Joseph POV
In the days that followed my waking up, Mum and Emily tried to insist on my resting as much as possible. It was difficult to say no to either one of those two women. They were persistent. I complained to Da about it and he shrugged his shoulders as if to say he didn’t know what I should do. So, I decided I would let them have their way for a few days but then I was going to get back to work.
I honestly felt better and stronger than I had in my entire life. My wounds had healed so well, that even my shoulder didn’t ache if I over worked it. In the past, an injury to my arm would take several weeks to heal. But this time it was as if I had never been injured.
After four days of rest, I insisted on getting up, telling Emily that I was fine. I wanted to go and see for myself that the bear was dead. I walked to the smoke house and Thomas was working on the hide. I could see that it had been cut into two secti
Emily POVAfter Joseph left to go to the creek, I gathered up the pile of nappies from our bedroom. Annabeth seemed to soil so many throughout the day. Every morning, I would wash and then hang them to dry. It was a never-ending chore. I couldn’t wait for her to be able to control herself and go to the outhouse, or at least in the chamber pot.I pulled the boiling water from the stove and poured it into the wash bin and began washing her nappies. It didn’t take long and soon they were hanging in the garden room to dry. It was still a little too cool for outdoor laundry hanging. After they were hung, I threw the dirty water out the side door and worked on washing the other clothes for the week. I had several towels and linens to wash, in addition to our day clothes.I had just hung our day clothes so they would dry and was set to start on the bedding when I heard a wagon pull into the yard. Then I heard Thomas
September 1868Joseph POVEmily was so nervous when her Mum showed up at the homestead unannounced. I was nervous for her, but as they talked, it became very clear that her Mum truly regretted her actions. No one could truly blame her; I can’t imagine what I would do if I lost Emily. I would be devastated. Losing our Aurora was hard enough and we hadn’t even met her. Grief is a hard thing and people cope in different ways.But, as I said, I was glad that her Mum came. It seems her visit to the boarding house was an eye-opening experience and it aided in the grief process. I also think that the delay due to the winter months helped calm her down as well. And it was sheer luck that she happened to be at the boarding house the day Thomas showed up. She had shared that normally she had returned to the hotel by that time of the day, but had been delayed in leaving.Anne decided she would stay
Emily POVJoseph had described Benjamin Blackfoot to me but his description did not do the man any favors. Benjamin was a beast. He was several inches taller than Joseph but they both had a similar body structure. Both were muscular and it was evident from his stature, that Benjamin was not a stranger to hard work.I watched in amazement how he interacted with my Ma. She was hesitant and I understood. It would be difficult to choose another man if I ever lost Joseph. But in my heart, I knew that this was exactly what she needed. When she first laid eyes on him, her breath hitched in her throat and I saw the want in her eyes as she looked him over.I laughed to myself as I recalled her reaction to him when we made our way back to the house. She acted as though he were an irritation. Something she didn’t want, at least, until he walked into the house. Then she glared at him over the table. But Benjamin wasn’t o
April 1889Emily POVIn December 1868, Joseph and I welcomed our second child into our household. With all of the craziness of that year, Josiah Brody was a happy blessing and a joyous way to end the year. He was a large baby, weighing in at over eight pounds. Where Annabeth was a happy and quiet baby, Josiah was loud and cried constantly. He was a very colicky baby and I had a terrible time trying to keep him content. I was so glad when he finally settled at about eight months of age and began to sleep during the night.Due to the ongoing stress of Josiah’s constant crying, I was adamant that we had to wait until he was almost two before we would try to have another child. It didn’t quite work out that way, Malcomb Adam was born a month before Josiah turned two. Three years later, in the summer of 1873, we welcomed Fiona Clarabelle to our family. Malcomb and Fiona were both calm babies and I was grateful. Ha
Thank you so much for joining me on this journey. I am so excited to merge two worlds into one. Historical fiction and supernaturals. I hope that you enjoyed the blending and our sneak peak into the supernatural world. Books 4 & 5 will still focus on the traditional western feel but will definitely include some supernatural elements. All of this leads me to my next series which will be solely in the supernatural world.Following Book 5, I will be putting together a collection of short stories called “Friends of the Boarding House Brides”. This will feature several of the supporting characters from each of the five Boarding House Brides books.Be sure to check out my social group on the blue app with an f at OKLACLSYLDY BOOKS for updates on my books. I hope to see you there.The story of Emily and Joseph has come to an end, but what of Charlotte and Cole? Here is a sneak peak at their book, which begins next week, May 1st.Charlotte was fou
Prologue1863Emily POVI stared wide eyed as my Ma continued to ramble through her tears. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. There was no way I was going!“I just can’t worry about you getting your heart broken. I know it’s been six months, but I just can’t seem to move forward. Your Pa was my world, Em. Your sisters are grown and married and I can’t do anything to protect them from this type of tragedy in their lives. But I will protect you. Now, I want you to go and pack your things. Although, you won’t really need them at the convent,” she told me.“Ma, I don’t want to go. I know that Pa’s death was hard on you, but please don’t make me do this. I can still serve God as a wife and mother,” I begged her.At seventeen, I dreamed of a husband of my own. Someone who would love me as dearly as my Pa loved my Ma, before the influenza that took his life a little over six months ago. I just couldn’t understand why she all of a sudden wanted to send me away. My sisters were both happil
Chapter 11866Joseph POVSitting here staring at my hand waiting for the men at the table to place their bets is just another boring moment in my life. I used to find excitement in the game. The thrill of anticipation, wondering if my hand would be the one to beat. But today, my mind wasn’t on the game. It was on the auburn-haired beauty that I had met just hours ago.Emily.Even her name stirred my soul. Her beauty stole my breath away. She…“Hey! Are you gonna bid?” came the impatient voice of one of the men at the table, effectively pulling me out of my musings.I glanced around the table. The dealer was to my left, he probably was holding two pair. That had been his hand for most of the last hour. Next to him sat a young buck, who was so arrogant and believed he couldn’t lose this hand. He was still in. Ok, youngin’ we’ll see in just a minute.I made my way around the table, looking at each man. Watching each face, determining the confidence or lack thereof. But the man to my rig
When Joseph came to the boarding house the other day, I was immediately taken with him. He was tall and broad; I could tell that whatever he did for a living, took physical effort. He stood well over six feet tall, and if I had to guess, he was at least six feet four inches because I was taller than most women I knew. I was close to five feet eight inches. He was a good height; I could imagine myself leaning on his upper arm or laying my head on his shoulder. At first glance, some would say he was a backwoods heathen, due to his long hair and beard. But for me, it lent an air of mystery to him. His hazel eyes held a depth that I couldn’t wait to uncover. He had confidence unlike many of the men who I had previously met. He came to the boarding house because he had seen the advertisement that Mrs. Sheffield had placed in several newspapers across the country. Charlotte and I were watching from the stairway when he arrived. We overheard him introduce himself to Mrs. Sheffield. As he sp