Neither expected love to come along or for Esther’s worst fear to become a reality. She had such a sense of sadness around her, but she was also determined to make their marriage a good one and to be a helpful wife. His doubts were soon overcome upon meeting and getting to know Esther. Could he really marry a stranger, a pregnant stranger? Yes, he was lonely, he wanted a family of his own but he’d thought to discover that joy the old fashioned way.

Almost immediately after sending back his reply Thomas was hit with doubts.

Mail Order Maternity is a combination of happiness and sadness, fear and hope, doubt and acceptance. Hopefully the vastness of the West would be far enough to get lost in… forever. A mail order bride… could she, so soon after losing her husband? There really was no choice she needed to get as far away from Beckham as she could. She needed a job and someplace to live but nothing was available, yet there was one advertisement that caught her eye. There was no way she could stay in town, not only homeless but she instinctively knew that once that evil woman knew Esther was pregnant she’d do everything in her power to take the baby away from her. So it really wasn’t a surprise when Esther found that she would soon be without a roof over her head as well as losing her husband, the love of her life. Her mother-in-law had always hated Esther and felt her son had married beneath him, and never let Ester in doubt as to her feelings. Hopefully potential brides wouldn’t be afraid to travel to a place called Nowhere.Esther’s life completely changed in one day – her husband died in their fields, and she was about to surprise him with the news of their new baby on the way. He knew it was a silly name for a town, but it was the only o. It was the only post office in Nowhere, Texas. He walked it back into the mercantile for the owner, George, to post. How to word the letter? He sat down on a bench in front of the mercantile and quickly wrote out his family’s situation, explaining what he wanted in a sister-in-law but said wife and signed his brother’s name. He went into the mercantile and asked for a pencil and paper, deciding to do it while he had his confidence up. They needed someone to cook and clean for them.

Matilda would pick berries, and they’d have those for dessert. They were living off of beef jerky and whatever bread they could buy from the mercantile. “Francis read through the advertisement once more, wondering what Andrew would do if he sent off a letter to this woman for him.

Mail Order Meddler by Kirsten Osbourne