The Brides of Golden Valley Box Set 1 Read online

  Joshua frowned. “What else would we use it for? Everything else is set up for now.”

  “Well, maybe you could use it to build a crib.” Charlotte did her best to hide her smile.

  Joshua froze, and then a grin spread across his face. “I think a crib is an excellent idea. We have enough room in the bedroom, or we could make room out here.”

  Charlotte nodded. “I think in our room would be best.”

  “So when—how—how many children do you think we should have?” Joshua stood and paced the floor.

  Charlotte took his hand. “I don’t know, but let’s start with this one, and then we can worry about brothers and sisters.”

  Joshua took a step back, his eyes wide. “Wait—you’re . . .”

  “Yes.” Charlotte grinned. “That’s why I kept getting so sick when I’m outside. It wasn’t just from the heat.”

  “That makes sense I suppose.” Joshua pulled Charlotte close. “And you’re sure?”

  She nodded and pushed away. “Last week when Maggie came to visit, she was sure something was different about me. Her grandfather is a physician and she insisted that he come while you were away getting the cows with Gregory.”

  Joshua ran his fingers through his hair. “And you didn’t tell me until just now?”

  “Well, we’ve been busy . . . And I wanted to make sure I was far enough along that things are okay.” Charlotte waited for Joshua to say something, hoping he wasn’t upset. It had come as a surprise to her too, but there were enough signs that she should have noticed. The weight, her cravings for sweets, how much more sensitive she was.

  “How far along?” Joshua asked as he reached down to feel her stomach.

  Charlotte sighed in relief when he smiled at her. He wasn’t upset. “We think about four months.”

  Joshua cupped her face in his hands and bent down to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, glad that she had finally told him.

  He pulled away and caressed her cheek. “I love you, Charlotte Hale.”

  “I love you too.”

  Joshua stepped back from the crib and inspected his handiwork. The edges were rough, but he would take care of the sanding when he came back from town. Fall had set in a little early this year and he needed to make sure there was enough hay and feed for the animals to last the winter.

  Charlotte was inside with Maggie and the doctor, making sure everything was still going smoothly. Joshua grinned. A baby. He was going to be a father. It was too bad none of his family was in the area to be able to help. A letter had been sent as soon as he learned about the pregnancy, but he had heard nothing back from his father. Charlotte’s parents would be arriving in the next few days, so perhaps it was better that only one set was visiting at a time.

  Joshua threw a blanket over the crib to protect it and then put his tools away. The sun was already setting, and he needed to milk Betsy before going inside. Joshua grabbed the bucket and stool and set them down next to Betsy. He blew on his fingers to try to warm them.

  “There you are.” Charlotte came around the corner, her stomach beginning to show a little. She pulled her blanket tighter. “It’s cold out here. We’re going to need to start a fire tonight.”

  “I was thinking the same thing.” Joshua looked over at her. “What are you doing out here? You should be resting.”

  Charlotte grumbled. “I’ve already done enough resting. Besides, everything is fine, so the doctor said I can get up and move around.”

  Joshua laughed. “That’s good to hear. Does that mean I won’t have to burn our food again tonight?”

  “It’s already been started.” Charlotte set her hands on his shoulders and leaned down to kiss his cheek. “I would like to go into town tomorrow if that’s all right with you.”

  “Are you sure the carriage ride won’t hurt you?” Joshua finished milking and stood, then patted Betsy’s back. “Well done, Betsy.”

  Charlotte held out her hand to take the milk, but Joshua shook his head. She glared at him. “I already told you I’m fine. I can handle a bucket of milk.”

  Joshua grinned. “I’m sure you can, but that doesn’t mean you have to right now. I can take it in. Everything else is already done.”

  He put his other arm around Charlotte, and they walked inside together. The aroma of fresh bread and soup filled the house. Joshua poured the milk into another pot to cook so they could make some cheese.

  “Maggie said winter is supposed to come early this year. I guess she’s right.” Charlotte opened the oven door to check on the bread.

  “It looks like it.” Joshua took out two bowls and set them on the table. “I’ll bring in firewood after dinner.”

  Charlotte set down a hot pad and went to get the bread out of the oven. Joshua took the soup over so she wouldn’t have to lift it, then found the ladle in the drawer. They’d just sat down to eat when a knock came at the door.

  Joshua glanced over at Charlotte to see if she knew who would be coming, but she shook her head. He stood and went to the door, opening it slowly. He stopped in shock.

  “Father? What are you doing here?” He threw open the door and grabbed his dad in a hug. “I wasn’t sure if you’d gotten any of my letters.”

  “I figured if I showed up, it would be a better surprise.” Father chuckled. “You live out in the middle of nowhere, son. I had a hard time finding this place.”

  Joshua let him in and took his bags from him. “Father, this is Charlotte, my wife.”

  Father took her hand in his. “Welcome to the family, Charlotte. And I hear that you’ll have a new little one soon as well.”

  Charlotte nodded. “Around March. Have you eaten?”

  “No, and that soup smells delicious.” Father sat down at the table while Joshua took out another bowl and spoon.

  “Charlotte has become quite a cook.” Joshua dished out the soup into each bowl. “How long are you here for?”

  Father picked up his spoon. “As long as you’ll have me.”

  Joshua glanced over at Charlotte. “It sounds like we may need to add another room onto the house.”

  “Oh, no need to do that.” Father laughed. “I can sleep on the couch.”

  Charlotte shook her head. “We need to build on another room at some point anyway so we might as well build another room for you.”

  “Well, if you’re sure you want me to stay, then a room would be nice. Otherwise, I can find a place to stay until spring. No need to have me in the way.” Father took a bite of soup. “This is delicious.”

  “Thank you.” Charlotte beamed.

  Joshua kept glancing over at his father, wondering if he was dreaming. He hadn’t seen him for almost a year and now he was sitting here in the kitchen. It made him miss his mother that much more, but for now he was thankful for the chance of having his wife and his father in his home.

  SIX MONTHS LATER

  Charlotte knew it was almost time for the baby. She could barely walk, and every ounce of her ached. She pushed herself up off the couch to make the trip to the outhouse yet again. Junior seemed to think that her bladder was a trampoline.

  Laughter came from the side of the house where Joshua and his father worked on the new addition. Her parents were at the inn near the stagecoach station, but would be visiting later. Others had come and gone, helping with the work, but for the most part it had just been the two of them. Her father wasn’t much help with the building since he had servants for that kind of thing, but he did love to talk with them while Mother helped Charlotte with chores.

  A contraction hit as Charlotte walked back toward the house. This was much worse than she’d imagined. Where was Mother? Charlotte needed her by her side. She waddled toward her bed, calling out to Joshua as she walked.

  It was another minute before Joshua came rushing around the corner. “What’s going on? Are you well?”

  “It’s time.” Charlotte pointed at her belly as another contraction hit. “Please send your father for my pa
rents.”

  ***

  Charlotte stared down at her beautiful baby boy who slept peacefully in her arms. The doctor was busy giving instructions to Joshua, while Mother prepared food for them. When the doctor finally left, Joshua knelt next to Charlotte and brushed her hair away from her face.

  “You did well, love.” He kissed the top of his son’s head. “I suppose we should name him. Do you have any ideas?”

  Charlotte hesitated. “I’d like to name him William Hyrum if it is all right with you.”

  “I like it. Where did you get it from?”

  “They’re my grandfathers’ names.” Charlotte’s eyes filled with tears.

  Mother gasped and turned. “Your grandparents would be so thrilled.”

  Joshua smiled. “William Hyrum it is then.”

  William grunted in his sleep almost as if he was agreeing to the name. Charlotte leaned her head against Joshua’s shoulder. As crazy as it had been to leave everything behind and move west, she knew this was exactly where she wanted to be.

  JACLYN HARDY

  This is a work of fiction, and the views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author. Likewise, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are represented fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Book design and layout copyright © 2019 Dragons & Fairy Tales Press

  Cover design copyright © 2019 Dragons & Fairy Tales Press

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Copyright © 2019 by Jaclyn Hardy

  For the settlers who settled my hometown.

  For my family.

  Madeline was tired of the pitying smiles she got from everyone around her. The poor girl whose betrothed had gone after another woman. It wasn’t that she was upset by him leaving. He had been boring and self-centered.

  The fact that he had gone after his secretary had been a blessing in disguise. For the first time in a long time, Madeline was free to do what she wanted to do. And right then, she just wanted to get out of New York City. Her family turned away from her months ago, sure that it was her fault he had left.

  Madeline waited for two carriages to pass, then lifted her skirts to cross the street. She pasted a smile on her face and opened the door to the post office. At least here the mailman, Mr. Thompson, didn’t look at her like she was some poor child. He gave her the same flat look he had shared with every other customer.

  “I’m here for Mr. Hudson’s mail.” Madeline smiled sweetly at the mailman.

  He raised an eyebrow, but turned to the mail slots and took out the mail for her. “Maybe sometime he can come and get his own mail.”

  “Oh, Mr. Hudson’s much too busy to come in.” Madeline tucked the mail into her bag and tipped her hat. Now she just needed to drop off the articles she’d written for the local paper, and she’d be able to go home.

  Unfortunately, that meant going back out onto the streets. Madeline lowered her hat and kept her head down as she walked, hoping to avoid anyone who might know her. She reached into the bag on her shoulder and pulled out a large envelope with the name ‘Mark Hudson’ on it. The pen name she’d chosen for herself so she could write whatever she wanted instead of what she was told.

  The office buzzed with activity as they rushed to get their paper printed for the next day. Madeline nodded to the receptionist and set the envelope on the desk. “Package from Mr. Hudson. It will take care of all his articles for the week. Do you know if the new assignments are ready yet?”

  The receptionist sorted through her desk before she pulled out a sheet with a few topics on it. Madeline wouldn’t look at it until she was back at home. After all, it wouldn’t do to have the employee look at her boss’s work.

  Madeline walked the few blocks to her boarding house where she lived and skipped up the steps. An old woman sat in a rocking chair on the porch, staring at something no one else could see.

  “Afternoon Ms. Murphy. How is the cat doing?” Madeline had heard all about Ms. Murphy’s cat the night before at dinner.

  “Fat and lazy as usual. What are you doing out? Not up to more mischief, I hope?” The old woman smiled and finally met Madeline’s gaze.

  Madeline grinned back. “You know me better than that, Ms. Murphy. Would you like help inside? Dinner should be served soon.”

  “I’ll take my meal out here, thank you.” And just like that, the blank stare returned, and Ms. Murphy was back in her own world.

  Inside, chaos reigned as children chanted their schoolwork back to their tutor, and men sat in the corner of the study talking politics rather loudly. Madeline smiled as she took the steps two at a time. She'd only been here a few weeks, but it felt like home.

  Once she was in the safety of her own room, Madeline dropped her bag on her bed and pulled the mail out. A few catalogs and advertisements, but a white letter poked out. Her payment from the newspaper. She ripped it open and smiled at the bills inside. A few more weeks, and she would be able to go anywhere she wanted.

  The next thing Madeline opened was the list of assignments for her to write. Politics, sports, and . . . Madeline frowned. She hadn't had this topic on her list before. ‘Mail Order Brides and their effect on society.’ What was a mail order bride? It sounded rather dreadful. She pictured a bride being shoved into an envelope and laughed to herself. The other articles could wait. She wanted—no, needed—to find out more about this.

  Madeline jumped at the ringing of the dinner bell. She quickly folded the paper and shoved it under her bed along with the money and dropped the rest of the mail into the garbage. Mrs. Stromsky was strict about starting dinner right on time and if Madeline didn’t hurry, she’d miss her meal.

  She checked her hair in the mirror, then went to the door. The hallways were empty as she made her way downstairs, which meant she wouldn't have her choice of seats. She sighed as she sat down between two older men who enjoyed talking politics. At least this would help her write the article on the latest events happening in Washington DC.

  The dinner conversation ranged from what the president was doing wrong to the price of wheat that year. When the argument over which party to vote for began, Madeline had reached her limit. She set her fork and knife down and pushed her empty plate away.

  “What can you tell me about mail order brides?”

  The table went silent as everyone at the table turned to stare at her. Bertram, the one who loved arguing the most, finally leaned forward. “Don't you go worrying yourself about that. You’ll have plenty of men wanting to marry you here.”’

  “But you know what they are?” Madeline glanced between them, then fixed her stare on Bertram. “How does it work?”

  “There are not enough men in the west, so to fix that, mail order brides have become popular. You place an ad, and when it is answered, your family here never hears from you again because you are shipped off to wherever your husband-to-be lives. It’s barbaric if you ask me.”

  Madeline smiled. This was just exactly what she wanted to write about. “How do you place the ad?”

  Bertram huffed. “I’m telling you it’s not important. The west is completely untamed. It’s not the place for a city-raised young woman.”

  “It’s a good thing I grew up outside the city then.” Madeline stood and took her plate to the sink, then went upstairs to gather her coat. If she hurried, she could possibly catch the postman before he left the office.

  ***

  Mr. Thompson was just turning the sign from “open” to “closed” as Madeline made it to the front door. This wasn’t the first time she'd shown up for the mail this late, and Mr. Thompson just rolled his eyes and opened the door for her.

  “We’re closed even for you, I hope you kn
ow.” Mr. Thompson’s half-smile betrayed his stern expression. “What can I do for you?”

  “I wondered if you know anything about mail order brides? I need to do some research on it for an art—for a friend.” No need to tell him she was the man she supposedly collected mail for every day.

  Mr. Thompson muttered to himself as he searched through piles of papers. When he finally found what he was looking for, he slapped it down in front of her. “You can fill out an application here. People will see your advertisement and will send a letter if they’re interested.”

  “Oh, this isn’t for me . . .” But why not? She wasn't tied to anyone here, and she was told to do research on this article. So why not try it herself? Madeline took the pen from Mr. Thompson and dipped it in ink. She wrote out the answers to the questions as quickly as she could and handed it to Mr. Thompson before she could think twice.

  “Well, Miss Madeline, I wish you the best of luck. Now, please leave so I can go home.” He took the paper into the back room, making it impossible for her to change her mind.

  And that was that. Madeline’s heart thumped in her chest as she left the post office and headed home. She was too deep in thought to care about the looks and whispers she got as she walked. Was it a bad idea to send that in? Probably not. Someone would have to actually pick her application, and she didn’t have much to offer. Nothing that would interest a man at least. She sighed and opened the door to the boarding house. She went straight to her room and lit the lamps. She would be up late working again.

  Nathaniel hefted the last bale of hay into the wagon with a satisfying thud. He lifted his arms above his head to stretch, staring at the darkening clouds in the distance. There would be a storm soon, and he needed to get this hay back to his barn before it started to rain.

  His horse, Lucky, whinnied as Nathaniel climbed onto the wagon. Not a great sign. Lucky was usually pretty good at knowing exactly when a storm was coming, and it looked like this one would be bad by how nervous he was. Nathaniel clicked his tongue, and the horse broke into a gallop. It was a good thing Nathaniel was used to the sudden jolt, or he would have been thrown backward into the wagon.