Free Once Upon a Mail Order Bride: Mail Order Brides: Book One by Hannah West Page B

decided only two sets did.
                  “Okay girls, this is where is gets tricky. Read the letters again and go over a mental list in your heads as you do. Picture what man you could see yourself with, as you would have to be married to him for a long time,” Mrs. Greene advised.
                  Carrow nodded and read both letters again going over her small list of thing she would like in a man.
                  Tall, kind, a hard worker, and a good job, she thought over and over again.
                  The letter that stood out most to her was the letter from a man in Washington Territory.
     
    Dear Miss,
    I am looking for a wife who is kind he arted and sweet. She must be an honest worker, but have a sense of humour. She will need to know how to cook and clean and be at least twenty-one years old.
    I am a n honest man, with a good paying job with the railroad. I am thirty-two years old as of last month. Tall, well over six foot, sandy blonde hair with green eyes last I checked. A decent sized home with a large kitchen, and a nice porch to enjoy the evenings on in summer. If this sounds like you please do reply as soon as possible. I live in town not too far from the railroad, so I can pick you up no problem.
     
    Yours,
    Clayton Stone
     
     
                  Clayton Stone, Carrow thought with a smile. He sounds wonderful. But then Carrow frowned. I’m not even close to twenty-one yet, I’m only seventeen. Well eighteen in three weeks, but he doesn’t have to know that.
                  “I see you picked the one you want then,” Mrs. Greene said with a smile.
                  Carrow nodded and looked to her sister. Emmy was smiling and holding tightly to one of the letters.
                  “Mine is from a man in the Washington Territory. From a city called Seattle. What about yours Em?”
                  Her sister smiled grew. “I chose a man from the same place, looks like we found a match!” Tears filled her eyes. “I hope we’ll be happy there.”
                  Reaching for her sister’s hand Carrow nodded. “I’m sure we will be, now let’s write back to these men and hope they like us too! If it goes well we could be there in a matter of weeks.”
                  Mrs. Greene supplied paper and fountain pens to both girls and went to make another pot of tea with a grand smile on her face. Another happy moment for her business of matchmaking by mail!
    Chapter three
    Washington Territory 1869
     
     
    Wiping a gloved man across his wet forehead Clayton Stone grimaced and shook his wet blonde hair out of his face. It was raining again and it was only the beginning of spring. If it kept up like this then they might have a flood on their hands come summer.
                  Stepping up the last stairs to his house he stood on the porch for a moment watching the rain come pouring down in sheets and watch people run for the nearest shelter. He smiled faintly and turned to go inside. He was soaked to the bone from his walk home from work and he was ready for a bath and a clean set of clothes. He had been out since the sun came up and had been working hard all morning with his men repairing some of the railroad track and putting in some new ties to replace the worn ones. It was only mid-afternoon, but the way he figured it was that by time he was done cleaning himself up the rain would be done with it and he could run his errands for the day.
                  Stripping down to nothing he sank into the claw foot tub in the wash room off the kitchen with a grunt of pleasure as the hot steamy water sloshed over his body.
                  “That hits the spot,” he groaned as he sank farther in. He was glad his father hadn’t spared any expense in building the house for his mother twenty years ago. It was large and spacious, just a little off Main