Mary’s Mail Order Husband: Montana Mail Order Brides, #4

By Lily Wilspur

Mary Allen lost her husband at the tender age of twenty-two, and she doesn’t want to spend the rest of her life as a widow. But her aging father protests when she has the idea to get a mail-order husband. He wants Mary’s attention for himself. If she must remarry, he wants to arrange the marriage himself, with one of the sons of his friends, the way he did Mary’s first marriage. But Mary insists on marrying a man of her own choosing, a man new to the Frontier with the energy and enthusiasm to build a new life in the West. She and her father keep having the same argument about it, and they’ll probably keep arguing about it when he walks her down the aisle.
Mary only has a few days left before her groom comes to town and they meet at the altar. But Fate has other plans for Mary and her family. Mary finds herself facing a shattering reversal of her fortunes. At the same time, new and mysterious forces align to bring her the future of hope and promise she always dreamed of. When she does finally come to the altar, the life waiting for her on the other side opens up infinite horizons and unlimited potential.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wilspur Publishing
• Release date: Nov 7, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386362074

Book preview

LILY WILSPUR

Mary’s Mail Order Husband

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Copyright

Chapter 1

A re you absolutely certain you want to go through with this? Simon Costello blinked his red eyes at his daughter.

Dad! she exclaimed. You’ve only asked me that every ten minutes since I first told you I wanted to get married. Now stop asking! Of course I’m certain I want to go through with this. I wouldn’t have come this far if I wasn’t. Mary Allen let out one more exasperated sigh and turned back toward the window. She didn’t need her father voicing her own concerns.

The dusty streets of Fort Collins, Colorado, stretched away from the window.  I’m sorry, Mary, Simon replied. I can’t help it. I just don’t like the idea of you marrying so soon after Albert’s death. And marrying a stranger, too.

You just don’t want me doing anything that would take my attention away from you, Mary shot back. You want to keep me all to yourself. Admit it!

You’re right, Simon replied. But you have to admit, this business of getting yourself a mail-order husband you don’t even know, and shipping him into town from who knows where, is a dodgy proposition at best.

It isn’t dodgy, Dad, Mary grumbled. Hundreds of mail-order brides are doing it. And lots of mail-order husbands are doing it, too. It works equally well for men and women who are looking to get married.

But you haven’t answered me, Simon insisted. You don’t know the first thing about this John Webster character. He could be a wanted criminal, for all you know.

I’ve exchanged letters with John, Mary told him for the thousandth time. He’s a young business man who’s done very well for himself in the Carolina tobacco trade. Now he wants to make a new start out West. And what better way to do that than to get married?

He sounds like a bandit to me, Simon grumbled. You hear all kinds of horrible things about men taking advantage of vulnerable young widows. I just don’t want anything to happen to you.

Nothing will happen to me, Mary replied. I’m not a vulnerable young widow. Besides, that’s what you’re here for. You’re going to make sure I wind up safely married to a good man and nothing happens to me.

I just don’t like it. Simon set his jaw and looked out the window. You’ve been acting strangely ever since Albert died. I’m worried about you.

You would act strangely, too, Mary muttered.

Your mother died young, Simon told her. I didn’t go running off marrying someone I’d never met.

Mary rolled her eyes. She’d heard the same story every hour on the hour for the past six months. You’d been married to Mama for almost twenty years. I was twenty-two, and Albert was twenty-three when he died. You can’t expect me to spend the rest of my life as a widow.

But aren’t there eligible young men here in Colorado? Simon whined. Don’t tell me there aren’t. You could marry someone local if you really wanted to.

There are plenty of eligible young men in Colorado, Mary admitted. But I don’t want to marry any of them. There’s no one here I want to spend any time with

Simon harrumphed. No one you want to spend time with, huh?

She patted her father’s hand. Don’t get me wrong. I want to spend time with you, but I don’t want to marry anyone from Colorado. I want to marry someone new to the West, someone fresh and enthusiastic to the Frontier. I want someone who’s looking forward to being a part of building this country. I want someone who’s going to be a living, breathing, growing part of this country.

Mary’s eyes flashed when she spoke about her future. She knew she had to carve out a new life for herself.

She didn’t see the little town going about its dusty business outside her window. She didn’t even see her father sitting next to her. She only saw the days and months and years ahead. They floated before her eyes as a vision of promise. They called to her to bend her back to the work of building the land and the next generation on the fertile soil of the Frontier.

You don’t have to do this, Simon insisted. "Lots of other