Mail Order Minx: Fountain of Love (Brides of Beckham) by Kirsten Osbourne Page A

anything.  Berta's biggest shortcoming, to Millie's way of thinking, was her blind spot where Harvey Land was concerned.
    They finally reached Elizabeth's h ouse, and Berta gripped Milie's hand tightly, obviously nervous about telling Elizabeth what she'd done.
    A blond man came to the door, just as he had every other time they'd come.  He let them in and led them through the house to Elizabeth, who was sitting at her desk.  He cleared his throat, and she turned smiling.  "Oh, Berta!  I was just about to come see you."  She nodded to Mildred who had come with her on her previous visit.  "Your letter came today."   She looked to the butler.  "Tea and cookies, Bernard?"
    Bernard nodded, and closed the door behind him as he left.  Once he had, Elizabeth turned to Berta with a smile, handing her a letter.  Berta stared down at it as if she were afraid it would burn her.  She looked at Millie imploringly, as if she were trying to get her to do her talking for her.
    Millie sighed.  "She eloped last week.  It was all I could do to drag her here to tell you today.  I hoped we could get a letter to him before he spent the money on a train ticket."  She was annoyed that Berta wouldn't even talk about what had happened herself, and instead, Millie had to explain it all.  Why wasn't her friend more responsible?
    Elizabeth's face fell.  "Do you know this has never happened to me?  I'm not sure what to do."
    Millie took the letter and opened it.  "Well, hopefully he said he didn't want her to come and that you need to keep looking."  She read the letter quickly as a train ticket fell into her lap.  "Dear Berta, You sound like the woman I've been waiting my entire life for.  I can't wait to have you here with me so we can build our lives together.  I've enclosed a train ticket that will leave Beckham on Monday and you'll arrive here in Idaho approximately ten days later.  I know it will be a long trip, but I'll be waiting for you at the train station.  I am tall with red hair.  I can't wait to see you.  Adoringly, Connor."
    She read the letter once more before setting it down carefully.  "Your train leaves Monday."  She sighed.  "Now what do we do?"   Millie looked between Elizabeth and Berta, hoping one of them would come up with a viable solution, but they both simply stared back at her.
    Elizabeth looked back and forth between the two women.  "Can you c ook?" she asked, looking at Millie. 
    Mil lie frowned.  Was Elizabeth suggesting she go in her friend's place?  She'd always lived in a home where servants took care of all of her needs.  She'd tried to cook once or twice, but always with the family's cook standing over her.  She could probably do it though.  It was just following a bunch of recipes, wasn't it?  Besides, she needed an adventure.
    "I enjoy cooking," Millie said.  It wasn't exactly a lie.  She'd enjoyed it the few times she'd done it.
    "Would you consider...?"  Elizabeth couldn't even finish the sentence.
    Slowly Millie nodded.  "I think that's a good idea.  He'll get a wife, and I'll go out West.  I always thought I'd do better there than here anyway."   From what she'd heard, people in the West appreciated strong women, and Millie was strong.  She knew she was able to do a lot to help others, and she was determined to make a difference.  Out West was where she belonged. She just knew it.
    Berta looked at Millie in shock.  "You can't go!" 
    Millie frowned at Berta.  "We promised the man a wife.  He paid a lot of money for that train ticket, and he deserves a wife."  She tried to keep the anger at her friend out of her voice.  She knew she was being unreasonable, but how could Berta not fulfill her promise?  What was wrong with her?
    "Your parents will never let you go!"
    Millie just shrugged.  Her parents had always let her do pretty much whatever she'd wanted to do.  "They'll be fine."  If they weren't fine with it right away, she'd talk them into it.  It wasn't