Lawyer Bride: Sweet Historical Mail Order Brides of Tribilane, #4

By MaryAnn Burnett

After spending three years studying her uncle's extensive law library, Caroline Ford had a better knowledge of the law than most men receiving certificates to practice law. However, she had one thing working against her. She was a woman.
Justin VanHeusen needed a bride or he ran the risk of losing the property he'd worked so hard for.
If Caroline helps Justin keep his dream, will he help her with her dream?
Can she live with the terms of their marriage of convenience?

MAIL ORDER BRIDES OF TRIBILANE SERIES
Short 01 Double Wedding - Annie and George
Short 02 Telegraph Bride - Elizabeth and William
Short 03 Sheriff's Bride - Suzanna and Caleb
Short 04 Lawyer Bride - Caroline and Justin
Short 05 Christmas Bride – Jenna and Matthew
Short 06 Blacksmith's Bride - Etta and Karl

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In this story, Lawyer Bride, I wanted to show the determination of career pioneers who believed women could be anything they wanted. Women like Caroline, the heroine of this story, paved the way so one hundred years later women could be lawyers, engineers, doctors and astronauts.

For Caroline Ford, I wanted someone who had access to an extensive law library and a reason to open that first book and read it. But she also had to be willing to pack everything up to take a chance on her dream.

For Justin VanHeusen,  I wanted someone who was self-made and would understand the need to follow a dream.

I hope you enjoy their story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Spanielhill Publishing
• Release date: Dec 4, 2015
• ISBN: 9781519917706

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Caroline Ford hurried to put away her uncle’s copy of Blackstone’s Commentaries when she heard the housekeeper coming down the hall. Talking to her uncle about her future would be hard enough without the woman biasing him against her for touching his copy of the legal text. Caroline sat back down in the leather wingback chair and opened Godey’s fashion journal just in time.

Miss Caroline, the woman said haughtily with her head tilted so she could look down her nose. Your uncle will be home from the mill office at precisely noon for his supper. Don’t make him wait.

Caroline bit her tongue and instead said, Yes, ma’am. I’ll be down directly.

Once. Once in six years of living with her uncle, she had been late to the table. And that had been the first week she’d been here, while she still cried herself to sleep over losing her parents.

The woman’s needling was getting worse. For a servant, she acted like mistress of the house. Unfortunately, Caroline’s uncle did nothing to put the woman in her place. Caroline often wondered if her uncle encouraged the woman as a way to keep an eye on Caroline.

Putting down the fashion journal, she pulled the letter out of her pocket. It had come in today’s post. She’d intercepted the postman before the housekeeper could and slipped the missive in her pocket. Caroline felt the thrill as she once again opened the letter.

Dear Mr. C. Ford,

Your understanding of the law is impeccable. However, before we can accept you to practice law, there was information missing from your application that we need addressed. Namely, where did you apprentice when reading the law and who is sponsoring you?

The last few years of reading and studying every legal text in her uncle’s extensive library had been worth it. She proved in written form that she understood the law as well as anyone. Now she just needed to ask her uncle to be her sponsor. There were no women lawyers in Massachusetts, or anywhere in the country for that matter, but she could find no legal reason why she could not be the first.

With the realization of her dreams within her grasp, she tucked the letter back in her pocket and walked toward the dining room with a light heart.

CHAPTER TWO

No. Her uncle stated calmly as he folded his napkin and placed it carefully on the table. I will not be the laughing stock of this commonwealth by being the one to sponsor a woman to the court.

But— Caroline started to pull the letter out of her pocket.

The matter is closed. He shook his napkin open and placed it back on his lap. Besides, you will be too busy planning your wedding.

My wedding? Caroline looked at him in disbelief. How had the conversation turned from her becoming a lawyer to a wedding?

Yes, young Smithson will do nicely. He is a foreman with good ideas. I will promote him to manager when you marry.

Mr. Lester Smithson? He works those poor women and girls on the looms far harder than needed.

Yes, exactly. His looms are far more productive than the other sections.

The women in his section are injured more than any other section. Caroline had seen the reports on her uncle’s desk.

That is neither here nor there. There are plenty more girls to keep the looms running. That is not our worry. Her uncle kept eating. The thought of those injured women in his factory of no more consequence than deciding on a new rug for