Mail Order Merry (Brides of Beckham Book 19) Read online

  Mail Order Merry

  Kirsten Osbourne

  Brides of Beckham

  Copyright 2017 Kirsten Osbourne

  Kindle Edition, License Notes

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  *** This book was previously published in an anthology. Please make sure you don’t already have it before purchasing again. ***

  Merry Winters wants something more out of life, but she feels beholden to her sister and brother-in-law, who have given her a home for the past four years. When a fire takes their lives, and leads her with their two young children to raise, she agrees to move to Montana to be a mail order bride as long as she can keep running her business.

  Clyde Bellman has a plan for his life, and he’s at the point where that plan calls for a wife. He sends a letter to a matchmaker in Massachusetts hoping for a strong, independent bride. When Merry arrives with two young children in tow, he knows he needs to be the best uncle the two children have ever seen. Can he help his new bride to overcome her sadness and become a good wife? Or will he spend the rest of his life hoping for love that will never come?

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  Chapter One

  Clyde Bellman climbed the stairs at the end of his long day mending fences for his bison herd, and his back ached. He knew bison ranching was an odd profession, but with bison being the only cattle indigenous to North America, he felt like they should be the main meat eaten there. Besides, they were going to be extinct before too long if the railroad kept killing them off.

  He went into his bedroom, peering out the window of the house he’d built five years before. It had four bedrooms, and he even had a bathroom with indoor plumbing on the first floor. It was built for a queen, but he had no lady to share it with him. He’d once thought he’d marry Miss Margery Dalrymple from Mistletoe, Montana, but Margery had long since moved on to greener pastures. He’d wanted to wait until 1891 to marry, because he had a plan—a good strong financial plan that didn’t account for marrying before then.

  He was in the exact financial position he’d wanted to be in, a few months ahead of schedule, and now he was ready. Ready to take on the family life. He’d heard tell in town of some of the men sending off for mail order brides, and he’d even seen an ad in the paper, looking for gentleman worthy of a good bride. He’d send for one.

  He stifled a yawn. It was after nine, and he had a lot more fences to be mended the next day. He’d ride into town on Saturday and send a letter off to the matchmaker. Surely there’d be some bride who wanted to move to Mistletoe and marry him.

  *****

  Merry Winters smiled at Miss Elizabeth Miller, who held the door for her as she entered the post office. “Thank you, Elizabeth. I swear the orders start getting crazy around the end of October. I never know how I’m going to keep up.”

  Elizabeth smiled sweetly. “You make the most darling Christmas ornaments anyone has ever seen, Merry. That’s why the orders come in so quickly.”

  Merry smiled. “Why, thank you. I’m pleased you like the one I gave you for Christmas last year.” Merry had made a business of carving Christmas ornaments and painting them. She even had a small advertisement in a Christmas catalogue that went out every year. With a name like hers—and her occupation to boot—you’d think Christmas would be her favorite holiday. But Merry Winters had a secret.

  She hated Christmas. Her parents had been killed in a sleighing accident, trying to beat a storm home on Christmas Eve when she’d been only sixteen. Her older sister, Carole, had invited her to live with her and her new husband. It had been fine then, but four years and two children later, the house was quite cramped.

  “How’s the mail order bride business going, Elizabeth? Did I hear right that you started a newspaper?”

  Elizabeth smiled, taking a couple of the boxes from Merry and motioning for her to precede her in line. “I did start a newspaper. We’re calling it the Grooms’ Gazette.”

  “There have been so many times I’ve thought about coming to you to be sent off as a bride, but I just haven’t found the courage to do it yet. Besides, I don’t want to leave Carole and her family.”

  “If you ever do decide to be a mail order bride, we’ll find you the perfect man. I know you must have a hard time driving past the spot where your parents were killed every time you come into town.”

  Merry frowned. “It’s so hard. I’m just happy that I still have a family here.”

  Elizabeth put the boxes she held on the counter. “It’s shipping day,” Merry announced with a smile. “It feels like it’s always shipping day.”

  The post mistress smiled. “You have a dozen more orders here.” She handed the letters to Merry while she carefully inspected the packages that were ready to be mailed. After getting the money from Merry, she handed Elizabeth a pile of letters. “Let’s get a piece of pie!” Elizabeth said.

  Merry nodded happily. She didn’t usually take the time to spend with friends, because she was so busy with her ornament business. Alfred and Carole had fallen on hard times, and they counted on the money she was able to contribute to the family’s income. She put half into the bank for her future, and the other half was happily given to her brother-in-law.

  “I’d love to get pie. It’s been forever since we sat down together.”

  Elizabeth wound her arm through Merry’s and the two ladies walked to the small café next door, taking a table off to the side. “Your business is really growing, isn’t it?” Elizabeth asked, nodding at the orders in Merry’s hand.

  Merry smiled. “It amazes me how much people love my ornaments. I can barely keep up.”

  “I’m glad people appreciate the work you do. You have so much talent.”

  “I don’t know about that…” Merry looked down, embarrassed. She’d been told from a young age that she was a talented artist, but she’d never dreamed she’d be making a living that way.

  Elizabeth slid one of her letters open while Merry studied the menu. Merry knew her friend ate there more often than she did.

  “Merry, say you’ll be a mail order bride.”

  Merry lowered her menu and frowned at Elizabeth. “I can’t just run off and leave. Why do you want me to do it?”

  “Because I’ve found the perfect man for you.”

  Merry frowned at her friend. “And you can tell he’s perfect for me from just one letter?”

  “I’ve been doing this job for a long time. Listen to this.” Elizabeth cleared her throat and read the letter aloud.

  “Dear Potential Bride,

  I’m ready to marry. I know that sounds strange, but I never thought I’d get to the point I am in life without having a bride waiting on me. I live in Mistletoe, Montana, and I own a bison ranch. I am exactly where I want to be financially to start a family, and it’s time.

  I’m looking for a bride who is rather self-sufficient. I’d like her to be able to cook and clean, but if we need to, I can hire out for those tasks. More than anything, I want a wife who can stand on her own two feet and be independent. I want children. I’d like a bride between the ages of twenty and twenty-five, who doesn’t mind crossing the prairie by herself. A woman who won’t be afraid if there’s a snow storm and sh
e’s trapped in the house for days on end. I need a woman who can be strong without a man to lean on.

  My name is Clyde Bellman, and I’m twenty-eight years old. I have brown hair and brown eyes. If you think you’d be a good bride for me, I’d love to hear from you.

  Sincerely,

  Clyde.”

  After Elizabeth finished the letter, she looked at Merry. “He’s described you perfectly. I know you’re the wife for him.”

  Merry sighed. “I don’t think I can do it right now. Carole still needs help with the little ones on occasion.”

  Elizabeth sighed. “Promise me you’ll at least think about it. I want you to be happy.”

  “I’ll think about it. But that’s all you’re getting from me!”

  “Give me an answer when you come into town next week. That’ll still give me enough time to get his ad in the Grooms’ Gazette if we need to.”

  Merry nodded reluctantly. She didn’t see herself ready to go across the country in a week. There was no way.

  *****

  Three weeks later Merry woke in the middle of the night, feeling as if she was choking. The air was too thick to breathe and smelled of smoke. She hurried out of bed and ran for the children’s room, calling for her sister and brother-in-law to wake up. There was a fire. She wasn’t yet sure where it was coming from, but it was in their house, and they had to get out!

  She picked up little Adelaide and baby Joseph, running for the door of the small house she shared with her family. When she got to the door, she saw there was already a crowd forming, carrying water to the house and trying to put the fire out.

  She put the children down several feet from the house, coughing as she breathed deeply of the night air. She had to go back for Carole and Alfred. A hand on her arm stayed her progress, and she swatted it away as if it was a fly.

  “Merry, you can’t go back in there.”

  Her eyes met those of her pastor’s, and she shook her head. “I have to! My sister is still in there!” She tore her arm from his grasp and ran, only to be caught from behind when two strong arms wrapped around her. “The fire started in their bedroom. That whole part of the house is gone!”

  Merry stared at the house for the first time since the fire had started. He was right. There was no way her sister had survived. She looked over at her small niece and nephew, tears making tracks through the soot that covered her face. How was she going to raise the two of them?

  *****

  At the funeral, Merry stood straight with her niece beside her, and her nephew in her arms. Joey was only ten months old, but at least he was old enough to drink from a cup and eat some table food. He wouldn’t starve.

  As soon as the service was over, she turned her back, not having any need to dwell there. Not when she had hungry children to feed. She said a silent prayer of thanks that she’d done her business from a small shed behind the main house, because that’s where her orders and her stockpile of ornaments were. She had to be able to earn a living—now more than ever.

  “Merry, stop.”

  Merry turned and saw Elizabeth standing beside her, a sad look on her face. “I’m so sorry about Carole and Alfred.”

  Merry nodded, her lower lip trembling. “Thank you.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  Merry took a deep breath and forced her voice to stay soft, though she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. “Do? What I always do I suppose. I’ll survive.”

  “Where are you staying?” Elizabeth asked.

  “The boarding house in town. Thank heavens I had money in the bank.”

  “Stay with me. I haven’t had any inquiries on Clyde’s ad. Go to him.”

  Merry hadn’t thought twice about the letter from the man needing a mail order bride since she’d talked to Elizabeth and told her no two weeks before. It was already early November. A trip to Montana at this time of year didn’t sound like it would be cozy. “What man would take on a young woman with two children in tow? The children aren’t even mine!”

  “Come stay with me, and write to him. My house is big, and you need a place to be other than the boarding house. You don’t have to write to him to stay with me. Please, Merry?”

  Merry closed her eyes for a moment. She hated the idea of taking charity from strangers, but she’d felt like nothing but a charity case for years. Finally, she nodded. “Yes, we’ll stay with you.”

  She climbed into Elizabeth’s buggy, the baby on her lap and little Adelaide sitting beside her. Adelaide kept crying for her mama, and Merry had no answers other than, “She’s sleeping with God.”

  Elizabeth climbed into the front with Bernard, her long-time butler, who drove them all back to town. “Stop at the boarding house for Merry to get her things. They’re going to stay with us for a time.”

  Bernard nodded and drove to the boarding house. “There’s very little for us to get from there. Most of our things were burned up in the fire,” Merry said softly. Truthfully almost everything she’d saved was for her business. She’d replaced diapers for the baby and had purchased a couple of store-bought dresses for Adelaide and herself.

  Elizabeth turned to Merry with a frown. “We’ll have a couple of maids help you sew new things.”

  “I don’t have time to sew. I have to get my orders out and tend to the children.”

  Elizabeth reached behind her and put her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “I’ll help with the children, and the maids will sew while you work. We’re going to get through this.”

  Merry closed her eyes against the tears that had sprung into them once again. There were times when she thought the well was dry and there were no more tears left inside her, and then someone did something kind for her, and she was crying again. “I’m going to write to your Clyde.”

  Elizabeth smiled. “I really think you should. We’ll get you settled in, put the children down for a nap, and we’ll write a letter together.” She looked a bit more closely at Merry. “Better yet, we’ll get the children down and their aunt down for a nap, and then we’ll write a letter after she wakes. You looked exhausted, Merry.”

  Merry yawned behind her hand. “Every time they’re sleeping, I feel like I need to be working. The boarding house provides meals, of course, but we’re all three in a tiny room. I won’t be able to keep paying for it if I don’t work!”

  “Stop fretting. You need someone to lean on for a little while, and that someone is going to be me. I promise I will take good care of the three of you.”

  Less than an hour later, Merry was settled in a bed in the mansion Elizabeth ran her business from. The children were in an adjoining room, and one of the maids had been set up as a nanny for them.

  Merry was able to close her eyes and not listen for the children for the first time since the fire.

  Two hours later, she woke up and brushed her hair, redoing the knot she kept it in. She walked down the stairs to find Elizabeth. Her friend was in her office, as usual, and she knocked on the door. “Let’s write that letter.”

  “I’m not trying to force you to write it,” Elizabeth said softly. “I would just like to see you get out of this town. I know you grew up here, but it can’t hold happy memories for you.”

  Merry sank onto the sofa and reached for the writing materials provided by her friend. “Dear Clyde…”

  When she had finished, she handed the letter to Elizabeth. “I told him I run my own business and just inherited a three-year-old toddler girl and a ten-month-old boy. We’ll see how fast he writes back to tell me to stay in Beckham.”

  Elizabeth shook her head with a smile. “I read between the lines better than that. He’s going to marry you, and he’s going to do it as soon as he can get you out to Montana.”

  “I hope so. I really do.”

  Chapter Two

  Clyde rode into town late on Saturday afternoon. It was the end of November, and he hadn’t heard yet about a bride. He was beginning to think maybe he was unmarriageable.

  When he stro
de into the mercantile to get the mail, the proprietor, Colin Murphy, smiled at him and immediately started digging through the pile of letters in front of him. “Got something for you, Bellman.”

  Clyde took a deep breath, surprised that he was even a little bit nervous. It was time for him to marry, so there was no reason to be nervous. Not even one little bit. He walked to the counter and took the letter Mr. Murphy was holding out, walking over to sit in a small chair in front of the picture window to read it.

  Dear Clyde,

  I am interested in becoming your mail order bride, if you’ll have me. I’m twenty years old and have red hair and green eyes. I live in Beckham, Massachusetts. I have run my own business for more than three years, carving and painting Christmas tree ornaments.

  I have been living with my sister and brother-in-law, because my parents died four years ago, but my sister and brother-in-law have been killed in a fire. I’m now responsible for my niece and nephew aged three and ten months, respectively. If you want me for a bride, they will accompany me on my journey to Montana.

  I know this letter is probably not the most cheerful thing you’ve ever read, but I don’t feel a whole lot of cheer right now. I grew up in Beckham and memories here are haunting me. I’d like to start fresh, and as an independent woman, I believe I fit your requirements. Thank you for considering me.

  Sincerely,

  Merry Winters

  Clyde read over the letter once more, his heart going out to Merry, alone with two small children. She sounded perfect, because she not only ran her own business, but she had taken on the burden of raising someone else’s children. Surely she would be a good person to help him grow his ranch.

  He walked across the street to the train station to get tickets. He’d thought to buy three, but he’d been informed that the baby would be able to sit in his aunt’s lap. After he had the tickets in hand, he walked back over to the mercantile, borrowed a pencil and paper, and sat down to respond to the letter from Merry.

  Clyde included cash for the trip and a check for Miss Miller’s fee before giving the sealed letter to Colin. “I’d appreciate it if that went out on the first train available.”