Mail Order Meeting (Brides of Beckham #73)

Chapter One

Lula Astor did her best to keep calm and lend support to her friend, Ella, as they waited for their grooms to arrive. They had both worked for an elite hotel in Beckham, Massachusetts, before leaving all they knew to be mail-order brides for lumbermen in the District of Alaska.

While Lula was not nervous about being a bride, for she was a widow and had lost her great love, she was afraid her secret would become known to her groom and ruin their relationship. Even her three friends who had traveled across the country with her didn’t know her deepest, darkest secret.

When two men approached them in the store where they waited to be married, Lula grasped Ella’s hand, praying that the men before them were kind, good men who would treat them well and be good providers.

She pushed a strand of her long dark hair behind her ear and lifted her chin, willing her brown eyes not to show how hard her heart was beating.

“Lula?” asked one of the men. Lula smiled in return, though she studied him carefully, taking in his dark hair and the calm steadiness in his expression.

“I’m Lula. This is Ella,” she added, knowing her friend would be too shy to speak. Ella was a good person, but she was incapable of making small talk with strangers—especially men.

Ella simply nodded at the man who hadn’t asked for Lula.

Lula smiled at the man who was to be her husband in a few short minutes. His dark hair was neatly combed, and when he turned fully toward her, she caught the startling blue of his eyes. “You must be Sebastian.”

“You must be correct!” he responded. “How was your journey?”

Lula wanted to complain about how difficult her trip to Alaska had been, but she knew nothing good would come of it. “It was very long.”

He chuckled. “That it would have been. I came from Duluth, Minnesota, and that was a very long trip as well. You would have traveled days longer than I did.”

“Did you come here as a prospector?” Lula asked. She knew little about Sebastian other than the fact that he wanted a bride.

He shook his head. “I was raised in lumber camps. I’ve been swinging an axe since I was just a lad. I thought about trying to find gold, but then I realized, miners need lumber. I already knew how to be a lumberjack, and Thompson was hiring.”

“That makes sense to me. Support others with a skill you already have.”

“And you worked at a hotel?”

Lula nodded. “We all did. I started working there six years ago when my husband was killed.”

“I’m sorry about your husband.”

She smiled. “Me too.” What else could she say? Bill had been the man she’d looked to for everything, and his demise—at the age of twenty—had nearly destroyed her.

“Are you ready to try again with another man?”

“I believe I am.” She looked at him for a moment before adding. “I don’t know that I will ever love again the way I loved Bill. I doubt it’s possible. But I will be the best wife I can be.”

He nodded. “I understand.”

She heard a faint Norwegian accent when he spoke for the first time. He’d written he was the eldest son of immigrants, so she wasn’t at all surprised. “Are you ready to be a husband?”

He shrugged one shoulder. “I am. I don’t expect to find love or happy-ever-after, but I will be the best provider I can possibly be.”

“That’s all I ask.”

Together, they walked to the owner of the store they were in.

Bernard Johnson was considered a good man by all who knew him.

He’d left the ministry to seek his fortune, but with all the new women moving into town, he realized he could be a man of the cloth as he’d trained for and always dreamed he would be.

They spoke their vows quickly, and Sebastian kissed her cheek when prompted to kiss her. Lula was pleased he wasn’t forcing an intimacy upon her that she wasn’t ready for. She’d told him in her letters that she would rather wait to get to know him before consummating the marriage.

As they left the store, Lula glanced over at Ella, wishing she could stay a little longer for her friend, but she knew her place was with her new husband.

As Lula and Sebastian walked toward his cabin, a cool breeze tugged at Lula’s long, dark hair, sweeping it across her shoulder.

Sebastian glanced at her, and for a moment the fading daylight caught in his blue eyes before he looked ahead again.

He told her he'd had a new stove installed for her so she could cook on it and said he’d tried to make his house more welcoming.

“Thank you for that,” she said softly. “I would have made do with a fireplace. That’s all I had when I was married to my first husband.”

“What were your parents like?” he asked.

She shrugged. “They were wealthy and cared more about how they were seen by society than anything else. I was raised in New York, near Central Park.”

“I’ve heard about Central Park. It sounds like a wonderful place, so those in the city can experience nature.”

“I walked in it every day.” She didn’t add that there was always a maid following her. Even when she thought about that time period, she felt like she was being suffocated. It had been hard to live under her mother’s thumb.

“That’s good! Was this town Beckham you lived in like New York?”

Lula laughed. “Nothing is like New York. New York is crowded, and you see people of every race and nationality. You can’t walk five blocks without hearing several different languages being spoken.” She paused for a moment. “Beckham was much smaller. It was a good place to live.”

“Is that where you lived with your husband?” he asked.

“No, Bill and I moved to a small country town about fifty miles from Beckham. He worked as a delivery driver for a local merchant. I hunted, fished, and did whatever it took to feed us both. It was a good arrangement.”

“How long were you married?” he asked.

“Only a few months. Bill was killed while delivering one day.” Because the locals had objected to their marriage. Everyone had opposed their marriage, but her parents had been the loudest opponents.

“He was killed? It wasn’t an accident?”

She shook her head. “No, he was murdered.”

“Did the police catch the killer?”

She shook her head again. “No. They didn’t.

” She didn’t want to have to explain why.

That would give too much away. “After he died, I found a job in Beckham at the hotel.” She’d moved far enough away that no one would know.

Not that she was ashamed. She’d loved Bill, and she’d married him.

There was nothing wrong with marrying a man when she was in love with him. Nothing.

He looked at her for a moment, then let her change the subject. “Did you like working for the hotel?”

She laughed. “Not particularly. But I made some good friends there, which makes me happy I worked there.”

“The girl you were standing with. Ella?”

Lula nodded. “She’s become like a sister to me.”

“I’m glad you found friends. Did you ever consider moving back with your parents instead of trying to make it on your own?”

She shook her head. “They didn’t approve of Bill. They made it clear that if I married him, they wouldn’t have anything to do with me. I was their only child. Father said he’d leave everything he had to charity when he died, and I’d get nothing.” She shrugged. “I never wanted his money anyway.”

Sebastian knew there was something she wasn’t telling him, but he let it go. In time, she would tell him.

When they reached the cabin, she spotted the bed in one corner of the room and smiled. “It’s been weeks since I’ve slept in a bed and not on the ground.”

“There’s only the one bed. Do you mind sharing?”

She shook her head. “Of course not. I expected that.” She hid a yawn behind her hand. “Are you hungry?”

He shook his head. “I’ll make us something. My mother wouldn’t let me move away until I knew how to cook two meals—beans and oatmeal. I haven’t soaked beans, so I’ll make some oatmeal.”

“Thank you.” She hadn’t expected such kindness. “I haven’t had anything but jerky and hardtack since we reached Ketchikan. I would be thrilled to have oatmeal.”

He grinned. “Then I’ll make it while you look around and settle in. Do you think you’ll join the other ladies in their business ventures?”

“I think so. I need to see what my task would be.” While she’d been married to Bill, she’d learned to hunt and fish.

Hopefully, one of those skills could help with what the others were doing.

Hunting was her favorite, but she’d fish if there was a need.

“And I’m not quite certain I understand all the others are doing.

Belle wrote about her endeavors, but more people have been added.

I think I need to sit down with them all and find out what they do. ”

“They seem to do everything. I’ve been happy that I can get bread at the store a couple of times per week.”

“I learned all about cooking at the hotel. You won’t have to suffer through burnt meals like Bill did.”

He laughed. “I’ll eat just about anything, so we won’t have a problem. Most people have a very fish-heavy diet in the winters. Maybe they’ll have you fish.”

She shrugged as she put her nightgown into a chest at the foot of the bed. “Maybe. I’m happy to do just about anything if it will help contribute to our household income.”

He paused, stirring the pot of oatmeal on the stove. “I don’t need you to help with our income. I make enough to support us.”

She frowned. “I’d like to help. At least until we have children.” It was a good thing she hadn’t had children with Bill, though she’d longed for them at the time.

“Then help. Just know you have a choice.”

“I haven’t had a choice about anything in years. This will be strange.”

He chuckled. “I’m sure it will. But you have choices now that you’re married to me.”

She smiled at that. “Do you hunt?”

He shook his head. “I never have. I’m not sure why. My father enjoyed nature, but he didn’t like killing anything. There was a store near us, so we purchased what we needed.”

“I didn’t until I was married to Bill. I learned to hunt and fish, and I always enjoyed both activities. Soon, no one could tell I was a former debutante.”

He chuckled. “I see you as a strong woman who can handle most anything. That’s better than being a debutante.”

“I agree.”

They ate their oatmeal, each of them talking about what they wanted from marriage. “I would love to have supper ready when I finish work. And breakfast in the mornings. Maybe someone to wash my clothes,” Sebastian told her.

“I can handle those things. I’m looking forward to not having to make all decisions on my own, but I would like to be consulted on decisions that affect me. After several years as a widow, I’ve learned to trust my instincts.”

“Perfect,” he said. “I will consult you when I make any big decision.”

She nodded. “Don’t decide to be a prospector without talking to me! I have no desire to live that lifestyle.”

“You’re smart to feel that way. How bad was Ketchikan when you went through?” he asked.

“Very crowded. So was Lake Bennett. I think Aaron was offered money in trade for one of us three or four times. It wasn’t pleasant.” She shuddered. “I’m surprised he didn’t take one of the men up on his offer. He wasn’t happy to arrive to four women instead of one.”

Sebastian’s eyes widened. “No one told him?”

“I guess not. I would have thought Myrtle would have written to him, but she didn’t. We didn’t know we’d be a surprise until we arrived in Ketchikan. Aaron was not happy with her. Or any of us really.”

He shook his head and laughed softly. “I already owe him. Knowing this, I’ll have to do something nice for him. Maybe I’ll let him take my shifts at the mill. He prefers the mill, and I like swinging an axe, so it wouldn’t be a hardship.”

“Does everyone do both jobs?”

He nodded. “Everett thinks it's best if everyone is treated equally. Even James, who started the company with him, but sold his half.”

“James...did he marry Maggie?”

“I think so. I know they have a little girl, but I’m not positive of her name.”

“I don’t blame you. A lot of us have moved here in rapid succession.” She hid a yawn behind her hand. “I’ll take care of the supper dishes, but then I need to sleep. That bed has been calling my name since the moment I laid eyes on it.”

He chuckled. “I’ll step outside to give you some privacy to get ready for bed, but I’ll do the dishes tonight. Don’t expect me to cook and clean up often, but I know how difficult that journey is. I assume you took the shorter way over the mountain?”

She nodded. “It was so steep! It’s a good thing we were all in good shape from working so much.

” She bit her lip for a moment. “Are you certain you don’t mind cleaning up?

” She felt it was her duty to cook and clean.

Going to bed without doing either would make her feel guilty, but she knew she’d make it up to him.

“If you’re half as tired as I think you are, you’ll fall over while washing the dishes. I’ll give you five minutes.” Sebastian stood and left the cabin.

Lula stared at the door he’d closed behind him.

She was surprised her new husband was being so accommodating when he knew they wouldn’t be consummating their marriage that night.

She couldn’t help but compare this wedding night to her last when she and Bill had skipped supper in favor of bed.

The men were very different. There was no doubt about that.

But she could see Sebastian was a good, kind man.

Perhaps that was all she needed to be happy. She’d had her great love.

She quickly changed into her nightgown and crawled between the sheets.

She couldn’t help but think of how dirty she was with being on the trail for so long and only being able to wash her hands and face.

She saw laundry in her future. Piles and piles of laundry, and then she saw nothing as she closed her eyes.

She was asleep before Sebastian came back inside.