Read Online Westward Promises by Zoe Matthews - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Zoe Matthews
Ads: Link
Chase’s words, and curious. “How did that happen?”
“Well, Pa tells the story much better than I can.” He took a few more bites and then continued.
“Pa was living in the wilds of North Dakota working to save for his own land. There weren’t any eligible women around so he decided to place an advertisement. He said he was looking for a wife who could tolerate a man’s humor. Ma’s was the first letter to arrive. Pa had to travel 50 miles to pick it up from the nearest trading post.
“Ma rode a stagecoach all the way from Pennsylvania. Her parents had died. Her older brother had recently married and she didn’t get along with his wife, so she really didn’t have anywhere to go.”
“Your mom had to travel on the stagecoach? I am grateful there are now trains for traveling,” Hannah commented.
Yes. I only had to wait a few days for your arrival. Pa had to wait many weeks.”
“Your mother was very brave to travel all that way alone.”
“When Ma told her side of the story, she would say how she hadn’t even put her foot on the ground before a dozen bachelors swarmed around her asking for her hand in marriage. She could’ve chosen any of those men.”
“But she kept her promise to your pa.”
Chase nodded. “Ma wasn’t about to break her word to him. She told me one time that she had fallen in love with him from his letters, long before she even met him. They were married for almost 35 years. What had started as a convenience marriage turned into one with love.”
And that is what you’re hoping for?” Hannah asked as she set her fork down after she ate her last bite of cake. She heard the distress in her voice and wished she could hide it.
“It’s a nice goal to have don’t you think?”
“Do you want to know how my parents met?” Hannah asked.
“I thought you grew up in an orphanage.”
“I did, but I know what my history is.”
Chase leaned towards her with his arms on the table, as if encouraging her to tell him, to open up to him.
“My father was a rich man who owned a large hotel in New York City. He was married and had a family. My mother was hired on as a new maid in his hotel. One night my mother stayed late and my father attacked her, forcing himself upon her. She became pregnant with me. She was only 16.
“There was a terrible scandal, and after I was born my mother dropped me off at the orphanage, relinquishing all rights to me. As far as I know, she never came back to see how I was doing or what happened to me.”
“This was all in your history at the orphanage?”
“Yes. Each child has a folder that is given to the family who wants to adopt them. Most of the time, an orphan’s folder is small, but mine had many pages. There were newspaper articles and a letter written by my mother explaining what happened. I often got the idea that the director of the orphanage didn’t believe her, that she flirted with my father, and got what she asked for. Because of this negative history, I was never adopted. No one wanted a bastard child.”
“I’m sorry, Hannah. But you were adopted in Texas, weren’t you?”
"Dr. Wilson only took me in. He never officially adopted me. He was good to me. Most of my needs were met. He never loved me, like a father loves a daughter. I already told you what happened after he died. I had nowhere to go. That is why I became a mail-order bride to Jack. I felt like I had no other choice.”
“Your history makes no difference to me.”
“Chase, I’m afraid you want too much from me. You never mentioned that you wanted love in your letter.”
“If I had, would you still have agreed to come?”
“I don’t know. Probably. I had nowhere to go.”
“Don’t you want to have love in our marriage someday? After we get to know each other, when we are no longer strangers
“Well, Pa tells the story much better than I can.” He took a few more bites and then continued.
“Pa was living in the wilds of North Dakota working to save for his own land. There weren’t any eligible women around so he decided to place an advertisement. He said he was looking for a wife who could tolerate a man’s humor. Ma’s was the first letter to arrive. Pa had to travel 50 miles to pick it up from the nearest trading post.
“Ma rode a stagecoach all the way from Pennsylvania. Her parents had died. Her older brother had recently married and she didn’t get along with his wife, so she really didn’t have anywhere to go.”
“Your mom had to travel on the stagecoach? I am grateful there are now trains for traveling,” Hannah commented.
Yes. I only had to wait a few days for your arrival. Pa had to wait many weeks.”
“Your mother was very brave to travel all that way alone.”
“When Ma told her side of the story, she would say how she hadn’t even put her foot on the ground before a dozen bachelors swarmed around her asking for her hand in marriage. She could’ve chosen any of those men.”
“But she kept her promise to your pa.”
Chase nodded. “Ma wasn’t about to break her word to him. She told me one time that she had fallen in love with him from his letters, long before she even met him. They were married for almost 35 years. What had started as a convenience marriage turned into one with love.”
And that is what you’re hoping for?” Hannah asked as she set her fork down after she ate her last bite of cake. She heard the distress in her voice and wished she could hide it.
“It’s a nice goal to have don’t you think?”
“Do you want to know how my parents met?” Hannah asked.
“I thought you grew up in an orphanage.”
“I did, but I know what my history is.”
Chase leaned towards her with his arms on the table, as if encouraging her to tell him, to open up to him.
“My father was a rich man who owned a large hotel in New York City. He was married and had a family. My mother was hired on as a new maid in his hotel. One night my mother stayed late and my father attacked her, forcing himself upon her. She became pregnant with me. She was only 16.
“There was a terrible scandal, and after I was born my mother dropped me off at the orphanage, relinquishing all rights to me. As far as I know, she never came back to see how I was doing or what happened to me.”
“This was all in your history at the orphanage?”
“Yes. Each child has a folder that is given to the family who wants to adopt them. Most of the time, an orphan’s folder is small, but mine had many pages. There were newspaper articles and a letter written by my mother explaining what happened. I often got the idea that the director of the orphanage didn’t believe her, that she flirted with my father, and got what she asked for. Because of this negative history, I was never adopted. No one wanted a bastard child.”
“I’m sorry, Hannah. But you were adopted in Texas, weren’t you?”
"Dr. Wilson only took me in. He never officially adopted me. He was good to me. Most of my needs were met. He never loved me, like a father loves a daughter. I already told you what happened after he died. I had nowhere to go. That is why I became a mail-order bride to Jack. I felt like I had no other choice.”
“Your history makes no difference to me.”
“Chase, I’m afraid you want too much from me. You never mentioned that you wanted love in your letter.”
“If I had, would you still have agreed to come?”
“I don’t know. Probably. I had nowhere to go.”
“Don’t you want to have love in our marriage someday? After we get to know each other, when we are no longer strangers
Similar Books
