COLLEEN: A Sweet Western Historical Romance

COLLEEN, Mail-Order Brides Club

Copyright 2015, Ashley Merrick

All rights reserved

Edited by Cindy Tahse

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This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is purely coincidental.

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CHAPTER ONE

Back Bay, Boston, 1897

"I'd like to have a really grand dress made. Something suitable for New York City. My husband is treating me to a long holiday weekend. I've never traveled anywhere before," the woman at the front counter admitted. Gibb's Dressmaking Shop was among the finest in Boston and attracted a wealthy clientele. The shop was located on Charles Street in the heart of Beacon Hill, which was generally agreed to be the city's most important neighborhood. When you walked into the shop, you could feel the richness in the air, from the polished mahogany cabinets and intricate woodwork, to the rows of beautiful fabrics and elegant dresses displayed in the large, bay window. Colleen Shea was usually in the back room sewing while her employer, Miranda Gibbs, ran the front of the store and met with all the customers. At the moment, however, she was covering for Miranda while she went to the bank to make the daily deposit.

"Well, that sounds exciting. What color were you thinking?" Colleen asked. The woman standing in front of her looked to be in her mid-twenties, same as Colleen, but she had a more weathered look about her and her hair was a rather brassy yellow shade. The clothes she wore were anything but grand, so Colleen carefully asked what she was thinking she wanted to spend to get a better idea of which fabrics to show her. The woman mentioned a sum that surprised her as it was high enough to afford a grand dress indeed. Regrettably, Colleen's surprise must have been apparent because the woman quickly said, "Frank came into a bit of money recently. His favorite uncle died and left him a business, a house and a healthy bank account. He didn't have any children of his own."

"That's wonderful! Have you been married long?" Colleen noticed a small baby in a carriage next to her.

"It will be a year at the end of this month. We're going to celebrate our anniversary in New York."

"That sounds lovely, and very special." Colleen had never traveled anywhere either and a long weekend in New York City sounded exciting to her.

"We never actually had a honeymoon, so this is partly to make up for that," the woman admitted.

Colleen showed her some fabric swatches and took her measurements. She was just writing up the order form when the front door chimes twinkled as a man walked in.

"Did you order the most beautiful dress they can make?" the man said to his wife in a teasing, charming tone. At the sound of his voice, Colleen froze and felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She'd know that voice anywhere, and the woman said her husband's name was Frank. With her head still down and her pencil shaking, Colleen asked, "What is your full name, please?"

"Sally Ann Cummings, and this is my husband, Frank."

Colleen looked up then, and into the eyes of the man who had said he would love her forever. He had told her this over a lovely, expensive dinner. Frank had been such a charmer and had won her over so quickly. After nearly a year of dating, everyone—especially Colleen—had assumed a proposal was coming.

It did—but the one who’d received it was Sally after what Frank explained to Colleen was a 'moment of weakness' that resulted in her being in the family way. The only thing to do was get married. He didn't really have a choice in the matter. But, he assured her, it was Colleen that he really loved. As if that did her any good!

"Hello, Frank. It's very nice to meet you," Colleen said sweetly and saw the color drain from his face. Typical Frank. He was so self-centered he hadn't even remembered that this was the dress shop she worked in.

"Frank, this is Colleen. She helped me pick out the most wonderful dress. I think we are in really good hands."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Colleen." He held his hand out to hers and reluctantly Colleen shook it, letting her skin touch his as little as possible.

"I'll stop back by then in two weeks for a fitting?" Sally confirmed and Colleen just nodded and watched as the happy little family left together. She was in a daze for the next few minutes and was saved by Miranda, who returned to the shop and took over again in the front, which meant Colleen was free to escape to the back room. As soon as she was settled in her chair, surrounded by a sea of beautiful fabric, the tears came hard and fast.

She'd thought she was over Frank. It had been nearly a year since that awful night at the restaurant and she'd moved on. Or so she’d thought. It wasn’t like she had been dating anyone else. Most nights after work she just went home to the boarding house where she lived or on her days off, she often saw her girlfriends. This time of year they usually met near the boathouse along the Charles River. It was a pretty spot and centrally located for most of them.

Colleen and most of her friends met at a Catholic orphanage in Boston. Once they turned eighteen, they had to leave to make room for the younger children coming in. Most of her friends worked as nannies, maids or cooks’ assistants. The headmistress of the orphanage helped place them as best she could, in situations that suited their skills. Many of the positions that supported local wealthy families were live-in and included accommodations. Colleen was placed as a dress maker's assistant because of her sewing skills and attention to detail. She had to find her own housing, though, and lived in a boarding house for young women. It was nice enough, but it hadn't been the same since her friend Julia moved out. Julia had been the only other girl living there that Colleen knew from the orphanage.

Julia followed their other friend Emma out to Montana. Emma went there first as a mail-order bride and Ethan, her husband, was from a large family with many single and according to Emma and Julia, quite handsome, brothers. Julia recently married one of them, Liam, and loved her life in Montana. Colleen joked with Julia before she’d moved out there that perhaps one day she would follow and be a mail-order bride too.

Both Julia and Emma wrote often and Julia had extended an invitation to come and stay anytime. Emma had a full house, with her baby, Jeremy, and step-daughter Emily, but Julia and Liam had plenty of room. Liam had built his house big to begin with so they would have all the room they needed for a growing family—or, as Julia often reminded her, for visiting friends. Colleen hadn't seriously considered the idea until today. She'd thought she was over Frank, but seeing him and his wife and baby had devastated her. Even though Boston was a city, it was still small enough that they were likely to cross paths again. And, as nice as Sally had been to her, Colleen couldn't stomach the thought of making her dress. The beautiful dress that she would wear in New York City with Frank. It should have been Colleen! Yet, intellectually, she knew she was likely better off without him, if that was the kind of person he showed himself to be. But still, it didn't help the hurt.

However, leaving Boston and moving to Montana might help. Just like that, Colleen made the decision that had been simmering in her subconscious for months. It was time to act. She went and had the necessary conversation with Miranda. She told her she would help train a replacement over the next two weeks and would be glad to help in any other way that she could, but she would not, could not, sew a single stitch of that dress for Sally. Fortunately, Miranda, being a wiser and much older single woman, understood.

"I wished I'd had the courage to do something like that myself. It's too late for me now, but it's the perfect time for you."

All of Colleen's friends planned to meet at their usual spot by the Charles River on the Sunday afternoon before she was due to leave. It was a glorious summer day in late August and the sun was shining as she walked through the beautiful Public Garden by Boston Common, feeling both excited and nervous about the adventure that lay ahead. When she arrived at the boathouse, all the girls were there and Brianna, one of Colleen's closest friends, had baked a batch of cupcakes for them all to share.

"We wanted to wish you good luck, and thought this would be easier than trying to cut a cake out here. I hope that's okay?"

"I love cupcakes! This is so sweet of you, of everyone. I'm really going to miss you all." Colleen looked around at her friends and her eyes grew misty as the magnitude of what she was doing hit her.

"Are you nervous to travel that far by yourself?" Alanna asked as she took a big bite of her cupcake.

"A little," Colleen admitted.

"Do they have someone in mind for you?" Maeve asked.

"A while back, Julia mentioned that there are actually two brothers, Paul and David, who could be good possibilities. They're a year apart in age and about four to five years older than me.

"What are they like?" Katy asked.

"Julia and Emma have both described them but each a little differently, so I guess I'll see for myself. Julia said that Paul is blond and has a sunny personality, always in a good mood, and that David is dark-haired and quieter, a bit more serious. Emma sees Paul as friendly and fun-loving and David as smart, witty and a little unpredictable."

"They both sound intriguing." Brianna finished passing out the cupcakes and sat down to eat her own. She glanced around at the others. "I told Colleen I might take whichever one she doesn't want."

"Very funny. If you weren't already engaged to the most incredible man ever, you'd be on that train with me."

"I know. I would be," Brianna agreed. "I don't know how I got so lucky. Ted is pretty special."

"You deserve each other," Colleen said. Her friend, Brianna, was one of the sweetest people she knew, and they'd had so much fun over the years. Brianna was getting married in a few months and everyone said that she and Ted made the perfect couple. They'd been dating for just over a year and were madly in love. Colleen was thrilled for her. Her only regret was that she wouldn't be there for the wedding. Brianna understood though, and had insisted that Colleen not delay her trip. Her wedding was going to be a very small affair, just immediate family and a handful of friends.

"I'll write you so many letters, you'll get sick of hearing from me. You'll almost feel like you were there," Brianna promised.

"I look forward to it," Colleen said with a smile.

"Don't have any second thoughts about this. You're doing the right thing and exactly what I would do in your shoes. Make the most of that long train ride. Talk to people, stare out the window for hours taking in the view and get ready for your new life." Brianna gave her a big hug and as soon as Colleen saw her eyes well up, she felt hers do the same.

"I'm going to miss you like mad," Colleen said and then turned to the rest of the girls. "All of you." One by one, each girl gave her a hug goodbye and wished her luck. Then they all walked her home and said goodbye again. By the time Colleen was inside and up in her room for the night, she was exhausted and ready for bed. Morning would come early and her train was leaving at seven a.m. sharp.