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“This time, you shouldn’t,” Constance said.
“What’s going on, Connie?” Mary asked. “What are Ma and Pa whispering about?”
“I’ve decided to go west as a mail-order bride.”
“You’re marrying a stranger?” Mary sounded shocked.
“I am. I have no marriage prospects here. It’s time I married and started a family of my own. This just feels right. Ma is telling Pa for me.”
“I can’t decide if that’s crazy or exciting!”
Constance laughed. “I think it’s a little of both.”
Mary nodded. “Perhaps. We’re going to miss having you here. But I’m a little excited I can move into a larger bedroom.” She stopped walking. “You don’t think Ma will let Johnny have it, do you?”
“No, I think you’ll get it if you want it. You’ll be the eldest at home.”
“I guess that means I’ll also have more chores.”
“Probably.”
“Then I’ll miss you and be glad you’re gone all at once.”
“That seems fair to me.”
Chapter Two
Leonard paced back and forth in front of the train depot, waiting for his bride. He knew so little about her, but the matchmaker had assured him she was the woman he needed. Finally, the train pulled into the station. It was on time, but he’d been fifteen minutes early, so it felt like it was late.
As he watched, people exited the train. Sioux Falls was just a whistle stop for the trains, so only a few people got off. An older couple who was obviously together. A woman with three small children. And a woman on her own. He prayed the woman coming for him was on her own and wasn’t the one with three children. While he loved children, he wanted to have his own.
The woman with children walked to a man who embraced her, and he breathed a sigh of relief, walking to the woman who was traveling alone. “Are you Constance?”
She nodded. “And you must be Leonard.”
“Yes! I was hoping that was you.”
“I’m happy to not be standing at this station for hours waiting for a stranger.” She grinned at him. “Now what?”
“The pastor is at the church waiting for us.”
“All right. We’re going to the church then.” She smoothed her dress, wishing she had time to bathe, but she understood why she didn’t.
“And we must be quick. I need to be at work in two hours, and that means getting married and getting you home first.”
“All right. Shouldn’t be too terribly hard to get what we need to do done. What hours do you work?”
“I work from four to midnight.” He eyed her as if he was worried she wouldn’t like him working those hours.
“Sounds perfect. I’ll have supper waiting for you at home when you arrive, but only if there’s food in the house. I can’t magic something up with no supplies.”
He laughed. “There’s food. I had my friend’s wife come over and make a list of everything a wife would need, and then I bought it all.”
“Well, I’ll have to thank her when I meet her then.”
“Do you have a trunk?” he asked, looking around.
“Yes, it’s there,” she said pointing to a small black trunk.
