Feisty (A Pair of Mail Order Bride Romances)

By Beth Overton

Mail Order Bride: Three Brothers & The Fighting Brides - A group of women head out west on the train to meet their mail ordered husbands but when a fight erupts that spills out onto the train platform, all that the three waiting brothers can see is a mass of swirling skirts and bonnets and differently colored hair, and a group of apparently very angry women.

Mail Order Bride: An Independent Woman For The Cowboy In Idaho - An upper New York state woman, a widower, decides to head for Idaho and a cowboy rancher. Many challenges lie ahead for this couple, who are soon deeply in love. Will the stubborn woman who loves adventure learn to use a little caution or will she face a challenge that she’ll be unable to overcome?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Beth Overton
• Release date: Feb 22, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311606044

Beth Overton

Beth Overton lives in Northern California with her husband and three cats. Besides writing romances, she loves to read everything she can get her hands on, as well as cooking up gourmet delights for her entire family.

Book preview

Feisty

(A Pair of Mail Order Bride Romances)

By

Beth Overton

Copyright 2016 Quietly Blessed & Loved Press

Mail Order Bride: Three Brothers & The Fighting Brides

Mail Order Bride: An Independent Woman For The Cowboy In Idaho

Mail Order Bride: Three Brothers & The Fighting Brides

Synopsis: Mail Order Bride: Three Brothers & The Fighting Brides - A group of women head out west on the train to meet their mail ordered husbands but when a fight erupts that spills out onto the train platform, all that the three waiting brothers can see is a mass of swirling skirts and bonnets and differently colored hair, and a group of apparently very angry women.

The women on the train had come from all over the eastern seaboard, two from England and one from Canada, all having answered lovelorn ads from lonely men in the deep west. Some came looking for adventure, some for a fresh start, and yet others were looking for the security of a man with property and means.

The train car was a long carriage with multiple windows and a long corridor running down the middle. On each side of the corridor flanking each window were three seated benches that faced each other allowing the passengers to visit with each other in groups of six. The dark green interior of the car was complimented by the tapestry upholstery of the bench seats. Surprisingly comfortable seats had made the long journey more pleasant.

The trouble started shortly after the women boarded the train in Iowa. The women, having formed groups of kindred spirits in the train car, were excitedly chatting about their various betrotheds. There were four groups of women in the train car and several other travellers dotted about the car.

Three of the four groups, decorated in finery were loud and flamboyant. The other group was comprised of six women dressed in drab, dark clothing and four of them held small Bibles in their gloved hands.

Sarah Parker sat alone in the corner seat nearest the back of the car. She was uncomfortable around other people. She knew that the women grouped together were mail-order brides, the same as she, but she had no desire to exchange gossip about her future. She was nervous enough as it was.

When she arrived the train car was empty. She took her seat and quickly pulled out a book and pretended to be lost in the story. This technique had always worked for her. People gave her space, not wanting to disturb the young schoolteacher’s studies.

She was a schoolteacher and she was aware that she looked the part with her hair in a tight bun, her spectacles, thin lips and stern countenance. If anyone ever really looked at her eyes, they told another story. She had deep blue eyes the color of sapphires. Her pale skin and dark hair made those eyes sparkle with wisdom and adventure. She was meek and shy, but her heart burned for the adventure that awaited her out west.

When Caleb Kerr wrote his first letter to her, she knew in her heart that this was her chance to have that adventure. Caleb told her of his cattle ranch and the beauty of the Texas landscape that he called home. He described the haunting songs of the coyotes and rich reds of the sunsets. He was well read compared to the other suitors who wrote to her. He did not have to steal her heart. She gave it to him willingly.

Her nervousness was simply because she had never actually been anywhere outside of New York. The thought of the unknown was both thrilling and frightening. When the trouble between the two groups of women began, it only made her anxiety heighten.

It seemed the section of seats with the brightly dressed, bubbly girls was annoying the darkly clad serious ones. One woman, dressed in dark, plain garb arose from her seat near the window and took it upon herself to go and confront her noisy neighbors.

If you girls wouldn’t mind piping down so the rest of us can enjoy our journey in quiet reflection, we would appreciate it, the woman said, sweeping her hand in gesture toward the rest of the car.

Well, I’ll be, a blonde girl with a strong southern accent stood, hands on hips and a sour expression on her face, I don’t see how we are interfering with your reflection when we are simply passing time on a long and boring train ride.

The serious one took a deep breath, You are far too noisy and are speaking of things that ought not to be brought to light in decent company!

The bright one laughed

Ought not...decent company? Are you insinuating that we are not ladies?

The dark one went pale and blushed. She squared her shoulders gaining courage in the gesture.

I am saying that a little propriety in your speech would be appreciated by the rest of us in the train car.

The woman strode off and back to her seat in an attempt to end the conflict.

The brightly colored one would have none of it. She stepped over the other girls on the bench seat beside her and followed the dark one.

Oh no you don’t! growled the bright one and grabbed for the dark one.

In no time it seemed the whole train car was a catfight. Bright colored girls squared off against the dark, plain dressed ones.

Sarah was a little amused by the chaos. She was a schoolteacher from New York City after all, and was quite used to children fighting. This scene looked like a bunch of overgrown bickering children. She had not heard what the brightly colored girls had said to infuriate the serious ones, but it must have been something truly offensive to create this kind of histrionics. Sarah would later learn about the instigators of this debacle.

Mary Catherine Albright was the woman in dark, plain clothing. She had always been headstrong and deeply religious. Her father was furious when he learned that she had been corresponding with a rancher out west as he was a Baptist minister and had hopes that a fellow minister would take his daughter as a wife.

Unfortunately, although Mary was beautiful, she was also bossy and often corrected the young ministers under her father’s tutelage. She would scold the young men accusing them of not studying the Scriptures as diligently as a trainee minister should. Many left training early, eager to get away from the shame Mary brought upon them.

Mary had deep auburn hair and bright green eyes. She was, according to some, unnaturally beautiful and stunning, in fact. Many young men would fall instantly drunk in love with her only to be brought back to sobriety as soon as she opened her mouth. She could be mean spirited to those who were awed at her handsome features and pretty figure. She dressed in the plainest clothes she could find, wore neither perfumes nor finery of any sort. She wore her hair in a tight knot