A New Window On the World: A Pair of Historical Romances

By Vanessa Carvo

Mary Finds Charles In The River – A woman, out riding near her favorite spot, finds a man lying in the river.

An Older Woman & The Cowboy Who Wants Children - Trapped in a loveless marriage, and after her husband’s suicide, Emma decides to become a mail order bride and after finding a rancher, she boards the train headed for California. There’s only one thing on her mind though; the rancher wants a family, and she’s thirty-five.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Oct 13, 2016
• ISBN: 9781365459061

Book preview

A New Window On the World: A Pair of Historical Romances

A New Window On the World: A Pair of Historical Romances

By

Vanessa Carvo

Copyright 2016 Quietly Blessed & Loved Press

Mary Finds Charles In The River

Synopsis: Mary Finds Charles In The River – A woman, out riding near her favorite spot, finds a man lying in the river.

The San Joaquin River was heaven on earth. Mary was convinced of the fact. This particular bend of the river was her special place. Just at the place where the river curved out of sight, the water quickened to boulder-studded rapids. Before that, it was a broad expanse of moving water, still, wide, and lined by all different kinds of trees. There was never another soul in sight, so Mary felt especially close to God here.

The only other living thing around that she could see besides the twittering birds, occasional splashing fish, or the rare fox that would slip back into the underbrush as suddenly as it had emerged was Abigail, Mary’s five-year-old bay brindle horse. Abigail was Mary’s special friend. The horse was perceptive and seemed to notice Mary’s moods.

She was also beautiful, an anomaly among other horses. Her dark brown coat was mottled with stripes and splotches of a lighter dun color. It gave her the appearance of always changing colors, and Mary had never known something so beautiful. To her, it was a testament to God’s power and creativity to know such a creature.

After Mary completed her chores each day at the farm, her parents permitted her to ride Abigail down to the river. Mary knew that it was a sacrifice for her parents. In truth, chores were never quite complete on the farm. There was always something to do, whether it was caring for the animals, maintaining the barn, cleaning the house, tending to the crops and garden, cooking, or canning and preserving food for the winter.

Mary’s parents always tried to think of her happiness, and allowed her to make the hour’s ride to the river. They knew how much she loved it there and how close she felt to God.

She had the distinction of being the only member of her family who knew how to read. Both her mother and her father had been forced to leave school early to help their respective families carve a life for themselves. It was with great trepidation that her parents had moved away from their families and to California to make their own farm, but it was shaping up to be one of their best decisions, they always said.

God was good, the land was fertile, and they were able to sell whatever they didn’t use at a good price in town.

Being the only one of them who could read — her parents understood how important education was even if they didn’t get it themselves — meant that Mary was also in charge of making the trip to town to sell their wares or pick up what supplies her parents needed at the farm.

Since their farm was so far away from anything else, Mary enjoyed these trips. She’d hitch Abigail up to the wagon before helping her mother and father load it up with whatever they intended to sell — eggs, butter, cheeses, potatoes, corn, carrots — often what they had extra of and drove it to town.

On the morning of her eighteenth birthday, Mary’s father surprised her with the gift of getting to skip her chores.

I don’t want the farm to suffer because of me, she said doubtfully.

Mary, you only turn eighteen once, Father told her. Go. Enjoy your special day. I know that you’d love nothing more than spending it at the river.

Mary’s face lit up with excitement. Her father did know her. She often wished that she could spend more time there, but didn’t like to leave the farm for too long.

Now, her father was practically forcing her to go to her favorite place and forgo morning chores. Mary threw her arms around his neck and kissed him before going to the kitchen.

There, she was surprised to find that her mother had made her Mary’s very favorite breakfast — griddlecakes drizzled with sweet honey.

Happy birthday, Mary, Mother said, kissing Mary on the forehead.

Thank you, Mary said, smiling at the meal. What a delicious surprise!

You just wait for dinner, Mother said, winking. I have more surprises in store. Are you going to the river?

Mary nodded happily, her mouth stuffed full of the hot griddlecake. She hated to wolf down such a special treat, but she was eager to get down to the river. There, she would catch up on her bible reading. There was no better place to read the word of the Lord than in his majestic creation.

Well, be careful, Mother said. I know you always are, but a mother worries about her only daughter.

Mary washed the griddlecake down with a swig of fresh milk.

I’ve been riding down there by myself since I was eight, she said, smiling. You don’t need to worry at all about me. I’ve been doing this for a whole decade.

Oh, my, Mother moaned, putting a hand to her own forehead. You make me feel so old, Mary.

After breakfast — her mother told her that she was under no circumstances to wash her dishes or clean up in any way after breakfast, since it was her birthday — Mary skipped off to the barn to saddle Abigail.

Even the mare seemed to sense something special about the day, snorting and tossing her head with considerable spirit.

It’s my birthday, Abigail, Mary said, leading the horse out by the bridle and saddling her up. The mottled colors on Abigail’s coat looked especially beautiful in the dusty sunlight of the barn.

They rode a familiar path through the farm and out into the wilderness of the forest at the edge of the property. Mary found that she hardly had to use the reins to guide Abigail anymore. The mare knew the way to the river just as well as Mary did.

Mary encouraged Abigail into a gallop, enjoying the