Mail Order Matron (Brides of Beckham Book 9) by Kirsten Osbourne

 
    Prologue
     
    September 1870
     
     
    Julia stood facing Joseph under the oak tree where he’d asked her to marry him just three months before.  “I’m so sorry, Joe.  I have to take care of Mama.  At least for a little while.”  Julia clung to his hands, her eyes begging him to understand.  “The doctor said she’ll either be better or she’ll be dead in a year’s time.  If she dies, I’ll never forgive myself if I don’t take good care of her.”  She hated asking him to wait for her, but she didn't feel she had a choice.
    Joseph gathered her close, kissing the top of her head.  “I don’t want to wait, but I’ll do it.  We’ll get married a year from today, right?” 
    Julia nodded, her eyes filling with tears.  “Yes, one year from today.  We’ll marry and have a dozen kids.”
    He laughed.  “I don’t know about a dozen, but half a dozen sounds good.” 
    They talked for a few more minutes while she thought about how she was the luckiest woman alive to have found such a perfect man.  She was only eighteen, and she knew he was the right man for her.  One year, and she’d be his wife.
    She slowly walked home wishing things had been different for them.  She’d loved Joe since they were in school together, and the idea of not marrying him when they’d planned upset her, but truly there was nothing either of them could do about it.  Since her mother had been afflicted with polio, she had to take care of her.  She just thanked God it wouldn’t last too long.
    Her mother was an unhappy, demanding woman now that she was so ill and taking care of her on a regular basis was already bringing Julia down.
     
    *****
     
    October 1885
     
    Elizabeth Miller leaned back in her chair in the parlor of the Long House in Beckham, Massachusetts.   Her butler and man about town, Bernard, had brought her a letter from Seattle.  Elizabeth knew well what that meant.  Harriett was either staying in Seattle or coming home.  She fully expected her friend and employer to stay where she was, because she would never run away from her responsibilities unless it was absolutely necessary.  If it was necessary though, she would be on the first on a train back to Beckham, and then Elizabeth would be out of a job and back living with the demon horde, her ten younger brothers and sister.
    Elizabeth said a small prayer before she opened the envelope.  She adored Harriett, and hoped that all was well with her, but she also didn’t want to go back home.  Her job had given her something to look forward to every day, and a way to escape the reality of her home situation.  She loved her parents with everything inside her, but they had become lax in discipline with their youngest eight children.
     
    “Dear Elizabeth, I hope this letter finds you well.  I know you are doing well with the business, because I know you wouldn’t do anything less.  I want to let you know that I’m deeding the house and the business into your name.  You are no longer my employee.  We’ll continue as we have been, of course.  You can keep all the income from the business, and the upkeep of the house and servants will continue to be paid from the fund I set up for that purpose.  Thank you again for taking on a job that could have been temporary and for keeping on the servants.  I appreciate it more than you will ever know.  Let me know if you have any questions regarding the running of things.  I will write again soon.  Yours, Harriett.”
     
    Elizabeth flipped the letter over and looked for a bit of personal news, but there was nothing.  She frowned.  She was happy to hear she’d be keeping her job and the house, of course.  Who wouldn’t be?  But she still wanted to know how Harriett was making out in Seattle.
    She picked up a second letter from her desk and read it.  Hmmm.  A thirty-eight year old widower with no children, miles from his nearest neighbor.  Who would want to marry him?  He was a poor dirt