Scars of the Heart: Brides of Lilac Grove

By Kristene Holloway

Will their pasts keep them apart? Or can love heal their scars?

 

Adelaide Harris is seeking a new future. Jilted, she heads West, beginning a new chapter of her life as a mail-order bride in a marriage of convenience, determined to never fall in love again. However, she is about to discover that fate has other plans in store for her.

 

Jackson Preston is haunted by his past. He has no idea that the day he buries his father will be the day his whole world is upended – by his late father's bride-to-be.  Convinced she could never love him because of his disfigured face, Jackson wrestles with emotions he has long since buried. Believing Jackson only has platonic feelings for her, Adelaide struggles to reconcile that fact in her head while her heart is telling her the opposite. Can they realize their mistakes before it is too late?

 

Scars of the Heart is the first book in Kristene Holloway's debut clean and sweet, historical western romance series. If you like an engaging story, full of intriguing characters with heart and depth, focused on friendship, family, community, and, above all -romance, then you will love this heartwarming first installment of the debut series Brides of Lilac Grove.

 

Buy Scars of the Heart to discover this delightfully romantic series today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kristene Holloway
• Release date: Apr 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201236069

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

ALBANY, NEW YORK, 1886

The man in the small black and white photograph stared back at her. Adelaide Harris had paused in her packing to once again study the image of her soon-to-be husband. It still felt a bit odd - when she paused long enough for the excitement and the nervousness to quiet inside of her. She would soon be Mr. AJ Preston’s bride. And a mail order bride, at that.

AJ Preston was tall and strong and looked younger than his fifty-eight years. He did not smile; though most people did not smile for photographs, there definitely appeared to be a hardness about him. However, Adelaide had learned long ago not to judge people by their photographs, or appearances in general for that matter. Had Mr. Preston judged her by her appearance in a photograph, she most certainly would not be about to move her entire life to the Territory of Montana. Shaking her head, Adelaide placed the photograph, along with the letters he had sent her, into her valise. If someone had told her a year ago that she would be trading her role as a governess to travel halfway across the country and marry a man she had never met, she would have told them they were crazy.

The overly dramatic gasps and sighs from across the room caused Adelaide Harris to look up and study her young charge. Lucy Adams perched on the vanity stool in the corner of her governess’s room, gripping the newspaper article that she was reading. Her eyes and mouth alternated, both widening and narrowing, as Lucy furiously scanned the words on the page. Adelaide would have found it amusing - had the topic of the article itself not made her so concerned.

The article was about a young woman that had traveled to Arizona as a mail-order bride. Along the way, the stagecoach was robbed. During the incident, the young woman noticed a distinct scar on the hand of one of the bandits. Luckily, everyone was unharmed during the incident, and the coach continued on to its destination. The young woman was met by her future husband, and all seemed to be well. They went to the justice of the peace to be married and even made their vows. But when the man signed the marriage license, the poor woman recognized the scar. Her new husband was one of the men who had robbed her!

Six months ago, a story like that might have amused both of them, even with the feelings of pity for the poor young woman. They would have discussed it over tea between afternoon lessons and probably speculated as to what ultimately happened to the poor bride. But now, Adelaide was packing up her own bags to follow in the footsteps of that woman, joining the ranks of hundreds, if not thousands, of women heading West in search of a new love and a new life.

Lucy, the young girl that Adelaide had come here to serve as a governess for these past four years, was no longer a little girl. She was now a young woman. And she would be starting a new finishing school in the fall after a European Tour with her parents. That reality had been a major reason behind Adelaide’s decision.

Adelaide had grown so close to Lucy that she found it hard to imagine starting out somewhere new as a governess. It was honestly another sentiment she had struggled with. When she first started out in her career, Adelaide could not even fathom doing anything else with her life. Now, at twenty-seven, after nine years of being a governess with multiple families, she just did not feel the excitement she used to.

Lucy finally finished the article, which only became apparent when her dramatic breathing subsided. The young lady looked a bit bemused. "I’m sure your future husband-to-be is not a stagecoach robber!" she told Adelaide quite matter-of-factly.

Now Adelaide did laugh. The sound reassured them both. I am sure as well, she sighed, moving with a handful of clothing from the dresser to her trunk. "But truth be told, I am a little nervous."

Lucy spoke up immediately. You can always change your mind and come with us to Europe. Maybe you could meet a husband there.

Adelaide smiled warmly at Lucy. How she would miss this kind, sweet girl. She slowly shook her head. She already knew there was no chance she would catch the eye of a man within the social circles of Lucy’s family. Alas, she would always be the governess in that world, the help.

Adelaide had been orphaned when she was a young girl. When her parents died, she had the great luck of being taken in by her Great Aunt Bess. Her aunt had never married and was a teacher in upstate New York. It had been a simple life, but Aunt Bess had worked hard to give Adelaide a pleasant childhood. It was a time that Adelaide remembered with great fondness.

Then, when Adelaide was twelve, her aunt arranged for her to attend a boarding school for girls in New York City, run by a woman her aunt had gone to school with. Adelaide had worked hard there, getting excellent marks and becoming a favorite of the headmistress. It was the headmistress who had arranged her first position as a governess. And that had been her life for the last decade.

And while she had an immense amount of charm and wit and kindness, she was not what most would call a beauty. Truth be told, some days, she didn’t even feel particularly pretty. She was tall and plain and honestly felt she lacked any attributes that might be considered positive regarding her looks. However, she certainly was neither ugly nor unkempt. Adelaide took great care to make sure that she was very well put together every day. She was just remarkably plain.

Adelaide shot a side glance at her reflection in the standing mirror as she passed by. Well, perhaps her eyes could be considered an asset. They were a pretty shade, cobalt blue, just like her mother’s. And it was reassuring to see her mother’s eyes looking back at her in the mirror every day. Aside from that, a mirror for Adelaide was merely a tool to make sure her hair was tightly pinned, and her dress was clean and pressed. While many women might lament their lack of beauty, as many did at the boarding school -whether it was legitimate or not – Adelaide had accepted the fact young. She was no great beauty, but that did not have to stop her from enjoying life.

Lucy’s sigh interrupted Adelaide’s thoughts. "Well, I still think it is terribly romantic. I'm certain that your new husband will be wonderful and kind and simply perfect."

Adelaide couldn’t help smiling at Lucy’s young, romantic optimism. And honestly, Adelaide felt a touch of that hope as well. For the first time in a very long time, she was excited. Nervous, yes. But honestly looking forward to this next chapter of her life. Yet, she was determined not to go into this with blinders on. AJ Preston was much older than her by three decades. His letters had said he had a modest homestead in a small town in the Territory of Montana, enough so that she would not have to worry about her future. He had not divulged his net worth, but she was completely honest and informed him that she had fifteen hundred dollars in savings. A portion was from her salary and most from an inheritance from her parents. The fact that he had indicated that money was hers and it would remain in her name was reassuring.

Adelaide had been very honest with him from the beginning, as the mail-order bride catalog suggested she should, describing her brown hair, blue eyes, and her five-foot-eight frame. And she had sent her most recent photo, so there would be no surprises for him when she got there. Adelaide took the fact that he had not written to tell her not to come as a good sign. He had been upfront with her, stating that his motivation for the marriage was mostly because he was a widower with a young daughter that needed ‘guidance,’ which had been his exact word. In a way, she found it ironic that she would obviously be drawing on her skills as a governess in her new life as a mail-order bride.

Yes, perhaps he will be wonderful and perfect. Just so long as he isn’t a stagecoach robber, Adelaide added with a wink.

I don’t know. You might even be better off with a stagecoach robber over that scoundrel Christopher, Lucy pouted, crossing her arms in defiance.

Ah, Christopher. The man who had inadvertently begun this entire mail-order bride adventure. He was also Adelaide’s proof that she would never belong in the world of Lucy’s family and friends. Christopher Pendleton was the oldest son of the family with whom Adelaide was first placed as a governess - as a tutor for his younger sisters. Christopher was a year older than Adelaide, and the two quickly became very good friends. That friendship had lasted nearly a decade, surviving Christopher’s years at university and then years touring abroad. Christopher had an adventurous spirit, he often told her, and was loathe to settle down and begin work at his father’s law firm. Over the years, they would write when he was away and always spent a considerable amount of time together when he was home, even after she moved on to other governess jobs.

Adelaide still chided herself regularly for being so naive. Somehow, she had honestly thought that one day, when he was ready, she and Christopher would be married. To her young and inexperienced heart, it just seemed like the natural order of things.

Eight months ago, that dream came to an abrupt and heartbreaking end. After three months in France, Christopher had come calling almost as soon as he was home. The weather had been unseasonably cold. The air was biting, and the grey clouds in the sky that October day had been ominous. But Christopher’s excitement had been contagious.

They went for a long walk down to one of their favorite parks, settling down on a somewhat secluded bench. He had taken both of her hands then, smiling joyfully. For several glorious moments, Adelaide swam in the bliss of anticipation. She was certain his smile was for her, and she waited with bated breath for him to declare his love. Instead, he told her he was in love - with someone else…and he was going to marry that someone else.

Adelaide had been devastated. To her credit, she had not fallen apart in front of him. If she remembered correctly, she even had the fortitude to congratulate him. Once home, though, she took to her bed, feigning illness for three days.

The only other person aware of her heartbreak was Lucy. The sweet girl did her best to take care of Adelaide, bringing her meals and tea, and doing everything she could think of to cheer Adelaide up. Adelaide was grateful for Lucy. Though they had become close over the last four years, it was at that time that their relationship solidified into one of true friendship. But her heartbreak was anguish. Oddly, she found that she grieved as much for the life she imagined she lost as much as her relationship with Christopher.

She was simultaneously angrier than she had been in her entire life, which surprised her. She was angry with Christopher, of course, but mostly with herself. She should have known that her childish fancies were not a possibility for her. Instead, she had allowed herself to live in a fantasy world. She would never do that to herself again. By the time she emerged from her bedroom three days later, Adelaide had steeled herself against the heartache and vowed she would never do that to herself again.

A couple of months later, Adelaide and Lucy were visiting some shops in town in search of Christmas gifts. In hindsight, Adelaide suspected that Lucy had picked the specific store, one they rarely visited, when she just happened upon a catalog for mail-order brides. At first, she assumed that Lucy was just making a joke. But the younger woman had persisted. However, Adelaide absolutely refused to stand at the counter at the front of the store, perusing through the catalog. So, while she wasn’t looking, Lucy bought a copy to take home. It was sitting on Adelaide’s bed when she retired that night. She stuffed it into the nightstand drawer, certain she would promptly forget about it.

However, the seed had been planted, and the idea began to take root. What at first seemed like an absurd idea, traveling two thousand miles to marry a stranger, soon became a sentiment that was making more and more sense to her. It was a way that she could both deal with her newfound aversion to her profession and hopefully heal from her heartache. Adelaide also realized that a marriage of convenience could be the solution to never getting her heart broken again.

It was only a few days before curiosity overthrew her restraint. She was both intrigued and a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of advertisements. Surprising herself, Adelaide had to admit that as she read more and more, her feelings of excitement began to grow. If anything, it was a pleasant distraction from thinking about Christopher and his new bride-to-be. Here were straightforward, honest ads by men who were looking for a woman, perhaps a woman like her. Some were serious, some were humorous, and a few were even attempted in terrible poetry. But all of them seemed practical and straightforward about what the man was looking for and what a woman could expect. And the most appealing part to her was that there was no expectation for love.

On a whim, she began to write a couple of letters. And then a couple more. She had adamantly refused to place her own personal advertisement. But she wrote to some of the men who interested her. As she did, she slowly began imagining a brand-new life.

At first, she did not get any responses. Then she got two on the same day, no less, from men that matter-of-factly stated she was too tall. That was incredibly disheartening, given she had always been self-conscious about her height. But then she got a nice one from a man in Oklahoma; however, his penmanship was particularly difficult to read. And she got one from California, but both she and Lucy agreed his story seemed a bit fishy.

When AJ’s letter arrived, Adelaide had almost given up on the idea altogether. However, besides his age, AJ did not seem to have any glaring issues. As the two corresponded in the first few months of the year, Adelaide began to believe that he could be the one.

Although Lucy liked to swoon over the romance of the situation, AJ’s letters seemed to hint that this would be a true marriage of convenience, without much room for emotions. That was perfect for Adelaide. The reality and practicality of the mail-order bride arrangement was the reassurance that she needed. And keeping her heart intact for the rest of her life was something that Adelaide could hold onto.

As sage advice dictates, as the months progressed and Adelaide began to imagine her new life, Christopher began to fade farther and farther into the recesses of her mind. Now, she barely thought of him. When Lucy had just said his name, Adelaide felt nothing, a marked improvement from the vise that used to tighten around her whenever she thought of him. If anything, there was just a part of her that missed her friend. And that part wished she could sit with Christopher at their park and share with him all of her excitement about the bold adventure on which she was about to embark.

Suddenly, Lucy was running across the room at her, throwing herself into Adelaide's arms. Oh, I will miss you so! she cried. Please tell me you will write often?

Adelaide hugged Lucy tight. For a moment, Lucy seemed just like that young fourteen-year-old that Adelaide had first come to govern.

Of course! she assured her. And you write too. I want to hear all about your tour, as well as your new school this fall.

I promise I will write every day.

The two held their embrace, each reluctant to let the other go.

CHAPTER TWO

LILAC GROVE, MONTANA Territory

Jackson Preston stood over the open grave of his father. The coffin had already been lowered six feet into the earth. The grave diggers waited patiently at the edge of the cemetery for Jackson to finish paying his respects, even though everyone in town, including the two men leaning on their shovels, knew that there was not much respect in the Preston family. The only thing that there was less of was love.

The gravestone was the largest and most ornate in the Lilac Grove cemetery, just as AJ Preston had wanted it. AJ had planned the event of his own death a decade ago, having the stone crafted and planted at the site to await the day his body would join it. He had purchased ten plots in the entire northeast corner of the cemetery. Taking advantage of the natural landscape, AJ had the solitary headstone placed on a grassy mound that elevated it above all the rest. Truth be told, the headstone was probably the largest in the whole Territory of Montana. It dwarfed the other grave markers scattered throughout the rather large fenced plot. The cemetery was nestled in the small hollow between the town’s two churches on the northwest side of town.

It was also early in the morning. AJ Preston had left strict instructions in his will that he was to be buried at sunrise. Standing at the grave sight, one would see the sun’s rays shining out - as if originating from the headstone itself - as the sun rose in the east. True to form, AJ had not put any consideration into the inconvenience of a sunrise funeral for those who attended.

Jackson’s jaw muscle twitched, making the jagged, angry scars that ran down his face ripple. He stared hard at the lavish casket that AJ had commissioned and shipped in from St. Louis. His dark brown hair, longer than he usually kept it, fell forward over his brown eyes as he held his black Stetson in his hands in front of him.

Jackson sighed, asking himself why he could not manage to