Mail Order Merchant: Brides of Beckham (Cowboys and Angels #5)
Kirsten Osbourne & Cowboys & Angels
Chapter One
Victoria Miller—known as Toria to her friends—needed to escape. There was something wrong, and she needed out of Beckham, Massachusetts. She’d spent her life working for the local mercantile, but all of a sudden, the owner, Sebastian Penuckle, was making advances. His wife had died a short time before, and he was on the prowl for someone willing to take on the raising of his six children. Toria was not going to be that someone.
On her walk home from work, Sebastian followed her for the third time that week. “Mr. Penuckle, I’m just not interested in marrying you. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to raise someone else’s children.” While that wasn’t the real reason, telling him he made her skin crawl wasn’t polite.
“You’re a spinster. Do you really think you’re going to get a better offer at your age?”
Toria lifted her chin high. It was true she’d never married, but it wasn’t because she’d never had an opportunity. She had been the most sought-after girl in town not all that long ago. She was only thirty-two. She had plenty of child-bearing years left, and she could marry if she decided she wanted to. There just weren’t any unmarried men her age who appealed to her. Why was that a crime?
“Whether I get a better offer or not, I’m not going to marry you. I’m perfectly content with my life the way it is.” While that wasn’t completely true, he never needed to know differently. She wasn’t unlike other women. She wanted a husband and children just like everyone else. He just wasn’t on her list of men who would be acceptable as husbands.
He made a face. “You always thought you were better than everyone else. I remember how you treated my Abigail. Like you were so much better than she was. She told me to fire you a dozen times. I should have done it then.”
“I’m good at my job, Mr. Penuckle. There’s no reason for you to fire me.” And there was nothing she could do if he did. Most businessmen in town preferred to employ men anyway, thinking that they needed to be able to feed their families. Women weren’t seen as breadwinners.
“I’ll let you stay on, if you’ll think about accepting my suit.” As he said the words, he slowly backed her into an alley where no one could see him. He grabbed her wrists tightly in his hands and pulled her toward him.
“Let go of me!” Toria struggled in his embrace, trying to get away from him. “Help me!” she screamed.
A man hurried into the alley, grabbing Sebastian by the shoulder and knocking him into the wall. “Are you all right, ma’am?” Her savior was a giant of a man, with blond hair and blue eyes.
“I’m fine.” She watched as Sebastian stumbled away. “I have a feeling I’m no longer employed by that scoundrel, though.”
“I’m Bernard Tandy. Can I help you?”
“Oh, you work for Elizabeth! I’m her aunt, Toria. I think it’s time for me to pay her a visit.”
Bernard gallantly offered his arm. “Any aunt of Elizabeth’s will always be able to avail herself of my services. I’ll escort you to her home.”
Toria took his arm gratefully, wondering why she trusted this man so much and Sebastian so little. “Thank you. Since I’m now an unemployed spinster, I’ll need to talk to Elizabeth about finding me a husband out west. I’m not going to stick around this town any longer than I need to. That was too close for comfort for me.”
He nodded. “I think you’re making a wise choice. In fact, if I recall correctly, Elizabeth might have just the man for you.”
“Do you think? Are there often gentlemen who are a little bit more seasoned looking for wives?”
Bernard laughed at her careful wording. “There are, and it’s infrequent that we have brides just right for them. I’m sure we can have you on a train out of here very soon. I’ve just returned from investigating several men out west. There was a man in Colorado who I believe would be a good match for you, but I can’t say for certain. Elizabeth is the one who expertly matches people. I just make sure none of our brides get hurt.”
“Well, you’ve certainly helped me today!” Toria’s heartbeat was slowly returning to its normal tempo. “I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t stumbled upon us when you did.” She shuddered, unable to stop the visions of Sebastian forcing a kiss upon her out of her mind.
“I promise you will be all right. I’ll even go so far as to offer you a place to stay until you’re ready to leave. Elizabeth would be offended if I didn’t make sure her aunt was taken care of.”
They’d reached the big house on Rock Creek Road where her niece lived and ran a business as a matchmaker. Bernard opened the door and led her right back to the last door on the left. “Elizabeth? I found your aunt, and she’d like to speak with you.”
Elizabeth got to her feet, hurrying over to hug Toria. “He found you? What does that even mean?”
“I’ll allow you ladies to talk while I fetch some tea and cookies. I have a feeling sugar will be good after what your aunt just experienced.” Bernard closed the door behind him, leaving them alone to speak.
Elizabeth led Toria to the sofa and sat beside her, holding her aunt’s hand in hers. “Tell me what happened, Aunt Toria!”
Toria sighed. She would have spared Elizabeth the entire story, but it appeared Bernard wasn’t going to let that happen. “My employer’s wife died a few months ago, and he’s been trying to convince me to marry him ever since. His wife was not a happy woman, and it’s my belief that she took her own life, though Mr. Penuckle denies it. Anyway, I have no desire to marry him, speak with him outside work, or even look at him, if truth were told.”
“I can understand that. The heart wants what it wants and nothing else.” Elizabeth’s eyes lingered on the door Bernard had closed just moments before. Toria understood immediately.
“Well, Mr. Penuckle has taken to following me home from work and demanding I marry him. Today he forced me into an alley and grabbed me. I screamed, and your Bernard came to my rescue.”
“He’s not my Bernard.” The look in Elizabeth’s eyes told her aunt that Elizabeth wished he was hers, though. It was startling to realize that even beautiful young ladies had trouble with love at times. Toria had simply never found a man who was worth giving up her freedom for. Elizabeth had found the man she wanted, but she didn’t feel she could act on it.