Page 8 of A Letter to Adaya
I hope this letter finds you well. My name is Mrs. Emily Pickett.
You wrote a letter to Mrs. Fischer from the Fischer Matrimonial Agency about a year ago. My husband found your letter forgotten on the train. I’m writing to find out if you are still seeking a match.
I also composed a letter to Mrs. Fischer at one point, but the response I received was not what I had expected. Instead, I was surprised when the man who is now my husband responded to my letter. And so, I found a home here in Flat River.
Flat River is a tiny town surrounded by lush prairies and blue skies. I currently have two brothers-in-law looking for wives. There is also a local matchmaker that assists local men in finding partners as needed. I’ve read your letter, and while the words are right when searching for one’s partner, it almost seemed that you were conflicted in writing it.
Let me tell you about my brothers-in-law.
Beau is twenty-nine years old. He has blonde hair and green eyes. He is passionate about animals and family.
Jesse is twenty-two years old. He has blonde hair and blue eyes. He is the most sociable of the brothers and loves adventures.
If you find yourself in need of a respite or are still in search of a husband, please consider coming to us. Regardless of your choice, once here, you will find this is a safe place to wait out the winter or make plans for your future.
If you decide to come, send a wire, and someone will meet you in front of the mercantile in the middle of town.
Sincerely,
Emily Pickett
Adaya folded up the letter and giggled.
She had approached the matchmaker in a spirit of optimism, but her grandmother had warned her that men didn’t like wives who were too wild or too close to their twentieth birthday.
Though surely there was a man out there who needed a helpmate such as her. The reality that Emily Pickett was sending letters, offering solace and help to people she’d never even met, was almost too unbelievable. She didn’t have to do it, yet there she was.
Could this be what people talked about when they said God worked in mysterious ways?
Scrambling out of bed, Adaya slid into a thick brown skirt and a white button-up blouse, adding her dark blue knitted sweater at the last minute. She didn’t want to think about the rest of the house if her room was this cold. As the thought crossed her mind, she donned her thick wool socks before putting on her house shoes. Grabbing the letters from her bed, she slid them into her pocket and headed from the room.
After a quick trip to the water closet, thankful that Papa had one installed earlier in the year, she made her way downstairs and settled herself in the dining room. The large mahogany table that used to fill the room had been replaced with a table that Adaya recognized from the kitchen.
Once again, she was acutely aware of the trinkets and furniture she’d taken for granted most of her life. The fire wasn’t even lit in the corner.
Walter shuffled in, balancing a breakfast tray in one hand. Now that Adaya could see him in the light, she could see that his clothes hung loosely on his frame. He had lost a lot of weight while she was gone.
He set down the tray in the center of the table, then took a seat to her left as if it were perfectly natural for him to join her at the table. Her mouth dropped open at his audacity as a wave of anger crashed over her. “What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, disbelief coating her voice as she gestured around them. Pointing at the empty hearth, she shook her finger. “Why isn’t the fire lit?”
He moved his attention to his breakfast bowl with a shrug of his shoulders, pointedly avoiding eye contact with her. “I thought it made more sense to only light one fire, since there’s no one else here.” His hands fidgeted with a spoon as he spoke before quickly dropping it back onto the table. “Let me know when you have read the letter your father left you.”
She watched him for several more minutes. Walter was not the reason for her uneasiness. There were a multitude of odd things occurring since she had returned from her blissful ignorance. Adaya looked over at Walter, who was determinedly eating breakfast and avoiding eye contact with her. She opened the thick envelope her father had left her, instead of disturbing him.
Flipping through the papers, she found a letter on top and several legal looking documents beneath it, along with a smaller envelope. She returned her gaze to the letter, her fingers brushing over her father’s bold script.
My Dearest Adaya,
I know that coming home to a nearly empty house must be shocking. I didn’t have the strength to pack your things for you. Instead, you need to choose what to keep or leave behind.
Don’t be too hard on Walter. He’ll be traveling with you while I deal with matters that take me elsewhere. I trust him with your life, and you will get further with a man at your side than you would traveling alone.
You have five days to plan your next steps. There are steamer trunks in the room next to yours that you may use for packing. Whatever items you don’t want, the banker has agreed to handle it once the property is empty.
In this packet, you will find travel money, and enough extra to cover your basic needs. I’ve already provided Walter with his stipend. There is a letter from the bank that you need to present to the local bank at your destination.
You will find a deed for property in Flat River, Nebraska, enclosed. When I purchased it, there was a cabin on the property, and I hope it is still there. Let me repeat, you must leave for Flat River in five days or return to your grandmother’s in Virginia. Walter will continue to Nebraska regardless of your decision.
I’ll see you soon,
