Mail Order Bride – Charlotte's Summer: Clean Sweet Western Cowboy Romance (Seasons Mail Order Brides Book 1) Read Online Free Page B
Thomas was and how he never once mentioned the fact that he was looking for love. He seemed like a man who didn’t care to mince words and knew what he wanted. In a way, she found it an attractive quality in a prospective groom, though she was a little overwhelmed at how fast everything was moving. A hundred different questions flashed through her mind.
Would he be handsome? Would she have a stately home? Would he grow to love her?
Charlotte had never had a place to call her very own before and she reflected on just how much she might enjoy keeping a house like her mother once had. She suddenly paused, silently scolding herself for being so superficial. It shouldn’t matter what Thomas looked like or the style of his property – as long as he was a kind, gentle man who took pride in being a provider and a protector and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
Besides, the alternatives were beyond anything imaginable, so she knew she had little choice than to go along with whatever Mrs. Fredrick thought best. She wasn’t about to argue. From out of nowhere she’d been thrown a buoy, and she wasn’t about to let herself sink to the bottom of the lake without at least kicking her feet a little first.
Charlotte scribbled out a letter in reply and informed Thomas of her name, her age and that she lived in Seattle, Washington. She told him of her love of baking pies and that pink was her absolute favorite color. She added how much it reminded her of everything that’s wonderful in the world, like the sky just before the dawn or the beginnings of a showery rainbow.
She described herself as slim in build, with waist-length brown hair, blue eyes and a smattering of freckles over her cheeks. She had no hideous scars to mention and she wasn’t buck-toothed, so she figured that was enough information for the time being and finished her letter off with a straightforward…
I would be very pleased to become your wife. I am ready to leave for Conrad as soon as I receive word from you. I hope to meet you soon,
With warmest regards,
Charlotte.
Mrs. Fredrick smiled at Charlotte, gesturing toward the front door as she tucked the letter into an envelope. “I’ll send this back first thing in the morning. Run along now or Mr. Graynger might become suspicious. We can’t risk him getting wind of this while we wait for a reply. Check in with Bert as often as you can and if Mister Ackerman wishes, we’ll have you on that train to Montana before you’ve worked out which way’s up. I’m so happy for you, Charlotte. So very pleased indeed.”
Charlotte grabbed Beth, and the two girls headed down the road.
The mercantile was in high demand, but with the girls’ hurried pace and a newfound enthusiasm for life, they somehow managed to gather up their supplies in record time and make it back to the orphanage with just a few minutes to spare.
Mistress Belle watched them with her usual sharp eye as they fumbled around the kitchen, grinning and whispering like they were prone to doing from time to time.
But this time was different.
She knew they were up to something and she was determined to get to the bottom of it before the school bell rang. As the eyes and ears of the orphanage, she ran a tight ship, regardless of what anyone else said. Her despisal of Mr. Graynger ran deep though and his constant scrutiny made her life unbearable at times – but it was nothing compared to what her precious Charlotte had had to endure. The way he looked at that girl curled her toes right up inside her shoes.
Truly, discretion wasn’t high on Mr. Graynger’s agenda. He made no secret of his intentions and Mistress Belle been an unfortunate witness to his lewd advances on Charlotte more than once over the years. But what was she to do?
If times weren’t so tough she might have braved herself to broach the subject with Mr. Graynger himself. But money was tight and she needed the job. With no husband to call her own – the likelihood of
Would he be handsome? Would she have a stately home? Would he grow to love her?
Charlotte had never had a place to call her very own before and she reflected on just how much she might enjoy keeping a house like her mother once had. She suddenly paused, silently scolding herself for being so superficial. It shouldn’t matter what Thomas looked like or the style of his property – as long as he was a kind, gentle man who took pride in being a provider and a protector and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
Besides, the alternatives were beyond anything imaginable, so she knew she had little choice than to go along with whatever Mrs. Fredrick thought best. She wasn’t about to argue. From out of nowhere she’d been thrown a buoy, and she wasn’t about to let herself sink to the bottom of the lake without at least kicking her feet a little first.
Charlotte scribbled out a letter in reply and informed Thomas of her name, her age and that she lived in Seattle, Washington. She told him of her love of baking pies and that pink was her absolute favorite color. She added how much it reminded her of everything that’s wonderful in the world, like the sky just before the dawn or the beginnings of a showery rainbow.
She described herself as slim in build, with waist-length brown hair, blue eyes and a smattering of freckles over her cheeks. She had no hideous scars to mention and she wasn’t buck-toothed, so she figured that was enough information for the time being and finished her letter off with a straightforward…
I would be very pleased to become your wife. I am ready to leave for Conrad as soon as I receive word from you. I hope to meet you soon,
With warmest regards,
Charlotte.
Mrs. Fredrick smiled at Charlotte, gesturing toward the front door as she tucked the letter into an envelope. “I’ll send this back first thing in the morning. Run along now or Mr. Graynger might become suspicious. We can’t risk him getting wind of this while we wait for a reply. Check in with Bert as often as you can and if Mister Ackerman wishes, we’ll have you on that train to Montana before you’ve worked out which way’s up. I’m so happy for you, Charlotte. So very pleased indeed.”
Charlotte grabbed Beth, and the two girls headed down the road.
The mercantile was in high demand, but with the girls’ hurried pace and a newfound enthusiasm for life, they somehow managed to gather up their supplies in record time and make it back to the orphanage with just a few minutes to spare.
Mistress Belle watched them with her usual sharp eye as they fumbled around the kitchen, grinning and whispering like they were prone to doing from time to time.
But this time was different.
She knew they were up to something and she was determined to get to the bottom of it before the school bell rang. As the eyes and ears of the orphanage, she ran a tight ship, regardless of what anyone else said. Her despisal of Mr. Graynger ran deep though and his constant scrutiny made her life unbearable at times – but it was nothing compared to what her precious Charlotte had had to endure. The way he looked at that girl curled her toes right up inside her shoes.
Truly, discretion wasn’t high on Mr. Graynger’s agenda. He made no secret of his intentions and Mistress Belle been an unfortunate witness to his lewd advances on Charlotte more than once over the years. But what was she to do?
If times weren’t so tough she might have braved herself to broach the subject with Mr. Graynger himself. But money was tight and she needed the job. With no husband to call her own – the likelihood of
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