A Bride for Travis Read online

  ~ Abilene, Kansas: a year later ~

  A carriage rumbled down the lane prompting Travis to look up from his paperwork. He stood and walked to the front door. When the carriage pulled in close enough, he saw his sister, Virginia, and her husband, Simon, waving enthusiastically from the bench seat.

  “How was your trip to Denver?” Travis greeted.

  Simon grimaced. “It was a long train ride, and we were held up for three days in Hays while the railroad made repairs on the tracks.”

  “Don’t listen to him,” Virginia said, jumping down from the carriage. “We had a marvelous time. I got to visit with his cousin Leah—a lovely woman—while Simon attended the big horse auction.”

  Simon winked at Travis. “I bought two beauties: a palomino and a pinto.”

  “I hope you’ll stay for dinner. I’ve hired a fantastic cook, Hanna Bisset. She’s French, and she's making something called Chicken Provençal for dinner. I can’t pronounce half of her dishes, but they sure are tasty.”

  “Sounds too good to pass up,” Simon said.

  Over tea and coffee in the sitting room after dinner, Virginia asked Travis, “Are you ready for my news, darling brother?”

  “I bet I can guess,” Travis said. “You’re increasing?”

  Virginia pouted. “No, but maybe soon. This time, my news concerns you.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes. Simon’s cousin, Leah, shares a home with a pretty young woman named Lydia. Anyway, she wants to adopt an orphan from the orphan home where they both work, but the director told her she couldn’t adopt the child because she wasn’t married. I thought that maybe you could marry her—just until she gets the child—then you could have it annulled.”

  Travis straightened in his chair. “Have you been drinking, Virginia? That’s the most outrageous suggestion. I’m quite liking being single.”

  “Oh, but Travis, this little girl needs a family. Her father beat her mother to death and is in jail. The poor child adores Lydia. Like you, Lydia prefers to stay single, and she wants to rear the child herself. She has a good job as the Bible teacher at the orphanage.” Virginia took a breath and continued before Travis could interrupt. “The idea I had is that you marry her by proxy—you never have to meet her. That will make the annulment easier, since the consummation will have never taken place. It would mean so much to her, and she’s a delightful person. Just think: because of you, a poor little orphan would become the child of a doting mother. Please, think it over.”

  “So, the only thing stopping the adoption is that she’s single?” Travis asked.

  “Yes. I told her my idea and she's agreed to it. All you’d need to do is go to the church with the paperwork we had drawn up. You'd marry me, and she'd marry Harvey, the orphanage caretaker, but Harvey and I would just be standing in for you and Lydia.”

  Travis scratched his head. “And this is all legal?”

  “Yes. I’ve checked.”

  “I don’t know—”

  “You’ve said you don’t plan to marry anyway. What harm could it do, Travis?”

  Travis shrugged. “I don’t have to think it over…I’ll do it. You're right: it matters little to me. I don’t plan to ever marry, anyway. I haven't had much luck with mail order brides, since one was a disgusting drunk, and the other never showed up. The only single women I know are either too young, too old, or totally objectionable. If it will make some little orphan happy and provide her with a loving mother, I’ll do it. What have I got to lose?”

  Virginia rose and hugged her brother. “Oh, thank you, Travis. I’ll send a telegram to Leah and tell her.

  “One thing,” Travis said, disengaging his sister’s arms from around his neck, “we have to get it done quickly, because I’m leaving on a cattle drive in about ten days.”

  “I’ll get things going today.”

  A week later, Travis married Virginia—standing in for Lydia, in Abilene, Kansas, and Lydia married the caretaker, Harvey—standing in for Travis Bentley in Denver, Colorado.

  Afterward, Travis left for his cattle drive and never gave his “wedding” another thought.

  Chapter Three

  Lydia walked into Mr. Stanton’s office and handed him a packet of paperwork. “I’m married now, and I’d like to adopt Molly Landon," she told him proudly.

  Charles Stanton scanned the papers. “A marriage by proxy?” He scratched his head. “Is this legal?”

  “It’s recognized by the states of Kansas and Colorado.”

  “I see,” he said, still scanning the documents. “Is your husband coming to Colorado?”

  “He’s on a cattle drive, and…” Lydia hated to lie, so she paused in an effort to come up with the right words, “and he hopes to arrive at a later date.”

  Stanton shrugged and sat back in his chair with a sigh. “I guess we’ll draw up the necessary papers, but he’ll have to be here to sign them.”

  “Would it be all right if I mail him the papers to sign? He has to attend to his business affairs in Kansas, not to mention settling matters on his large ranch that needs his immediate attention.”

  “Where did you meet this…” Stanton looked at the paperwork, “Mr. Bentley?”

  “Through his sister, Virginia. She and Leah Cripps are cousins through marriage.”

  “Where will you two be living?”

  “We haven’t come to a firm agreement on that yet. Here, in Denver for now.”

  Charles Stanton stood. “I’ll have the paperwork ready as soon as I get the signed adoption papers back from Mr. Bentley.”

  For the next month, Lydia tried to spend as much time with Molly as she could. She often peeked in on her classroom or joined her in the playroom while she worried that Travis Bentley might be delayed on his cattle drive and unable to get back to sign the adoption papers.

  While she waited for Mr. Stanton to notify her that the paperwork had been completed, Lydia’s stomach churned with doubts and worry boggled her mind. What if Molly didn’t want a new mother? What if the cabin wasn’t the best place in which to raise a child? Could she be cheating Molly of a potential adoption by two parents? Although recent adoptions were rare, and most couples chose babies over the older children. Lydia decided she needed to have a talk with Molly to ease her mind.

  After Molly’s Bible study, Lydia called her aside. “Are you going to the playroom now?”

  Molly smiled up at her. “Yes.”

  “I’d like to have a brief talk with you, and then I’ll walk you to the playroom.”

  “All right!” Molly took the seat opposite Lydia who sat behind her desk.

  “Bring your chair around and sit beside me, Molly. This is a very important talk.”

  Molly moved her chair beside Lydia and looked up at her with a worried look. “Did I do something wrong?”

  “No, of course not.” Lydia patted Molly's little hand. “How do you like it here?”

  “It’s all right.”

  Lydia tensed, but she had to ask: “How would you feel about having a new mother?”

  Molly tilted her head in thought. “A stranger?”

  “No, not a stranger. Me! I would like to adopt you.”

  Molly’s eyes lit up, and her smile stretched nearly from ear to ear. “Yes!”

  “I know you loved your mother, and I can’t ever replace her in your heart, but I think I could be a very good second mother for you. You could come and live with me and my roommate, Miss Cripps, who works in the kitchen here. I would enroll you in a public school and buy you new clothes.”

  “Can I go home with you today?”

  “No, but soon. There’s paperwork that has to be completed, but I wanted to ask how you felt about it before I signed the papers.”

  Molly’s cheeks flushed with joy. “Will I have a father, too?”

  “Well, it’s a bit complicated. You’ll have one but only on paper. You see, I married him just so I could adopt you, but he won’t be coming to live with us. It’s sort of a paper marriage, bu
t that will be our secret.”

  “That’s all right,” Molly said. “Papas aren’t so nice to have because they sometimes hurt mamas.”

  Lydia pinched Molly’s cheek gently. “You won’t have to worry about that.”

  Leah and Lydia bought a small single bed and set it up in Lydia’s bedroom. The room was large, and her double bed, Molly’s single bed, a large wardrobe, a small dresser, and a floor mirror all fit nicely. There was even a place for a toy shelf for Molly and a space for her to play.

  Lydia had stopped at the general store and bought a ball, a doll, and a wooden horse for the doll to sit on. She placed them on the shelf. Lydia also made room in the wardrobe for the dresses she’d bought for Molly. She emptied out a dresser drawer and placed the underwear, stockings, and nightgowns inside. When she was done, she stood and brushed her hands together. Now, she knew she was ready, because she already felt like a mother.

  The day finally came. She received the documents from Mr. Stanton and waited impatiently for Molly to finish her school day so she could take her home.

  Lydia and Molly walked the few blocks to the cottage, hand in hand. Molly skipped along, trying to keep up with Lydia, for her new mother was so anxious to get home she’d forgotten how much shorter Molly’s steps were.

  She finally realized that she was walking too fast, and she slowed down. “See that house with the red roof?" Lydia pointed. "That’s home, Molly. For now, anyway.”

  Molly smiled. “I can’t wait to get there.”

  “Come along, then.” Lydia squeezed Molly’s hand. “I hope you like it.”

  Molly’s eyes grew large when she gazed around the sitting room. Though it was small, it held a large brown settee with mahogany claw legs, a table on each side of the settee, and a matching sofa on the adjacent wall. Across from the sofa, a brick fireplace graced the room with wood stacked inside it, waiting to be lit.

  Molly sat carefully on the sofa. She looked up at Lydia and smiled. “It’s pretty.”

  “Let me show you the kitchen,” Lydia said from the arch leading to the kitchen.

  Molly followed her. She gazed at the small kitchen and its wooden table and four chairs. “Can I see where I’ll be sleeping?”

  “Of course. You and I will share a room.” Lydia led her to the bedroom, and Molly gasped and ran to the toy shelf.

  “Are these for me?”

  “Yes.” Lydia opened the wardrobe. “And here are your new clothes.”

  Molly walked over to the clothes still clutching one of her new dolls. She ran her hand along the dresses. “Oh,” was all she said. She seemed a bit overcome.

  “I think we should go back out to the kitchen and see if we can find some cookies and milk while we wait for Aunt Leah to come home with our supper.”

  Lydia enrolled Molly in a public school a few blocks away from their cottage. She walked her to school each morning before work and picked her up at dismissal time.

  Lydia wondered how she’d gotten along without this sunshine in her life. Molly was bright, cheerful, bubbly, and she kept Lydia from her usual doldrums. She and Leah had been good friends for years, but Lydia had always yearned for something more, though she didn’t know what that something was. She’d been courted by John for quite a while, but she always felt that the two of them would never be anything more than friends.

  Lydia hadn’t thought much about marriage, unlike most young women. Having been raised in an orphanage, she’d never seen a real husband and wife relationship up close, so she had no desire to enter into a relationship she knew little about, though she’d always wanted a child. Ever since becoming an employee of the orphanage in which she’d grown up, she yearned to be a mother. She loved children. She’d always hoped for a daughter to dress and fuss over. The moment Molly had flown into her arms that first day, she knew the child was special.

  Now she had a husband that she need never meet—it was all so perfect.

  Her employment at the home included free meals, so Leah was allowed to bring home dishes of whatever they’d served at the orphanage that evening. Aunt Leah, as Molly called her, usually ate with them but some nights she went out with her beau, Howard Fetterman.

  Lydia would give Molly a bath in their large, kitchen sink and then tuck her into bed after reading her at least two bedtime stories.

  That night, Molly sat up in bed. “One more story, Mama…please?”

  A warm glow filled Lydia as this was the first time Molly had called her Mama outright. How could she refuse? “All right. One more. How about the book Aunt Leah bought you?”

  “Yes. The one about the circus.”

  Leah read to her, and when they'd come to the end, she could see Molly’s eyes fighting to stay open.

  She kissed her forehead. “Now, my darling girl, I want you to close your eyes and dream about the elephants that jumped through the hoops and the seals that balanced balls on their noses.”

  “And the clowns, too,” Molly said sleepily.

  “Of course, the clowns.”

  “Goodnight, Mama.”

  “Goodnight, my sweet Molly.”

  Chapter Four

  Travis returned from a long and dusty cattle drive and let himself fall onto his bed. Finally, a soft mattress to sleep on instead of the hard ground. He’d almost fallen asleep when a knock on his bedroom door jarred him awake.

  “Hate to bother you, boss, but a letter came for you last week from Colorado. It’s very thick and probably important,” Gideon said.

  Travis sat up. He took the letter from his ranch hand. “It’s from Denver. Who do I know in Denver?" Then it dawned on him: the woman he’d married so she could adopt a child. He ripped it open and found the adoption papers inside. He hadn’t expected to sign adoption papers, but he supposed if he was married, the child would be legally his, as well.

  He grabbed a pen from his bedside table and signed the documents. “Could you post this today, Gideon?”

  “Sure. I need to run into town to buy a latch for the corral gate, anyway.”

  “What happened?”

  “The vet was here to check the bull and he kicked up a fuss, broke out, and several of us had to bring him back. He sure was angry when the doc touched his privates.”

  Travis laughed. “Can’t blame him none.” He walked to a desk in the corner, took out an envelope, placed the papers inside, and sealed it. He copied the address from the envelope the papers came in and handed it to Gideon. “Thank you, and make sure you get a strong latch.”

  After Gideon had left, Travis laid back down and slept clear through to the next morning until Hanna knocked on his door. He sat up and called for her to enter. She was surprised to see he was still wearing his dusty clothes from the day before.

  “There’s a woman here to see you. She drove up in a buggy. Shall I have her wait in the sitting room or stay outdoors?”

  “A woman? To see me?”

  “A very attractive one, too.”

  Travis stood, rubbed his eyes, and said, “Bring her to the sitting room and tell her I’ll be out in a few minutes. Could you bring me some hot water? I need to wash.”

  Hanna brought him the water. “She’s in the sitting room. I’ll bring tea in for the two of you.”

  “Thanks, Hanna.”

  Travis washed though he really needed a bath; he’d do that later. He was anxious to see who was waiting to see him. Travis dressed in clean clothes, combed his hair, and left the bedroom.

  He entered the sitting room, surprised that when he entered the sitting room, he still couldn’t identify his visitor; he’d never seen her before.

  “I’m Travis Bentley, and you are…”

  The woman stood. “Myra Burchfield—your mail order bride.”

  Travis’s mouth hung open for several moments. “Where the devil have you been for the past year?”

  “I got off the train at a rest stop in Kansas City and fell ill at the depot. Someone called a doctor and it turned out I had an appendix attack and the
doctor had to operate. I was recovering for months before I found a job in order to pay my way here. Luckily, the mayor needed a maid.”

  “I thought you’d cashed your ticket in and left me hanging.”

  Myra sat back down on the settee. “I’m so sorry. I should have sent a telegram, but I had to save every penny I made for the ticket here.”

  Travis sat down beside her. “So, what now?”

  Myra blushed. “I was hoping we could marry as we’d planned. I don’t have money for a hotel room and have nowhere else to go.”

  Travis hit his head with his hand. He couldn’t marry her—he was already married! Now, what was he going to do?

  Myra sat up straight and stared at him. “Is there something wrong?”

  “You might say that.” He rubbed his face with his hands. “I’m already married.”

  Myra sprung up from the settee. “What?” Tears fell down her cheeks. “After all I’ve been through?”

  Travis patted the settee. “Sit down and let me explain.”

  She sat, pulled out a handkerchief from her reticule, and dabbed at her tears.

  “I married a woman in Denver by proxy. I’ve never met her. She’s a friend of my sister’s—well, sort of. Anyway, she wanted to adopt a child, and since I had no plans to ever marry, I agreed to help her out. ”

  “Can you get out of it?” she asked.

  “I just signed the final papers.” He leaned back and crossed one foot over his knee. He had to think about the situation. What could he do?

  “Surely she’d understand. And she already has the child, so you’ve done your part”

  “I’ll tell you what: I think you and I need to become better acquainted before we jump into marriage, anyway. I hadn’t planned to marry you right off the train. I’d planned to court you for a while, first. Give me time to get out of this marriage, and then we’ll see.