get only one letter.

  She had learned a great deal about Thomas during their months of correspondence. Although he was a rancher, he was currently more focused on prospecting, believing it to be where his fortune lay. Mary Beth couldn’t help but be a little reticent to jump on a train and join him in California with hundreds if not thousands of prospectors already there also believing their future to be lying in a stream somewhere.