Isabella_Bride of Ohio Page 3

  My dear, I do hope I’m not being too forward, but I must confess that I have become seized with an overwhelming desire to meet you. I simply must know if you are as wonderful as it seems, and if we can be together as I imagine we can. I entreat, nay, beg you, to do me this one favor, though we have known of each other only a little while. Please accept this humble offering as a gift so that it may pay your way to come and be with me here, if only for a little while. You have my word of honor that should we find ourselves different beyond reconciliation, I shall finance your journey back home, or wherever you would like in the world, be it even all the way back to your childhood home in Sweden.

  If I have offended, or indeed been too forward, as I fear, I offer my sincere and heartfelt apologies. Please understand, I cast no judgment upon you or any of your circumstances, but simply wish to extend a helpful hand.

  As always, I eagerly await your beloved reply.

  Sincerely,

  Donald

  So hurriedly had she read his letter that his words had barely sunk in, but caught up in the overall response of Mr. Donald Jenks she could only look over at Lilly and say, “Oh Lilly!”

  “What is it dear?” Lilly reached out her hand and touched Isabella’s arm. “Tell me.”

  Isabella looked at Lilly, her eyes wide with excitement. “Lilly he wants to meet me! He has sent the funds for me to go and meet him and he has even said if we did not suit each other he would pay my way back home to Sweden!”

  Lilly, surprised by this news, was momentarily speechless. The moment however did not last long and she was her bubbly self again. “Are you going to meet him?”

  “Yes,” Isabella’s normally quiet voice rose with excitement. “I am. Oh Lilly, this is what I have dreamed of! Of course I am!” She was up now, unable to sit a moment longer for her excitement and moving about the room as she spoke faster, not waiting for a response from Lilly, who seemed dumbfounded by this sudden animation from her friend. “Oh, there is so much to do! I must buy a ticket, and tell the Petersons goodbye, and pack, and- oh,” she looked at Lilly from where she’d stopped in the middle of the room. “Why, I must write him back. Tonight!”

  “I am so happy for you, dear! We must celebrate.” Lilly stood and giving Isabella a hug, said, “I will get out the bottle of sherry that I save for special occasions.”

  Isabella clasped her hands together and said, “That would be lovely.”

  Lilly gathered the sherry and two glasses and placed them on the table. Filling first one glass and then the other, she handed one to Isabella. Then, raising her glass, she said, “To your new country life with your new husband.”

  “Cheers!” Isabella clinked her glass against Lilly’s and they both sipped.

  “How soon will you go?” Lilly asked and took another sip.

  “Why, just as soon as I can, of course.” Isabella sat her glass down. “I must write to him straight away.”

  “Well go on then, dear, go on.”

  “Yes.” Isabella pulled out a sheet of paper and laid Mr. Donald Jenks’ letter beside it.

  Re-reading the letter, she paused.

  Oh. There would be no Lutheran church to be married in.

  Well, it was not as I had dreamed, but as long as a suitable church could be found, and a minister to perform the ceremony, I will be content with that. And if he was no longer attending a church, then he might be more amenable to attending one of my liking.

  She frowned slightly.

  The question of religion would have been one of the first questions father would have asked and the question would have been settled early on before his approval was given.

  She pushed that thought aside.

  Mr. Donald Jenks seems amenable to the idea of attending church. Otherwise, well, I would not be able to marry him.

  The two former Catholics she knew seemed to have settled into Lutheranism and fit in quite well. They even said how much more relaxed the Lutheran church was.

  Why, Mr. Donald Jenks might even find he enjoyed the Lutheran church.

  She glanced down at his letter again.

  I had hoped he might have some family living, as I have none of my own, but as long as we are happy together, that is what matters most. And he wanted children! Dear, sweet children. If he wants sons to carry on his family name, I shall do my very best and, God willing, we might fill our house with happy children.

  And what a house. Why, I can close my eyes and see it now. And it has a garden!

  “Well?” Lilly’s voice interrupted Isabella’s reveries. “If you don’t write to him, I shall!”

  “Oh.” Startled from her runaway thoughts, her eyes flew open and she held up her hand to her friend as if to hold her off from beginning a letter of her own. “I’m writing! I’m writing!”

  Oh, I must not delay any longer with all these thoughts running through my head. Smiling, she took another sip of sherry, took a deep breath, and began to write.

  My Dear Mr. Jenks,

  Far from offending or being too forward, your letter has filled me with delight and surprise such as I can hardly contain it to write this letter. I am sure you are anticipating my response, so I must answer you straight away and not keep you waiting a moment more. Yes, I am so looking forward to meeting you. Nothing could make me happier than I am this night with your letter and invitation. You are a most kind and generous man to offer to pay my passage back to my homeland. Far beyond what I would have ever dreamed.

  Your home, I believe, I have dreamed of. If it is anything like what I have pictured, then our meeting is meant to be.

  If there is no Lutheran church in your home town, it would not be possible to marry in the Lutheran church. We must then find an acceptable alternative, for we must be married in a church before God. I do not understand these marriages which are entered into without God’s blessings upon them.

  The thought of raising children, sons to carry on your family name, fills me with delight. I wish to learn more of your family and its origins and for you to learn of mine. Family traditions have always been important to me and I would be proud to carry yours forward.

  I shall post this letter tomorrow morning and give notice to my employers, then I shall know which date I may travel to meet you.

  My dearest wish is that our meeting be all that we both have dreamed and that it will happen soon.

  Isabella

  ****

  The day had come at last and Isabella’s train was at the station. Her trunks had been loaded and soon it would be time for her to board. Lilly had come to see her off at the station.

  “Just think. In a few weeks you will be Mrs. Hardesty and you will be singing up in Chicago and I will be Mrs. Jenks down in Yellow Springs tending my garden.” Isabella smiled and dreaminess came over her as she thought of the garden. “I can hardly believe it.”

  “It is exciting isn’t it?” Lilly tipped her head and looked at Isabella. “Are you nervous?”

  “Very. It is not easy, this going off to marry a man I have never met.” She wrung her gloved hands.

  “No, it is not,” Lilly agreed. “Isabella, I want you to promise you will come to my home if you find yourself in a bad situation; if something goes wrong with your intended.”

  “Yes, Lilly, I will.” Isabella nodded. “I am sure everything will be fine, but I promise. Oh Lilly, you must promise me too. Things can happen so fast to change our lives forever. But our friendship will hold fast and will not change. You are like a sister to me and dear to my heart.”

  “Yes, I promise too. We heart sisters must stick together.” Lilly eyed the waiting train. “No matter how far apart we live, we must keep in touch.”

  “Yes.” Isabella nodded. “Always.”

  The train whistle blew as the two quickly hugged each other. Isabella broke away with tears in her eyes. “I must go.”

  “No more sadness now,” Lilly said. “Think what an adventure you are going on and how you will be seeing more of America.”

&n
bsp; “Yes.” Isabella nodded and smiled. “It is a grand adventure. I am ready.” She raised her hand once in goodbye and with Lilly smiling and waving at her, Isabella turned and hurried to board her train.

  Once aboard, Isabella found her seat near the window and sat blinking away the rest of her tears with the remnant of a smile on her face. She would miss Lilly. But as Lilly had said, it was now time for her adventure to begin and a new chapter in her life. As she settled into her seat, she placed the Bible on her lap and looked around the car. Heavy green cloth coverings over the windows would allow them to block the sun if it were too bright. The window coverings matched the seat coverings in a green pattern, which was her favorite color and went well with the dark wooden interior. The seats allowed two to sit together and the car was rapidly filling up.

  Men and women and a few small children made up the inhabitants of the train and Isabella found herself enjoying the sight of all the different people in their various hats as they settled in, wondering who would sit beside her and how many of the people would be going all the way to Ohio where she was headed.

  A wide-shouldered, bald man who was holding his hat in his hand sat down beside her. They nodded at each other and the man said, “Where are you headed, little lady?”

  “To Ohio. I’m to meet my fiancé there.” She would establish she had one in case this man was interested in more than polite conversation.

  “Ernest Tomlin. At your service.” He placed his hat on the seat beside him and held out his hand.

  She placed her gloved hand in his and they shook. “Isabella Britta Stolt.”

  “Pleased to meet you Isabella.”

  “Likewise.” She pulled her hand back where he would have held it longer, and placed her hands in her lap, modestly, upon the Bible.

  “Where are you from?”

  “Sweden.”

  “Let me guess. You’re traveling out West. I’ll bet you’re one of those mail order brides.”

  Isabella’s jaw dropped. How did he know?

  He shrugged. “It’s an easy guess. You’re traveling alone and you’re a long way from your home.”

  She frowned.

  “So you’re headed West to marry a cowboy. The great American cowboy women all seem to fall for. It will be a harsh life out there. Not like your European cities.”

  “I’m not going out West.”

  “No? Not marrying a cowboy?”

  She shook her head no.

  “Where are you going, then?”

  She pursed her lips. I’m not going to tell you. I’ve said too much already.

  Opening her Bible to read, she showed the most horrendous of manners by ignoring him completely. Perhaps if she were rude he would leave her alone.

  He settled back against the seat but she still felt his gaze upon her.

  She read several of her favorite Psalms, the ones that had a way of comforting and calming her. An older couple sat down across from them with the woman directly across from Isabella and the man across from Mr. Ernest Tomlin. She felt a bit more comfortable with them there to observe Mr. Tomlin. She nodded at them and then returned to her reading.

  The train gave a small lurch and then they were rolling down the tracks, with the rails clicking along beneath them as they rolled away from the station toward Chicago. Her trip involved changing trains at a few of the stations and this might have been confusing but Mr. Donald Jenks and Mrs. Miller had made sure all her tickets were correct.

  “We can’t have lost Swedish brides arriving at the wrong destinations,” Mrs. Miller had said with a shake of her head. “That won’t do.”

  Isabella felt she was in good hands between Mr. Donald Jenks and Mrs. Miller. All she had to do was follow the instructions and enjoy the scenery and the company of her fellow travelers.

  Though not that of Mr. Ernest Tomlin, who was now looking at her and clearing his throat.

  She ignored him and hid deeper inside her silent reading. After about ten minutes, Isabella closed her Bible and stood. The man made her stomach nervous and she needed to eat something now to calm it. That, and perhaps a cup of tea would put her to rights again.

  Moving away from Mr. Tomlin, she headed for the dining car. In the red and gold car, she took a seat at a table for two by the window. Settling herself, she waited for someone to take her order. Watching as the trees rolled past and feeling the rumble of the train over the tracks beneath her as she sat in the cushioned seat, enjoying the scenery. The rumble of the wheels over the tracks created a rhythm, which had her thoughts drifting in a most pleasant way as she watched out the window.

  Caught up in her restful, dreaming state of mind, she didn’t notice Mr. Tomlin until he sat right across from her.

  Goodness, would the man follow me everywhere? Even to the dining car? Is there no break from him? He certainly does talk a lot and ask a lot of questions.

  Sitting across from her, he said, “What are you having, tea?”

  She nodded but remained silent. A waiter came to take their order and, assuming they were together, left the ordering to Mr. Tomlin. He placed an order for sandwiches, cakes, and tea. More than one person could eat. When he waved the man away, she suddenly realized what he was doing.

  “Oh but we are not together,” she told the waiter who ignored her and, taking the order, moved away without a word to her.

  She frowned. Mr. Tomlin should not be ordering for her. She raised an eyebrow at him. “We are not together,” she repeated.

  “We are sharing the same table,” he said, “and the least I can do, having somehow offended you earlier, is to offer you my apologies and buy you lunch.”

  Sighing, Isabella said, “You don’t have to do that.”

  “Yes, I do. I can’t leave it the way things are, with you offended and that silence you are putting off. It’s very off putting, you know. I wouldn’t advise you use that on your new husband.”

  Well goodness, it is meant to be off putting. Though it does not seem to be working with you.

  “How I behave around him is none of your business.” She spoke quiet and low so as not to make a spectacle in front of the other diners. “I do not know you sir, and have no wish to.” So saying, she stood and walked away from the table.

  Ernest Tomlin watched the quiet blonde leave.

  She would be perfect. The boss would love to get his hands on merchandise like her. Being European meant she had that sexy accent people would pay extra for and there wasn’t any family to miss her. Yeah. She could disappear nice and easy.

  His partner sat down across from him, in the spot Isabella had just occupied. Tomlin grimaced at the smell of him. His one redeeming feature was that he had enormous hands like meat hocks that were useful for restraining victims. “You want that one?”

  Chapter Three

  “You bet I do,” Tomlin replied. “If a window pops up on the next stop we can take her there.”

  “What if she doesn’t get off the train?” His partner asked.

  “Then we’ll just follow her to the end of the line and make arrangements. We’ve done it before. She’s worth doing it again.”

  The dirty man leaned back in his chair, tipping his hat over his eyes. “Hell, I’d settle for just grabbing that big money bag of hers.”

  Ernest grunted. “I’ll be happy with that, but a piece like her would go a long way towards making friends with the boss. Just be ready.”

  Hesitantly, Isabella approached the bar at the back of the dining car and ordered a glass of sweet wine instead of the tea. Leaning with her hands upon the bar she closed her eyes for one brief moment to collect herself.

  Ernest Tomlin had driven her to this. She had completely lost any appetite she’d had and now needed a drink to calm her nerves and still her shaking hands. She’d heard of being driven to drink but this was the first time she had experienced it.

  A small glass to settle the nerves, mother would have said.

  Mother had pulled out an old bottle of wine, reserved for a
special occasions the night before they left on their journey to America and her family and their neighbors had toasted to a safe journey.

  A small glass to settle my nerves, that is exactly what I shall do now.

  The bartender smiled kindly at her as he gave her the glass.

  Isabella smiled back. “Thank you.” Sipping it, she made a face.

  American wine was very different from the wine in Sweden. This wine was drier, sharper, without the smooth notes from centuries of vineyards and the more refined taste of European wine.

  A soft chuckle made her glance sideways. There was a man sitting there trying to stifle his handsome grin.

  Seeing he was caught, he said, “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to offend. Not used to wine?”

  Isabella shook her head. “Not American wine.”

  “Ah,” he said. “I understand. Not from around here, huh?”

  “Not from around here.” She nodded, taking in his clean cut appearance from his plain brown suit to his blonde haircut and shaved chin.

  He was, as her mother would have described, well put together and tidy in the way that careful men were. Mother was always cautioning her about being careful around men and after her last conversation with Mr. Tomlin she’d determined to be more careful with men she did not know. She had told Mr. Tomlin too much about herself and she could not do that kind of thing again while traveling alone. Even if there was something about this man which made her feel comfortable in his presence.

  Isabella nodded and watched the handsome, careful man, wondering who he was.

  The man nodded and stuck out his hand. “I’m Tom.”

  She gave him a small smile. He had nice eyes. Blue and clear, something about them made her want to smile wider. She reached her hand out to meet his. “Isabella.” And then decided to tell him just a bit more. “From Sweden.”

  “Good to meet you, Isabella.” He smiled. “From Sweden.”