Southern Belle: Frontier Mail-Order Bride Romance Series, #2

By Zoe Matthews

This short story is a prequel to the "Mail-order Brides of America" series. 

Elizabeth is from a very prestigious family in North Carolina. She falls in love with Thomas when she is 16 and they marry a few years later. Elizabeth is so happy to have found love and is excited to start a family. One of her greatest wishes is to be a mother.

She soon finds that she is expecting a child, but complications arise and she is hit with a great heartache when her baby dies. Thomas has a difficult time seeing her suffering and decides to take matters into his own hands, helping her see that life sometimes can take a different course than planned, but that path can be a good one. 

When Elizabeth finally understands and sees Thomas' vision of their future, she embraces it. With Thomas' help, they open their home to orphan girls in honor of their daughter. Throughout the ensuing years, they help many young girls have a better life, and some of them become mail-order brides that choose husbands who live in different places in the United States.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mely
• Release date: Aug 4, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386263906

Book preview

SOUTHERN BELLE

Mail-Order Brides of America:  Prequel

Written by Zoe Matthews

Copyright © 2016

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction.  All characters, names, places and events are the product of the author's imagination and used fictitiously.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

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Chapter 1

Summer of 1875

ELIZABETH STOOD IN her room, preparing herself for her first dance.  She was 17 years old and this was her coming out party and ball when she would be presented to society.  She sat at her dressing table, trying to sit still as her maid did her hair, but this was difficult since she was so excited to be able to attend her first dance.  

She just knew she was going to meet the man of her dreams that evening.  After all, her best friend, Patricia, had met Steven a few months ago, and they were practically engaged to be married.  Elizabeth’s mother had also met her father at her own coming out party and they were married only a year later.

Her little sister, Katherine, was sitting on a chair watching Elizabeth prepare for her big night.  Katherine chatted the entire time and kept asking questions that Elizabeth had no answers for.  She was 12 years old and looked up to her big sister.  Elizabeth knew Katherine wished she could go to the party and ball, just to observe, but she was still a child, and children were not invited to these types of events.

Elizabeth sighed with relief when her Aunt Felicia swept into the room.  She knew that Aunt Felicia would immediately find something else to occupy Katherine and soon the child was sent on her way.

Elizabeth studied her aunt out of the corner of her eye.  Her aunt had pulled out the gown Elizabeth was to wear that evening, looking it over with a critical eye.  Aunt Felicia would be her chaperone for the evening, taking the place of her mother who had died giving birth to her younger brother, Robert.  She was grateful for Aunt Felicia’s help and guidance, but she couldn’t help but wish her mother would be there to share this evening with her.

"Nellie, this gown needs to be brushed again. See that it is