Page 8 of The Banker's Bride

Dallas eventually learned that Charles came from a very well-to-do family in New York, the Whitfields. They were as wealthy as the Astors and Rockefellers, maybe wealthier. Charles could have gone to any university in New York but had decided to attend the University of Chicago to get away from the influence of his family’s name and achieve success on his own.

Charles reminded Dallas a lot of himself, and the fact that Charles came from money had never mattered to Dallas. Over the years, Charles and Dallas had remained friends through thick and thin.

In an effort to repay Dallas and to help him get started, Charles set Dallas up in business as manager of the bank in Whiskey River. Dallas had balked at first, telling Charles that he didn’t have to do this because they were friends. Charles had insisted that it was because Dallas was so good in business, but deep down, Dallas knew better. In truth, Dallas was one of the few people that Charles could trust.

Over the next few years, Dallas had saved and persuaded Charles to sell him the bank. Charles gave him a loan and soonDallas had paid back every penny with interest. Despite their business dealings, he and Charles had remained friends over the years. In fact, Charles was the closest friend that Dallas ever had.

Now, watching the fire, Dallas took a drink of his brandy as thoughts of taking another mail-order bride went through his mind. Would it work this time, or would it end in disaster just as it had the first time? But he guessed that the first endeavor hadn’t been a total failure. After all, there were two other lives in the world now because of it, and Ella was happy. And it wasn’t as if Dallas had ever loved her. Now, he was happy for her. It was better this way.

He glanced over at the table and noticed a letter that he hadn’t seen when he first walked in. Mrs. Daly had probably picked it up for him from the postmaster when she was in town. He stood and strode over to the table. He fingered the edge of the letter as he read the return address label: Madame Samantha Chase, Matchmaker. It had a New York postmark.

“Don’t tell me she’s found me a bride so soon,” Dallas mused aloud, his heart pounding. He picked up the letter and sat back in the rocking chair. Could the woman in this letter be the bride he had been looking for?

Dear Mr. King:

Thank you for your kind request for a mail-order bride. I have good news! Out of all the women who have answered your advertisement, I feel this young lady is the most suitable for you. Her name is Miss Megan Shannon. As per your request, I have included a photograph and added it to your bill, but she has light auburn hair and green eyes. She is lovely and has a great personality. If it is not objectionable to you, she is also from Ireland but is now an American citizen.

Let me know your thoughts. She is willing to travel soon.

Best Regards,

Madame Samantha Chase, Matchmaker

Dallas smiled as he read. Not objectionable? His housekeeper and stable manager were both Irish and it hadn’t mattered to him one bit. But in these times, he guessed it had to be said. So many people objected to the Irish coming here and taking the available jobs. He let out a sigh.

When he looked at the photograph, his breath caught. Even in black and white, the woman in the photograph was beautiful. He could imagine what she looked like in real life.

But this time, he planned to marry her right away, not wanting history to repeat itself. He would talk to Reverend Caleb Henley, the town preacher, to see if he could marry them upon her arrival.

Without delay, Dallas sat down at his writing desk and penned a letter to the matchmaker, stating that Miss Shannon was the perfect choice and that he couldn’t wait to meet his new bride. He also wrote that she should come as soon as possible, and that he planned to marry her upon her arrival in Whiskey River.

Dallas just hoped he was making the right decision… this time.

Chapter 3

Megan

Megan looked in the mirror one last time and adjusted her hat again and smoothed back a lock of her wavy auburn hair. She had pulled it neatly up into curls and pinned it into place, leaving tendrils on the sides to frame her face. As a final thought, she pinched her cheeks for color.

“Gather your belongings!” The steward’s voice bellowed, his heavy footfalls resonating down the hallway. “We will arrive in Laramie soon!”

After she buried her brother, Megan went to see Madame Samantha Chase, Matchmaker, to answer the ad. She had never done anything this insane before, but she hadn’t had much choice. Megan had her doubts about marrying a man she had never met before, but her situation was dire. If it hadn’t been for the kindness of Trent Jericho, she wouldn’t have even been able to afford to bury her brother. In a short time she had come to realize that, although money wasn’t everything, it was important to survival. Perhaps more important than love. Now, she had to make a change in her life and this one was the best option. So, she cast caution to the wind and made her decision.

Megan wanted a life with a husband, children, and protection, just as she had promised her brother. After she answered the ad, everything happened so fast it made Megan’s head spin. Madame Chase had her go immediately to aphotographer, where she posed in an uncomfortable position for a photograph. Then once she heard from Mr. King, Madame Chase had sent a carriage for her and Megan’s adventure began. Madame Chase was kind and had taken her out of the tenement, insisting that she stay with her in her fine home until Megan left for Whiskey River.

Madame Chase had even bought her a new dress, courtesy of Mr. King, and allowed her to bathe. She even gave her a room to stay in until she left… all to herself. That night, Megan had the first decent night’s sleep that she had had in a very long time.

The next morning over breakfast, Madame Chase had instructed her that the train would leave in three days and that she was to stay with her until then. During that time, she had given her the fine points of etiquette and society, right down to how to use the silverware and in what order, and how to properly pour tea, among other things.

When the day came for her to leave, the thought of leaving Liam behind was crushing, but she knew that he wasn’t really in New York and that she would carry him with her in her heart no matter where she went. But she owed it to Liam to go on with her life.

On the train, Dallas King had spared no expense. Everything was first class all the way, from the spacious cabin to the meals. The waiter had offered her caviar, which she had never had before. She had her doubts when she found out that it was fish eggs but tried it anyway. To her delight, she liked the salty flavor. But the money and grandeur would take some getting used to. At least she would be saved from the fate of her parents and her brother.

Megan just hoped that the man she was betrothed to was a good man, one who would treat her with kindness, and who would care for her and their future children.

As a mail-order bride, at least she wouldn’t have to worry about love. After all, she had lost every person in the world that she had ever loved. She didn’t know if her heart could take falling in love with a man and then losing him, too.

When they arrived in Laramie, Megan’s heart pounded as the train started to slow and then lurched to a stop. She looked in the mirror one last time and smoothed her new dress. It was green, setting off her auburn hair. She had just one other dress, a work dress, in the pillowcase that she still carried. She just hoped that Dallas would see her for who she was on the inside and not for what she wore.

---