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It wasn’t a feeling of gloom and doom that permeated the air that evening. Instead, it was one of celebration. Sure, Elizabeth had a talk with her about making certain not to stay with a man who was mean to her in any way, but mostly, they laughed and joked, and Elizabeth made sure that Alice knew all about what would happen in the bedroom.
“Mother wasn’t up to telling Susan or me, though we’d both figured it out long before watching the animals procreate. I’m not sure why a woman with a ridiculous number of children would be shy about how babies are made. Does she think we will always think of her and Pa?” Elizabeth shuddered as she said the last words, and Alice laughed.
“I’ve seen the animals as well. I don’t have any worries about what’s going to happen on my wedding night. Besides, with it being a mail-order bride situation, I’m sure he won’t expect it on the wedding night.”
“Many men do,” Elizabeth cautioned. “I’m sure you can ask him to wait a week or two if that will make you feel more comfortable, but the truth is, you’ll be living together in very close quarters, and the intimacy will probably be a bit difficult regardless.”
Alice sighed. “Way to burst my bubble. I was certain everything would be absolutely perfect from the moment I arrived!”
Elizabeth shrugged. “If you want to believe it’s perfect, then that’s what you should do. Live life wearing rose-colored glasses, and everything will feel like it’s better than it really is.”
“That’s true.” Alice thought on her sister’s words for a moment. “I guess I don’t have to wake up and face reality as soon as I arrive, do I?”
“Nope. Some people enjoy the scent of cow manure. Be one of those people, and you’ll always find the bright side of things. I think you should plan to live happily ever after, so you don’t risk becoming a malcontent. Sometimes happiness means that you choose to be happy, and you choose to look at life in a different way. You can know the truth, but still choose to look at it as if it’s a golden opportunity. You’ll be able to get to know your sister as an adult. You’re leaving one family and going to another.”
Alice smiled. “I like the way you think, Elizabeth Miller.”
“That’s Elizabeth Tandy to you.” Elizabeth said with a smile. “Just like in a short while, you’ll be Alice Dailey.”
“Alice Dailey. It has a nice ring to it.”
Chapter Two
Stepping off the train after her long trip, Alice’s eyes scanned the crowd. She had no idea what Albert looked like, and she was anxious to meet the man she was about to marry. Well, as anxious as an exhausted woman could be. The movement of the train hadn’t agreed with her stomach, and she’d spent a great deal of the trip green with nausea.
Finally having her feet on solid land after what seemed like months and months of travel, she looked up into the bright March sun and took a deep breath. It wasn’t the balmy weather she’d expected when setting foot in Texas, but it was much warmer with no snow on the ground. She couldn’t complain about that at all.
Finally, she spotted a young man with dark hair and eyes, who looked to be trying to spot someone as well. She walked to him carefully, smiling at the stranger. “Are you Albert Dailey?”
His face lit up with excitement. “No, I’m Lewis Dailey. My brother had a heifer who was trying to deliver two babies this morning, and he was needed on the ranch. Are you Alice Miller?”
“I am. So good to meet you, Lewis. I’m surprised Susan isn’t here to greet me.”
Lewis laughed softly. “Albert and I were amateur pranksters compared to you and your siblings growing up, but he thought we should play just one more trick. Well, more of a surprise really. Susan doesn’t know it’s you coming to marry Albert. We thought it would be fun if she had one of her siblings walk into her home and see if she could tell that you were kin.”
Alice covered her mouth with her hand to suppress the giggle that wanted to come out. “So, I need to pretend that I don’t know who she is? Got it!”
“Albert was certain you’d go along with us because it will be fun! Susan is expecting you to spend a night in her home in Albert’s old room, and she wants to make sure you’re good enough to marry Albert. Should be fun.”
“Oh, most definitely.”
“Where are your things?” Lewis asked.
Alice held up two carpet bags. “Right here. It’s not like I needed to bring a lot with me.” Of course, Alice also knew that the Dailey family was well-off, and there was no need for her to spend her meager earnings trying to bring things from Massachusetts when it was easier to buy them all in Texas. She knew at one point it would have cost a great deal more to buy things in the west, but those days were in the past.
Lewis led her to his wagon and helped her up. Alice didn’t tell him she used to jump out of trees into unsuspecting farmer’s wagons as they drove along under her family’s trees, and she could make a moving mount on a horse. Why should she? It was time for her to be grown and act like a lady, instead of like the young hooligan she’d once been.
Once in the wagon, he drove down a road there in the middle of Fort Worth, Texas, describing everything around them. At one point, he pointed in a direction and said, “That’s Hell’s Half Acre. You never want to go there.”
Alice was intrigued. “Why not?”
“It’s where all the brothels and saloons are. Well, the worst of them. There are others, but nothing quite compares to Hell’s Half Acre. My uncle was killed investigating a prostitute’s death there.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.”
“I miss my uncle, but I have to say, Susan never would have married my dad if Uncle Jesse had survived, which means I’d probably still be running wild tying teachers into outhouses and then pulling the outhouse over.”
“Did you put snakes in the teacher’s desk drawers?”
