Troubled Bride: Matchmaker & Co., #5

By Cynthia Woolf

Olivia Hayes wasn't born a liar or a cheat, but circumstances have forced her to play a role she never wanted or imagined for herself. The letters she sends to a well-to-do rancher in Colorado promising to be his mail-order bride are lies, all the same. Desperate for money to care for her ill mother, Olivia had no intention of following through with the contract she signed with Matchmaker & Company. That is, until her mother passes away unexpectedly, she's left penniless and homeless and the owner of the matchmaking company gives her a choice; go to Colorado and be the bride she promised she would be, or go to jail.

Determined to embrace her fate with an open mind, Olivia sets off to meet her new husband, the handsome rancher, Tyler Wainwright. However, life for Olivia is never easy and she is the lone witness to a brutal murder along the way. Forced to flee her new, powerful enemy, she runs straight into Tyler's arms.

Will the killer sent to silence her forever complete his mission? Will Olivia's lies lead to her death or will love and truth be enough to give Olivia and Tyler a happily-ever-after?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Firehouse Publishing
• Release date: May 20, 2021
• ISBN: 9781954996311

Cynthia Woolf

Cynthia Woolf is the award winning and best-selling author of twelve historical western romance books and two short stories with more books on the way. She was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends. Their closest neighbor was about one quarter of a mile away, so her little brother was her playmate and her best friend. That fierce friendship lasted until his death in 2006. Cynthia was and is an avid reader. Her mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week. This is where young Cynthia first got the storytelling bug. She wrote her first story at the age of ten. A romance about a little boy she liked at the time. Cynthia loves writing and reading romance. Her first western romance Tame A Wild Heart, was inspired by the story her mother told her of meeting Cynthia’s father on a ranch in Creede, Colorado. Although Tame A Wild Heart takes place in Creede that is the only similarity between the stories. Her father was a cowboy not a bounty hunter and her mother was a nursemaid (called a nanny now) not the ranch owner.   Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and the great friends she's made at CRW for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.   TITLES AVAILABLE   NELLIE – The Brides of San Francisco 1 ANNIE – The Brides of San Francisco 2 CORA – The Brides of San Francisco 3 JAKE (Book 1, Destiny in Deadwood series) LIAM (Book 2, Destiny in Deadwood series) ZACH (Book 3, Destiny in Deadwood series)     CAPITAL BRIDE (Book 1, Matchmaker & Co. series) HEIRESS BRIDE (Book 2, Matchmaker & Co. series) FIERY BRIDE (Book 3, Matchmaker & Co. series) TAME A WILD HEART (Book 1, Tame series) TAME A WILD WIND (Book 2, Tame series) TAME A WILD BRIDE (Book 3, Tame series) TAME A SUMMER HEART (short story, Tame series)     WEBSITE – www.cynthiawoolf.com   NEWSLETTER - http://bit.ly/1qBWhFQ    

Book preview

Chapter One

Friday, June 26, 1873

New York City, New York

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After a full day at the office of Matchmaker & Co, Olivia Hayes stopped to get the mail before trudging up one floor. She and her mother shared the one-bedroom apartment provided to the manager of the Matchmaker & Co. office down below. She’d made it a habit to open the mail in the hall outside the apartment so her mother wouldn’t see the hospital bills. She opened the envelope from the hospital and looked down at the bill in her hand. It was for a fortune—one-hundred and fifty dollars. Her hand shook as her arm dropped to her side.

She leaned against the wall, her stamina waning. If only Olivia could get him—Mr. Tyler Wainwright of Golden, Colorado—to send her the bride money. After all she’d corresponded with him twice in the last month pretending to be a bride so he would send the money.

She knew it was wrong, but she didn’t have any choice. Her mother needed to be hospitalized again but the institution would not treat her without being paid in full for the last admission. And the bill was going up every month with interest on the unpaid amount.

The next envelope she opened was from Tyler Wainwright. It contained a note and the money she requested to get her to Golden as quickly as possible. In the note, he also stated the reason he needed a wife so quickly. He had a newborn baby that needed a mother.

Her hand flew to her mouth, holding in her sob of gratitude and dismay. Now, Olivia had the money for her mother. It would take her forever to pay Mr. Wainwright back, but she would find him a real bride, one who would be right for him and his baby.

Olivia held the bill from the hospital indicating they had room for her mother as well as the envelope with the cash they would need to start treatment. She could get her mother well. She’d worry later about Mr. Wainwright who still hadn’t received his bride.

Maggie Black, a friend of Mr. Wainwright and the owner of Matchmaker & Co. sent her a telegram with explicit instructions…Mr. Wainwright’s bride was to be on the train today. That couldn’t happen. Her mother was critically ill and she would not leave her.

She tucked the money into her reticule and went inside to get her mother. Mama, I’m home. Olivia hung up her jacket and leaned her umbrella against the wall. She saw her mother lying on the couch, sleeping as she usually did. Normally she awoke as soon as Olivia came in, but today something seemed wrong. Olivia moved closer and saw that her mother wasn’t breathing.

No! Mama! I got the money, Mama. Please, don’t be gone. Please, God. Olivia fell to her knees next to the sofa, laid her head on her mother’s stomach and wept. Finally, she stopped crying and wiped her eyes. She needed to get the police. But first, she went to the undertaker and made the arrangements while she still had the money to do so. Then she went to the police station and reported the death of her mother.

The police took down all the information and then accompanied her back home. Two policemen placed her mother on a stretcher and took her to the coroner. After talking to Olivia and doing a cursory exam of the body, he determined she’d had a heart attack and then released the body to the undertaker.

Olivia was the only person that her mother knew, which was why she did not have a funeral, just a graveside service the next day. The undertaker seemed happy to provide the service so quickly. Afterward, she went to the telegraph office and sent a wire to Maggie.

Maggie. I do not have a bride for Mr. Wainwright. Never did. I needed the money for Mother’s hospital bill, but I was too late and she died at home. I will return his money. I’m sorry to have betrayed your trust in me and therefore, resign as soon as a suitable replacement can be found.

She went back to Matchmaker & Co.’s office and began the process of boxing up the files for shipment to Golden and Matchmaker’s office there.

Olivia didn’t have long to wait for Maggie’s reply. A boy arrived with a telegram for her not a full hour after she had returned to the office. She gave him a dime and opened the missive.

Olivia,

I do not accept your resignation. You will become Tyler’s bride, or I will press charges and I know you don’t want that. He sent the money in good faith for his bride. You’ll use the money left, travel to Golden and marry Tyler…in good faith, as soon as possible. Ask Johanna Barnes if she would like a job. You indicated she was not happy with her marital prospects.

Maggie

Olivia’s heart pounded and she smashed her hand on the desk. She didn’t want to marry Mr. Tyler Wainwright, but she didn’t have a choice. It was either that or jail. Maggie was giving her a chance to redeem herself and keep her word. After pretending to be his bride by writing him letters inferring she would be willing to marry him, she should marry him. He didn’t deserve to be hurt by her ruse.

Hadn’t she always dreamed of a husband and children of her own? Being raised by her mother, who’d been abandoned by Olivia’s father when she told him she was expecting, Olivia learned to never mention marriage around her. That’s what her father had promised her mother, but he’d never meant to marry her. Janine Hayes was used and abandoned, and it affected her mental stability. Olivia felt lucky to have reached age twelve before she had to help her mother to cope with the world.

After dressing in her best blue dress, the one she’d bought last year before her mother got sick, Olivia packed her bags. She knew she’d need her wool clothes. Maggie had mentioned more than once how cold the winters were. Olivia wore her heavy wool coat even though it was hotter than Hades outside. She shook her head, sad at the thought that all her belongings could fit into two carpetbags.

Olivia left the small apartment above the office and walked next door to the brownstone boarding house where the prospective brides lived.

The three ladies that lived there were all kind and had expressed their condolences at her mother’s passing. Lori, she said to the girl in the living room. Would you get Johanna and send her to the kitchen, please?

Sure, said the petite redhead with a smattering of freckles across her nose. She headed upstairs.

Johanna, a tall, plain woman with dirty blonde hair and a sallow complexion arrived in the kitchen. What can I do for you, Olivia?

I’m leaving today. I’m going West to Golden as a mail-order bride. Would you rather have a job than be a bride?

I would. I never wanted to be a bride anyway. I just had no other options, said Johanna Barnes, the oldest of the brides currently residing at the boarding house.

Olivia took her to the office and explained the process. I had begun the process of preparing the files for shipment to Golden, but that is not necessary so you’ll have to unbox the files first.

I can do that, said Johanna who took no time at all before she had the procedures down correctly.

Then when young women contact you about becoming mail-order brides, you’ll need to make files and see if you can match them to customers, gentlemen we already have in our files.

That won’t be a problem. Johanna assured her.

Olivia gave her the keys to the office and to the brownstone. I’ll give you the apartment keys tomorrow before I leave.

The following morning, Olivia dropped the apartment keys off at the Matchmaker & Co. office. Then she picked up her two carpet bags and headed to the train station.

She was almost to the station when she heard a disturbance down the alley she was passing. It was exceedingly early in the morning and there was no one else on the street near her so Olivia stopped and looked toward the voices. She saw New York’s mayor, Samuel Jones pointing a gun at a man on his knees with another dark haired man in a black suit standing near the mayor. She couldn’t hear what was being said, but suddenly a gunshot sounded and the man kneeling dropped to the ground.

Olivia gasped.

Both the mayor and the man in black looked up.

The mayor fired at her. Stop that woman, Edgar. Now.

She took off running toward the train station and looked behind her once. The tall, slender man was running after her. She ran into the station and hurried to the ticket window. Looking behind her, she didn’t see the man called Edgar, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t there. That station was crowded with people getting on some trains and off of others. At the window, she took the money Mr. Wainwright sent and bought a ticket to Denver. She looked behind her for the man following her but didn’t see him. Olivia ran out onto the platform and boarded the train. She was sure the man, Edgar, must have followed her onto the train, but she watched and didn’t see anyone board after she did. Of course, there were so many people, it would have been easy for her to miss him boarding the train. The train took off less than five minutes after she got on. Thank God.

The train trip took six days. Olivia estimated the trip would have been half as long if there weren’t so many stops. She did, however, appreciate the different parts of the country they went through.

In New York, she never saw much greenery. She could have gone to the park on her day off, but she was usually too busy, doing laundry and cleaning the tiny apartment she had shared with her mother.

Tyler Wainwright had a baby who was now approximately three months old, and he needed someone to care for her. Olivia had been volunteering for years at the orphanage, specifically with the babies. She knew how to care for one as well as she knew the back of her hand, but she’d also packed her book on caring for children, so she would be able to care for the child, Josie, immediately.

The never changing landscape once they’d reached the Great American Desert, roughly the land east of the Rocky Mountains and west of the Missouri River, had given her plenty of time to read and refresh her knowledge on the care of babies.

She passed through lush green fields of corn and forests of every tree she could possibly imagine. Those landscapes were vastly different to the country around Denver. It tended to be wide-open prairie with a few stands of trees, kind of like she imagined a desert oasis would look like. The Rocky Mountains were miles away west of the city and looked purple in the