Her Sister's Wedding Read online

  Her Sister’s Wedding

  Sister Brides of Pepper Gulch

  Susannah Calloway

  Copyright © 2021 by Tica House Publishing LLC

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Personal Word From The Author

  Dearest Readers,

  Thank you so much for choosing one of my books. I am proud to be a part of the team of writers at Tica House Publishing who work joyfully to bring you stories of hope, faith, courage, and love. Your kind words and loving readership are deeply appreciated.

  I would like to personally invite you to sign up for updates and to become part of our Exclusive Reader Club—it’s completely Free to join! We’d love to welcome you!

  Much love,

  Susannah Calloway

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  Contents

  Personal Word From The Author

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Continue Reading…

  Thanks For Reading!

  More Mail Order Bride Romances for You!

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  “Mandy? Mandy Chambers?”

  Mandy looked up from her station, swiping her escaping hair back from her forehead. Despite the fact that January in Charleston, West Virginia, was chronically snowy and frigid, it was always hot inside the factory. Amidst the combination of moving machinery and overcrowding, Penny, the woman who worked closest to her, was stationed a scant two feet away. Penny looked up at the sound of the call, too, and nodded behind Mandy to direct her to the source of the voice.

  Mandy turned, carefully so as not to bump anything, and caught sight at last of Mr. Stone standing on the walkway that overlooked the factory floor. He nodded at her when their eyes met, and she swallowed hard past a sudden lump in her throat. She nodded back and began to put her things in order.

  When she glanced again at Penny, the woman was looking at her with a distinct expression of pity. Mandy felt her heart sink, but she mustered up a brave smile.

  “You don’t think he’s going to…” Penny began.

  “I don’t know,” Mandy said, pushing the thought away. “Doesn’t matter much, does it? Somehow, no matter what happens, I’ll muddle through.”

  “But he’s dismissed three other girls this week,” Penny pointed out, her voice deeply worried. “And I’m still hearing that there’s not enough work…”

  Mandy reached out to her and patted her on the shoulder.

  “Don’t worry,” she said, and managed another cheerful smile. “Say a little prayer for me, that’s all. That’ll be more helpful.”

  She could feel the concerned glance of her friend following her as she left the factory floor. Mandy’s words were far braver than she actually felt; after all, Penny had a point. Three girls had been fired already from the factory, just in the last two weeks, and there always seemed to be overcrowding no matter what shift one was working. The supply was overreaching the demand, she supposed.

  She’d worked there for four years now, but there were plenty of others who had been there far longer than she had. She had no claim of seniority to keep her from being dismissed. All she had was the plea that she was the breadwinner for her little family – and she knew this would not hold much water with Mr. Stone, who oversaw the factory and who had a reputation for carrying a heart as hard as his name.

  No, she decided, she would not even mention it. She would face whatever came next with dignity and calm and poise – though her heart rang with despair at the very thought of losing her employment.

  Mr. Stone’s office was far colder than the factory floor itself, and she shivered as she stood in front of him, her hands clasped before her. The middle-aged manager stared at her, shaking his head slowly.

  “It pains me to have to tell you this,” he said smoothly, “but your production is down, and the demand is not what it once was. You have only four years here at Tolgate and Sons – we appreciate your dedicated service, but we must dismiss you as of today.”

  Despite her best intentions, it was all she could do to bite back the words of protest that rushed to her tongue. But my sister… Instead, with a great effort of will, she controlled herself and nodded.

  “Will I be provided with a letter of recommendation, sir?”

  “Unfortunately, it is not the business of Tolgate and Sons to assist our former employees to secure their next place of work. That is your responsibility, not mine.” Unexpectedly, he hesitated and seemed to soften a little. “But you were a good worker, Miss Chambers, I will tell you that. I wish you the best, of course – in any case, as I understand it, the recession is hitting almost all businesses here in Charleston. I doubt even a glowing letter of recommendation would be enough to secure a new position for you. If you want my advice, Miss Chambers, look elsewhere, outside of Charleston.”

  She stared at him, her eyes wide.

  “But Charleston is our home, Mr. Stone.”

  “I’d advise you to settle down in a new home, then. That is, if you want to make ends meet.” He nodded and gave a little motion of his fingers that made it clear she was dismissed. “You may stay until the end of the morning shift, and you will be given your pay when everyone else leaves for their lunch. Thank you, Miss Chambers.”

  Again, she bit back the words of pleading that seemed to spring unbidden to her tongue.

  “Thank you, Mr. Stone,” she managed softly, and left the office with her head spinning.

  Being laid off was bad enough, but not to even be given a letter of recommendation. And then to hear him tell her that there were no other jobs to be had. She made her way back to her station in a fog, only to find Penny waiting anxiously for news of what had occurred.

  Evidently her friend could tell by the look on her face that the interview had not been positive.

  “He did it, didn’t he? He dismissed you.”

  “At the noon break, yes.” She resumed her work, though she knew her hands were moving more slowly than usual, and her mind certainly wasn’t focused. “Penny, they aren’t giving out letters of recommendation.”

  “What? I don’t believe it. How on earth do they expect anyone to find another job if they won’t back them?”

  “That’s just it, he says there are no more jobs in Charleston, so it doesn’t matter anyhow.”

  Penny stared at her. “No more jobs in Charleston…”

  “Penny, what am I going to do?”

  Penny lapsed into silence. For several long moments the women worked together, side by side, as they had for the past four years. Mandy wracked her brains, trying to think of what she could do as the workday ended for her – for the last time.

  If it was just herself she had to take care of, she wouldn’t be so worried. But her younger sister, Crystal, was even now at home by herself. Crystal was a fresh-faced eighteen, already working hard herself by taking in sewing and mending for everyone in the neighborhood who had a need. But that little income wouldn’t begin to make a dent in their rental payment, let alone food and other necessities…

  “I have an idea,” said Penny, her voice low. “But I don’t know what you’ll think of it
…”

  “I’m grateful for any suggestions, really,” said Mandy immediately. “I would never turn down the help of a friend.”

  “It’s about half an hour until the noon break. Suppose we – well, have you heard of Mail Order Brides?”

  Mandy dropped her tool with a clatter on the workstation, and had to recover it swiftly, turning to look at Penny with a curious stare.

  “Mail Order Brides?” she said. “Do you mean it?”

  “You’ve heard of them?”

  “Of course, of course I have. Lonely men in the wilderness who can’t find wives write for desperate women who can’t find husbands.”

  “That’s one way to look at it,” said Penny, obviously hiding a smile. “But have you thought of it another way? Desperate woman looking for someone to care for herself and her younger sister arranges with an agency to find a decent, honorable man for her to marry, leading to happiness for all.”

  Mandy turned her attention to her work for a moment while she thought about it.

  “I suppose I can’t be too swift to judge,” she said at last. “Tell me what you know about it, would you?”

  Penny did, without any more prompting. Evidently, she’d had a friend who had become a Mail Order Bride and gone out West just the year before.

  “She writes me every month, regular as clockwork. They’ve got a little one on the way, and Eugenia couldn’t be happier, she says. Herbert is a farmer, and they’ve got a pleasant little house, plenty of chickens, and she never wants for food. Poor Eugenia was a maid in one of the fancy houses on the east side of town, you know where I mean – well, the son of the house took a fancy to her, and she turned him down. Next thing she knew, she was out on the street with no references, and not a single one of the other houses would so much as interview her for a scullery maid. That’s the power of references, Mandy – and of not having them, too.”

  “Yes, I know how it can be,” said Mandy unhappily. “There’s no two ways about it, without a letter, my chances of finding work are slim.”

  “Well, don’t give up hope just yet.”

  “But I have to leave work today – and our rent is due next week – and there’s no way we will be able to afford to stay in the apartment without my income.” She put a hand to her forehead. “What on earth am I going to tell Crystal?”

  Penny reached out and put a hand on her arm, gently.

  “Don’t give up hope,” she said again, giving Mandy a warm smile. “I’ll take you to the agency over the noon break. We could have it sorted out faster than you imagine.”

  Mandy took a shaky breath and nodded. Her friend was right – giving up hope was the worst thing she could do. Her fortunes had changed in the space of a moment that very morning – who was to say that it couldn’t happen again just as quickly?

  Though it seemed like quite a far-off chance, she decided to hope for the best.

  Chapter 2

  Crystal Chambers huffed out a sigh, blowing an escaped wisp of blonde hair out of her eyes. She lifted her head at last from her task and stretched her neck, rejoicing in the feeling of straightening up; she had been working on this particular piece of mending for what felt like hours. It was the fifth piece that she had finished that day; it had been very productive, and she felt quite proud of herself. Her sister Mandy would be proud, too, she hoped.

  Things hadn’t been easy lately – well, they hadn’t been easy for quite some time, truth been told. She supposed that things had become tight some three years ago, when their father had died; without his income, Mandy had had to pick up extra shifts at the factory, in addition to raising her younger sister. Crystal couldn’t think of that time without feeling a rush of sadness over losing her father, and a rush of gratitude for the love and devotion of her sister. What other eighteen-year-old girl would decide to take on the care of her younger sibling, without any help from anyone else? Mandy had always been brave, a true role model for Crystal herself. She hoped to be as good and strong as her older sister, someday.

  Now, though it was strange to think of it, she was the same age that Mandy had been when their father had passed away of a fever, joining his wife in the eternal sleep. She tried to imagine herself raising a young woman of fifteen but couldn’t quite fathom it. A small child, now – that would be something quite different. She could picture herself with a babe in her arms, quite easily.

  She put her needle and thread away and heaved a sigh. That was a problem, at times – she was eighteen years old, and quite content with her life in Charleston, except when, well, she wasn’t. She had romance in her soul; she could spend all day dreaming of some handsome cowboy and a beautiful baby, while she worked at her task of mending and sewing.

  But nothing was ever going to change, she reminded herself. This was the life that she and her sister had carved out for themselves, the life they worked so hard to maintain. There was no point in dreaming of anything different.

  The rattle of the key in the lock and the turning of the knob announced the arrival of Mandy. Crystal glanced swiftly at the clock and frowned thoughtfully.

  “Mandy?” She stood and went to her sister, kissing her on the cheek. “Are you feeling all right?”

  “Yes, dear, I’m fine.”

  “Only – it’s a full hour before you usually get home from work. Is anything wrong?”

  Her older sister smiled at her, but there was a deep tiredness behind her blue eyes. The sisters looked very much alike; as Crystal looked into her sister’s face, she could see her own future looking back at her. Fine features inherited from their mother, sky-blue eyes, curls of dark blonde; Mandy looked a bit older and wiser, there was no doubt about that, and Crystal thought ruefully that her sister was clearly the prettier of the two.

  Mandy patted Crystal’s shoulder.

  “Come and sit down for a moment in front of the fire.”

  Mandy led the way into the tiny kitchen, which was the only place where the fire was kept burning, as fuel was expensive. She sat down with a great sigh, as though the day had been far longer than a normal period of time and stretched her hands out toward the flames. Crystal sat beside her, full of worry.

  “Mandy? What is it?”

  “Don’t worry, dear. Everything is going to be fine, it’s just – well, the truth is that I was dismissed from the factory today.” Crystal let out a little cry, and Mandy reached out and put her hand on hers. “No, don’t worry.”

  Crystal caught hold of herself and took a deep breath.

  “All right,” she said. “You’re right – I’m sorry. We’ll be fine, of course. I can – I can take on more work, Mandy, I’m certain that there must be more for me to do. Perhaps I’ll have to ask around outside of our neighborhood, that’s all…”

  “Crystal, Crystal…” Mandy lifted her younger sister’s hand and smiled ruefully at it. “Your fingers are all bruised and sore from what you’re doing already. No, I’m not going to ask you to try to carry our burden on your own shoulders. As a matter of fact, I already have a plan.”

  “Oh,” said Crystal, somewhat taken aback. “So soon?”

  “Yes. Penny made the suggestion. Crystal – how would you feel about moving out West?”

  Crystal caught her breath.

  “Out West.”

  “Yes. To Utah, in fact. Pepper Gulch, Utah, to be specific.”

  “Where on earth…”

  Mandy laughed. “I don’t know, either.”

  Crystal stood and began to pace, deep in thought. “How did you come across this suggestion?”

  “I applied to become a Mail Order Bride,” said Mandy steadily. Her younger sister stopped pacing and turned a disbelieving stare on her, earning a gentle smile. “Yes, I mean it – I did.”

  “What…”

  “There are no jobs here in Charleston, Crystal. We must go elsewhere, start over. We can’t afford to pay the rent here on the apartment, even if both of us took on all the mending we could find. But Penny told me about a friend of hers who
found a very happy life through applying to become a Mail Order Bride – and let’s face it, dear, I’m in my twenties now. Men don’t always want women who are in their twenties, let alone women who have worked for themselves for several years.”

  Crystal crashed back into her chair, taking Mandy’s hand in hers.

  “Any man who doesn’t want you because of your age or because of your strength isn’t worthy of you.”

  Mandy smiled. “I would be happy to agree with you, dear, but that’s hardly the point anyhow. I know that it’s very unlikely that I’ll find any man who wants to marry me here in Charleston – and I won’t be able to find work. Becoming a Mail Order Bride – well, it makes sense. And it could lead to a happiness that we can’t even imagine.”

  Crystal stared into the flames. “Pepper Gulch, Utah?”

  Mandy nodded. “I asked for the quickest match they could manage, and she told me about this one. His name is Ernest Flinn, a widower with a ranch of his own. He lives with his mother and his young daughter, so we needn’t worry that he’s a – well, an unscrupulous bachelor.” To Crystal’s surprise, she found that Mandy was blushing.

  “Right,” she said, a bit confused. “And a father already – Mandy, are you certain you are ready to be a mother to someone else’s daughter?”

  Mandy smiled at her gently and pushed her hair back behind her ear.

  “Why not?” she said. “It worked out so well the last time.”

  Now it was Crystal’s turn to blush. She took her sister’s hand and held it tightly in her own, feeling that same rush of gratitude and love that Mandy often invoked in her.

  “Are we ready for an adventure like this?” she asked softly.