The Convenient Mail Order Bride Read online

  Chance at Love Series: Book 1

  The

  Convenient

  Mail Order Bride

  Ruth Ann Nordin

  Wedded Bliss Romances, LLC

  The Convenient Mail Order Bride - Smashwords Edition

  Published by Ruth Ann Nordin at Smashwords

  Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Ann Nordin

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes:

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Cover Photo images Period images. http://www.periodimages.com/welcome-to-periodimagescom. All rights reserved – used with permission.

  Cover Photo images Dreamstime. www.dreamstime.com. All rights reserved – used with permission.

  Cover made by Stephannie Beman.

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  More Books in the Chance at Love Series

  More Mail Order Bride Romances

  Chronological Order of all of Ruth Ann Nordin’s Books

  Where to Find Ruth

  Join Ruth’s Email List

  Dedication: Joanie Watson Dixon who has a very kind heart. It’s always a joy to talk to you.

  Chapter One

  March 1878

  Cincinnati, Ohio

  Phoebe Durbin turned the page of the mail-order bride ads in the catalogue. She wasn’t sure what she expected when she purchased it from the merchant of the general store, but she didn’t have any other option.

  Money. I should be concentrating on the men who have money.

  Or at least a property and good home they actually owned. She shifted on the bench outside the store, ignoring the slight sting of conscience that told her money wasn’t everything.

  No, it’s not, but you can’t eat good intentions. You can only eat food, and the only way to do that is to have money to purchase it.

  She wasn’t afraid of work. A woman’s labor in the house was never done. Men came home from the factory and enjoyed the rest of the evening in comfort. Mothers and wives fussed around them and gave them whatever they wanted. And as long as the man wasn’t gambling or carousing with women, Phoebe saw no harm in it.

  Most of the advertisements were brief—so much so that she couldn’t get a good idea of what the man was like. Granted, there was limited space for them to write, but she had hoped there might be something—anything—that would tell her who would be the right man to marry.

  “Any luck yet?” a woman asked, approaching the bench.

  Phoebe shook her head. “Not yet, Ma. What did Phillip say?”

  Her mother sat beside her. “He can’t afford a bigger place. I’m afraid we can’t stay with him once the baby is born.”

  Phoebe did her best to hide her disappointment. Her brother did well at the factory, but with a wife, two children and one due in two months, his apartment was cramped as it was. She and her mother couldn’t keep living with them. It was enough he’d let them stay with them for the past year.

  She had to find a husband, and since there weren’t any suitors vying for her hand, she had to pick one out of a catalogue full of ads.

  “How does this sound, Ma?” She cleared her throat and summarized the ad. “This one is from a widower who has three children who need a mother. He owns a hundred and fifty acres and has a nice cabin by a stream.”

  “He sounds like a nice man, but it’ll be easier if you don’t marry someone who already has children. Your aunt married a man with two children, and they never did come around to thinking of her as their mother. Up to her death, they resented her for taking their mother’s place even though their mother passed away when they were young.”

  That was true. She didn’t want to end up like Aunt Eunice who’d died last year. Sadly, neither child would attend the funeral to pay their respects.

  “You’re right,” Phoebe said. “I’m going to ignore all the ads with men who have children.”

  “I’m sure some of those men and children would be nice, but you just can’t tell who they are from an ad, and we don’t have time to waste on a lot of letters to sort them all out.”

  Phoebe smiled. “I already agreed with you, Ma. You don’t need to keep trying to convince me.”

  Her mother chuckled and squeezed her hand. “I thought I should explain myself better.”

  “You explained yourself fine the first time. Now, let’s see who else is looking for a wife.” She scanned through the ads until one caught her eye. “This one doesn’t sound so bad. Here’s a man who owns his own land, has a cabin, animals, and his own well. He is also a good hunter. He’s twenty-three and has never been married. He’s looking to settle down with an honest, good woman he can start a family with. His name is Abe Thomas.” She lowered the catalogue. “What do you think, Ma?”

  “He sounds better than any of the others you told me about.”

  “He does, doesn’t he? Why don’t I send him a letter and see what he writes back?”

  Her mother nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. But before you do that, read through the rest of the ads and see if there’s anyone else who sounds as promising.”

  Phoebe didn’t think there would be, not by a long shot, but she turned her attention back to the ads and continued scanning through them.

  ***

  Three weeks had passed when Phillip came through the door with a missive in his hand. Phoebe, who’d been telling her three-year-old niece and six-year-old nephew a story, looked up from where she was sitting on the couch as he held it out to her.

  “I got a missive already?” Phoebe asked, not believing her eyes when she saw the envelope stamped all the way from the Colorado Territory.

  “The man you sent the ad to must’ve been happy to read your letter,” her brother said. “He knows a good woman when he comes across one.”

  She smiled at her brother’s compliment and took the letter. She stared at the handwriting on the envelope. The man wrote clearly. She had no trouble reading her name. Her thumb ran across his name in the upper corner. Abe Thomas. What was he like? She wondered if he sent a picture. She’d had one made and included it in her letter to him. She thought it only fair he know what she looked like, and she’d as
ked him to send a picture in return so she’d know what he looked like as well. Perhaps he’d thought it a strange request, but she hoped he’d obliged her all the same.

  Beatrice came in from the kitchen, rubbing her pregnant belly. “What is it?” she asked, approaching them.

  “Abe sent me a missive,” Phoebe told her. Then, with an uneasy chuckle, she added, “I’m afraid to open it.”

  “He wouldn’t have written if he wasn’t interested,” Beatrice teased.

  “Open it, Auntie,” her nephew, Ben, insisted. “Open it!”

  “Oh, um, I will.” Phoebe glanced at the letter again. “But maybe I’ll do it after dinner.”

  “Nonsense, do it now,” her brother encouraged. “You can read it in my bedroom if you’d like some privacy.”

  After a moment, she nodded. “Alright.” She’d never be able to focus on dinner if she didn’t. Wondering what was in the missive was likely to drive her to distraction. “I will. Thank you.”

  She went to her brother and sister-in-law’s bedroom and shut the door. On the other side, she could hear Ben asking what was in the letter and Beatrice laughing as she told him he was too young to worry about it.

  Phoebe closed her eyes and waited until her heart wasn’t hammering quite so fiercely in her chest to open them. It was just a missive, and as Beatrice said, Abe wouldn’t have sent a reply if he wasn’t interested.

  Gathering courage from the thought, she went over to the small rocker by the bed and sat down. She’d taken the time to respond to two more ads after she’d answered Abe’s, but his had been the first. As silly as it was, it made his reply that much more important.

  She turned the envelope over and opened it, careful not to tear it lest she rip the letter or, if he’d sent it, a picture. When she was done, she pulled the neatly folded paper out and inside was a picture, as she’d hoped. Excited, she turned it over in her hand and inspected it.

  He had dark hair and a nice face, but it wasn’t at all what she’d expected. He looked awfully young. He was probably fourteen when it was taken. Frowning, she turned it over and nearly fainted with relief. In script was the date the photograph was taken, and it’d been taken nine years ago, which put him at twenty-three now.

  Good. He’d sounded so nice in the advertisement. Really, he’d sounded much more promising than the others she’d replied to, so she was hoping he’d be the one. But before she could get her hopes up, she needed to read the missive and see what he’d written.

  Right away she could see he had nice handwriting. That in itself was a promising sign. So far, so good. She held her breath and read through the letter.

  Salutations, Miss Durbin,

  I found your response to my ad most promising. I have no trouble taking on the responsibility of caring for your mother. There’s plenty of room in my cabin. One thing I considered when building it was starting a family some day. I always knew the bachelor life wasn’t for me, even back then. My mother, God bless her soul, instilled the value of a good lady. One who honors her own mother, the way you do, is just the kind I’m looking for.

  Besides that, I will admit you’re quite lovely to look at. Your picture is very pleasing to the eye.

  Heat rose up in her face from the unexpected compliment. She’d never thought of what it might be like to have a man tell her she was pretty, but now she knew it was immensely satisfying. Smiling, she continued reading the missive.

  I wish I had a more recent picture of myself to send you, but alas, I don’t. I do hope, however, seeing even the younger version of me will give you an idea of what you’ll be getting into should you choose to marry me.

  I’m a hardworking, honest man of reasonable means. I might not have struck it rich with the gold out here in the Colorado territory, but I can provide you and your mother a comfortable living for the rest of your life. The cabin is mine, and the ten acres is mine as well. There is a nice stream on the land where you can get water, bathe, and do laundry. From time to time, I’ll catch fish. Mostly I hunt and grow my own food, and I’m adept at cooking.

  I forgot to mention I have a well. In fact, I just dug up a new one a year ago, so you don’t have to go back and forth to the stream each time you want water. I might not have all the conveniences you probably enjoy back East, but I do live comfortably. You won’t have to ever want for anything.

  I hope you and your mother will consider coming out here. In case you do, I’ve included two tickets for you both. From the train station, you will have to take a stagecoach but I added money for that. If you decide you’d rather marry another, there’s no need to repay me.

  Looking forward to your reply,

  Abe Thomas

  Phoebe checked the envelope, and sure enough, two tickets and money were there, and the tickets were set for three weeks from now. That would certainly be enough time for her and her mother to get their things in order and pack. It would also solve their problem on what to do when Phillip’s baby was born.

  She lowered the missive and considered what her life might be like with him. He sounded like a good, decent man from what he’d written. But was he the best choice? Maybe he’d received other replies to his ad. No, that was nonsense. He wouldn’t have sent her the tickets if he had. Or maybe he had received other replies but picked her.

  At any rate, it wouldn’t make a difference. The choice was now hers and her mother’s. She stood up just as someone knocked on the door.

  “Come in,” she called out.

  The door creaked open and her mother’s head poked into the room. “I heard you got a reply from one of the men you sent a letter to.”

  “Yes.” Phoebe waved her in. “It’s the one in the Colorado Territory.”

  Her mother came into the room and shut the door behind her. “What do you think?”

  “I think he might be the one. He sounds really nice, and he said he’s more than happy to provide for both of us.” She held the letter out to her. “Read it and tell me what you think.”

  “It doesn’t matter what I think. What matters is what you think. You’re the one who has to marry him and have his children.”

  “I know, but I’d like to hear your thoughts.”

  “Alright.” Her mother chuckled and took the missive.

  As her mother sat down, Phoebe asked, “You’re back from the doctor’s early. Does that mean he gave you a good report?”

  “Yes, it does. He said I got a strong constitution, which is good if we’re going to be living far out West.”

  “It is.”

  And it was good since most of the ads came from men out West. Phoebe had worried the trip and poor living conditions out there wouldn’t be good for her mother and had insisted on the doctor’s visit, just to be sure.

  Phoebe went over to the small window in the room and looked at the brick street where children were playing. Women were lingering nearby, talking to their friends, and the apartments were close together. In her brief reading about the West, she knew there was much land out there.

  People lived far apart from each other, unless they were in town, and even then, towns were small. It was nothing like she was used to. There were conveniences she’d have to give up, like being able to walk to any store she needed or going to social engagements with her friends. But her friends weren’t any better off than Phillip. They were all struggling to make ends meet. It just hadn’t been the same since her pa died.

  She would marry one of the men who posted those ads because she had to. If she could find love in the process, it’d be all the better. And she thought she could love a man like the one who’d sent that missive. As for the Colorado Territory, she didn’t know if she’d like it or not, but she knew she could adjust to it. She could adjust to anything, really, if she was surrounded by people she loved.

  “He seems like a nice young man,” her mother said, breaking her out of her thoughts.

  Phoebe turned back to her and smiled. “He does, doesn’t he?” She released her breath. She hadn’t ev
en written to him to let him know she was coming, and her heartbeat was already picking up in apprehension. She wasn’t sure what she should tell him. “Should we wait and see if any more replies come back?”

  “The tickets aren’t until three weeks from now. If we haven’t received a better reply, we’ll take that as a sign we’re to go to the Colorado Territory.”

  She nodded. It sounded like a good plan. She saw no reason not to do it. She only hoped if they did go there, Abe was as good as he sounded on paper.

  Chapter Two

  Three weeks later

  “I can’t believe you’re leaving,” Phillip told Phoebe at the train station platform. “Are you sure you’re alright? You look flushed.”

  “I’m a jumble of nerves,” Phoebe admitted, putting her hand over her stomach where it seemed as if the butterflies would never stop fluttering wildly. “I can hardly concentrate.”

  Her mother put her arm around her shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze. “It’s a big risk, there’s no denying that.”

  “If it doesn’t work out, you can always come back,” Phillip told them.

  While Phoebe appreciated the sentiment, she knew it wouldn’t be possible. There was no way he could keep taking care of her and their mother. He was barely managing as it was. He was a good brother, always doing whatever he could, but she and her mother had both decided they wouldn’t come back, no matter what happened. They’d find another way to make a life out there. That being the case, it also meant she would never see him, his wife, or her dear nephew and niece ever again.

  Swallowing the lump in her throat, she gave all of them a hug. She couldn’t bring herself to say good-bye, though they all knew it was happening. Saying it would only make her cry, and she didn’t want to do that until she was on the train.