Mail Order Rose (Mail Order Brides #1) Read Online Free Page B

should ever feel afraid. And of all the nights for there to be a thunderstorm...
    Louisa stood there, letters in hand, eyes glancing from Rose to the packed bags on the rug in front of her bed.
    “What's going on, Rose, what is this?” Her voice had a touch of fear in it. Rose knew that her sister had read the letter.
    “I can explain, Lulu, just give me a chance to explain to you,” Rose said as she stepped forward, taking the letter from Rose's hand. It was the one she'd written for her family, the one from David was still on the desk. She hoped that Louisa hadn't read that one yet, as she quickly grabbed if off the desk as well.
    “You wrote this letter, is it true? Are you running away to marry someone?”
    Rose felt cornered and didn't know if there was a way out. Her only hope was to be able to convince Louisa to be on her side and share her secret.
    “I did write the letter. And I am leaving tonight.”
    “Without saying goodbye to me?” Louisa's voice was shaking even more, Rose could tell she was trying to hold back tears.
    “Sit down on the bed with me, Lulu, let me explain.”
    She took her sister's hand and sat with her on the bed, perfectly made and covered with a yellow and white lace-edged quilt. She thought for a minute about what exactly she was going to say to make Louisa understand.
    “You're not a baby anymore, Louisa, and I think you understand how my heart is broken after Isabel and Grant...well, you know. I feel if I stay here, I will wither away and die of heartbreak, to be forced to endure this pain, having to face Grant and the way Isabel taunts me, I can't stay.”
    “But, Papa is wealthy, you can go away to college, you could go out to stay with Aunt Katherine, why get married? And to someone you've never met?” Louisa asked with pleading eyes, squeezing Rose's hand as if she never wanted to let go.
    “I've really thought this through. And I did think of both of those options, but I don't want to go to college. I want to be a mother, to have a family of my own someday, that's always been my dream. But after the pain I've suffered from loving Grant, well, I don't want to ever experience that again. I wouldn't wish that kind of hurt on anyone. I've learned my lesson and I decided to answer the mail-order bride ad because to me it was the perfect way for me to be able to have my dream of a family but I don't have to fall in love to do it.”
    Louisa scrunched her face in confusion. “Rose, have you gone mad? How can you just give yourself away like that? What if he's cruel? Or ugly? Or..”
    “Well, I don't care what he looks like, to be honest.”
    “What? You will have to kiss him, you know! And well, the other stuff, that mother told me I'll find out about on my wedding night but that I already know what she's talking about-that kind of stuff. He's a stranger, Rose! How could you be with a stranger?”
    “Well, I will meet him soon enough and then he won't be a stranger, will he? And I know he's not cruel. I'm a pretty good judge of character and just from ad and letter I can sense what a kind man he is. He's a good man.”
    “You're a good judge of character? What about Grant's character?”
    “That's different, Lulu, Grant was a good man, but Isabel got to him. I will be far away from Isabel, thank heavens.”
    “Please don't leave me, Rose.” She said it with so much emotion in her voice, Rose could feel her love, her fear, her desperation all piercing her heart. Leaving her sweet sister was the hardest part of her plan.
    “I'm not leaving forever, my dear Lulu. But I need your help. As soon as the rain passes, I'm going to leave, and after I do, I want you to go back to your bed and forget that you saw me tonight. Just wake up and let Papa and Mother find the letter. And, as you've read it, you know that I will let you know exactly where I am when the time is right. Then you can come out and stay with me anytime you want.” Rose smiled at her sister lovingly but her sister