Mail Order Bride: Not What He Expected (Mail Order Brides Book 1) by Annie Boone Page A

be happy. You said it yourself that the men in the West starve for women. I am sure one of those men would appreciate a good wife, even if she is not as beautiful as the women in our society.” She looked at her friend with sadness and desperation in her voice that she rarely showed to anyone.
    Lately, she had felt these negative emotions often, and she didn’t like how that made her feel. She sensed the plague of depression pulling her heart and poisoning her spirit now more every day. The marriage of her best friend had made the dark thoughts more intense. She wasn’t jealous and she was genuinely happy for Patricia, but it magnified the fact that she was being left behind in building a happy and fulfilling life.
    “But is it smart to lie to a man you hope will be your husband?” She asked, now sounding concerned.
    “Oh, I’m not going to lie,” She answered quickly, “I am going to employ some tried and true sales tactics to make myself more appealing.” Lucy sighed and added, “I know that I can be a good wife, Patricia. I just need the chance to meet someone who is open minded enough to believe it.”
    Patricia had been pacing around the room. She stopped abruptly and looked at her friend with empathy and concern. She thought for a moment about what her friend was saying before she answered, “Well, what are you looking for in a man? I mean, after all, I hear that life is a lot different out there in the West and once you commit, it’s not like it would be easy to come back home. You need to know what you want, too, instead of only being willing to supply their needs just to have a man in your life.”
    “I just want a man who appreciates me. There have to be men like that all across the country, right?” She shrugged, “I’m easy to get along with, I have a sense of humor, and I’m a hard worker. I can get through anything as long as I have a good man by my side.”
    Again, she fell into thought. A man who loved me would be nice, too. Is there a chance I can find that?
    Lucy waited patiently. She wanted her friend’s blessing because she was well aware that she knew her better than probably even her parents. They shared every issue and accomplishment with each other, and Patricia was the one person that Lucy trusted to have her best interest at heart.
    When it came to trusting intentions, Lucy even had doubts about her parents. She was sure they wouldn’t do anything to intentionally harm her or her ability to find a suitable match. They had made insensitive comments recently about her lack of suitors that had made her wonder if she could trust them. She was almost twenty-one. This time of her life was a critical year for her because there would soon come a time when people would brand her as a spinster.  That would be that. Her fate would be sealed. Lucy feared that she was becoming a burden on her family, instead of a blessing.
    Lucy’s faith was strong, and she had prayed that God would save her from this terrible, lonely fate. With this in mind, she remembered that the Lord works in mysterious ways, so perhaps this was His way of answering her prayer. She had a little bit of money saved up from some sewing she had performed for a local shop; maybe she should use that to answer the calling.
    After a minute or two of silence, Patricia finally responded, “Well, that new Matrimonial News does have a lot of success stories in it.” Then, her eyes moved up to stare into Lucy’s, and she added, “But what am I going to do with you so far away?”
    Lucy beamed at her ultimate approval, “We will be able to write and besides, you are already with child. As soon as your family has started, you will have no room for me anyway.”
    “Nonsense,” She replied, “I will always, always have time for you.” She smiled quickly and then, she turned serious. “However, if you look into it and that is what you wish to do, then I want you to know that you have my blessing.”
    “Thank you,” she replied,