Romance: Western Mail Order Bride "Bethany's Love"-Clean Christian Historical Romance (Western Mail Order Bride Short Shorties Series) Read Online Free Page A
the ropes to a lamppost outside the office. This street wasn’t as busy as the ones he had passed, he noticed, looking around him as he made his way into the office.
Stepping inside, the first thing he noticed was the noise: some men were busy talking to each other while others were bent over their typewriters, typing away furiously. It was a trading company after all. They had their hands full, assembling all the documents and recording their purchases. Feeling out of place, he asked where he could find either Chris or Thomas. A middle-aged man wearing a monocle directed him upstairs.
Halfway up the stairs, Matthew stumbled into someone hurrying down. It was Chris. Stepping back, Chris apologized then looked at him twice. Recognition dawned on his face, and he seemed pleased.
“You came,” he said, sounding a little surprised. “For a while I thought you wouldn’t.”
Matthew took off his hat and replied, “Well it took me some time. But I’m here now.”
“Come on up. My brother will be glad to see you.”
Following Chris, he walked up the narrow stairs to the second floor. It was much quieter than the one below. There were hardly any people on this floor. A young boy not older than eighteen or nineteen sat behind a desk outside a room he reckoned belonged to the brothers.
“This is my cousin Mason. We made him our personal assistant.” He smirked at Mason, who seemed annoyed at his older cousin’s teasing remark. Turning to Matthew he greeted him politely then busied himself with paperwork. Matthew entered the main room behind Chris. Thomas was writing something when he realized he was not alone. Looking up to see his brother standing with Matthew, he smiled broadly and stood up to welcome him.
“Look who it is! Have you decided to give us a chance then, Mr. Russell?”
“Call me Matthew, and yes I have. I will be harvesting soon and I need to sell as many of my root vegetables as I can to you.”
“Good to know that, Matthew. Take a seat. I’ll get you our standard contract.”
Chris left them to finalize their deal. He headed out just as Thomas called out to Mason loudly, asking him to bring the forms. Within minutes, Matthew had read the contract and inked the deal. He would be selling his yield of crops in batches throughout the season.
It was noon when he left their office. Reaching his horse, he noticed a newsstand by the corner of the street. Picking up one of the newspapers he bought one from the old man selling them and flicked his eyes across the front page. There were reports of some pioneers losing their lives along the trails. It was tragic. He could’ve been one of them, he thought. Folding it over, he was about to put the paper in his back pocket when something caught his eye. There was an advertisement section full of personal ads-- men seeking out wives. He read a couple of them, wanting to write one himself. He decided he would think it through on the way to his house, and then write exactly what he wanted in a wife.
Chapter 6
Bethany was getting more and more anxious each day. Time flew by faster than she had hoped. With only a couple of weeks to go before the deadline, she had only managed to save a few dollars. She had gone to a thrift store to sell her necklace but was told it wasn’t worth much as the cross was gold plated, not pure gold. She had tried to sell a few of her embroidery works, but without a shop of her own, it didn’t garner much money. She had a hundred dollars saved. She needed a hundred more but was fresh out of options. This house wasn’t in her name. It belonged to David’s uncle, who lived in England. He had been David’s guardian and had let him stay here while he returned to London. A year after David’s death, his uncle had taken pity on Bethany and had allowed her to stay in his house until she found a place of her own.
She would never find a place of her own, she thought sadly. Thinking of what Drew had suggested she hoped that someone
Stepping inside, the first thing he noticed was the noise: some men were busy talking to each other while others were bent over their typewriters, typing away furiously. It was a trading company after all. They had their hands full, assembling all the documents and recording their purchases. Feeling out of place, he asked where he could find either Chris or Thomas. A middle-aged man wearing a monocle directed him upstairs.
Halfway up the stairs, Matthew stumbled into someone hurrying down. It was Chris. Stepping back, Chris apologized then looked at him twice. Recognition dawned on his face, and he seemed pleased.
“You came,” he said, sounding a little surprised. “For a while I thought you wouldn’t.”
Matthew took off his hat and replied, “Well it took me some time. But I’m here now.”
“Come on up. My brother will be glad to see you.”
Following Chris, he walked up the narrow stairs to the second floor. It was much quieter than the one below. There were hardly any people on this floor. A young boy not older than eighteen or nineteen sat behind a desk outside a room he reckoned belonged to the brothers.
“This is my cousin Mason. We made him our personal assistant.” He smirked at Mason, who seemed annoyed at his older cousin’s teasing remark. Turning to Matthew he greeted him politely then busied himself with paperwork. Matthew entered the main room behind Chris. Thomas was writing something when he realized he was not alone. Looking up to see his brother standing with Matthew, he smiled broadly and stood up to welcome him.
“Look who it is! Have you decided to give us a chance then, Mr. Russell?”
“Call me Matthew, and yes I have. I will be harvesting soon and I need to sell as many of my root vegetables as I can to you.”
“Good to know that, Matthew. Take a seat. I’ll get you our standard contract.”
Chris left them to finalize their deal. He headed out just as Thomas called out to Mason loudly, asking him to bring the forms. Within minutes, Matthew had read the contract and inked the deal. He would be selling his yield of crops in batches throughout the season.
It was noon when he left their office. Reaching his horse, he noticed a newsstand by the corner of the street. Picking up one of the newspapers he bought one from the old man selling them and flicked his eyes across the front page. There were reports of some pioneers losing their lives along the trails. It was tragic. He could’ve been one of them, he thought. Folding it over, he was about to put the paper in his back pocket when something caught his eye. There was an advertisement section full of personal ads-- men seeking out wives. He read a couple of them, wanting to write one himself. He decided he would think it through on the way to his house, and then write exactly what he wanted in a wife.
Chapter 6
Bethany was getting more and more anxious each day. Time flew by faster than she had hoped. With only a couple of weeks to go before the deadline, she had only managed to save a few dollars. She had gone to a thrift store to sell her necklace but was told it wasn’t worth much as the cross was gold plated, not pure gold. She had tried to sell a few of her embroidery works, but without a shop of her own, it didn’t garner much money. She had a hundred dollars saved. She needed a hundred more but was fresh out of options. This house wasn’t in her name. It belonged to David’s uncle, who lived in England. He had been David’s guardian and had let him stay here while he returned to London. A year after David’s death, his uncle had taken pity on Bethany and had allowed her to stay in his house until she found a place of her own.
She would never find a place of her own, she thought sadly. Thinking of what Drew had suggested she hoped that someone
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