John hurried into the store. “Sorry I’m late, Dad. I overslept.”
Mortimer shook his head. “If you spent less time in the saloon and more time at home, you wouldn’t oversleep.”
John shrugged. “You said I couldn’t carry on that way as long as I lived under your roof. I don’t live under your roof anymore.”
“True. Listen, son, I have a mail order bride coming next week. I’m hoping she’ll be willing to help out in the store some.”
“You’re replacing Mom?”
Mortimer sighed heavily. “I wouldn’t say I’m replacing your mother. I would say it’s moving on. Grace never would have wanted me to be alone.”
John shook his head, looking angry. “I’ll get to work, then.”
Watching him leave, Mortimer started to call after him, but he realized there was no point. John wouldn’t accept anyone who was taking the place of his mother.
Toria sat nervously in her seat, wishing she was already in Colorado. Elizabeth had gone with her to the train station and had given her a speech about making sure she didn’t stay with a man who was unkind, surprising Toria. She had no idea Elizabeth even realized there were bad people in the world. Her disposition was always so sweet and sunny, it was very hard to believe she had ever seen anything bad happen.
“I wish I was there already!” she mumbled under her breath.
“Don’t wish away the hours it will take to get there. Your future husband needs this time to prepare the way for you.” She jumped when she heard a voice from right beside her. She hadn’t realized anyone was there.
Toria looked at the woman beside her with a frown. “Where did you come from? And what do you know of my future husband?”
The woman just shrugged. She was right around Toria’s age. “I know things that others don’t sometimes. Don’t be nervous about marrying Mortimer. He’ll be a good husband to you.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m a friend. I’m here to help you.” The woman smiled sweetly. “I know you’re nervous about your decision to go west, but it’s the best thing you could have possibly done. Sebastian wouldn’t have left you alone.”
“Excuse me?” How did the woman know who Sebastian was? “You’re starting to frighten me.”
“That’s not my intention, so I’ll go. I’ll be here when you need me.”
As Toria watched, the woman got up and walked toward the back of the train, disappearing behind the conductor. A shiver ran up her spine. She didn’t feel like the woman was evil—and after knowing Sebastian for so long, she knew evil. But there was something odd about her.
She turned back to her knitting, determined to make a couple pairs of socks before she arrived in Colorado. A man who had been a widower “for some time” would need new socks. What better gift could she bring him than the gift of warm feet?
As her fingers flew through her task, she couldn’t stop thinking of the strange woman who’d sat beside her. How had she known so much?
Mortimer had what was left of his hair smoothed back perfectly—at least until he started running his fingers through it. He couldn’t believe how nervous he was. He’d been waiting for this day for what seemed like forever, so shouldn’t he simply be excited?
He wore his best suit as he stood in front of the train platform, waiting for his bride to emerge from the train. He was convinced she was going to look just like his Grace, and it would almost seem as if his beautiful wife had come back from the dead.
The train slowed, and the whistle blew. He watched as people disembarked from the huge locomotive. Only one woman was there, and she had dark hair and brown eyes. That couldn’t be his Vicki. He scanned the crowd again, looking for his bride.
The woman locked eyes with him and took a step forward. “Mortimer?”
Mortimer swallowed down his disappointment. “Vicki?”
The woman frowned. “Actually, people call me Toria.” She clutched her carpet bag in front of her. It contained everything she’d brought with her, and Elizabeth was shipping the rest of her possessions, meager though they were.
He hadn’t expected her to be called anything but Vicki. He would have to rethink things. “It’s nice to meet you. Would you like to go over to the church to marry?”
She nodded. “I’d like that, but I’d really like to wash up and change clothes first, if I may. I only plan to marry once, and I don’t want to do it in a traveling dress that has spit-up on it.”
He hadn’t expected that at all. “Let me take you over to my friend’s house. His wife will let you bathe there, if you’d like. The pastor is expecting us sometime before five.” He pulled out his pocket watch and looked at the time. It was half past three, so they had plenty of time. “We have an hour and a half to get there. Can you bathe and change that quickly?”
“Certainly.” When he reached out to take her travel bag from her, for a moment, she wouldn’t let it go. Then she took a deep breath. He was just displaying good manners. What was wrong with her? “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He offered his arm, trying not to be sad that the woman was tall and dark instead of looking exactly like his sweet Grace. How could he have thought he was going to get his bride back? “My friend’s house is this way. Would you like me to send a telegram to anyone, letting them know you’ve arrived safely while you bathe?”
“Yes, please. My niece is Elizabeth Miller, the matchmaker in Beckham, Massachusetts. If you would send her a telegram and let her know that I’m here, I’d be very grateful.” Why did their conversation feel so stilted to her? They were about to marry. Shouldn’t there be some joy involved instead of this constant politeness?
“I’d be happy to do that for you.” He stopped in front of a house right next to the telegraph office, knocking on the door. When Beatrice opened the door with a smile, he said, “This is Vick…I mean Toria. Would you allow her to bathe here before we marry?”
Beatrice opened the door wide. “Of course. I should have thought to offer! Come in!”
Toria stepped inside, looking back over her shoulder at Mortimer. “Thank you. I should be ready in about forty-five minutes, if you’d come back.”
“I’d be happy to.” Mortimer watched as she stepped inside and closed the door, slumping slightly. It was going to be harder to love her than he’d thought, but he knew he could make it work.
Chapter Two
Toria was relieved to see Mortimer leave for a few minutes. He seemed like a nice enough man, but he also seemed disappointed in her, and she wasn’t sure why. She knew she was relatively pretty, and she had no warts on her nose. Surely there was something she was missing and didn’t understand.