Read Online Amelia (The Marriage Market Book 1) by Stevie MacFarlane - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stevie MacFarlane
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wedding. That she would insist on. She had to know she was taking Delia to a safe place. There wasn't much money left over after she paid their fare, but maybe she could take a room somewhere. She still had a small sum from the sale of her meager possessions. Oh dear.
Stop it, she ordered herself. There was no need to panic. Mr. Henderson offered much more than she could ever hope to have if she stayed in Virginia. All she was there was a widow woman with a daughter to care for. What men had been interested in her weren't the kind she wanted around her daughter. Delia needed a stable environment.
Alice couldn't abide liquor in any form. Her own husband had shown her just what it could do to a man despite his best intentions. Mr. Henderson said he didn't drink, although he did occasionally have a brandy when the weather was exceptionally harsh. That was acceptable. Brandy was nearly medicinal.
She watched more women board the ship. Apparently she and Delia weren't the only ones who were eager to get to their destination. The captain had been accommodating when she asked if they could spend the night aboard ship. They were due to set sail with the morning tide and it saved her the cost of another night at the boarding house. The apples and sandwiches she had in her bag would suffice for their evening meal and the gentle rocking of the ship would give her some indication whether she or Delia would be ill on the voyage.
A smartly dressed woman soon separated herself from three tittering girls and joined her at the rail.
"Are you sailing tomorrow?" she asked, gripping the rail tightly.
"Yes," Alice replied. "My daughter, Delia, and I are heading to Seattle. I'm Alice Baker."
"Martha Jonas," she said, offering her hand. "I'm going to Seattle too. Is your husband aboard?"
"No, I'm a widow," Alice replied, looking over the water.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to pry, Mrs. Baker," Martha apologized with a blush. "I guess I'm a little nervous. You see I'm going to meet my future husband."
"Please call me Alice. I don't think they stand much on formality out here in the west, at least not from what I've seen," Alice offered with a smile. "Where are you from, Miss Jonas, if you don't mind my asking?"
"Philadelphia. I had a dress shop there, but my prospects were pretty slim as far as getting married. You see, I've always wanted children," she continued softly, touching one of Delia's curls gently. "Well, I'm not getting any younger, so I've been told," she said with a laugh. "I believe the expression is 'long in the tooth'."
Alice studied the pretty young woman. She didn't look much over twenty as far as she could tell. The traveling outfit she wore accentuated her trim figure and was quite lovely. Her light brown hair was swept up under a stylish bonnet that made Alice's hat look very plain.
"Did you make your dress?"
"Why yes, I did," Martha replied, turning in a circle. "Do you like it?"
"It's charming. Are you going to continue your work as a seamstress once you're married? The only reason I ask is because Delia and I may need some things more suited to this weather."
"I don't really know. I think my husband is quite wealthy. He may not want me to continue working, but I don't see how making some clothes for a friend would be an issue. I hope we are going to be good friends," she said hopefully.
Alice smiled and patted Martha's hand. "It's my belief a woman can never have too many good friends, Martha. I'd like very much for you to be one of mine. I'll tell you a secret," Alice continued, lowering her voice. "I'm going to Seattle to be married, too."
"Oh, that's wonderful," Martha squealed, taking Alice's arm and giving it a squeeze. "So you'll be staying in Seattle. I feel ever so much better about things now. At least I will have someone to talk to. What is your intended's name?"
"Mr. Henderson, Clarence Henderson. He's employed as a clerk for a timber company. I hope we suit," she whispered nervously.
"I'm
Stop it, she ordered herself. There was no need to panic. Mr. Henderson offered much more than she could ever hope to have if she stayed in Virginia. All she was there was a widow woman with a daughter to care for. What men had been interested in her weren't the kind she wanted around her daughter. Delia needed a stable environment.
Alice couldn't abide liquor in any form. Her own husband had shown her just what it could do to a man despite his best intentions. Mr. Henderson said he didn't drink, although he did occasionally have a brandy when the weather was exceptionally harsh. That was acceptable. Brandy was nearly medicinal.
She watched more women board the ship. Apparently she and Delia weren't the only ones who were eager to get to their destination. The captain had been accommodating when she asked if they could spend the night aboard ship. They were due to set sail with the morning tide and it saved her the cost of another night at the boarding house. The apples and sandwiches she had in her bag would suffice for their evening meal and the gentle rocking of the ship would give her some indication whether she or Delia would be ill on the voyage.
A smartly dressed woman soon separated herself from three tittering girls and joined her at the rail.
"Are you sailing tomorrow?" she asked, gripping the rail tightly.
"Yes," Alice replied. "My daughter, Delia, and I are heading to Seattle. I'm Alice Baker."
"Martha Jonas," she said, offering her hand. "I'm going to Seattle too. Is your husband aboard?"
"No, I'm a widow," Alice replied, looking over the water.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to pry, Mrs. Baker," Martha apologized with a blush. "I guess I'm a little nervous. You see I'm going to meet my future husband."
"Please call me Alice. I don't think they stand much on formality out here in the west, at least not from what I've seen," Alice offered with a smile. "Where are you from, Miss Jonas, if you don't mind my asking?"
"Philadelphia. I had a dress shop there, but my prospects were pretty slim as far as getting married. You see, I've always wanted children," she continued softly, touching one of Delia's curls gently. "Well, I'm not getting any younger, so I've been told," she said with a laugh. "I believe the expression is 'long in the tooth'."
Alice studied the pretty young woman. She didn't look much over twenty as far as she could tell. The traveling outfit she wore accentuated her trim figure and was quite lovely. Her light brown hair was swept up under a stylish bonnet that made Alice's hat look very plain.
"Did you make your dress?"
"Why yes, I did," Martha replied, turning in a circle. "Do you like it?"
"It's charming. Are you going to continue your work as a seamstress once you're married? The only reason I ask is because Delia and I may need some things more suited to this weather."
"I don't really know. I think my husband is quite wealthy. He may not want me to continue working, but I don't see how making some clothes for a friend would be an issue. I hope we are going to be good friends," she said hopefully.
Alice smiled and patted Martha's hand. "It's my belief a woman can never have too many good friends, Martha. I'd like very much for you to be one of mine. I'll tell you a secret," Alice continued, lowering her voice. "I'm going to Seattle to be married, too."
"Oh, that's wonderful," Martha squealed, taking Alice's arm and giving it a squeeze. "So you'll be staying in Seattle. I feel ever so much better about things now. At least I will have someone to talk to. What is your intended's name?"
"Mr. Henderson, Clarence Henderson. He's employed as a clerk for a timber company. I hope we suit," she whispered nervously.
"I'm
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