Orphan Brides Go West: The Complete Series Read online

  Trust in me.

  Ramona started, a warm tingle going up and down her spine.

  Trust in me.

  Ramona’s eyes filled with tears, as she hurried after Elizabeth down the frosty cobblestone avenue toward their apartment.

  I trust you God. I just don’t know what to do, or where to turn. The only thing I have to hold onto are my dreams. I don’t want to let go of them because without them I have nothing and no one. But I’ll trust in you.

  Back at home Ramona was folding her dresses and packing them into her travelling trunk. Elizabeth was sitting on the bed watching her and chewing on a fingernail, her toe tapping nervously on the timber floor.

  “Mail order brides are so old fashioned! I’m surprised those agencies even still operate!” Ramona pursed her lips, and nodded emphatically to make her point. “Though I suppose out West things are a bit different.”

  Elizabeth took her finger out of her mouth and smiled grimly.

  “Yes, things won’t be quite so modern out west. It will take you a while to get used to life on the frontier.”

  Ramona whirled around to face her.

  “You’re not seriously suggesting I go through with this, are you?” Ramona put her hands on her hips and scowled at Elizabeth. “Why, Lizzie, can you imagine me tied to a man’s arm? The arm of a man I’ve never even met? A man who can’t find a wife where he lives, so he must be old, ugly and mean. Why, I’d sooner collapse here on the spot. No man is going to tell me how to live or what to do. Do you think a husband would let me sing and dance on the stage? Of course not. He’d want me to stay home and raise babies, that’s what, and my dreams would be dead. Dead!”

  Elizabeth rolled her eyes at Ramona’s dramatic speech. She wasn’t taken in by Ramona’s hysterics this time. “Ramona,” she said sternly. “You need to think sensibly about this. You can’t stay here forever. Mama and Papa won’t allow it. And how else are you going to support yourself?”

  Ramona’s mouth fell open, stunned by Elizabeth’s lack of confidence in her abilities.

  “Why, I’ll sing, I’ll dance.”

  “Ramona! Be realistic, please. This is serious.”

  Ramona stood up and flounced across the room to fetch her dancing gowns to pack into the top of the trunk. Deep down, she knew that Elizabeth was right, but she couldn’t bring herself to admit it now. She knew that she needed to find a solution to her predicament, and fast. But the thought of marrying a stranger in some far off frontier town made her quake with fright. She’d never been anywhere on her own, and she’d never travelled outside of New York before. So, the idea of journeying to the other side of the country on her own to meet, marry, and live with a stranger filled her with dread.

  “I don’t want talk about it any longer Elizabeth May. And,” Ramona’s voice broke as tears filled her eyes. “I can’t bear the thought of leaving you – my only friend in this whole wide world. Please don’t make me go.”

  Elizabeth ran to her friend and flung her arms around Ramona’s neck, stroking her back gently.

  “Oh Ramona, my dear, I don’t want you to leave either. But what will you do?”

  “I don’t know. But I do know this, God will provide a way forward. I just have to trust Him.”

  The following day, Ramona woke early and lay still in her bed without moving. She stared at the peeling paint on the ceiling above her head and thought long and hard about the future. What was she going to do? She had pounded the pavement looking for employment ever since the Dresdens had given her notice, but there was none to be had. And she knew that in a few days’ time, she would be homeless. Christmas had come and gone, and now a bleak and icy January was well underway. She’d already stayed well past her welcome at Elizabeth’s place. It was time for Ramona to grow up and make some decisions about where her life was headed. It was time for her to do something, to take back the life that she had lost and to go after what she wanted.

  When Elizabeth awoke, Ramona was already up and dressed. Her hair was combed back into a tight bun, and her face shone from being scrubbed clean.

  “What is it?” asked Elizabeth, rubbing her eyes as she sat up in bed.

  “I’m going to do it,” said Ramona.

  “Do what?” asked Elizabeth, yawning widely.

  “Get married. I’m going to be a Mail Order Bride.”

  “What?” Elizabeth was suddenly wide awake, and threw the covers back, leaping to her feet.

  “Yes. I’m getting married. I bet that Mail Order Bride service has men down there in Austin. I’m going to get one of those men to pay for me to travel to Austin, and then I’m going to find Mother.”

  “Ramona! You wouldn’t. They would be expecting you to marry them. You can’t lie, and that’s what it would be. It would be dishonest to have them pay your way to Austin only to leave them at the altar to go and find your mother. It just wouldn’t be right.”

  Elizabeth’s face flushed red, and she stamped one foot in indignation as she spoke.

  “I don’t care Elizabeth. I have to do something, and I’ve decided that this is it. God has provided a way for me to get to Texas to find Mother, and I’m going to take it. I know it’s dishonest, and I don’t want to lie or hurt anyone, I really don’t. I promise you – if there were some other way to get to Austin, I’d do it. But I can’t think of any other way. Can you?”

  Elizabeth slumped back onto the bed and shook her head slowly, “No, I can’t.”

  “So you see – I have to do it. I’m sure the man who I’m to marry will get over it quickly and find himself someone else to marry. He isn’t in the same kind of predicament that I am. He’s likely to be settled, and have a steady income, or he wouldn’t be looking for a wife and family. He’ll be disappointed of course, but he’ll soon move on and find someone else. And I will have found Mother and everything will work out just fine, I know it will. God told me to trust Him when you found that flyer for the Mail Order Bride service, and I believe He wants me to do this. Otherwise, I just don’t know what I’ll do.”

  She knelt in front of Elizabeth, and took her hands, gazing at her with pleading eyes.

  “All right Ramona. I’ll help you to do it. You’re right – it may be the only way you get to see your mother again. Let’s go down to the Mail Order office today. I plucked one of the flyers from the bulletin board and have it right here in my dresser drawer.”

  Elizabeth stood to her feet and walked to the dresser. Opening one of the drawers, she withdrew a crumpled flyer and handed it to Ramona who smoothed it out to read over again.

  “Thank you Lizzie. I know I don’t need your approval, but I’d like to have it just the same. I never had a sister, but I believe you’re the closest thing to a sister a girl could ever ask for. I wish you could come with me. It’s going to be awful lonesome taking this journey without you. Promise me you’ll write?”

  “Of course I will. Just as soon as you write to let me know where you are, I’ll write back to you the very same day, I promise. You’re the sister I always wanted as well. I just hope that we’ll see each other again someday.”

  The two women embraced with tears streaking their forlorn faces. Their lives were about to change forever, and neither one of them could imagine what the future might hold for them. After breakfast Ramona walked through the city to the address on the flyer with Elizabeth by her side. They found the office of the Mail Order Bride service in a run-down building on the other side of Central Park. After waiting in the reception area for a few minutes, an attractive middle-aged woman with dark hair piled high on her head strode into the room and called Ramona’s name. The woman was in charge of the agency. Her name was Rachel Moore, and Ramona followed her back to a small office with frosted glass windows. Elizabeth stayed seated in the reception area, her foot tapping nervously against the tiled floor, one finger held up to her mouth as she chewed on a nail.

  Rachel Moore, a kind but stern woman, looked Ramona up and down with a careful eye and offered her a high-bac
ked wooden chair. Rachel walked around to the other side of her desk and sat behind it, pulling a ledger from a drawer of the desk, and laying it down on top of the desk. After a brief interview, Rachel walked Ramona through the entire Mail Order Bride process. She told her that each prospective husband was interviewed, thoroughly checked out, and would pay to have her travel out to marry him. While she spoke, she flicked through a ledger, her finger drifting across the page before turning it over and moving onto the next page of the folder.

  Ramona studied the floor, her eyes flicking between her hands and Rachel’s face as she asked the question that had been on her mind ever since she’d heard about the scheme.

  “Are any of the men from Austin, Texas?”

  Rachel adjusted the spectacles on her nose and glanced down the list. A crease appeared on her fair forehead, and she rubbed it vigorously with her fingertips.

  “Hmmm, let me see. Yes, there are, actually.” She placed the folder down with a thud. “One might be suitable for you. His name is Michael Newhill. He’s a construction worker.”

  Ramona drew in a sharp breath. She clasped her hands together. “Oh yes, surely we’re a match Miss Moore? Please – can you check? It’s just that I’ve heard so much about Austin. It sounds like a fascinating town, and I’d really love to go somewhere interesting. So many places on the frontier sound so dull, or even dangerous. If I could go to Austin I just know I’d be happy there. Do you think this Michael Newhill might be a good match for me?”

  Rachel sat still, watching Ramona’s face closely as she made her appeal.

  “Well my dear, I’m sure you are a good match. Let’s see. Yes, I think that would work out just fine. He looks like he is a decent man, with a solid income and good prospects. You would do well to be married to such a man. Yes, I think that would work out well. If you are happy to proceed, I’ll write to Mr. Newhill and let him know your position. He will wire us the money for you to travel to Austin, and will meet the coach there. Well now, that was easy enough. It usually takes a lot longer to find an appropriate match for a young woman like yourself, Ramona. You have made my job a sight easier today. Well now, I do believe you will be happy with Mr. Newhill. What a pleasure it is for me to help two people find love.”

  Rachel’s slammed the register closed, and removed her spectacles to rub her eyes.

  “How long do you think it will be before I hear from Mr. Newhill?” asked Ramona, leaning forward in her chair, her brown eyes wide.

  “I will wire him in Austin, and if he wires back directly it should only be a few days at most.” Rachel reached for her quill and made notes on a notepad in front of her.

  “Thank you so much for your help,’ said Ramona, standing to her feet. “I guess this means that I’ll be heading to Austin by the end of the week then.”

  “You surely could be if everything goes well.”

  Ramona sighed, and smoothed her hair back from her forehead with both hands.

  “Austin. It’s so far away. Such a strange, unknown place. I never thought I’d be going there in my life, and certainly not on my own to meet a stranger who I’m to marry.”

  She stared down wistfully at her empty left ring finger. Even though she had no intention of marrying Mr. Newhill, she found herself wondering what kind of man he might be, and what it would feel like to be married. She shook her head. Marrying was not a part of her plan. She was going to Austin to find her mother, and then she was on a bearing for Broadway. She would sing and dance, and one day she’d be a star, and then everyone would see how special she truly was. Nothing was going to stand in her way.

  5

  Michael

  Michael paused to wipe the sweat off his brow. Working construction at the site of the new State Capitol building, even during winter, was hard going. There was no shelter or shade from the sun or the wind, and the days were long and harsh. Since the end of the civil war Austin had boomed, and its growth came on the backs of men like Michael. He stood to his feet, wiping the last of the mortar from his trowel as the final brick for that line of wall he was working on stood evenly in its place. He stretched his arms skyward, working out the kinks in his back that had camped just above his waist after stooping for so long over the growing wall. He glanced towards the supervisor’s tent and noticed the foreman glaring at him over a clipboard, his spectacles hanging low near the pointy tip of his nose, a line of sweat beading across his balding forehead.

  “Hiya buddy.” Tony came up behind him and slapped him on the back. He exclaimed, “Don’t tell me you’re tired already, you slacker! We’ve still got eight hours of work ahead of us. You’re going to get on ol’ four-eyes’ bad side if you’re not careful. And you know what happens when you’re on his bad side? You have to listen to his whiny voice telling you off for at least a full ten minutes.”

  “Don’t I know it,” Michael said. They both chuckled, and Michael hurried toward the wheelbarrow where he mixed up another batch of mortar. Tony followed him, and helped by adding water to the mixture as Michael blended it with a square-nosed shovel. He smiled at Tony. Michael was in high spirits today, regardless of the workload. “It’s all worth it. I need the money, because tomorrow…”

  “I know, I know,” Tony said. His own smile faded, and he took on a look of irritation. “Ramona’s arriving. You haven’t stopped talking about it for days.” Tony shook his head. “I was hoping you’d come to your senses and have changed your mind by now. Why do you wanna go and get married anyway? There’s plenty of women around here for a man who wants to be single and enjoy the finer things in life. We work hard, we play hard. It’s the life men all over the world can only dream of. Why would you wanna go and change that on me? I just don’t understand you at all sometimes.”

  “You know I want a family. It’s all right for you – your entire extended family live here in Austin. But I’m on my own here, and it’s awful lonely when I go home at night. I’ve always wanted someone to come home to, and the timing is right. I’ve got a good job, I’ve saved and bought a nice house, and I’m ready. There aren’t a lot of good women around here, Tony, not of the marrying kind. Every woman I meet is either unsuitable or already married. I mean, you tell me, when was the last time you met a single woman you’d take home to meet your mother?”

  Tony kicked the ground with the toe of his boot, a light flush creeping across his tanned cheeks.

  “Meet my Mamma? Heck no. I don’t bring any of them home to meet her. That would be asking for trouble.”

  “Exactly my point. Austin’s a real nice place to live. It’s got potential, it’s gonna be somethin’. I don’t wanna move, but if I’m to have the family I’ve always wanted, I either have to leave here, or have a wife sent to me.” He paused and looked around the half-finished building before adding, “I mean look at this place. This building’s gonna be amazing, you just wait and see. It feels good to be part of somethin’ big like this, it sure does.”

  Tony kept mixing. “I understand you wantin’ a family. But there ain’t no reason for you to rush into it. You’re young. Only twenty-five. There’s plenty of time to have a family. We should enjoy our freedom for as long as we can. Once we’re old and tired we can tie on the ball and chain.” He chuckled at his own joke and leaned on his shovel, sweat beads glimmering on his dark brow. “I know one thing for sure, you don’t need to order a bride in the mail. Especially not one from New York. Who knows what you’ll get? Do you really think a New York gal is going to fit in down here in Austin? Do you think she’s gonna take to you? Heaven only knows what she’ll be like.”

  Michael turned back to the wheelbarrow to continue mixing.

  “That’s right. Heaven knows. I’ve prayed about this, and I trust God to bring me a wife who will suit me, and will be my partner in life, whether she comes by mail or some other way.”

  Tony sighed with exasperation, “You and your God,” he said. “Well, don’t come cryin’ to me when it all falls apart, and it will, you mark my words. I just wish you
’d take some more time to think it through first.”

  “I don’t want to waste any more time. We’ll be working on this site for at least another two years Tony, and even then I don’t know that I’ll want to uproot and head north, and I don’t want to wait any longer to be part of a family. I want someone by my side to share my life with. A good, sensible wife. I don’t know what Ramona will be like either, but I’m willing to give her a shot. God will take care of the rest.”

  Tony scoffed. “Well, fine. I’ll let it go and I won’t raise the subject again. But, just one more thing - have you thought about the fact that you just can’t seem to talk to women at all? How’s that gonna work?”

  Tony chortled as he began slipping bricks into place and slapping mortar underneath and between each one, his hands flying back and forth along the line.

  Michael’s face reddened. “I can talk to them.” He threw the shovel to the ground, and joined Tony, the two men laying bricks smoothly and efficiently together in a row.

  Tony raised his eyebrows. “Can you? You start quivering as soon as you get within a foot of a woman!”

  Michael reached a hand up to comb it through the brown hair that had a habit of falling across his tanned face. “Well, this will make things easy for me, won’t it? She’s already agreed to marry me, that’s the hard part out of the way. I think this is going to work out just fine. There’s none of that awkwardness that comes between me and any woman when I like her, but I can’t seem to find the words to tell her how I feel, or to ask her if she’d like to take a stroll with me, or sit by me in church. That’s all out of the way. We’re getting married, so of course she’s going to be sitting by me, and walking with me. This way will be so much easier.”