The Judge's Chosen Bride

Chapter One

Susannah Peterson walked into the kitchen, already exhausted.

She couldn’t go to bed without dinner, but there were days when the temptation to do so was greater than her hunger.

Working in the same orphanage she’d grown up in was…

difficult, at best. It made sense for her to work in an all-girls orphanage, teaching the young girls how to be a proper lady.

And for some, it would have been the perfect job.

Because of this, she had a room and food provided and always received extra cash at the end of the week, but it wasn’t much.

It was hardly enough to justify the clothing they required her to wear.

However, that wasn’t the reason she hated the job.

She had always looked forward to getting away from the orphanage as a young girl, but she didn’t have the means to do so right now.

She wanted out of Washington, D.C., and to find a place where no one knew her so that she could start over without the stigma of being from no family at all.

All her complaints disappeared momentarily when she saw one of the other workers in the kitchen. Judith Norris had been working at the orphanage since Susannah had been young. She wasn’t sure just how long, but certainly long enough.

“Is that you, Susannah?”

“Yeah. Thanks for keeping the stew warm for me tonight, Judith. I’m struggling to get all my lessons done promptly,” Susannah replied as she grabbed a clean bowl from the cupboard.

“How did anyone get this done by themselves when I was little? I don’t remember keeping you or any of the other rotating governesses up this late. ”

“You’re now the permanent governess, so the girls probably feel like they can be more rambunctious with you,” Judith said.

“Whatever the case, I know this isn’t where you want to be for the rest of your life.

I made my peace with it, if only because it allows me to save for things I find more important than room and board. ”

“At least it covers all our room and board.”

Susannah watched as Judith gave her a heaped helping of the stew. It smelled delicious. The meat was plain to see peeking out of the broth, and plenty of vegetables floated around, too.

“Indeed. That indeed is a prime perk of this job.” Judith smiled. “I don’t know what else to tell you, but if you want to leave Washington, D.C., I might have found an option.”

“Oh. What did you find? Tell me all about it, Judith.”

They sat down at the small table that had been put in the kitchen to allow the staff to eat away from the girls when it was this late. They didn’t want the girls to get the wrong idea and try to sneak more food than they needed.

“The general store in town sells a publication,” Judith started. “It’s called The Matrimonial Times. It’s kind of pricey, but I think that you’ll be able to buy a copy if you save for a month or so. Unless you’ve not needed to buy new clothes in a little while.”

“I swear, this place needs more than four of us to run it, but I think you’ll be looking for another one soon enough.

That sounds like exactly what I need,” Susannah said.

“It sounds like it’s meant to help you find a marriage partner.

Matrimonial… I only ever hear that word about marriage and the covenants made in the ceremony. ”

“I’ve flipped through the newspaper a couple of times, debating whether it was worth buying it for myself,” Judith said.

“I’m nearly twice your age and still not married.

People judge me for it. But I love my work too much to leave the job.

Whoever I marry would have to resign himself to the fact that I shall be working for a pittance for the rest of my life. ”

Susannah couldn’t help but laugh. Judith was right about that.

However, she was also right about having to be careful about budgeting her money to be able to afford the publication.

Those weren’t cheap, and she rarely got a chance to go out and look about town.

Only on Sundays, when the general store was often closed.

“I’ll take a shift on a weekday or a Saturday to watch the girls when you’re ready to buy the Matrimonial Times,” Judith offered. “I know you hardly get a day away to do shopping of your own.”

“That’s a wonderful offer.”

With that, she focused on her stew. When she was done with her dinner, she washed out her bowl and put it away. Then she trudged up to her room on the second floor. After putting on her nightclothes, she quickly fell asleep on her bed.

For the next month, Susannah was careful about extra expenditures.

She had just bought a new apron and dress a couple of months ago, and she had plans to make them last. With the needle and thread provided by the orphanage, she would be able to patch up any holes that appeared should she need to.

And counting pennies was easier when there was a goal to count toward.

As the days passed, she came closer and closer to her goal.

Two months after Judith suggested it, she was finally able to buy a copy of the publication. She wasn’t worried about her weekly wages being unable to spare the money for a letter every month, maybe two. The Matrimonial Times was, for the moment, the most expensive consideration.

When she got back to the orphanage, she started flipping through the pages. She had no plans to stay in Washington, D.C., any longer than necessary, and she was looking to get as far away as possible. Even if that meant any letters she wrote would take that much longer to reach the men.