Mail Order Vows (Sweet Mail Order Bride Historical Romance Novel) Read online

  Mail Order Vows (Sweet Mail Order Bride Historical Romance Novel)

  Maya Stirling

  Published by Maya Stirling, 2018.

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  MAIL ORDER VOWS (SWEET MAIL ORDER BRIDE HISTORICAL ROMANCE NOVEL)

  First edition. January 16, 2018.

  Copyright © 2018 Maya Stirling.

  ISBN: 978-1536568837

  Written by Maya Stirling.

  Mail Order Vows

  Brides of Sweetheart Falls series

  Book One

  Copyright ©2014 Maya Stirling

  mayastirling.com

  CHAPTER ONE

  Wyoming 1878

  Cassie Miller leaned heavily onto the hard wood of the plough and squinted her tired eyes. She gazed across the field to the hillside bordering the valley glancing up at the burning sun high above, and called to the horse in front of her to move on. The large, brown, sweat covered animal blew out through his nose and shook his head. Cassie sighed and stood bolt upright, her boots sinking into the soft, tilled soil. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, and tried to swallow, but her dry throat resisted the effort.

  Joshua had made it all seem so easy, she thought. His strength and determination had ploughed the field many times before. She recalled sitting on the nearby hillside watching her husband as he laboured under the sun, digging and planting, drawing life from the earth with the exertions of his body.

  No longer.

  Now her husband himself was a part of the earth.

  Cassie grasped the wide length of the plough handle, and goaded the horse into action. This time the big animal strode lazily forward, hooves disappearing deep into soil. Cassie felt the plough cut into the dirt, carving the trench she so needed.

  Her breathing came hard, and the muscles on her arms quivered as she tried to keep a straight line. The horse pulled her on, and she staggered from side to side as she tried to keep up with him.

  Compared to the strength of the massive creature she felt small, even puny. But she would not give in. Not so easily.

  She took a deeper breath and clenched her teeth. She would not allow defeat to make her life even more of a tragedy. Not after all she had survived already.

  Joshua would want her to continue. He would want her to do the best she could. He had always tried to bring out the best in her, for which she had always been grateful.

  High above, the unforgiving Wyoming sun burned down upon her. It threatened to draw every last drop of moisture from the soil and from her body. Rains would come. She just hoped they would come soon. Joshua had assured her they would. He had always been right about most things. He had been a man of fine judgment. That had been one of his many admirable qualities.

  Cassie gazed over toward the cabin. The homestead was situated in a small valley surrounded by thickly wooded hillsides. It felt isolated, but the trail into the town, nearby Sweetheart Falls, population nine hundred and fifty, wound it's way close by. She also had some neighbours close by to their farm.

  Their farm?

  Not their farm any longer. Her farm. It all belonged to her now, she thought.

  Cassie heaved hard, keeping the plough line straight. She was making progress. She glanced over at the tilled soil, the straight lines she had gouged into the ground; the lines were mostly regular. She had become better at keeping a line. But it had come at the cost of aching muscles and painful nights which included the exhausted sleep of the overworked.

  A warm wind caressed her damp skin, and she felt grateful for the brief respite from the heat. The only sounds in the valley were the grinding of the plough and her noisy breathing.

  Cassie glanced at the tree covered hillside on her left and felt a stab of pain. They were passing near where Joshua lay.

  His grave.

  Her eyes lingered on the place. The grave wasn't visible from where she was laboring, but she knew every blade of grass on the climb up to it. She went there every day, pushing her way through the thick branches, and on up to the summit of the mound. Up there was beautiful, and not just because that was where he lay. There a was a view across the valleys to the mountains beyond. It was a place of beauty and peace. The right kind of place for Joshua.

  Suddenly Cassie wrenched her gaze away as the horse came to a grinding halt. Cassie's shoulder crashed onto the hard wood of the plough handle. The pain of contemplating Joshua's resting place was replaced by the pain of hard, physical contact with the wooden handle.

  Cassie took a step back and nursed the discomfort with a sore, calloused hand. She had become resigned to these blows. She knew that her body was becoming marked by all the work she was doing. It was one of the prices of survival.

  The pain softened.

  Another gust of wind blew hard against her, lifting a cloud of soil. She felt tears well up into her dust filled eyes. She would not cry; Joshua would not want her to cry. He would want her to survive; to be strong.

  She swallowed the tears back.

  It had been only weeks since Joshua's death, but already it seemed like an eternity.

  Cassie and Joshua had been married for one year. They had been almost newly weds; at least in Cassie's mind. She had come West as a mail order bride, leaving behind a troubled family life in Maine. Her mother had died when Cassie was only twenty one years old, and her father had taken it badly. Within a year he had succumbed to the melancholy of life as a widower. It had been too much for him.

  After her father had passed away, the terrible truth of the family's finances had been revealed. Her father had made some ill advised investments, none of which had worked out. The family had been left with crushing debts.

  Cassie's sisters Martha and Rachel had quickly moved in with a poor aunt. But Cassie had not wanted this. She had never had good relations with her aunt, a woman she considered to be a harridan and a tyrant. She predicted her aunt would make the lives of herself and her sisters a living misery.

  Cassie had made the decision to become a mail order bride. She promised Martha and Rachel that one day she would help them, once she herself had become established with her new husband. Martha had hardly believed her; had begged her not to leave. But Cassie had chosen to leave. She'd been filled with deep sadness at having to make such a heart wrenching decision.

  After searching ads and corresponding with Joshua, she had become convinced that he would be the best choice she could make. His letters had been sincere and heartfelt, promising Cassie that he would provide for her, and take the best possible care of her. She had felt a curious certainty about him when she read and reread the letters. She knew it was impossible to really be sure about anyone, especially when all you had to make a judgment was the content of a letter.

  Cassie felt something when she read the letters. It was like a connection and it was strong enough for her to make a decision.

  She chose Joshua.

  The noise and movement of the horse dragged her mind back to the task in hand. She leaned back onto the plough and went back to work.

  She tried not to think about the future or the options which were open to her. None of them seemed too appealing. It was enough to try to survive the physical demands of her life alone, as well as the deep and awful sadness which gripped her when she wasn't distracting herself with hard work.

  Her choice was stark.

  Stay in Sweetheart Falls or go back east to New York to a life of torment with her wicked aunt.

  It wasn't an appealing choice, especially when she already knew that her si
sters were having a difficult time. They had promised to wait for Cassie to act; they were still waiting. Cassie felt she had let them down. But her life had taken such a dramatic turn that she hadn't been able to keep her promise to them. Simply thinking about her sisters was enough to fill Cassie with anxiety.

  So, she had to consider the options which were available to her.

  Joseph from the mercantile in town had made his interest in Cassie plain every time she went to get supplies. He had tried to advise her about the planting. But he was so obviously interested in her as a wife. He was a good man with a fine reputation, but friendship was about as far as she wanted to go with him. His advances were becoming more insistent as the season progressed. She'd had to resort to an unnatural, exaggerated courtesy in order to try to show him that his interest was not reciprocated.

  Just the act of marrying the owner of the mercantile, so soon after Joshua's passing, would surely seem to lack propriety. Wouldn't it?

  Cassie frowned at the thought of Joseph as a prospective husband. He was very much older than her, unlike Joshua who had been in his late twenties, and in the full bloom of his life. She thought about living above the mercantile, and being subjected to the disapproving looks of the ladies of Sweetheart Falls.

  No.

  That wasn't for her. It did not feel like the right choice. Joshua had taught her that there was more to life than mere economic survival. If she was to spend her life with someone she needed more than that.

  There was love. Or the possibility of love. She asked herself if she would ever have the kind of love which had grown ever so gradually with Joshua; the love which had been snatched away from her so cruelly, so quickly?

  Cassie pushed away those thoughts and continued with the ploughing until she felt the familiar tiredness in her legs and arms. It was time to rest. There was nothing to be gained by wearing herself out completely. She unhitched the horse and led him back toward the cabin.

  She put the horse in the makeshift barn and made her way inside her home.

  The home that Joshua had built.

  It was more than just a cabin, but not quite a large house. It was of wooden construction and sturdily made. It had a living room with plain furniture. They had always talked about how they would get some finer pieces from back East when they had the money. The kitchen was practical and well appointed given the fact that they were out in the middle of the wilderness. There were two bedrooms and a large loft area. Space for children, she thought. The perfect place for a small family to live and love each other in.

  How could she live here on her own?

  She must be crazy. Perhaps she had been driven mad by grief. Maybe that was it. She was mad and she didn't even know it.

  They'd had no children despite all the wonderful nights of trying for them. God had decided that they should wait for that blessing, which was fine by Cassie. But she felt a stab of regret each time she thought about not having any children by Joshua. They would have been beautiful and strong, just like him.

  It wasn't to be.

  Cassie sighed and went to wash off the grime of the day's work. She would eat something small and modest.

  Then it would be time for bed.

  Alone.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Cassie awoke next morning after a dreamless sleep. Her muscles ached as she got dressed. She made herself a simple breakfast of eggs and coffee. She stood in front of the mirror in the living room and looked at herself.

  Tired. Her even features looked drawn and pale.

  Sad. Blue eyes that once sparkled now looked dull and uninterested.

  She forced a smile and drew her blonde hair tight back on her head. She pursed her lips and rubbed some color into her cheeks.

  I must look my best for him, every day. I mustn't allow myself to weaken, she told herself.

  Cassie stepped outside. The morning air was fresh, and the sky glowed with a clear light. Cassie took a deep breath. She left the cabin and made her way towards the path which cut up through the trees, leading eventually to the hilltop. This was her daily pilgrimage, the ritual that ensured she began the day with Joshua by her side.

  Cassie pushed her way past the overhanging branches as she made her way up the steep incline. At last she emerged on the top of the hill onto a flat area, which overlooked the next valley, as well as affording views over the treetops.

  There, a few steps away, was a simple headstone at the end of a long rectangle of recently turned earth. This was where her husband now lay, for all eternity. Cassie stepped forward and rested a hand against the cold stone. The wind blew her hair across her face, and she brushed the strands away impatiently.

  Finally she spoke.

  "Good morning Joshua," Cassie said. Her voice sounded small in the wide expanse around her. "And it is a beautiful morning, my love."

  Cassie took a moment to collect her thoughts. It was good to be here with him, but it also made her feel the sadness and grief which the hard work helped to bury.

  "Just so you know, I'm doing fine Joshua. The tilling is going well. I should be finished soon, provided the rain doesn't come." Cassie laughed slightly. "And provided that horse doesn't throw another tantrum. You know what he's like. He doesn't follow orders from me the way he did with you."

  Cassie smiled when she recalled how Joshua used to complain about the temperament of the horse.

  "It isn't easy, Joshua. But you always knew that anyway. How many times did you tell me that getting the earth to give up it's goodness takes every ounce of a man's strength? Well, it takes the same from a woman, I can tell you. I've learned that in the last few weeks."

  Cassie lowered her head and stroked the headstone.

  "But the earth isn't going to beat me Joshua. I want you to be proud of me, my love. I know everyone in town thinks I can't do it all by myself. Maybe they're right. This is no place for a woman on her own. But I am not of a mind to give up. Not yet. At least not without a fight."

  Above her head a swooping bird let out a loud, discordant screech, and then it was gone.

  Cassie sighed. She paused as the familiar thoughts came to her. She tried to push them away but they refused to budge. At last she couldn't contain the thought any longer.

  "It's not fair Joshua." The sob rose in her throat and her voice cracked. "It shouldn't have happened. Not to someone as good and fine as you. Not to someone with so much beauty in their soul."

  Cassie recalled the suddenness of Joshua's illness. He'd been caught in a storm while working on the land. He'd spent too much time in the torrential rain, working too hard and come into the cabin soaked and shivering.

  The fever had come on rapidly. Joshua had been overcome, and at first Cassie had been sure he would recover quickly. But within a day Joshua was burning up, and nothing she could do would take the temperature away. For the first time in her life Cassie had felt truly helpless. Powerless when faced with her dear husband burning up and fading away.

  And then, as she held him in her arms, alternately weeping and whispering to him, his breathing became harsher and more difficult.

  Then the unthinkable happened.

  He slipped away, heavy in her arms, his breath falling into silence.

  Cassie had felt her world collapse around her. Nothing the doctor or her friend Julia could say would make the terrible sensations go away. No words could cease her weeping. It was the greatest pain she had ever felt in her life.

  She forced her attention back to the place where she stood.

  "Everyone is asking what I'm going to do, now that you're not here by my side, Joshua."

  The bluntness of that statement caught her by surprise. She quickly regained her composure.

  "Some people just want me to go back East. But you and I know that isn't going to work out for me. There is nothing for me there. Not anymore. Especially with my crazy aunt. I'm so used to the life here now. It's good; it's plain and honest. I don't have to suffer all the pretentiousness of life back East."
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br />   Cassie recalled the stuffiness and formality of life in New York. The rules to be obeyed; the etiquette to be observed; how unpleasant and insincere people there could be. She'd had that all her life. Cassie didn't miss any of it. The people of Sweetheart Falls were natural, plain spoken and trustworthy. She felt more at home here than she had ever felt back there.

  She didn't want to leave. Not unless she absolutely had to.

  "I have to stay, Joshua. You know that. You brought me here and all the happiness I have ever had was found here with you. I don't want to leave."

  Cassie knelt down and rested her cheek against the headstone. She closed her eyes and felt the coolness of it against her cheek. She reached down and took up a small amount of the earth in her hand, feeling it run through her fingers.

  After a few minutes Cassie stood. She felt better; more calm after speaking with him. It always made a difference to how she felt.

  "I'll see you tomorrow Joshua. I love you."

  She placed a hand on the cool headstone, closed her eyes and breathed in slowly, savoring the quiet moment of peace. It was so important for her to come to him. It gave her the strength to carry on.

  Cassie turned and walked slowly away. She'd said the same things to Joshua for days now. But there were decisions to make. Coming here and talking was one way for her to make sense of her life.

  She made her way back down to the cabin, changed into her work clothes and was soon out in the field, tilling and laboring. Work would help her forget.

  For the moment.

  Around lunchtime she heard the rattle of a buckboard come down the trail and pull up in front of the cabin. Even from where she stood she knew at once who it was. She raced across the furrowed field, stumbling in her eagerness.

  "Julia," Cassie called out.

  Her friend Julia stepped down from the buckboard seat, straightening her dress. Julia lived a few valleys over with her husband and two young children. She had been the first woman in Sweetheart Falls to befriend the newly arrived mail order bride named Cassie. They'd become so close that Cassie almost relied on Julia for the support she so strongly needed.