The Prospector's Bride

Minnie's last tie to her hometown is gone, leaving behind her and her two brothers. With all of their possessions being taken by the bank, Minnie knows it's time to move on. When she learns that she could have her own land and a fresh start as a mail order bride, she follows her heart and her mother's dream to head out west. 

Matthew loves nothing more than working in the mine, which doesn't leave much time for a family. But time is ticking, and he knows that if he wants to start a family, he'd better do so soon. Following his brother's examples, he decides to take a mail order bride. What Matthew wasn't expecting was that his new bride would arrive with two young brothers in tow. 

While their chemistry is immediate, Minnie's desire for a career goes against what Matthew wants for his family. Will they learn to love each other for who they are, or will their differences be too much to overcome?

 Minnie brushed her hair out of her face as she stared out at the ocean. It was still cool in the early spring, but she didn’t mind. The water brought her peace. And according to Mama, with her red hair and the temper that went with it, she needed all the peace that she could get.

Mama. The thought of her brought new tears. Her funeral that morning had been lovely. So many people there to honor her, so many kind words. Minnie had held herself together through the service
and the luncheon afterward, and then had to get away.

It was her turn to mourn now. She supposed that she was an orphan now. They’d lost Daddy years ago to a hurricane. Mama had warned him not to stay out too long helping others get to safety, but his
heart was too soft. He had to help everyone he could.

That was enough. Minnie brushed her tears away and pulled her shawl tighter. She had to be strong for her brothers. It was time to get back to the house. The sun had already set. She picked up her shoes and walked along the beach until she reached the pathway up to their mansion. Minnie sighed. How were they supposed to take care of this house now that Mama was gone? Minnie was just finishing school, and hadn’t started looking for a job yet. Her brothers were old enough to have jobs, but those wouldn’t bring in the money they needed.

Spencer met her at the door, a sullen look on his face. “Had enough of the water for today?”

“Never.” Minnie brushed past him. “Are you hungry?”

“No, but Aaron hasn’t stopped bugging me about food since you left.” Spencer leaned against the counter in the kitchen. “What do we do now?”

Minnie sighed. “I don’t know. I suppose I’ll drop out of school and get a job.”

Spencer shook his head. “No. You won’t drop out. You know Mama would be devastated if you did that. She used the last of Papa’s money to get you into school.”

He was right. And Minnie felt guilty every time she walked into class. It was a big deal that she’d finished secondary school, but when they’d put her into college—it was a dream come true. One that most women didn’t get. 

“Mama should have used the money for something else.” Minnie scooped up dishes from guests and dropped them into the sink. “I suppose there’s enough leftovers that we could eat that.”

“That’s what I told Aaron, but he said he doesn’t like any of it.” Spencer helped her clear the rest of the dishes. “I suppose I can find a job. I think the grocer needs a delivery boy. I could do that after school.”

Minnie beamed. “That’s a good idea. Maybe Aaron could do that as well.”

Spencer shrugged. “Maybe. But he’s still a little small. I’m not sure he could handle carrying all those groceries.”

“Who can’t?” Aaron walked into the kitchen and made a face at the empty dishes. “Still no dinner?”

Minnie studied the food that was left on the counter, figuring out what she could make with it. “You go with your
brother and clean up your rooms. I’ll have dinner ready by the time you’re
done.”

The boys glanced at each other before running for the stairs. They loved when it was Minnie’s turn to cook. She pulled a large dish from the wall and a mixing bowl out of the cupboard, then dumped the roast chicken, noodles, mashed potatoes, and vegetables left over from meals the neighbors brought into the mixing bowl. It was hard to mix it
all, but soon everything was nicely blended. She tipped the mixture into the dish and smoothed it out, making sure to hit the edges and into the corners.

It was a shame they didn’t have cheese to add on top, but the pantry was empty. They hadn’t been able to go to the store to buy groceries before or after Mama’s funeral. Minnie set the pan into the
oven and closed it, then made sure the fire was stoked. 

Minnie glanced over at the pile of
homework that sat neglected on the desk. She hadn’t touched it since Mama got sick. And then everything happened so fast after that, she didn’t have a chance to tell her teachers what was going on. It’s possible she’d already been kicked
out.

Tomorrow she would go to the school to see what she could do to graduate. After all, there was only one month left. While dinner cooked, she dusted off her books and went through each of them, doing
the homework she knew about. 

Much of the homework consisted of essays on common illnesses and how to cure them. Minnie didn’t agree with some of the practices, thinking they were rather barbaric, but there were so many new discoveries and she hoped one day she could discover something on her own.
Vaccines were already being used to eradicate disease. What if she could rid the world of measles or scarlet fever? 

“Is it ready?” Aaron’s voice made Minnie jump.

“Check the oven. If it’s bubbly, then we can eat it.” Minnie finished the last of her essay on cholera and closed the book. She could write her other paper once the boys were in bed.

She stood and came face-to-face with a picture of her parents on their honeymoon. They’d gone to New York City, but Mama dreamed of traveling farther. To Europe, or Canada. Or to the west where
land was still being discovered. Minnie never understood that one. Why would she want to leave the ocean behind?

“It’s ready. Come on.” Aaron pulled plates out of the cupboard and set them on the table.

Spencer came down the stairs just as
Minnie took the casserole out of the oven. She set it on the table and dished out the food. One, two, three, fo—Minnie’s eyes filled with tears. Aaron had gotten out a plate for Mama. She dropped the spoon onto the dish and sat in her chair.

Silence overtook the house as they stared at the empty spot. One by one they pushed their plates away, no longer hungry.

“I don’t like it here anymore.” Aaron
rested his chin on his arm. 

Spencer glanced over at him, then looked off into the distance. “I don’t either. It feels different. Empty. I never felt that before.”

Minnie raised her eyebrows. They’d grown up a lot in the last couple of days. No eleven and thirteen-year-old should have to go through what they had. But it was a relief to know she wasn’t the only one who felt it.

“I think that empty feeling will go away after a while.” Minnie scooted her plate back toward her, pretending like she was all right. They needed to eat. “Maybe tomorrow we can open all the windows and let the sunlight in.”

Aaron shrugged and picked up his fork. “We can do that, but I don’t think it will work.”

Spencer took a bite of his food without saying anything, but at least he was eating. Minnie would have enjoyed the food any other day. All of the leftovers had blended together perfectly, just as she’d thought they might.

The boys had two more helpings before finally deciding they were full. Minnie took the dish over to the stove so she could empty the leftover food into a container that would fit in the ice box. Spencer started on the dishes, while Aaron wiped down the counters. They’d had
to let the maids go as Mama got sicker so they could pay for the medicine. Now there was no choice but to do everything themselves. Not that Minnie minded. She actually enjoyed working because it allowed her mind to wander. 

Except that she didn’t want to think about it, because that would make everything final. Minnie set the dish into the sink and grabbed the broom to sweep up all the dirt that had been brought in on shoes after the funeral.

Once she was done, Minnie picked up the lantern in the kitchen and walked up the stairs. She checked on the boys to make sure they’d blown out the candles in their rooms before falling asleep, then went to her own room.

It was strange to be in here now. She went through the motions of brushing her hair and getting ready for bed, but it all seemed wrong somehow.

Tomorrow would be different. She was determined to make sure it was. Her brothers would hopefully get jobs as delivery boys, and she would hand in all her homework so that she could graduate. And then she would come home and do her best to make this feel like home again. Mama and Papa would want that.