Hannah: Bride of Iowa (American Mail Order Bride 29) Read Online Free Page B
Author: P.A. Estelle
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical, Saga, Western, Short-Story, Religious, Christian, Secret, Inspirational, Daughter, Bachelor, Marriage of Convenience, Faith, Iowa, widower, victorian era, Forever Love, Single Woman, farmer, Fifty-Books, Forty-Five Authors, Newspaper Ad, American Mail-Order Bride, Factory Burned, Pioneer, Single Father, Three Year-Old, Cherish, partner, Twenty-Nineth In Series, Devastate Future
impishly. “I most certainly would, future husband.”
Samuel took her hand in his and started across the street. This surprised Maddie. Her own parents, who loved each other very much, didn’t show this kind of affection in public. He pulled out her chair then sat across from her and ordered two lemonades.
“Hannah, I’m so grateful you are here. You said so little about yourself in your letter I didn’t know what to expect. You seemed a little less than jubilant about being a mail order bride.”
He stopped talking when the waitress brought the drinks. “I realize the fire at the plant you worked at must have been terrifying, leaving you with few options. Did you have any family?”
Maddie’s hands were clasped tightly together on the table. It felt like her throat was closing up. She knew nothing about the real Hannah except she didn’t want any part of being a mail order bride. She cleared her throat and swallowed hard. “No, I lost both my folks and I was an only child.”
“I’m sorry for that, Hannah.” Samuel laid his hands over hers. They were large and warm. For just a second she wondered what they would feel like to hold her. “What did your father do? I truly know nothing about you.”
“There’s really not much to tell.” She removed one of her hands from his and took a long drink of lemonade. “We…uhm…had a small farm. When Pa died, Ma and me tried to keep the farm going but her health started to suffer. When she passed, I got a job at the Textile Mill.”
Samuel smiled and patted her hand. Breathing a sigh of relief, she said, “Now it’s your turn. Tell me all about you, your daughter, and your farm.”
He sat back against the chair. His smile was easy and those eyes beamed with what could only be pride. “Ma and Pa started the farm before I was born. It was small, not too many acres. By the time I got out of school, the place had tripled in size. We farm about hundred acres of corn. We have milk cows, chickens, hogs we raise and butcher and a small heard of beef cattle. We also have two horses we use mostly for pulling the wagon. Do you ride?”
Maddie chuckled. “I rode our old mule. Sal never had a mind to move too fast but we could get up to gallop now and again.” She took another drink. “What about Lizzy? Do you have help with her?”
“She’s my ray of sunshine.” He ran his thumb over the back of her hand, unknowingly making her arm tingle. “My wife, Martha, was so excited about having our first child. We wanted a passel of them.” He took his eyes from hers. “Her delivery was hard and Ma couldn’t stop the bleeding. By the time the doc got there, it was too late. Martha was able to hold Lizzy. I remember her smiling the whole time. Her last words to me were, “You get our Lizzy a proper ma, ya hear?’”
The silence was deafening. Maddie’s eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “I’m sorry, Samuel. Sometimes life is so unfair.”
Samuel stood and threw some money on the table. “That’s a fact. We’d best be headed to the house or Ma’ll have our hides.”
Chapter FOUR
Gus and Bessie lived in a home that was painted white with a covered porch running the entire length of the front of the house. Beautiful oaks and maples towered over the home. The changing of the leaves was breathtaking with blankets of yellow, green, and gold leaves covering the roof and the yard.
On the porch were potted planters full of colorful flowers. “These are lovely,” Maddie commented. “We didn’t see much of these in…I mean where I come from.” She hoped he didn’t catch her near slip.
“Ma gives all her plants, trees, and everything in her garden, tender loving care. Sometimes, I think she cares more for these things than she does Pa.”
“And many a times I
Samuel took her hand in his and started across the street. This surprised Maddie. Her own parents, who loved each other very much, didn’t show this kind of affection in public. He pulled out her chair then sat across from her and ordered two lemonades.
“Hannah, I’m so grateful you are here. You said so little about yourself in your letter I didn’t know what to expect. You seemed a little less than jubilant about being a mail order bride.”
He stopped talking when the waitress brought the drinks. “I realize the fire at the plant you worked at must have been terrifying, leaving you with few options. Did you have any family?”
Maddie’s hands were clasped tightly together on the table. It felt like her throat was closing up. She knew nothing about the real Hannah except she didn’t want any part of being a mail order bride. She cleared her throat and swallowed hard. “No, I lost both my folks and I was an only child.”
“I’m sorry for that, Hannah.” Samuel laid his hands over hers. They were large and warm. For just a second she wondered what they would feel like to hold her. “What did your father do? I truly know nothing about you.”
“There’s really not much to tell.” She removed one of her hands from his and took a long drink of lemonade. “We…uhm…had a small farm. When Pa died, Ma and me tried to keep the farm going but her health started to suffer. When she passed, I got a job at the Textile Mill.”
Samuel smiled and patted her hand. Breathing a sigh of relief, she said, “Now it’s your turn. Tell me all about you, your daughter, and your farm.”
He sat back against the chair. His smile was easy and those eyes beamed with what could only be pride. “Ma and Pa started the farm before I was born. It was small, not too many acres. By the time I got out of school, the place had tripled in size. We farm about hundred acres of corn. We have milk cows, chickens, hogs we raise and butcher and a small heard of beef cattle. We also have two horses we use mostly for pulling the wagon. Do you ride?”
Maddie chuckled. “I rode our old mule. Sal never had a mind to move too fast but we could get up to gallop now and again.” She took another drink. “What about Lizzy? Do you have help with her?”
“She’s my ray of sunshine.” He ran his thumb over the back of her hand, unknowingly making her arm tingle. “My wife, Martha, was so excited about having our first child. We wanted a passel of them.” He took his eyes from hers. “Her delivery was hard and Ma couldn’t stop the bleeding. By the time the doc got there, it was too late. Martha was able to hold Lizzy. I remember her smiling the whole time. Her last words to me were, “You get our Lizzy a proper ma, ya hear?’”
The silence was deafening. Maddie’s eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “I’m sorry, Samuel. Sometimes life is so unfair.”
Samuel stood and threw some money on the table. “That’s a fact. We’d best be headed to the house or Ma’ll have our hides.”
Chapter FOUR
Gus and Bessie lived in a home that was painted white with a covered porch running the entire length of the front of the house. Beautiful oaks and maples towered over the home. The changing of the leaves was breathtaking with blankets of yellow, green, and gold leaves covering the roof and the yard.
On the porch were potted planters full of colorful flowers. “These are lovely,” Maddie commented. “We didn’t see much of these in…I mean where I come from.” She hoped he didn’t catch her near slip.
“Ma gives all her plants, trees, and everything in her garden, tender loving care. Sometimes, I think she cares more for these things than she does Pa.”
“And many a times I
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