The Blacksmith's Bride: Brides of Birch Creek

By Laura D. Bastian

Marriage was never her plan until her inheritance depended on it. He just wants a family to call his own. Can they find a happy ever after even with such different backgrounds?

Susan Hanson's life is anything but normal. When her eccentric uncle leaves her a fortune but tells her she must marry to inherit it, she looks at her options and hates the idea of choosing one of the stuffy men of her acquaintance. Especially since the only thing they would want her for is her money. If marriage is what it takes to get her fortune, Susan is determined to do it her own way.
Michael Clark has always wanted someone to call his own. First his parents, then his uncle and cousin die, leaving him without a solid place in the world. He's welcomed by the good people of Birch Creek in the Idaho Territory, but he wants a family. Since women are hard to come by, he does the most logical thing he can. He orders a bride from New York.
When Susan decides to answer Michael's advertisement, figuring it's a better choice all around than what's in New York for her, she's certain it's for the best. The first moment they meet, Michael and Susan know marriage is the next step but with her oddities, and his old fashioned views, can the two of them actually build a life together?

Formerly part of the Book Club series including time travel. Has been rewritten and released without the time travel aspect.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Laura D. Bastian
• Release date: Jul 23, 2019
• ISBN: 9798223762522

Book preview

The Blacksmith's Bride

Brides of Birch Creek

Book 1

(Formerly part of the Book Club series with a Fairy Godmother who could grant wishes)

A Golden Valley Story

By

Laura D. Bastian

***

Susan Hanson’s life is anything but normal. When her eccentric uncle leaves her a fortune, but tells her she must marry to inherit it, she looks at her options and hates the idea of choosing one of the stuffy men of her acquaintance. Especially since the only thing they would want her for is her money. If marriage is what it takes to get her fortune, Susan is determined to do it her own way.

Michael Clark has always wanted someone to call his own. First his parents, then his uncle and cousin die, leaving him without a solid place in the world. He’s welcomed by the good people of Birch Creek in the Idaho Territory, but he wants a family. Since women are hard to come by, he does the most logical thing he can. He orders a bride from New York.

When Susan decides to answer Michael’s advertisement, figuring it’s a better choice all around than what’s in New York for her, she’s certain it’s for the best. The first moment they meet, Michael and Susan know marriage is the next step but with her oddities, and his old fashioned views, can the two of them actually build a life together?

***

Copyright © 2020 by Laura D. Bastian.

All rights reserved. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. No part of this book can be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without the express written permission of the author.

Cover Design by Lange House Press

Chapter One

Prologue

Susan Hanson leaned against the winged back chair and looked at her uncle’s lawyer.

What do you mean I’ll inherit some of Uncle Charles’ fortune? She shook her head numbly for a moment. I thought he had planned to donate it all to a university?

Mr. Parker merely shrugged. Your uncle has always done things his own way. He has established a fund for the university, but also wants to see you cared for.

Susan smiled at the thought of her uncle. He had raised her since her parents passed years ago and was so kind and understanding with her. He’d allowed her all sorts of freedoms and hadn’t required she follow all the strict rules of the society they lived in. In fact, she had been more free with him than any other young lady of her acquaintance could ever hope to be.

The lawyer cleared his throat briefly. He wants to talk to you first. He has indicated there will be some stipulations.

Of course, Susan said softly, then trying to keep the somber news from depressing her further she added, Uncle Charles will want to have one last chance to tease me.

Susan looked out the window of her uncle’s study that faced the gardens. Even without Uncle Charles’ inheritance, she still had a decent dowry that her parents had left her. Yet she could only access that once she turned thirty, or earlier if she were to choose marriage. If only her father hadn’t been such a stickler to old traditions and had been a little more freethinking like her mother. At least a marriage wasn’t required. She would just have to wait for another five years from now.

She had never expected to receive any extra monetary gifts from her uncle at his passing. He’d promised she would have the use of his home and a very small staff with a yearly stipend to pay the bills and provide food and shelter until she was old enough to have access to her inheritance.

If he had changed his mind and planned to give her money instead, that would free her from the worry of needing to consider marriage in the next few years. Not that she was against the institution of marriage. She just preferred to consider her options and avoid the type of men who circled around her.

More than once she’d been told that the Hanson family was too odd for the upper crust of New York state. Money wasn’t everything, they’d said. It was more about what you did with that money. Having an independent and outspoken personality had been encouraged by her mother as well as her uncle, but the rest of society had thought she should blend in more. Wear the fancy clothes everyone else ordered from the finer shops supplied by London and Paris fashions.

Susan had wanted to study at the university. She’d wanted to travel to Europe, India, and Asia to study the cultures there, but instead she had found herself orphaned, then raised by her uncle who was too ill to travel, but the perfect guardian who allowed her to study what she wanted to, and didn’t force her to attend the fancy events she’d been required to endure since she had turned fifteen.

The door to the office opened and Susan smiled at the butler who met her eyes. Your uncle will see you now.

Thank you, Harold. Susan stood and walked to the door and into the dimly lit room where her Uncle Charles had been practically bedridden for the last month.

Hello, Uncle. Susan kept her voice low and calm, not wanting to burden him with the emotions that were warring deep within. She had come to love him as much as, or possibly even more than her own parents. It had been hard to accept the doctor’s prognosis that he wouldn’t recover from this latest illness, but she couldn’t deny it any longer.

Susan, my dear child. It is time we talk seriously.

Susan bit her lip and nodded, swallowing hard to try to force down the lump beginning to grow in her throat. He never wanted to be serious.

There is no easy way to put this. I have debated over and over whether I should require this of you.

I’ll do anything you ask of me, Uncle Charles. She took his hand in her own, careful to not hurt him with her touch. His papery thin skin felt cold in her grip.

I’m afraid you won’t be happy with this. However, I’ve given it a lot of thought, and believe it is for the best.

Susan looked into his tired eyes. Instead of the twinkle of humor or mischief she’d always seen inside, she saw concern and love. What would you have me do?

I know we have always seen eye to eye on this subject. Matrimony for the sake of economic gain, or status or to impress others has been a ridiculous notion to both of us.

Susan nodded, though she feared what he would say next.

I still believe it is a foolish endeavor if pursued for those reasons. Yet with your mother’s marriage, I knew there was so much more between my dear sister and your father. It was never about posturing or gain or to be seen as better than others. Their union was one of love.

Susan smiled at the memory of her parents. They had always been close and incredibly happy together.

When I saw your inheritance from them had the stipulation of getting married to gain access to it, I thought that was such a stupid idea. Yet the more I have thought of what you will go through once I am gone, I believe marriage is an important next step.

What do you mean? Susan asked.

I will still keep my promise that you can live here while you adjust to your new circumstances, but after a six month mourning period, I’ll expect you to move on with your life. The house and all the furniture and possessions will be sold and the money given to the university. In order to be provided for, you’ll have to find yourself a husband.

Susan had known it was coming, but it was still such a surprise that he would say it.

He reached for her hand and patted it. I won’t force you to choose someone here that neither of us, nor your parents would have approved of. I do expect you to search for a potential spouse. You’ll have access to your parents’ inheritance for you once you wed, though it will be a few months before you can actually get the money from the bank. My dowry for you will be kept until a year after your marriage. Whatever man you choose must take you for who you are, not what money you’ll have. In order to be sure you won’t have any fortune hunters seeking you out, I’m going to still donate the bulk of my estate and fortune to the university.

As you should, Susan said, patting his hand. I know how important an education can be and making sure there are funds to provide for proper research is important.

The remorse in his gaze tore at her, though she wished she didn’t have to accept his stipulation that she marry.

I want you to find a man you can love. One who will treat you right and accept you for the incredible young woman you are. Uncle Charles weakly squeezed her hand. You deserve to be loved.

I have been loved, Uncle Charles. Susan leaned close and spoke softly. "I have