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Authors: Cindy Caldwell
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anything her father asked. Hank and Clara had gone to Tucson to see about buying a few more horses that might be suitable for more riding lessons, so it appeared that it was Ben’s turn to stand in.
They settled in for the ride, the horses’ hooves settling into an easy rhythm. Just before they arrived at the schoolhouse, Ben pushed his hat back on his head and turned to Rose. “Mind if I ask you something, Miss Rose?”
“Of course not, Ben.” Rose turned to Ben, noticing that he’d grown up and filled out—looked more like a man than a boy, which she guessed he probably should since he was as old as her older brother, Hank. She must not have been paying attention.
“What’s all this ruckus about mail order brides? I don’t even know what that is.” He lowered his eyes toward the horses and pulled his hat back down low on his forehead.
“Oh, you mean having a bride come from far away?” Rose thought of her new sister-in-law, Clara, and Sadie, Suzanne’s twin sister, who’d married Tripp. “I suppose there aren’t enough women in the western territories, so some men decide to write away for someone from a bigger town. I really don’t know much more than that, I’m afraid.”
“Heard the new teacher did the same thing. Is that right? There really ain’t many women around, I suppose.”
Rose fiddled with the bow of her bonnet as she waited for Ben to come around and help her down. “I believe he did, Ben. They were talking about it last night at dinner, and I think he has a couple of ladies he’s written to.”
Ben shook his head slowly as Rose walked toward the schoolhouse door. “I just can’t imagine such a thing. What if she was ugly? Or had fake hair? Or bad teeth and sent a picture of her pretty neighbor instead of herself?”
Rose hid her smile behind her hand. She’d actually heard of some of those kinds of things so wasn’t surprised that Ben had, too. She’d even seen a poster in the town hall that said the contract would be null and void if the woman had misrepresented her—attributes. “I do imagine that happens, Ben. I think that there’s a waiting period, just to make sure everyone’s happy, with some provisions in place if it isn’t a good match.”
“Well, I tell you, I don’t think it’s a very good thing. I know Hank is happy and all, but for me? I don’t think so.”
“Were you considering sending away for a mail order bride?” Rose was a bit puzzled and she narrowed her eyes at her longtime friend.
“No, siree. Just too big a chance for me. I think I’ll know the right one when I see her. I’m happy to wait.” Ben smiled as he pulled himself into the buggy.
“Ah, a true romantic,” Rose said as she reached for the door latch to the schoolhouse and waved goodbye to Ben.
“I’ll be back for you around two o’clock. Is that right?”
“Yes. Thank you, Ben,” she said as he turned the buggy around and headed back to the ranch.
Her hand firmly on the door latch, Rose straightened her skirts, squared her shoulders and opened the door to her new future.
Chapter 13
R ose smiled at the familiar creak of the wooden door as she slowly pulled it toward her and poked her head inside. It didn’t look quite as tall as it had when she was a young girl, but it was still imposing.
She saw no movement inside the schoolhouse, but entered slowly, pulling the door closed behind her. The scent of vinegar wafted to her, and she wondered who had been in cleaning. Mr. Tate? Not likely—or if it had been him, he’d be the only man she’d ever met who actually cleaned something indoors.
She wandered up the aisle between the small, wooden desks that had also seemed so much larger when she was young. The teacher’s desk sat off to the corner, to the left of the chalkboards, and the stack of books on it seemed larger than it had the other day when she’d been there.
The fall air was crisp still, but the sun had warmed enough that she felt confident opening the
They settled in for the ride, the horses’ hooves settling into an easy rhythm. Just before they arrived at the schoolhouse, Ben pushed his hat back on his head and turned to Rose. “Mind if I ask you something, Miss Rose?”
“Of course not, Ben.” Rose turned to Ben, noticing that he’d grown up and filled out—looked more like a man than a boy, which she guessed he probably should since he was as old as her older brother, Hank. She must not have been paying attention.
“What’s all this ruckus about mail order brides? I don’t even know what that is.” He lowered his eyes toward the horses and pulled his hat back down low on his forehead.
“Oh, you mean having a bride come from far away?” Rose thought of her new sister-in-law, Clara, and Sadie, Suzanne’s twin sister, who’d married Tripp. “I suppose there aren’t enough women in the western territories, so some men decide to write away for someone from a bigger town. I really don’t know much more than that, I’m afraid.”
“Heard the new teacher did the same thing. Is that right? There really ain’t many women around, I suppose.”
Rose fiddled with the bow of her bonnet as she waited for Ben to come around and help her down. “I believe he did, Ben. They were talking about it last night at dinner, and I think he has a couple of ladies he’s written to.”
Ben shook his head slowly as Rose walked toward the schoolhouse door. “I just can’t imagine such a thing. What if she was ugly? Or had fake hair? Or bad teeth and sent a picture of her pretty neighbor instead of herself?”
Rose hid her smile behind her hand. She’d actually heard of some of those kinds of things so wasn’t surprised that Ben had, too. She’d even seen a poster in the town hall that said the contract would be null and void if the woman had misrepresented her—attributes. “I do imagine that happens, Ben. I think that there’s a waiting period, just to make sure everyone’s happy, with some provisions in place if it isn’t a good match.”
“Well, I tell you, I don’t think it’s a very good thing. I know Hank is happy and all, but for me? I don’t think so.”
“Were you considering sending away for a mail order bride?” Rose was a bit puzzled and she narrowed her eyes at her longtime friend.
“No, siree. Just too big a chance for me. I think I’ll know the right one when I see her. I’m happy to wait.” Ben smiled as he pulled himself into the buggy.
“Ah, a true romantic,” Rose said as she reached for the door latch to the schoolhouse and waved goodbye to Ben.
“I’ll be back for you around two o’clock. Is that right?”
“Yes. Thank you, Ben,” she said as he turned the buggy around and headed back to the ranch.
Her hand firmly on the door latch, Rose straightened her skirts, squared her shoulders and opened the door to her new future.
Chapter 13
R ose smiled at the familiar creak of the wooden door as she slowly pulled it toward her and poked her head inside. It didn’t look quite as tall as it had when she was a young girl, but it was still imposing.
She saw no movement inside the schoolhouse, but entered slowly, pulling the door closed behind her. The scent of vinegar wafted to her, and she wondered who had been in cleaning. Mr. Tate? Not likely—or if it had been him, he’d be the only man she’d ever met who actually cleaned something indoors.
She wandered up the aisle between the small, wooden desks that had also seemed so much larger when she was young. The teacher’s desk sat off to the corner, to the left of the chalkboards, and the stack of books on it seemed larger than it had the other day when she’d been there.
The fall air was crisp still, but the sun had warmed enough that she felt confident opening the
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