Groom Not Wanted

When Pearl Lawson sees an ad for a mail-order bride, she leaps at the opportunity to find a husband for her best friend. But the town’s most dashing bachelor has caught the eye of several aspiring brides-to-be…and even Pearl is drawn to him. Though the schoolteacher has no intentions of marrying, her instant connection with Roland Decker cannot be denied.

Roland doesn’t know how an ad seeking a wife for his brother found its way into print. But now he has to handle the hopeful applicants—women who think he’s the future groom. Not to mention the feisty, matchmaking schoolteacher who is just as determined not to marry as he is. Will this mix-up push Roland and Pearl to forget their plans of staying single and allow love into their lives?

Boom Town Brides: Taking a leap of faith for love

“Mr. Decker.” Fiona’s loud voice yanked Pearl from her reverie. The woman had managed to garner the entire table’s attention. “Have you made your choice yet?” She pointedly looked at Amanda and then Pearl.

Amanda gasped and covered her mouth. Pearl attempted to kick Fiona beneath the table but missed. The gentlemen stared with obvious confusion.

“My choice?” Mr. Decker’s lips stretched into a charming smile. “Coffee would be most appropriate after dessert, I believe.”

The gentlemen all chimed their agreement. Mr. Decker lifted his glass of water in a toast to the fine meal.

Fiona O’Keefe, however, could not be so easily diverted from her purpose. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it. Which one of us are you going to marry?”

A small-town girl, CHRISTINE JOHNSON has lived in every corner of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. She enjoys creating stories that bring history to life while exploring the characters’ spiritual journeys. Though Michigan is still her home base, she and her seafaring husband also spend time exploring the Florida Keys and other fascinating locations. You can contact her through her website at christineelizabethjohnson.com.

Mail Order Mix-Up

Christine Johnson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

—Joshua 1:9

For every teacher who inspires and encourages. Thank you for giving so generously of the gifts God gave you.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Dear Reader

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

August 1870

“I do hope Garrett Decker is as handsome as that gentleman over there that you find so fascinating.”

Pearl Lawson started at her friend’s comment and absently adjusted her sleeve while keeping a good grip on the steamship railing. “I can’t imagine who you mean.”

She hadn’t been staring, had she? The striking gentleman standing not twenty feet away on the promenade deck certainly warranted more than a casual glance. He wore an impeccable dark brown suit that matched the color of his hair. The breezes off Lake Michigan ruffled the thick locks that ought to be topped by a hat, but that minor impropriety was not what had drawn Pearl’s attention. No, it was the vigor of his gestures during conversation with an older gentleman. Clearly they were discussing something more interesting than the calm seas and clear blue skies. Pearl longed for spirited discussion. Any topic of current concern would do, as long as it didn’t dwell on the weather or one’s health.

An impish twinkle sparked in Amanda’s eye. “He would make a fine beau.”

“That’s not why we’re here. I have a teaching position, and you are getting married.”

Amanda fiddled with the clasp of her nearly empty bag. “I’m not so certain about that any longer.”

Pearl understood her friend’s jitters. Getting married to a man she’d never met must be terrifying. “I’m sure Garrett Decker will be even more charming and handsome than that man.”

“How can you know? We only have the advertisement.” Amanda slipped the newspaper clipping from her bag. After two weeks of agonized second-guessing, it was frayed and creased to the point of falling apart. “‘Widower with handsome inheritance seeks wife in booming town soon to rival Chicago. Well-furnished, comfortable house. Inquire at mercantile for Mr. Garrett Decker. Singapore, Michigan,’” she said. “It says nothing of his appearance.” Her hand trembled. “Or his temperament.”

Pearl squeezed her friend’s arm. “If he doesn’t suit, then we shall get along together. My wages ought to support two frugal women.” She gave Amanda an encouraging smile. “No one knows better how to stretch a penny.”

Amanda answered with a shake of her ebony curls. “You have always done much better than I.” She fingered the satin ribbons on her hat. “Is it wrong to be fond of pretty things?”

“Not for someone as lovely as you.”

Amanda lifted her violet eyes, which abruptly widened. “Don’t look now, but your gentleman has noticed you.”

“More likely you. After all, you are the pretty one.”

Amanda blushed. “But I am practically spoken for. At least as soon as we arrive in Singapore. This gentleman should be for you.”

“You know that I cannot marry. The terms of my teaching contract were quite specific on that point.”

“But it’s not fair.”

Pearl had thought that at first, but upon reflection she could understand their point. “They do not wish to hire a teacher only to lose her shortly afterward. It is no hardship for me to postpone any thoughts of marriage for a year. I have no prospects at present, and a true gentleman would wait as long as necessary. Even if someone should profess undying love, I will be too busy with the school to consider courting, least of all marriage.”

“I don’t know how you can dismiss romance so easily. If that fine-looking gentleman asked to get acquainted, you couldn’t possibly deny him.”

“I can, and I will.” Yet even as Pearl spoke, she could see her friend’s attention drawn down the railing.

“He’s looking the other way now. We must do something to attract his interest. Perhaps a stroll in his direction. You could inquire about the weather.”

Pearl groaned. “Absolutely not. He is already deep in conversation. It would not be polite to interrupt.”

“It’s always acceptable for a lady...oh, dear!” Her exclamation was accompanied by a tight grip on Pearl’s arm. “He’s walking away. You must do something, or you’ll lose him.”

“I am not chasing after a man.”

“If you won’t act, then I will.” She waved her fan briskly and exclaimed loudly, “The sun is too hot. I feel faint.”

“Stop this,” Pearl hissed.

Amanda clutched Pearl’s arm again. “It worked. He looked our way.” She raised her voice again. “I can’t seem to draw a breath.” She started to slump.

“If you faint, I’ll...I’ll...” Pearl couldn’t think of a thing she would do to the friend who’d grown up with her in the orphanage. They’d stayed close even after Amanda had been placed with a family, while Pearl stayed unclaimed. When Amanda’s fiancé jilted her, she turned to Pearl, who convinced her to answer the advertisement that would place Amanda in the very same town as Pearl’s schoolhouse. Now Amanda’s well-being fell on Pearl’s shoulders. But it did not give her friend license to play matchmaker.

“Mr. Decker might not like women who swoon,” Pearl pointed out.

“Mr. Decker? Mr. Garrett Decker?” A redhead in an emerald-green silk gown halted beside them. “I could not help but overhear, but I must warn you that that particular gentleman is already spoken for.”

“What?” Pearl and Amanda said at the same time.

After days on a cramped, hot train and spending all but a few of their coins on this last passage, Pearl’s plan for Amanda could not come to naught.

“It can’t be,” Amanda whispered, her complexion so pale that Pearl feared she was about to genuinely faint. “The advertisement is only two weeks old.”

Two weeks was plenty of time for a man to wed. However, this woman sailed on the same ship as them. If she was already married to him, why wasn’t she with her husband?

Pearl thrust back her shoulders, prepared to battle for her friend. “Then you are his wife?”

“Not yet.” The woman tossed her head, which was topped by a hat bursting with ribbon and feathers. “But I soon will be.”

Pearl could have kicked herself for never considering that other women might respond to the advertisement. “Have you corresponded with him?”

“There wasn’t an address to write him,” the redhead admitted, “but I intend to win his heart the moment we land in Singapore.” She assessed Pearl and finished with a tight smile.

Apparently she felt Pearl was no competition, which she wasn’t. Amanda, on the other hand, could surpass any woman in the virtues that counted most. Kind and gentle of spirit, Amanda was also skilled with the needle and an above average housekeeper. Her cooking might suffer from lack of instruction, but then what would a man living in such an outpost expect? Certainly not the finely dressed redhead standing before him, nor the mousy woman who poked her head into the small group.

“Are you talking about Mr. Decker?” the mouse squeaked. Her hands clutched a book so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Oh, dear. Not another. How many women aboard the Milwaukee were traveling to Singapore in answer to the same advertisement? At least three. Amanda had competition. Worse, the handsome gentleman had drawn closer and caught her gaze. Pearl swallowed the flutter in her stomach and tried to concentrate on the trouble at hand.

“How many could there be?” Amanda whispered, her voice shaking.

“It doesn’t matter if there are a hundred. Mr. Decker will choose the one who would make the best wife, and that is clearly—”

“A hundred!” Amanda paled. “There couldn’t possibly be a hundred.”

Why had Amanda seized on that small exaggeration?

“But I’ve placed all my hopes in him.” The mousy bookworm looked close to tears. “I hope he’s good and kind.”

Pearl felt Amanda tremble. Hugh Bellchamp had not been a kind man. Not only had he betrayed his engagement to Amanda, but he had also done so to elope with the daughter of the family that had taken in Amanda. His note, delivered the morning of the wedding, had spared no cruelty, citing her unknown parentage as the deciding factor. Amanda was not good enough to become a Bellchamp, not when the Chatsworth money was taken into account.

The redhead snorted. “I want a strong man, not some weakling who spends his time writing love poems.”

Pearl cringed, for Hugh had written Amanda dozens of poems during their courtship. She felt her friend sway. Amanda’s fan dropped from her hand and plopped into the water far below. “This is useless speculation, ladies. We won’t know the man’s character until we meet him.”

The ship turned just enough to cut off the breeze. The thick August air could make any woman perspire, but drops poured off Amanda’s forehead. Her ringlets looked damp beneath the small straw hat that afforded no shade whatsoever, and her color had paled even further. Since Pearl didn’t carry a fan, she tugged off her gloves and waved them in front of Amanda’s face.

“Perhaps we should find somewhere to sit.” She felt Amanda’s grip loosening.

“Oh, dear.” The bookworm’s eyes widened as she recognized the imminent danger. She looked left and right. “The only chairs are in the ladies’ lounge or upstairs.”

Too late. Amanda gasped ever so softly before slumping. Pearl reacted to her friend’s collapse, cradling her on the way down and taking the brunt of the impact. Her knees smacked against the wood deck, but Amanda landed without injury.

“Is she all right?” the mouse whispered.

The redhead pulled smelling salts from her bag and offered them to Pearl.

One whiff of the astringent contents sent Amanda into a coughing fit.

Pearl stroked the damp curls from Amanda’s face. “We need air, ladies, and some water would be nice.”

“I’ll fetch some.” The mousy woman hurried off.

That left the redhead. Pearl tried to hand back the smelling salts, but the woman’s attention was focused on something behind Pearl.

“Ladies.” A rich masculine voice rolled over Pearl’s head with the calming effect of a lapping wave. “Do you have need of a doctor?”

Without looking, she knew it was him. The hatless man. The man whose animated gestures had intrigued her. Her pulse raced. She didn’t dare look at him lest she lose her head. That would not help Amanda. So she kept her gaze focused on her friend and tried to ignore the girlish pounding of her heart.

The redhead seized the opportunity to extend a gloved hand. “We are most grateful for your assistance. This woman swooned.”

The man ignored her and peered at Amanda. “I can fetch a physician.”

“That’s not necessary,” Pearl said quickly. They could not afford the services of a doctor. “See, the color is already coming back to her cheeks.”

“She doesn’t have a fever?”

Pearl detected genuine concern in his question. “I think it was just the heat.” She left out the real cause. No gentleman wanted to hear that three women had cast themselves into the marriage market for the same man. “A glass of water is on its way.”

“You’re certain you don’t need a physician?”

Amanda managed to flutter her eyelids at him. “No, thank you, kind sir.”

That little flirtation stirred a most unwelcome feeling in Pearl’s heart. Amanda was her dearest friend. Pearl should be pleased that any man had pushed the memories of Hugh from Amanda’s mind, but why did it have to be this gentleman?

“I think it might be best to send for the doctor.” He lifted a hand to catch a porter’s attention.

“No!” Amanda shot to a sitting position.

“Opposed to physicians?” the man asked with a hint of amusement.

“Not at all,” Pearl replied. Neither of them had much money left after paying the costs of rail and ship travel from New York, even though the indirect route via Chicago proved least expensive. They would need every cent for room and board until Pearl began her new position. “Thank you for your consideration, but we will manage.”

Pearl began to stand, and he extended a hand to assist her. She hesitated, but at the redhead’s grunt of displeasure accepted his help. At his touch, a sensation like lightning shot from her hand to her shoulder. Her gaze locked on his. He lifted her like a fallen leaf. She didn’t feel her feet, couldn’t break the gaze, couldn’t think a single lucid thought.

He released her hand with a smile that took her breath away. Though dozens of passengers had boarded in Chicago, she had noticed him. Tall, dark-haired and elegant, he looked the picture of a gentleman. Now his manners proved him to be exactly that. No other man had come to their aid. Few even glanced in their direction. She became aware that she was staring again. It didn’t hurt that his blue eyes twinkled like the sapphires she’d once seen on display in a New York jeweler’s shop window.

After a final smile that dimpled his cheek, he turned to Amanda. “May I help you to your feet?”

“Of course,” she said breathlessly.

Pearl stared at her friend, whose gaze was riveted on this handsome gentleman.

He extended his hand. She put one gloved hand in his, and without the slightest effort he pulled her to her feet.

“Thank you,” Amanda gushed, gaze still fixed on him.

Pearl fought unconscionable waves of jealousy. Why should she care about Amanda’s interest in the gentleman? Amanda was the one who desperately wanted to marry. Pearl couldn’t, according to the contract she had signed. But his eyes... She struggled to draw a breath. Something about the man drew her like no other. Curiosity and intelligence and laughter danced in his eyes. He made her feel as if she had always known him, even though they’d just met.

He turned back to Pearl. “Are you well, miss?”

Pearl swallowed and found her throat dry and her voice missing. She settled for nodding.

“Can I have my salts back?” The redhead stuck out her hand.

Pearl dropped the vial into it.

The woman then turned a dazzling smile on the gentleman. “We’re fortunate that you were here, sir. I’m Miss O’Keefe, but you may call me Fiona.”

He bowed with the perfection of a diplomat. “Pleased to meet you, Miss O’Keefe. I am Mr. Decker.”

* * *

The three women stared at Roland with mouths agape. What on earth was wrong with them? The brunette had recovered sufficiently that he did not expect a repeat of the fainting spell, but they all looked as if he had just said the most shocking thing possible. Yet all he had done was introduce himself.

Behind Fiona O’Keefe a fourth woman squeaked and dropped a glass of water. The liquid splashed on Fiona’s skirts while the glass rolled over the edge and into the lake far below.

The redhead turned on a tiny mouse of a woman. “How could you be so clumsy? Do you know how much this dress cost?”

The startled young woman looked ready to burst into tears. “I’m sorry.”

Fiona O’Keefe relented, though she looked none too pleased. “I planned to wear it to dinner at the captain’s table. Now what will I wear?” She turned back to Roland. “I had hoped to make a fine impression.”

Roland stifled a groan. Clearly she intended to impress more than the captain. “I can assure you, that you cannot help but impress anyone you meet.”

That turned Fiona O’Keefe’s distress into triumph. “I hope to see you later, Mr. Decker.”

Her emphasis on his title perplexed him, as did the peculiar looks the other three women shot in his direction. The mousy woman hid behind the others as if afraid he would strike her. The brunette kept glancing between him and her friend with an almost wistful look. That friend, on the other hand, had rapidly moved from shock to confusion to disappointment. A moment later, she straightened her elegant neck, tossed back her loose chestnut locks and steeled her shoulders in much the same way Eva once had.

He choked back the bitter memory and turned his attention back to Fiona. “Perhaps we shall meet again.”

He would do his best to avoid her. Fiona O’Keefe had all the makings of a woman intent on capturing a husband, and marriage was the last thing Roland sought. Even if he was the marrying type, he certainly wouldn’t choose the fiery redhead. The no-nonsense lady who had stuck by her stricken friend was much more intriguing. From her unusual height to her lively green eyes, she was a woman worth knowing. Alas, he had no time for pleasantries, not with a potential investor at his elbow.

“Perhaps I might convince the captain to add you to our company,” Fiona O’Keefe suggested with a coy smile.

Roland wished he wasn’t already included at the captain’s table. With Miss O’Keefe present, he would not be able to conduct a moment’s business with Mr. Edward Holmes, the investor from Chicago that he was trying to interest in his plans for a glass factory. He chose his words with care. “I have been invited already.”

After warbling her delight, Fiona O’Keefe swept down the promenade deck and into the nearest door.

“I know it’s not the Christian thing to say, but that woman is insufferable,” the take-charge woman muttered.

Roland had to stifle a grin. He liked a woman who spoke her mind.

“Now, Pearl,” the brunette scolded with a touch to her friend’s arm. “She did help me.”

Pearl. Roland rolled the name around on his tongue. A pearl was a bit of sand that irritated an oyster long enough to become a gem. He had a feeling the name fit.

The brunette had settled her attention on him. “Thank you, Mr. Decker. Your assistance was most gallant.”

Her wide eyes and stunning dark curls would captivate most men. Perhaps they might interest his brother, who desperately needed a wife. Maybe he could convince Garrett to come aboard long enough to meet her when the ship stopped in Singapore. If the purser refused to let him board, Roland would bring the lady to Garrett. A simple dockside meeting might set ablaze the dried-out tinder of his brother’s heart.

He answered the brunette but couldn’t stop watching the lady named Pearl. “Thank you, miss, but any gentleman would do the same.”

None of the women pointed out that no one else had come to assist them.

Instead, the victim graciously accepted his response. “I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Decker. I am Miss Amanda Porter, and this is my friend, Miss Pearl Lawson.” She paused, apparently hoping he would give his Christian name, thus putting them on a level of intimacy that he did not care to initiate.

“Pleased to meet you, ladies.”

Amanda frowned. “Pearl is the new schoolteacher in Singapore, Michigan.”

“Is that so?” He had not imagined any of them would be getting off at Singapore. He looked at Pearl anew. Her take-charge, plainspoken demeanor might fare well in the rough-edged society of Singapore. “I wasn’t aware we needed a new teacher.”

“You clearly don’t have children, then,” Pearl stated.

“Uh, no.” His brother might have mentioned the need for a schoolteacher, but as a bachelor Roland had little interest in such matters.

“Pearl,” Amanda cautioned her friend before turning back to him. “I’m afraid the long journey from New York has wearied us. Pearl isn’t usually this forward.”

Roland suspected Miss Pearl Lawson was behaving exactly as she always did. Those thrust-back shoulders and strong chin indicated she took no nonsense from anyone. Rather refreshing. Usually women simpered around him. He’d endured cloying attention, batted eyelashes and every manner of feminine wile down to the feigned swoon. He didn’t know if Amanda Porter’s fainting spell had been genuine, but he doubted Pearl would ever stoop to that deceit. She seemed honest and straightforward, without one bit of artifice.

“I’m Louise Smythe,” a voice squeaked from behind the two women, drawing his attention from Pearl.

Roland had forgotten about the fourth woman. “Miss Smythe.”

Her cheeks flushed. “Mrs. Smythe, actually. But my husband was killed in the war.”

“My sympathies, ma’am. Most families lost someone. Two of my cousins never returned.”

She bowed her head, as if overcome.

Roland glanced back to see Holmes had joined them at some point. He made further introductions and then began to angle the investor toward the gentlemen’s lounge. “If you will excuse me, Mr. Holmes and I have business to attend to. I hope to see you ladies later.”

“You will hardly be able to avoid Fiona,” Pearl noted, “since she will join you at dinner.”

“Ah, yes...dinner.” Why did she have to remind him of that now-onerous task?

He opened his mouth to say more, but Holmes interrupted with an even more unwelcome proposition. “Why don’t all of you join us?”

Roland couldn’t stifle this groan. Four women would hinder any attempt at striking a deal before they reached Singapore. “I doubt there would be enough room at the captain’s table.”

“I—I have other plans,” Louise Smythe spluttered, slipping into the background again.

Mr. Holmes accepted her regrets but not the protests of Pearl and Amanda. “I happen to know that there is ample room.”

Pearl’s expression had tightened, as if she dreaded the thought of dining with them, but Amanda clapped her hands with delight.

“The captain’s table! It will be wonderful, won’t it, Pearl?”

The no-nonsense woman looked like she was about to make an excuse, but after a pleading look from Amanda, she gave in. “We would be delighted.”

“It will be an excellent opportunity to get better acquainted,” Amanda said, again glancing between Pearl and him. “Won’t it?”

“We will have plenty of time to get acquainted once we all disembark in Singapore,” Pearl stated.

“All?” Roland didn’t miss that little word. “You’re all going to Singapore? Why? There’s nothing for women to do there. Except the school, of course.”

Now Pearl looked perplexed. “But you are expecting us.”

“What?” He backed up a step. “I’m not expecting anyone, least of all four women.”

Amanda looked like she would burst into tears. Louise Smythe bit her lip.

Only Pearl stood strong. “Then there has been a very grave mistake, Mr. Decker.”

Prickles ran up Roland’s spine. Whatever mistaken impression these ladies had come to believe, he wanted no part of it.

“Indeed there has.” He bowed stiffly. “Good afternoon, ladies. Mr. Holmes and I have business to attend to.”

Then, like a coward, he escaped to the safety of the gentlemen’s lounge to decipher what had just happened and figure out how he was going to get out of the mess.

* * *

The thought of dining with Mr. Decker knotted Pearl’s stomach. Gazing at him from afar had been pleasant. More than pleasant. Those brilliant blue eyes drew her in like no other man, but she’d let her fancy roam where it had no business going. Pearl Lawson was a schoolteacher, under contract to teach, not marry. Despite his peculiar behavior, Mr. Decker must want to marry at once. His advertisement had drawn three eligible women. Thus far. There could be many more already in Singapore. To give Amanda equal footing with Fiona, she’d agreed to her friend’s pleas to join him for dinner, but it would be difficult not to let her suddenly unruly emotions run wild.

She shouldn’t be concerned. Handsome men had never flocked to her side. Amanda was the pretty one, the one who drew men’s attention. Amanda desperately wanted to marry and have a family. She was the one who was responding to Mr. Decker’s advertisement. Pearl had no business thinking of Mr. Decker in any manner except as the object of Amanda’s affection. Still, it would be difficult to sit with the man at dinner and not let her thoughts roam into forbidden territory.

Provided they were even admitted into the dining saloon. Third-class tickets did not entitle them to meals, and they could not afford to purchase them. This invitation promised to turn into an embarrassing fiasco.

She worried her gloves while Amanda tidied up before dinner. Since they were already wearing their best gowns, they could not change, but a little brushing off of the dust and adjusting of the hair might make them more presentable.

“I wish I had a silk gown like Fiona’s.” Amanda sighed.

“Yours is infinitely prettier.”

Amanda blushed. “But it’s not silk, and it’s handmade.”

“By an expert seamstress.”

“You don’t think he knows I made it, do you?”

“I doubt his business is tailoring or dressmaking.” Pearl brushed at the wrinkles creasing her rust-colored skirt. “Besides, why would he look at your gown when your features are so much more pleasing?”

“Do you think so?” Even more color dotted Amanda’s cheeks. She turned back to the tiny mirror loaned to them by another third-class passenger. “I think he was more interested in you.”

A shock bolted through Pearl. Could a handsome, well-off man like Mr. Decker be attracted to a tall, ungainly woman like her? “Impossible. Moreover, I am not the one responding to his advertisement.”

Amanda bit her lower lip as a frown creased her brow. “Did you notice how he reacted when you pointed out that he must be expecting us?”

Pearl had to admit that she’d noticed. “Perhaps he didn’t understand.” Surely a man who advertised for a wife would expect someone to answer that advertisement. What if Mr. Decker turned out little better than Hugh Bellchamp, first luring women to Singapore and then dashing their hopes? “He must have misunderstood.”

“Perhaps.” But Amanda looked as skeptical as Pearl felt.

“We could send our regrets and dine on our cheese and biscuits as planned.”

“Oh, no. We must attend,” Amanda urged. “I couldn’t send regrets. Not now.”

Thus they found themselves approaching the doors of the dining saloon at precisely seven o’clock. Many passengers milled about waiting to be seated. Pearl hung back to look for Mr. Decker, but he found them first.

“Miss Lawson. Miss Porter.”

She couldn’t help noticing that he addressed her first and lingered longer over her hand. If Amanda noticed, she did not remark upon it. They then proceeded to discuss the day’s weather, the prognosis for that night and the usual inquiries into health and well-being.

At last the steward indicated he was ready to seat Mr. Decker’s party. Soon Pearl would find out if she and Amanda would be refused entry.

When Amanda moved toward the steward, Mr. Decker pulled Pearl aside. “I hate to ask this of you upon such short acquaintance, but I beg you to remind Mr. Holmes that you are the town’s schoolteacher.”

Pearl frowned. “Why?”

Instead of answering, he retrieved Amanda and nestled her on his left arm while holding out his right for Pearl.

She shook her head. This moment must belong to Amanda.

Without a single comment, the steward led them to the table situated at the front of the room. The captain, resplendent in his uniform, stood to greet them. Pearl breathed out in relief. They would not be refused. Naturally Fiona O’Keefe was already there. Judging by her expression she was not pleased to see that Mr. Decker had brought guests. When he seated Pearl next to Fiona, the woman’s irritation visibly rose.

The entire seating arrangement was peculiar. Considering Mr. Decker’s request, Pearl had expected to be seated next to Mr. Holmes. Instead, Amanda took that place, with Mr. Decker on her other side. From this distance, Pearl would have to shout for Mr. Holmes to hear her.

The meal began with a light beef broth, elegantly served in china bowls emblazoned with the ship’s insignia. On a less calm sea, those bowls would spill their contents all over the linen tablecloths, but tonight the bowls remained perfectly in place.

The gentlemen maintained the bulk of conversation, first complimenting each of the ladies and then discussing the voyage before drifting into talk of business. To each man’s delight, Amanda gave them her full attention, irritating Fiona even more.

At the first lull in the conversation, Fiona proclaimed, “This is the finest ship I have ever sailed on, Captain. Is it new?”

Her comment drew the desired attention from all the gentlemen at the table.

“I’m afraid not, Miss O’Keefe,” the captain said, “but it has been recently serviced. Do you sail often?”

“Recently, I sailed from New York City.” Fiona looked each man in the eye. “I was a rising star on the stage.”

That startled Pearl but intrigued the men, who asked where she had appeared.

“Smaller theaters,” Fiona replied, her color high. “As a soprano.”

Pearl wasn’t certain she believed the story, but it did make an impression on Mr. Holmes.

“What manner of songs did you sing?” the man asked.

Mr. Decker cleared his throat. “Wholesome songs, I imagine.”

His pointed look must have gotten through to Fiona, for she smiled coyly and replied, “But of course, gentlemen. I would never sing anything else.”

Though the men quickly returned to their business discussion, Pearl wondered at Fiona’s story. Why admit any alliance that could sully her reputation before the man she wanted to marry? A man seeking a wife certainly wouldn’t look in music halls. Yet there was a desperation in Fiona’s eyes that a man might miss. Regardless of the reason, this woman needed the marriage. That made her a dangerous opponent for Amanda.

Pearl glanced back at her friend, whose attention had flagged somewhat.

“Where do you hail from, Miss Lawson?” the captain asked.

Pearl reluctantly turned from her friend. “Amanda and I are also from New York.”

“New York?” Holmes bellowed above the din of conversation and flatware clinking against china. “Decker, you didn’t tell me you had to send to New York for a teacher.”

Mr. Decker took the comment in stride. “We want the most highly educated instructor for our children.”

Now that was peculiar. Hadn’t he said earlier that he didn’t even know they’d hired a new teacher? Now he claimed she possessed higher qualifications than she did. Though she’d studied hard, she didn’t have a university degree. That’s why she’d applied to a small, remote posting. They did not quibble over her credentials, yet here was Mr. Decker touting her education. Couple that with his request that she remind Holmes of her position, and she could not make heads nor tails of Mr. Decker.

He was gracious, charming and could talk a fish onto a hook. She would give him that. His stunning good looks couldn’t be denied, either. From perfectly chiseled cheekbones and jaw to impeccable attire, he was a sight to behold. Judging by the smooth cheeks and manicured haircut, he had visited the ship’s barber after seeing them this afternoon.

Yet he spoke with confidence of things he knew nothing about. Pearl couldn’t condone that. It was one shade short of stretching the truth, and she began to wonder if he was the right man for Amanda.

Or her. She pushed away that thought. Three women sought to marry Mr. Decker. She was not one of them.

Their steward removed her empty soup bowl and replaced it with a steaming plate that carried the most delicious smell. She closed her eyes and savored the delicate poached fish in a buttery sauce and steamed new potatoes dusted with parsley. Sautéed early carrots completed the plate.

Pearl had never eaten so well. It took every bit of restraint not to gobble down the fare. After each bite, she counted to thirty, smiled at Amanda, who was also reveling in the delicious food, and attempted to interject a comment into the conversation.

The captain had managed to engage Fiona, though she watched Mr. Decker like a hawk. When Amanda smiled at him, Fiona frowned. When Mr. Decker glanced in her direction, the redhead fluttered her eyelids.

Amanda, on the other hand, smiled at everything the men said but contributed nothing. That would not do. Pearl caught Amanda’s attention and motioned for her to speak. Amanda averted her gaze and took another bite of food. Now was no time for Amanda to succumb to her tendency toward shyness. If she didn’t say something soon, Mr. Decker would never notice her fine qualities.

Pearl seized a lull in the conversation to guide the gentleman’s attention in the proper direction. “Amanda is an accomplished pianist.”

“Is that so?” Mr. Holmes said.

Alas, the wrong man had seized the bait.

Amanda blushed. “Not so very accomplished.”

“Nonsense. You play Mozart beautifully, and that is not easy,” Pearl pointed out.

“Indeed,” Holmes said. “Do you also play hymns?”

Amanda brightened. “Yes. My favorite is ‘Amazing Grace.’”

That initiated a lively discussion in which Mr. Decker and Fiona O’Keefe did not participate. Pearl watched him closely. Either he had no favorite hymn or was not the churchgoing sort. For Amanda’s sake, she hoped it was the former.

Next came the dessert course, a delicious spiced cake with candied peaches. Pearl closed her eyes and let the flavors melt on her tongue. It might be years before she tasted such fare again, but one day she would wend her way west, where fortunes could still be made.

“Mr. Decker.” Fiona’s loud voice yanked Pearl from her reverie. The woman had managed to garner the entire table’s attention. “Have you made your choice yet?” She pointedly looked at Amanda and then Pearl.

Amanda gasped and covered her mouth. Pearl attempted to kick Fiona beneath the table but missed. The gentlemen stared with obvious confusion.

“My choice?” Mr. Decker’s lips stretched into a charming smile. “Coffee would be most appropriate after dessert, I believe.”

The gentlemen all chimed their agreement. Mr. Decker lifted his glass of water in a toast to the fine meal.

Fiona O’Keefe, however, could not be so easily diverted from her purpose. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it. Which one of us are you going to marry?”

Chapter Two

Roland gagged on a mouthful of water.

“What?” He coughed. Repeatedly. “Marry?”

“Yes, marry.” Fiona O’Keefe’s gaze bored into him. “You’ve met us. Now which one do you choose?”

What on earth had gotten into that woman? He had not once stated he was in the market for a wife, yet she seemed to think he was supposed to pick one this very instant. Moreover, this choice was supposed to come from some undefined group of women that he had supposedly met, and which clearly included her.

He took a gulp of water to give himself time to rein in his shock and replace it with the calm of a placid lake. “I believe there has been some mistake.”

“Don’t think you can wiggle out of this,” Fiona replied. “Pearl and Amanda and that Louise Smythe also want to know your answer.”

He instinctively looked to Pearl, whose lips were pressed into a grim line. Amanda, on the other hand, had paled to the point that he wondered if she would faint again. He searched his memory for the last woman mentioned. Smythe. Smythe. Ah, yes, the small mousy woman who lost her husband in the war. She was not at the table. Given Fiona’s obvious designs on him, he was surprised she mentioned the other women. By his count, that put the eager prospects at four.

Whatever those ladies were up to, he was not going to marry. Not now. Not in the foreseeable future. He couldn’t imagine where they’d gotten that idea. For a moment he recalled the fake advertisement he’d written as a joke to jolt his brother out of mourning, but he’d thrown that into the fire. None of them could possibly have seen it.

Judging by each woman’s rapt attention, they expected an answer.

Well, if there was one thing Roland Decker excelled at, it was his ability to escape from tight situations. No woman was going to snare him in her net.

So he guffawed and turned to Holmes. “Isn’t that like a woman, always looking for a husband?”

He could feel Fiona’s indignation boring into the side of his head.

Holmes, after an initial chuckle, turned serious. “Domestication never hurt a man.”

“Except when it cuts into his attention and time starting up and running a new operation,” Roland pointed out.

He took great care not to look any of the women in the eye, though he could not miss Amanda’s distress, for she was seated between him and Holmes. Moreover, Pearl shuffled in her seat. He could imagine the glare she’d fixed on him.

Instead of agreeing with him, Holmes continued to press his point. “A diligent wife understands the demands placed on her husband and assists him in every possible way.”

That wasn’t Roland’s experience. His brother’s late wife had placed demands on him. Eva had hated Singapore, hated his work, pleaded with him to move back to the city. Garrett had nearly caved in to her demands before the accident.

“Mr. Holmes is right,” Pearl chimed in, the high color dotting her cheeks mirroring the strands of red in her chestnut hair. “Marriage is a true partnership of like interests. Husband and wife working in unison can accomplish much more together than apart. Did not King Solomon note that a two-strand cord is stronger than one?”

Roland savored her persuasive determination. She might be a worthy partner—if he was in the market for a wife. But experience had taught him that words meant nothing. Promises made in the heat of first attraction vanished once the wedding bells stopped pealing.

“Clearly you have not been married, Miss Lawson,” Roland said.

That would have silenced most women. Not Pearl.

“Have you, Mr. Decker?”

He laughed. “Touché. I have witnessed many marriages, though.”

“And those have jaded you on the institution?”

“Let’s say I’ve seen its shortcomings.”

The captain cleared his throat. “Fascinating as this debate is, I am needed in the wheelhouse.” He rose. “Please excuse me, Miss O’Keefe. Miss Lawson. Miss Porter. Gentlemen.”

“Of course,” Pearl murmured.

Though the captain had admirably engaged Fiona O’Keefe most of the evening, his departure now set her attention squarely on Roland. “You did not answer my question, Mr. Decker.”

He folded his napkin and set it on the table. “I thought I did, but if you must hear it plainly, I am not in the market for a wife.” He rose. “The day has been long, and tomorrow I must rise early to attend to business. I bid you good night, ladies.”

* * *

“What are we going to do?” Amanda whispered to Pearl when they’d reached the promenade deck.

Pearl scrambled to come up with an answer. Mr. Decker’s denial might have disheartened Amanda, but it infuriated her. After the first flush of selfish excitement that he was not interested in Fiona, the full import of his words struck home. He did not want to marry anyone. Yet he had placed an advertisement in a New York newspaper.

What sort of man did such a thing? She had thought him solicitous and compassionate, not the type who would tempt women to leave their lives behind only to disavow he’d ever suggested they do so. If not for the many diners surrounding them and for Amanda’s fragile state, she would have given Mr. Decker a piece of her mind.

He must have sensed the imminent danger. That’s why he’d left so quickly. Good riddance, in her estimation. However, that did not ease Amanda’s distress. Pearl had to set aside her anger and find a way to soothe her friend. So, she paused at the railing and took a deep breath.

Overhead, stars sprinkled the moonless sky. The seas were still calm, and the Milwaukee plied the water with ease. The night temperatures were pleasant. Under other circumstances, they might while away the hours pointing out the constellations. Instead she must find some way to turn wormy crab apples into apple pie.

Pearl made her decision in an instant. “We continue on to Singapore.” She hoped her certainty would bolster her friend’s rapidly sinking hopes. “Something good will come of this. I’m certain of it.”

“How can you be so sure? Not only did Mr. Decker not expect us, but he doesn’t want to marry. What happened? Was the advertisement a cruel joke?”

Pearl could not tell her that she’d begun to think it was. Possible explanations tumbled through her head. The most far-fetched she discarded at once, but one lodged and refused to let go. Mr. Decker had claimed that marriage would take away from running a new business. What if the promise of marriage was simply a ploy to bring inexpensive labor to Singapore? What if he was the worst sort of scoundrel, someone who would take advantage of a woman when she was at her most vulnerable?

No, she couldn’t let herself think that. She certainly couldn’t allow Amanda’s thoughts to drift in that direction.

“We will get by,” she said firmly. “My new position includes room and board. We will share the room and make do on my earnings.”

“But you wanted to save enough to go to California.”

Pearl shoved aside that dream. Friends were more important. She had been abandoned by her parents. She would not abandon her friend.

She squeezed Amanda’s hand. “That can wait until we sort this all out.”

“I will find a job,” Amanda declared. “I can be a ladies’ maid.”

Pearl doubted there were many frontier ladies needing that sort of maid, but she didn’t point it out. “You do keep a tidy house and sew beautifully.”

“I love to sew, but do you think anyone will need a seamstress?”

“We won’t speculate on what people do or don’t need. We’ll trust that things will turn out for the best.”

“All things will work together for good for those who love the Lord,” Amanda said, paraphrasing scripture. “We must rely on that.”

“Yes, we must.” Pearl drew in a deep breath. Perhaps her friend was stronger than she appeared. “I’m tired and tomorrow will be busy. Shall we go below to find a spot to sleep?” Third class granted them passage but not sleeping quarters or a meal.

“Let’s not. It’s so noisy with everyone squeezed in there. I’d rather stand here and look at the stars.”

Pearl had to agree. “We will search for some chairs, then, or a spot on the upper deck, and lift our gaze to the skies. You’ll see. In the morning, everything will seem better.”

Especially after she cornered Mr. Decker.

* * *

Morning dawned with scarcely a breeze. The cloudless sky stretched overhead like a blank canvas. This day would usher in a new life for Pearl as a schoolteacher. The prospect excited her even while she kept watch for the man who had crushed her dear friend’s hopes.

Pearl stood at the railing with Amanda, their carpetbags at their feet, as the ship glided toward the mouth of a river guarded by a small lighthouse. Shimmering dunes rose on either side, dotted by clumps of green. Grass or shrubs, she guessed. Any trees were hidden from view behind the sand hills. In both directions the shoreline stretched unbroken except for a small, smoke-belching enterprise a distance to the north. If not for the lighthouse, she would think they were headed into the wilderness.

“How pretty.” Amanda sighed. “I wonder where the town is.”

Pearl wondered that, too. The marriage advertisement had promised a booming town. The employment posting had proclaimed a “bright future in the next Chicago.” She saw no sign of habitation, least of all a thriving city.

“It must be upriver.” At least Pearl hoped it was. She could manage the wilderness, but Amanda deserved a more genteel life. Despite Amanda’s labors in the Chatsworth household, she was ill-equipped for backbreaking drudgery. The Chatsworths kept several servants, including a housekeeper and cook. Rather than being taken in as a daughter, Amanda had worked, but she had never taken on the care of an entire family. Pearl gripped the rail, for the first time doubting her decision to convince Amanda to join her.

Her friend’s fragile hope had been dashed last night by yet another unfeeling man. First she’d suffered Hugh’s unconscionable jilting. Now Garrett Decker had dismissed her. Just thinking of the man made Pearl’s blood boil.

Her first objective of the day had been thwarted when Mr. Decker, despite claiming last night that he must rise early, did not appear on deck. Apparently that early morning business was conducted in the sanctuary of the gentlemen’s lounge, where none of the women he’d injured could reach him.

Not interested in marrying? He had some nerve sending out an advertisement and then withdrawing it once he’d met the prospective brides. Fiona might be a little too forward and Louise Smythe a little too reticent, but Amanda shone like the rising sun. He had seemed to enjoy her companionship last night. Then why snuff out her hopes so cruelly?

She tapped her fingers on the railing. If he could not explain himself, she had a mind to give him a thorough tongue-lashing. Providing she could find him. The wily fox had ducked into his den. He might be able to hide aboard ship, but eventually he must leave. She would nab him ashore.

The ship entered the river, and Pearl spotted the first sign of life. A thin trail of smoke rose from a building on the left-hand shore. Farther upriver, another dark column lifted against the rising sun. The ship rounded a corner, and she heard the growl of engines and a piercing whine that made Amanda clap her hands over her ears.

“What is that?” Amanda asked.

Pearl shook her head. The tooth-shaking howl wasn’t familiar. As they rounded the next bend, the source became obvious. Rafts of logs floated near shore. Sawdust coated the ground. Big, open wood-frame buildings roared with the hum of engines and the scream of huge saws.

Amanda’s eyes rounded, and her hands stayed pressed to her ears.

The ship’s whistle blew, and the vessel glided toward the dock that lined the shore. Beyond the dock stood a scattering of weathered wood buildings tucked between sand dunes. Most were single-story cabins or houses. A few had two stories. One building was particularly large. None bore the markings of a schoolhouse. Boardwalks and streets crisscrossed between buildings, but she saw no carriages or buggies. A couple of wagons waited near the waterfront. Though workers crowded the sawmills and docks, not a single soul walked through town.

Pearl’s heart sank.

“Is this Singapore?” Amanda asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” replied a sweat-stained laborer standing nearby. “Stockton’s town.”

“Stockton?” Pearl asked, her thoughts immediately drifting toward another man. “I thought perhaps Mr. Decker was in charge.”

The man guffawed and slapped his thigh. “That’s a funny one, miss. No sirree, Stockton owns the mills and the store and pert near everythin’ else in town. Decker works for him. Runs the store.”

Oh, dear. In spite of Mr. Decker’s fine clothes and silver tongue, he was not important at all. Moreover, Singapore was no bustling metropolis. “Then it’s a company town.”

The man grinned, revealing a few missing teeth. “Wildest town on the coast.”

Amanda paled. Pearl gripped her arm, afraid her friend would faint. Surely the man was mistaken.

“Do you live here, sir?”

“Board in one of the cabins.” The man gestured in the general direction of town. “Been workin’ here ’most two years now. This was the first chance ta head back home ta see the folks. Heard the mill’s running full steam again.” He rubbed his hands together. “Hopin’ ta make enough ta git me a bride.”

Oh, dear. She hoped the man didn’t see them as prospects. Though a hard-working man was a blessing, both she and Amanda had hoped for someone a bit more sophisticated. Nevertheless, she offered a faint smile, all the while considering what they would face.

“Where is the boardinghouse?”

He waved at one of the two-story buildings set back from the waterfront. “And that there big building is the Astor House.”

“Astor House?” Amanda exclaimed. “Like the hotel in New York?”

“The very same.”

Except it looked nothing like the famed hotel. Clearly the citizens of Singapore thought a great deal more of their town than a stranger could see at first glance. Pearl wondered about the boardinghouse. She had envisioned a pleasant atmosphere with tea served at four o’clock in a formal parlor, not a place filled with rougher sorts in a town with a bad reputation.

“There must be families,” Pearl said, “since there’s a school.”

He shrugged. “A few between here’n the tannery ’n Saugatuck.”

“Saugatuck?” That place hadn’t been mentioned in the employment posting.

“Upriver a bit.”

Pearl struggled to keep her composure. None of this was turning out as expected.

A snort of disgust from behind echoed her thoughts. “This isn’t a boomtown,” said Fiona O’Keefe.

Beside the redhead stood the diminutive Louise Smythe, who looked as pale and frightened as Amanda.

“Maybe looks are deceiving,” Pearl said with more hope than certainty. She had wanted a frontier experience, but this wasn’t at all like the stories she’d read. She had imagined tidy cabins with whitewashed fences. Any Indians would be friendly and helpful. After all, the advertisement had boasted of a civilized and prosperous town.

The crew threw out thick lines and men on the docks wrapped them around large pilings. A gangway was extended and the passengers began moving toward it. Pearl picked up her bag and shuffled forward with Amanda and the other ladies. Below, the first passengers streamed out of the ship. All were men, mostly laborers. One older couple disembarked, but not one other woman. From what she could see, the four of them were the only single women leaving the ship at Singapore. The rest must be going on. That meant they were the only ladies whose hopes of marriage had been dashed by Mr. Decker.

There that fox was! She leaned over the rail to be certain. Sure enough, there he stood on the gangway as tall and proud as the day they’d met, gesturing this way and that while conversing with Mr. Holmes.

The two men stepped ashore, and then Mr. Holmes stopped to talk to a porter. Mr. Decker, on the other hand, roamed down the dock. Pearl followed his movements, determined to find the man once she’d disembarked. He strode the dock, chatting with the men who’d helped tie the ship to the moorings. Judging by the laughter and smiles he received, he was well liked by every one of them.

Slowly she inched forward. Amanda gripped her arm. She’d seen Mr. Decker.

He waved at someone far down the dock, just this side of the large sawmill. That person must not have noticed him, because Mr. Decker cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, “Garrett! Over here.”

“Garrett?” all four women exclaimed at once.

That was the name on the advertisement. Could there be two Garretts in Singapore? Or was there more than one Mr. Decker?

Chapter Three

It was good to be home, which is what Singapore had become to Roland since he’d moved here eight years ago. At the time he’d been a clerk in Mr. Stockton’s Chicago emporium. His boss offered him the management of the Singapore general store, and he had leaped at the opportunity. It got him away from the scene of his greatest disappointment.

He had not expected his older brother to follow four years later. Garrett was as different from him as night from day. Garrett preferred to work with his hands. He boasted a massive frame and their father’s auburn hair. He never opened a book other than the Bible and enjoyed playing a harmonica at night. He was as rustic as the society in this lumber town.

What had Eva seen in him?

That’s the question that had haunted Roland for over eight years. He and Eva were the same age, while Garrett was four years older. Roland had taken her to the finest shows in Chicago. He’d spent every spare dollar on gifts for her. He’d shared his excitement over the latest scientific discoveries with her. He sought progress whereas Garrett preferred the stability of tradition. Roland thought Eva loved him, yet she had chosen his brother. She had married Garrett and in rapid succession bore him a son and a daughter.

Then they moved to Singapore.

Seeing her again had been difficult. He had kept his distance, but they could not avoid each other in such a small town. Disputes arose until brother separated from brother. Few words passed between them until Eva died. Even now, the memory of that day scored him to the bone. Every time he looked at Garrett’s son and daughter, he saw her. Garrett must have felt the same way, for he holed up with his grief and ignored the children. Roland made the first move. For the sake of the children. He could still hear Garrett’s hollow refusal. Yet in the end his brother relented and moved in with Roland.

The brothers reached a truce. The children were their bond. The two men did their best, but the children hadn’t rebounded. Little Isaac carried the weight of the world on his seven-year-old shoulders, and Sadie wouldn’t say a word.

“Give it time,” Mrs. Calloway, over at the boardinghouse, had told him. “It’ll take a while for those young’uns to get over losing their ma.”

Months and months had gone by, and it hadn’t seemed to help. Maybe this glassworks factory would be just the thing to pull those children from their self-imposed isolation. With success, he could provide the finest of everything. New toys for Isaac. Fancy dresses for Sadie. The prettiest dolls. Whatever their hearts desired.

To get the factory off the ground, Roland needed investors. Stockton had held back, calling the venture shaky at best, but if Roland could get Holmes on board, Stockton might follow. Two days in Chicago and another aboard ship showed him that Holmes valued honest labor and deep morality—the latter in short supply here, with the exception of his brother.

He called out again to Garrett, who apparently couldn’t hear him above the whine of the saws.

His brother looked this way and that.

Roland waved and pushed past the passengers and curious onlookers. Again he cupped his hands around his mouth. “Garrett!”

“Garrett?” The sharp question came from that new schoolteacher, Pearl Lawson, who stood an arm’s length away with her hands perched on her hips.

If she hadn’t been so obviously miffed, he might have found her flushed cheeks and flashing eyes irresistible. Instead he looked for his brother, who had disappeared again.

“Miss Lawson. I am busy.”

Holmes was walking toward him. He didn’t have time to deal with ladies who mistakenly thought he was in the market for a wife.

She stepped in front of him. “You are not too busy to answer a simple question.”

“Excuse me.” He skirted around her, using his long strides to reach Holmes before she could catch up. “Did Charlie agree to take your bags to the hotel?”

“Yes, he did,” Holmes said with a shake of his head. “Wouldn’t take a penny for his efforts.”

That’s what Roland had hoped would be the outcome when he told Holmes to inform the lad that Roland Decker had suggested him. Later, he would add a little extra to the lad’s wages, but now he had to catch Garrett. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

“Mr. Decker!” That schoolteacher was pestering him again. “I must have a word with you. In private.”

Roland bit back frustration. The candor that he’d once found refreshing was now beginning to irritate him. “As I said, I have business to attend to.”

“It will only take a minute.” Her jaw was set and her gaze did not waver. “It is most urgent.”

Holmes nudged Roland forward. “I can wait. Please take care of the lady.”

Roland did not care to address what he was certain she would ask, but to deny her would throw doubt on Holmes’s opinion of him and his project. He glanced up to see his brother had halted on the docks, staring up at the steamship, doubtless looking for him. Roland had a moment to calm the brewing storm.

“What is it, Miss Lawson?”

Holmes had thoughtfully stepped out of hearing range.

She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a tattered newspaper clipping, which she held out to him. “Did you or did you not place this advertisement?”

Roland had placed an advertisement in the Chicago papers looking for investors, but he couldn’t imagine why Pearl Lawson would get upset over that. He accepted the clipping from her gloved hand. It took only seconds to recognize the wording, but how on earth had it leaped out of the fire and onto the pages of a newspaper?

Garrett. It had to be. He must have taken Roland’s prodding seriously and rewrote the advertisement from memory. Roland pulled off his stifling hat. His brother’s memory was better than he’d figured. This advertisement was word for word what Roland had written as a joke.

“Where did you get this?” he asked Pearl.

“From the New York newspaper.”

“New York?” He faintly recalled that all the ladies attempting to claim his affections hailed from that city. He swallowed the lump building in his throat. How it had gotten to New York was only the tip of the problem. The fact that it offered no means to whittle down prospective brides meant these four women might be the first in a deluge.

“When?” he choked out.

“When what?”

“When did this advertisement appear?”

“Two weeks ago.”

“Two weeks.” He attempted to calculate precisely how many women might arrive in Singapore, for this advertisement stated that all applicants must apply in person. Why, it could be hundreds. “How many of you are there?”

One perfectly arched eyebrow lifted. “I assume you are referring to candidates for your hand, not a twin, which I do not have. In answer to your question, there are three. On this ship.”

“Including you?” Something about the idea of his brother marrying Pearl Lawson set Roland’s teeth on edge.

“As I told you, I am here to teach school.” For the briefest moment, disappointment flashed across her face before she reined it in. “Then you did place the advertisement.”

He swallowed again. “In truth, I’m not sure how it got in the newspaper.”

She snorted in disbelief. “It didn’t happen by itself. Are you or are you not Mr. Garrett Decker?”

At least on that he could speak with certainty. “I am not.”

Both her eyebrows shot up this time.

“Let me explain,” he said before she could get spitting mad again. “I am Roland Decker. My brother—my older brother—is Garrett.”

She breathed out with what looked suspiciously like relief, and a little chuckle escaped her lips. “Then you are not the one seeking a wife.”

“I am not.” But he wasn’t entirely certain his brother was, either. Surely he would have said something if that was the case.

Since Garrett had finally spotted him and was striding in their direction, they would soon have the answer. Then Roland could send the hopeful ladies off with his brother and get back to the business of courting Mr. Holmes’s patronage.

* * *

Pearl struggled to hide her relief. Mr. Decker—Roland—had proven not to be a scoundrel. She mentally reviewed all his responses on the voyage. He had answered truthfully in every instance. No treachery or deceit had been involved, though she could not imagine why he didn’t know his brother was seeking a wife, especially since the advertisement stated that all interested parties needed to inquire at the mercantile. That laborer had told her that Roland ran the store. Surely there could not be more than one general store in such a small town.

Regardless, she owed him an apology. “Please forgive me. When we heard your name and that you hailed from Singapore, we naturally assumed you were the one who sought a wife.”

“An understandable mistake. I hope it did not cause you too much trouble.”

His smile sent her insides fluttering again. She pressed a hand to her stomach. It must be a result of overindulgence at last night’s meal. She was not accustomed to such rich food. He grinned, and she realized she had not replied to whatever he had asked. She searched her mind. Oh, yes, something about troubling them.

“Not at all. Amanda will be relieved that it wasn’t you.” But not as much as I am.

“Is that so? Your friend finds me lacking as a potential husband?”

Oh, dear. Heat rose to her cheeks as she realized what she’d said. “I didn’t mean to infer that she thought you inferior in any way. Because you aren’t.” She fanned her face with her hand. “My, it’s hot in the sun.”

He ignored her discomfort. “And you know her mind on such matters?”

Now he was having fun at her expense. “Mr. Decker!”

He chuckled. “Roland, please.”

She warmed to the change of direction. “Like the valiant knight.”

A grin spread across his face. “Precisely. I aim to bring progress and prosperity to Singapore.” He swept his arms wide, encompassing the less-than-impressive array of buildings. “That is why I cannot consider marriage at this time.”

For some irrational reason, her buoying spirits plummeted. She averted her gaze and took a deep breath. After all, she could not consider marriage, either. “I understand, Mr. Decker.”

“Roland.”

“Roland.” His name rolled off her tongue with such pleasantness that she could easily imagine saying it every day of her life. She sighed. “Too bad business and marriage are mutually exclusive propositions.”

His smile never wavered. “They might not be for some men, but I would never subject the woman I loved to such loneliness. I work long hours, Miss Lawson.”

“Pearl.”

That smile of his softened, and the blue eyes twinkled. “Pearl. It would not be fair to her.”

“Shouldn’t that be her decision?”

Once again he cocked his head in that charming manner. “You are rather an independent sort, Pearl.”

She had heard that sentiment before. She was too outspoken, too insistent, too independent. That’s why men walked away after their first meeting. Roland would, too, though for different reasons. “I consider independence a virtue.”

He let loose a great burst of laughter. “Do you turn everything on its head?”

“Only things that need turning about. An independent woman can take care of herself while providing all that her family needs.”

“Is there no room for a man to assist her?”

Her stomach fluttered alarmingly. He could not seriously want a relationship with her, not after stating he would not marry anyone.

She touched a hand to her hot cheek. “Of course. If he is committed to her.”

His gaze narrowed. “I see.”

She dropped her hand as her silly hopes deflated. What had she thought would happen? He was a confirmed bachelor. She could not marry without losing her new position.

“First and foremost, Mr. Decker, I am a schoolteacher.”

Roland stiffened and bowed ever so slightly. “And I am a businessman with duties waiting.”

Her gaze sought Amanda, who waited on the dock with their carpetbags and the other two bride hopefuls. It had taken a stern warning to keep Fiona at bay, but Louise had gratefully accepted her help sorting this out. All three women watched intently. Fiona clutched the handle of her fine parasol. Louise pressed a book to her chest. Amanda nibbled on her lower lip. In Pearl’s estimation, Amanda was the loveliest by far, but none of them could predict what a man might think.

“Good day, Miss Lawson.” Her companion bowed to take his leave.

“Roland?”

He halted and gave her an inquiring look.

She took a deep breath. “Might you introduce us to your brother?”

* * *

Something about Pearl captivated Roland. Maybe it was the determined set of her chin or the flash of fire in her eyes. Maybe it was the way she protected her friend or took charge in difficult situations. She wasn’t afraid. Except perhaps of him. He’d noticed the pleasant flush of her cheeks and didn’t think for a minute that it had anything to do with the sun. Rather, he’d been relieved to learn that she not only wasn’t answering the advertisement for a wife, but also accepted his statement that he would not marry.

She had a good head on her shoulders and would make a fine teacher.

Once he’d introduced her to Garrett, he asked her to tell her friends to wait a moment. He must warn his brother before unleashing the women on him. Pearl gave him a peculiar look before returning to them. She didn’t trust him. He probably deserved that. If he’d been the object of the women’s attention, he would have run back on the ship and headed for the next port. Garrett, on the other hand, needed a wife. And Roland needed to determine if his brother had placed the advertisement.

Garrett gazed at Pearl’s retreating back. “Seems like a decent schoolteacher.”

“The children will like her.” Roland had to settle that point before he got to the next. “I had ample time to talk with her aboard ship. She will do well. But there’s another matter we need to discuss, and we haven’t much time.”

In fact, the three bride hopefuls were staring at him as Pearl talked. It wouldn’t take long before they realized Garrett was the object of their hopes. He doubted even Pearl could hold them back then.

“No investors?” Garrett asked.

Roland shook his head. “That’s not it. I’ve brought Edward Holmes to look over the project site and layout of the land.” A second urgent thought occurred to him. “In fact, I’m hoping you can join us. He will be impressed by your work. I could convince him that you should be the factory manager.”

“Manager?” Garrett’s brow creased as if the job was the worst he could imagine.

“Added responsibility comes with additional wages.”

Garrett scowled. “If I told you once, I told you a thousand times. I’m not interested in managing anything. I like to work with my hands.”

“Mr. Decker!” The fiery Fiona O’Keefe interjected herself into their discussion without waiting for introductions.

Roland shouldn’t have expected less. After all, she had done the same with him. This time, her attention centered on Garrett, whose ordinarily ruddy complexion grew even more so at the sight of the elegantly dressed redhead. As usual, Roland’s brother was at a loss for words.

“Garrett, may I introduce Miss Fiona O’Keefe.” Roland gestured to the redhead and then proceeded to introduce the other women. His gaze drifted to Pearl, who hung outside the ring of anxious women, but she was scanning the town.

Garrett cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable. “Pleased to meet you, ladies.” He managed to look each one in the eye but showed no sign of particular interest in any of them. “What brings you to town?”

Roland groaned. That meant his brother either did not place the advertisement or had forgotten about it. Unfortunately, Roland had not had time to tell Garrett what to expect. Judging by the expression on Fiona’s face, he would soon feel the wrath of four upset women if Roland didn’t step in.

“Now, ladies, shouldn’t you settle in at the hotel or boardinghouse before we get down to business?”

“Business?” Garrett questioned, so obviously perplexed that Roland pitied him.

“We most certainly will not,” Fiona stated. “We have come all the way from New York in answer to this.” She waved the advertisement in front of Garrett’s nose. “And we expect an answer.”

Roland’s brother blanched. “An answer to what?”

This was going in a terrible direction, and to make matters worse, Holmes had drawn close enough to overhear the entire discussion. If this went the way Roland expected, his brother would lose the goodwill of four women, and Roland would lose an investor.

“Now, now,” he said calmly. “You can’t expect my brother to make a decision without getting to know each of you.”

“A decision on what?” Garrett asked.

But Roland had managed to quiet the fire in Fiona O’Keefe’s eyes.

Her anger subsided. “I suppose you’re right. When do you want to begin getting to know us? At dinner this afternoon?”

“Uh, uh,” Garrett stammered, backing away.

Roland noticed Pearl’s expressive lips begin to tilt upward. He might be able to save both his project and his brother. “Supper would be better. If you ladies agree, we would be delighted to invite you all to supper tonight.”

“We would?” Garrett said.

“Yes, we would.” If nothing else, it would give the women their first glimpse of the children—a detail not mentioned in the advertisement. “The invitation extends to you, too, Miss Lawson. Shall we say six o’clock? I shall personally escort all of you from your lodgings.”

Pearl nodded slightly. “We will be at the boardinghouse.”

Amanda and Louise Smythe drank in his words without question.

Fiona O’Keefe relented. “Very well, then, we shall see you tonight at the boardinghouse.” She turned her gaze back to Garrett. “But I expect a decision soon, Mr. Decker.”

“Decision on what?” Garrett choked out.

Roland motioned for his brother to stop, but he must not have noticed, for he plowed right on.

“I can’t see what decision I could make that would affect you ladies.”

Fiona O’Keefe twirled her parasol and cast Garrett a provocative smile. “Why, which one of us will become your wife, of course.”

Chapter Four

“What will we do?” Amanda blurted once they’d reached the sanctity of their room in the boardinghouse.

Pearl scanned the sparse furnishings. “We will have to share the bed, just like in the orphanage.” She pulled open each of the four drawers in the bureau. Though battered, it was clean and free of insects. “There’s more than enough room for our belongings, and our Sunday dresses can hang on the pegs. I will have to do all my planning for classes at the school, but that’s neither here nor there. Yes. We will make do.”

“I didn’t mean that. I meant for tonight. With all of us together, how will I ever make a good impression?”

Pearl settled beside her friend on the rather lumpy mattress, which at least felt like a feather tick rather than straw or horsehair. “You can’t help but make a good impression. My concern is if Garrett Decker made a favorable impression on you.”

Amanda blushed and picked at a thread on her skirt. “He is rather different from his brother, isn’t he?”

“In looks, yes, but we mustn’t judge a man on looks alone.”

“Of course not.” Still, Amanda scrunched her face. “He didn’t seem at all pleased to see us.”

Pearl had noticed that. Rather than answer Fiona’s direct question, he had hurried off on the pretense of needing to return to work at the mill. The glare he’d shot at Roland hadn’t escaped her notice, either. He did not think much of inviting the four ladies to sup with them. She was a little leery, too. Bringing all of them together at once meant just one thing.

“I fear we will be put to the test tonight.”

Amanda blanched. “Will he ask us questions? What should I say about the Chatsworths...and Hugh?”

“Nothing. It’s none of their business.”

“But it would be if we married.”

“Even if you and Garrett are a perfect match, you won’t be getting married tonight. If you ask me, since he is the one who placed the advertisement, he’s the one who needs to do the talking. Once you’re convinced he would make a good husband, then you can reveal more details about yourself.”

“But no man likes to hear that his intended was rejected by another. And then there’s the orphanage.”

Pearl hugged her friend. “If he’s a godly man, those things won’t make one bit of difference. If they do, then he’s not the man for you.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one who wants to marry.”

An image of Roland flashed through Pearl’s mind, but that was pure foolishness. He’d made it clear that he would not marry, and she was prohibited from doing so. Restless, she walked to the window, which overlooked the smattering of houses on the sandy streets.

“Do you believe all things will work for the best for those who love the Lord?” Nothing was turning out as planned. Pearl hoped that didn’t extend to her teaching position.

“O-of course.”

“It will work out. You must believe that.”

“I hope so.” Yet Amanda’s shoulders drooped.

Pearl must bolster her friend’s confidence. “You will wear your Sunday dress, and I will ask Mrs. Calloway if she has any curling tongs.”

Amanda sucked in her breath. “If I only had a pretty necklace. Not just this old half of a locket.” She touched the tiny silver pendant hanging around her neck on a silver chain.

“The locket is perfect, for it invites conversation. Garrett will want to know where the other half is, and then you can tell him about your brother.”

Amanda’s eyes shone. “Maybe he will help me search for him.”

“Perhaps he will.”

Pearl smiled for her friend’s benefit, but Garrett hadn’t been the brother to travel to Chicago. Roland seemed more likely to take on such an adventure—provided it fit into his plans. That man was impossible to pin down.

“You don’t think he will.” Amanda’s crestfallen expression told Pearl she’d let her thoughts run wild again.

She mustered another smile. “Everything will work out for the best. Now, let’s get you ready for supper. We don’t want Roland showing up before you’re picture-perfect.”

* * *

“What did you do?” Garrett growled once they reached the mercantile’s stockroom. “Off to Chicago on another one of your larks and you bring back four women who seem to think I’m going to marry one of them.”

Roland struggled to stifle a grin. If this whole situation didn’t threaten to start a war between the men and women, it would be hilarious. Unfortunately, he and his brother were outnumbered and, in spite of Garrett’s current irritation, out-enraged.

“Well,” Garrett demanded. “Spit it out. What do you mean by bringing those ladies to Singapore?”

Roland shrugged, as if it meant nothing. “First of all, Pearl Lawson was hired to teach school. You must have known that.”

Garrett simmered down a bit. “I forgot her name.” He shuffled his feet against the rough plank flooring. “Or maybe I never heard it. It’s not like I’m on the committee that makes the decisions.”

“You sit in on the meetings. We’ve had to bring Isaac and Sadie to Mrs. Calloway so you could attend.”

“That doesn’t explain the other three women.”

Roland slapped his hat onto the hat rack, slipped from his good suit jacket and donned an apron. Three days away meant he’d have a lot of work to accomplish in the store and not much time left in this work day.

“I can’t explain the other three.” Roland couldn’t hide the chuckle. His brother would have his hands full with those ladies. Garrett should have thought of that before placing the advertisement. He looked his brother in the eye. “They seem to have some misguided idea that you are looking for a wife.”

“I’m not, and you know it!” Garrett stormed, his face beet red.

As a child, Roland had enjoyed teasing his older brother until Garrett’s temper blew like a steam whistle. Ma and Pa had frowned on Roland’s shenanigans, but he never got the strap. Now that Garrett was older and beefier, he looked like he could tear off a man’s head. Roland knew better. Garrett subscribed to that turn-the-other-cheek nonsense from the Bible. Roland did not let people trample on him. He wouldn’t mind seeing his brother squirm, though. Garrett needed a wife, whether he realized it or not.

He pulled Pearl’s crumpled newspaper advertisement from his watch pocket and spread it on the counter before his brother. “Maybe you can tell me why you placed this, then.”

Garrett stared at him a moment before reading the advertisement. He hung over it so long that he must have read it ten times. “Where did you get this?”

“Pearl had it. Apparently it appeared in the New York newspaper, but then you know that.”

“I do not.” Garrett backed away from the advertisement as if it had been dipped in poison. “I sure didn’t put it in the newspaper.” He waved toward the clipping with his index finger. “You’re the one who wrote it. Don’t go trying to put the blame on me. This is your problem. You fix it.”

“That’s why I invited the ladies to supper tonight.”

“That isn’t fixing anything—it’s stoking the fire!”

A chuckle escaped, and Garrett nearly connected on a blow to Roland’s shoulder.

“Whoa!” Roland stepped back, hands up in surrender. “I figured we could clear everything up once and for all. Then the ladies can head back to New York on the next boat out of here.”

That quieted his brother for a few seconds before worry returned. “What if they won’t leave?”

Roland rather hoped that would be the case for at least one of the women, though which one suited his brother best was still in question. Thus the supper.

“I’m sure they’re reasonable. Once you tell them that you did not place the advertisement—”

“You did it!”

“I didn’t. But someone clearly did, someone who knew about my little joke. Did you tell anyone about it?”

Garrett flushed. “I might have mentioned something at the mill.”

That might have explained it except that the advertisement followed his joke word for word. No sawmill worker would be able to recount each word, even if Garrett had. “If neither one of us placed the advertisement, how it got there is a mystery. One I intend to get to the bottom of tonight.”

Garrett sighed, resigned. “Should I ask Mrs. Calloway to watch the children?”

“Sure—no.” The brilliant idea he’d had earlier popped back into his head. “The advertisement doesn’t say anything about children. None of them realizes you have a son and daughter. I’ll introduce Isaac and Sadie. You watch each woman’s reaction. You’ll want a woman who loves children.”

The sudden ache in his heart couldn’t be that he feared who that woman would be. Pearl. As schoolteacher, she would have a natural affinity for children.

“You’re forgetting something.” Garrett was scowling again. “I don’t want to get married.”

* * *

As promised, Roland met them at them at the boardinghouse at precisely six o’clock. Pearl commanded the top porch step beside Amanda, whose raven curls far outshone Fiona’s satin gown. The rival had donned a more tasteful sapphire-blue this evening. In comparison, Louise and Pearl faded into the background. Yet Pearl couldn’t help but notice that Roland’s gaze landed first and longest on her.

“Good evening, ladies.”

He headed for Pearl, but Fiona glided down the wide steps to meet him first, all smiles and chatter. Pearl, Amanda and Louise had to trail behind Roland and the talkative redhead, taking care not to snag a hem on the rough wooden boardwalk.

Pearl lifted her brown gingham skirts a couple inches and placed each sturdy boot in the middle of the board. Unlike the wharves, the boards had been laid lengthwise on occasional crosswise planks. Though sand crested onto the boards in some places, in other areas the long boards drooped above the sand, creating an unsteady platform.

Amanda stepped off the edge and teetered precariously before Pearl reeled her back in.

“This is as unstable as the ship,” Louise commented in that soft voice of hers.

That had to be the most Louise Smythe had said since Pearl met her. The woman did have the sense not to drag a book with her tonight, but she, like Pearl, had not worn her Sunday best. That gave Amanda the advantage, especially if Fiona continued to claim Roland’s attention.

At present, Amanda’s face blazed, either from the late-afternoon heat rising off the sand or from embarrassment. Either way, she needed to regain control before they met Garrett Decker. Louise’s comment had been meant kindly, but lately Amanda took everything in the worst way.

Pearl sighed and wrapped her arm around Amanda’s. “It’s better than walking in the sand. Think how that would get in your shoes.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

Pearl eyed the redhead, who now clung to Roland’s arm and leaned closer by the minute. Her laughter and vivaciousness rubbed Pearl the wrong way. The fact that he looked her way repeatedly poured vinegar into the wound.

“They’re not right for each other,” Amanda whispered as she picked her way along the boardwalk.

“I don’t know who you mean.”

“Fiona and Roland.”

Though seeing Roland and Fiona in close conversation hurt more than it should, Pearl focused on what was more important. “All that matters is what you think of Garrett.”

Amanda trembled. “I’m afraid.”

“That’s natural, but remember that this is only a first meeting. It’s your opportunity to determine if he is the sort of man you might consider marrying.” She squeezed Amanda’s hand to reassure her. “You can always decide not to marry.”

Amanda’s lip quivered. “What will I do then?”

That was the question. This town did not appear to have more than a couple of saloons, the hotel, the store and the boardinghouse in the way of businesses. The first would gladly hire a woman of Amanda’s beauty, but Pearl would starve before she let her friend work in a drinking establishment. The hotel and boardinghouse were better prospects, but Pearl hated to think of lovely Amanda as a maid. That left the store, which would give Amanda ample time with the Decker brothers.

Perhaps too much time. What if Amanda fell for Roland? She had been drawn to him aboard the Milwaukee. No. There must be another solution. Amanda was good with the needle.

Pearl latched onto that. “I’ll ask Mrs. Calloway if she knows of anyone who might need sewing or fancywork.”

Amanda brightened. “I’m sure there would be, unless there’s already a seamstress in town.”

Pearl recalled that only one elderly couple had disembarked here. She’d seen no other women aside from Mrs. Calloway. “I doubt there is.”

Roland led them to a two-story building on the wharves leading to the large sawmill. Pearl expected him to walk in the front door, but he led Fiona up a rickety outside staircase leading to the second story. He waited on the landing at the top for the other three to climb.

“Here we are, ladies. Our humble home.” He flung open the door and motioned all of them inside ahead of him.

Fiona entered first, followed by Louise. Pearl waited for Amanda to enter. She felt a hand to her elbow.

“Don’t let my brother’s gruffness fool you,” he said in a low voice. “He has a good heart.”

Her heart sank. Amanda would not bear up under a gruff man. One scowl and she’d start edging for the door.

“Thanks for the warning,” she murmured before stepping through the door.

The interior was dimly lit, and one could hear a pin drop. The three ladies all stared to Pearl’s right. She followed their gaze, and her jaw dropped. The advertisement had omitted one key detail. Garrett Decker had children.

Chapter Five

That was not the only discrepancy in the advertisement. It took Pearl mere seconds to ascertain that Garrett Decker was not wealthy. The rooms were furnished with the barest necessities. Two rather faded stuffed chairs faced the woodstove. A rude bench sat just inside the door, and pegs held jackets and coats and hats. The only fine piece of furniture was a walnut sideboard, but it needed a good polishing. Across the room an unvarnished table was surrounded by six mismatched chairs. That left them two short by her calculations. No curtains or paintings or the slightest hint of a woman’s touch.

Yet before them stood a boy and a girl, both quite young, six or seven she would guess. When had they lost their mother? Her heart tugged her nearer.

“What sweet children.”

They eyed her solemnly and silently. Their father pulled them close.

Gruff was not the word she would use to describe Garrett Decker. Stony. Unyielding. Clearly not pleased to find four women invading his home. He seemed even less pleased that she had approached his children, almost as if he feared she would take them away.

Roland swooped between Pearl and the children. “Miss Lawson is going to be your new teacher this year.” He then shot his brother a glare.

Pearl wondered what that was about, but she was more curious about the children. Their expressions did not change, though they assessed her from head to toe. Not one word or even a sound. They must be shy.

Roland motioned to the boy. “This is Isaac.” He pushed the boy forward a step. “And this is Sadie.”

Pearl dropped to one knee so she would be at eye level. “Isaac, I’m pleased to meet you. What grade will you be in?”

The boy didn’t answer.

“He finished one year,” Garrett said with a defensive snarl.

She turned to the girl, who looked younger. “Have you begun school yet, Sadie?”

She stuck her thumb in her mouth.

Pearl smiled. “I like your doll.”

The rag doll had seen better days. A button eye was missing, half the yarn hair was gone and it hadn’t seen the wash in a long time.

“I had one like that when I—” Pearl halted. They did not need to know she grew up in an orphanage or that she, too, had refused to let anyone touch her Dollie. That rag doll had been her last connection to her parents. She’d clung to it as if that would bring her mama and papa back. Sadie must have suffered similar loss. “I loved my Dollie. Does yours have a name?”

Sadie just looked back with solemn eyes.

Pearl rose, having made no progress. School would be difficult for Isaac and Sadie if they refused to talk.

“She calls it Baby,” Garrett mumbled, his color high.

“Pearl—Miss Lawson—is not here in response to the advertisement,” Roland needlessly pointed out.

Garrett’s gaze drifted to the other three women, and Roland once again swooped into action.

“Where are my manners?” Roland introduced each of the ladies in turn.

Fiona no longer bubbled over with witty comments. Her gaze circled the room repeatedly, and she looked ready to accuse the men of what Pearl had already noticed. The advertisement had misled them. Louise didn’t even look up at Garrett. She hung back and said little more than the children. Pearl walked her trembling friend closer to the prospective groom once Roland introduced her.

“Amanda and I have been friends since we were Sadie’s age.”

Amanda instinctively looked at the little girl and smiled softly. “Would you like me to make you a pretty new dress?”

Sadie’s eyes widened, and she nodded her head while holding out her rag doll.

“Oh, a matching one for your doll, too?”

Amanda had always had a gift with children. Where Pearl loved to see a child learn and grow, Amanda took them into her confidence. As a consequence, children adored her. Already she had made progress with little Sadie.

Her father’s expression had soured, however. “I’m not wasting money on frivolous things.”

That startled Amanda, who stared at Garrett as if he’d just confessed to murder. “A new dress for school is hardly frivolous.”

Pearl could have cheered. While adults might make her friend nervous, Amanda would rise to defend any child. Clearly, Sadie needed some encouragement, which she wasn’t getting from her father. Unless, of course, he couldn’t afford a new dress.

Pearl looked Garrett Decker in the eye. “We will work something out. Amanda can create beautiful things with the needle.”

His set jaw told her she’d meddled where she didn’t belong. Oh, dear, this wasn’t going well for Amanda. Not at all.

“Come to think of it,” Roland interjected, “we’ve got some odds and ends of fabric at the store that I was going to throw away. If you and Miss Porter would like to look through them, I’d give you any that you think you can use.”

Amanda gushed her thanks, but Roland wasn’t looking at her. He sought Pearl’s approval. She had to swallow the lump in her throat. Even though the scraps were probably too small to make a dress, the gesture meant a lot, for it smoothed over the differences that had sprung up between his brother and Amanda.

Pearl couldn’t help but smile. “We are most grateful.”

His trace of sheepish concern vanished in a brilliant smile. “Then we accept, don’t we, Garrett?”

Roland’s brother had not unlocked his jaw, even though his little girl looked up at him with the most hopeful, tremulous expression that Pearl had ever seen. Her heart just about broke. She would do anything to bring a smile to that little girl’s lips. Anything.

Garrett puffed out his breath. “I don’t want to owe anyone.”

“I’ll pay any costs,” Amanda offered.

Pearl stared at her friend. Between them, they had only enough for room and board until school began. Where was she going to get money to pay for thread and ribbon and whatever else she needed?

Roland laughed and clapped his brother on the shoulder. “Isn’t that like you, always counting your pennies?”

A snort from behind Pearl reminded her that Fiona and Louise were also in the room. She turned to see Fiona standing with her arms crossed and a fire brewing in her eyes.

“Pennies?” Fiona said now that everyone’s attention had shifted to her. “Your advertisement said you were wealthy. Now you’re talking about counting pennies? What kind of man are you to lure us here under false pretenses?”

Though Louise didn’t verbally second the sentiment, her dismay spoke volumes. Amanda, naturally, said nothing, but Pearl had never shied from speaking her mind.

“The advertisement did hint that you were a man of means. I believe it said you had a handsome inheritance.” She dug in her bag to find the crumpled bit of paper and came up empty. What had she done with it?

“Now, ladies, I’m sure this little misunderstanding can all be cleared up over supper.” Roland waved them toward the table. “Have a seat, and I’ll be right back with the stew.” He scooted through the door beyond the table faster than a rat abandoning a sinking ship.

“Little misunderstanding?” Fiona shook her head. “This is not a misunderstanding. This is deception, pure and simple. I know better than to throw good after bad. I’m here to make a good match, not marry a pauper. I could have had that in New York.”

Pearl wondered why Fiona hadn’t stayed in New York. A thriving musical career should have brought her to the attention of men of wealth. For her to throw herself into such an uncertain situation, something must have happened.

She didn’t have time to contemplate it, for with a final toss of her head, sending the feathers on her hat dancing, Fiona stomped toward the door. “Come, Louise, Amanda. We can’t let these men get away with this. Stew!” She said the word as if it was the final insult.

Louise meekly followed, but Amanda hesitated, torn between obeying Fiona and staying behind with the children. She looked to Pearl for answers, but Pearl would not tell her friend what to do. Amanda must learn to trust her instincts and the Lord instead of relying on the advice of others.

Amanda looked back at little Sadie, who clung to her father’s hand. “I like stew. Do you?”

For the first time, Garrett Decker’s expression cracked. “She doesn’t talk. Not since...” He stroked his daughter’s head.

Pearl squeezed back a tear. He didn’t have to finish for both her and Amanda to understand. Little Sadie hadn’t spoken since her mama died or left. The vivid memory of watching her father walk away returned with an ache. Be a good girl, Pearl. Her papa’s admonition had carried with it the hope that if she was good enough, maybe then her mama would get well and her parents would come back for her.

They never did.

Roland walked back into the room carrying a pot of stew. “Can you fetch the bowls, Isaac? The spoons, Sadie?”

The children hurried off.

He looked around the room and then at his brother. “You sure do know how to clear out a room.”

Pearl again noted the six chairs. Maybe that had been the plan the whole time.

* * *

Roland’s brother had barely finished saying grace when Pearl began to point out her friend’s virtues.

“Amanda is an excellent housekeeper, and she’s wonderful with children.”

What Pearl said mattered far less to Roland than the charming tilt of her head and spark in her eyes. The two individuals at the center of her persuasion paid the potato and cabbage stew an uncommon amount of interest. Pearl barely touched hers, while the children watched the two ladies with a mix of curiosity and fear.

Most men would find Amanda the prettier of the two ladies, but he preferred Pearl’s chestnut hair and lively green eyes. The fact that her spoon spent more time pointing at Garrett than in the bowl struck him as hilarious. His brother wouldn’t know what to do with a spitfire like Pearl. He, on the other hand... That was foolish thinking. She’d flat-out told him that her teaching contract prohibited marriage, and he wasn’t ready to settle down, Mr. Holmes’s cajoling aside. He had a factory to build.

“What are you going to do?” Pearl’s demand settled on him.

He had no idea what she was talking about, but a little charm usually settled down whatever chafed a woman. “Proceed with my plans.”

Her stormy expression told him he’d failed to hit the mark.

“And your plans do not include cleaning up after the mess you caused.”

The sparking eyes weren’t quite so wonderful when her fury was directed at him.

He tried to placate her. “As I told you, I did not place that advertisement.”

“Neither did I,” Garrett stated in no uncertain terms.

The children looked down at their bowls of stew the moment Roland glanced in their direction. Odd. They were never this interested in eating. Garrett must not have given them a good midday meal. He began to address Pearl when out of the corner of his eye he saw Isaac whisper something to Sadie. No doubt about it. Something was going on between those two.

“I don’t care which of you placed that advertisement.” Pearl pointed her spoon first at Garrett and then at Roland. “Three women have spent their savings and traveled a great distance in response to it. I expect you to honor your words.”

Garrett’s jaw dropped.

Roland stifled a snicker. Seeing his older brother squirm was worth the trouble.

“I’m not marrying,” Garrett stated. “I don’t care what you threaten.”

Sadie made an odd squeaking sound, and Isaac wiggled like his chair was on fire.

Finally the boy stood. “May we be excused? Sadie don’t feel good.”

“Doesn’t,” Pearl said, correcting Isaac.

Garrett ignored her. “You may go. Take your bowls and spoons to the kitchen.”

The children clattered out of the room with their dishes. No doubt they would head outdoors after dropping the bowls and spoons in the washtub. That left just four at the table. Amanda picked at her stew, head bowed. Pearl had a strange expression on her face, and Garrett scowled.

“Why did you have to bring up that advertisement in front of the children?” Garrett was not happy. “Isaac keeps begging me for a new ma. Says Sadie needs a woman about the house, but we’re doing just fine. She can get all the womanly time she needs with Mrs. Calloway or Mrs. Elder.”

Color highlighted Pearl’s cheeks. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken with the children present.”

Garrett accepted the apology with a stiff nod.

“They’ll get over it.” Roland tried to make light of things in order to bring back the sparkle in Pearl’s eye. “They’re young.”

Pearl turned back to him. “When did they lose their mother?”

Garrett frowned, but the question hit Roland like a bullet. He shivered. The chill of that day still hadn’t left his bones. The water. The ice. Eva. He shook his head.

“Almost a year and a half ago,” Garrett stated, his gaze piercing through Roland.

Both women drew in a breath.

“So tragic.” Amanda sighed.

Pearl started to ask something but stopped. Unusual. She seldom bridled what she said. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

Roland decided to put into words what she’d refused to say. “That’s why my brother needs a wife.”

Garrett looked like he would spit nails at him. “I am not marrying. Sorry to disappoint you, ladies, but you’ve come here for no reason. Now that you know, you can catch a boat back home.”

Amanda paled, but Pearl looked livid.

Roland aimed to cut her off. “I will help with the fare to Chicago.”

Pearl’s pressed lips indicated she wasn’t buying his generous offer. “Mr. Decker—”

“Which one of us?” Roland asked.

“Both.” She spat out the word. “I am not leaving and neither is Amanda. Fiona and Louise deserve better than a token effort to appease us. You brought them here. You will ensure all three ladies have enough money to get home.”

Roland’s jaw dropped. “I can’t do that. It would cost...” He quickly calculated in his head. “A month’s wages. At least.”

His brother was now grinning.

Pearl was not done. “I do not want your money, and I doubt the other ladies would take it, either. We are perfectly capable of earning it. What they need is employment. Since you are responsible for this situation, I suggest you find jobs for them.”

Roland could feel his temper rise. “There aren’t many jobs in Singapore, unless they plan to saw timber or work in one of the saloons.”

Garrett coughed. Amanda gasped.

Pearl glared. “I expect you to find them respectable jobs.”

“Like I said, there aren’t many jobs here.”

“Your general store must need another clerk.”

Roland sputtered, “Impossible.”

Garrett snickered.

Pearl persisted. “If not the store, then at another respectable establishment.”

“I might be able to find something for your friend.” The brunette was pretty enough to attract the interest of someone. Maybe the hotel needed housekeepers.

“For all three ladies.” Pearl apparently considered that closed the conversation, for she rose. “Thank you for supper, gentlemen. I look forward to hearing from you, Roland. Garrett, I expect to see your children at the schoolhouse on the first day of class.”

Roland stood, but he couldn’t think of a thing to say. Three jobs? Impossible.

Pearl tugged on her gloves. “Come, Amanda. I believe our business here is done.”

Garrett pushed back his chair. “Thank you for visiting, ladies.”

Amanda shot him a shy smile, but Pearl merely nodded, apparently still peeved. After another curt nod, she swirled out of the house with Amanda in her wake.

Roland sat down, exhausted.

“That didn’t go well,” he murmured.

Garrett laughed. “It’s good to see you take the brunt of feminine ire for a change.”

“Don’t think you’re safe yet. Those women aren’t leaving Singapore anytime soon.” Therein lay the problem. Roland pulled the crumpled clipping from his watch pocket and smoothed it out on the table. “‘Widower with handsome inheritance seeks wife in booming town soon to rival Chicago. Well-furnished, comfortable house.’”

“Your words.”

“My words exactly, none of them true.”

“I am a widower,” Garrett pointed out.

“All right. One true statement. It’s easy to see why the women expected more. The advertisement specifies a house, not the top floor of a general store with sparse furnishings and cracks so wide that the snow drifts across the floor in the winter.”

Garrett shrugged.

“Then there’s the mention of a handsome inheritance.”

“Ma’s sideboard.”

“It is handsome, and you did inherit it.”

“Eva loved it.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t lock it away in the stockroom with everything else.” Garrett had stripped the place of anything personal. Curtains, pictures and treasured furnishings all went into storage. “You can’t hide from the past.”

Garrett glared at him. “Is that what you’re doing? Trying to push me into marriage when I’m not ready?” He pointed at the scrap of newspaper. “You placed that advertisement.”

Roland shook his head. “I didn’t. That’s what’s so perplexing. No one had any reason to do that, even as a joke. If it had turned up in one of the local newspapers, I could see someone playing a joke on you, but not New York. What man at the mill would even think to send it to New York? Chicago’s closer.”

Garrett still didn’t look convinced. “If you didn’t do it and no one in town did it, then who?”

“It would have to be someone who stood to gain from it. Who would want to see you married?”

“You.”

“Besides me.”

Garrett leaped up and paced to the window.

Roland joined him. “Did you notice Sadie’s expression when Pearl mentioned the advertisement?”

His brother said nothing.

“And how Isaac reacted when you said you weren’t going to remarry? Not just disappointed. He almost looked guilty. Then he asked to be excused.”

Garrett scrubbed his jaw. “They’re too young to understand.”

“Are they? They understand their mama’s dead.”

Garrett flinched.

Roland persisted. “They need a woman in their lives. Especially Sadie.”

Garrett hung his head. “I know, but how can I? There isn’t a day that I don’t think of Eva, but they were so young. Soon they won’t remember their mother. I don’t want that to happen.”

“They won’t forget.” Roland wished he was certain of his words. “You won’t let them.”

His big brother, burly enough to heft logs against the circular saw, trembled. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Let’s start by having a talk with Isaac and Sadie.”

“You really think they did that?”

“They were the only ones who could have snatched it out of the stove.”

Garrett shook his head. “But send it to New York? How and why? Isaac wouldn’t even be able to read it, least of all figure out how to send it to a newspaper. And why New York?”

“Eva was always talking about New York. Remember? How she wanted to go there? She made it sound like the shiniest, brightest city in the world.”

“I would have taken her.”

Roland ignored the jab. If he hadn’t been so certain that the future was in this part of the world, Eva might have stayed with him. Instead, she’d leaped at Garrett’s promise. “The point is that your children sent that fake advertisement to a real newspaper.”

“They wouldn’t know how.”

“Someone must have helped them. I’d guess Mrs. Calloway, since they spend so much time with her and she happens to agree that they need a mother.”

Garrett heaved a sigh. “I still don’t believe it.”

“There’s only one way to find out. Ask.”

Chapter Six

Pearl waited beneath a borrowed umbrella for Alfred Farmingham to unlock the door to the schoolhouse. He had arrived at the boardinghouse just as breakfast was served, and Mrs. Calloway had set a place for him at the crowded table. Judging from his corpulent figure, he didn’t miss many meals. He had introduced himself as a councilman from Saugatuck, the town upriver, appointed to show her the school building.

Before breakfast, Amanda had offered to join her, but the moment she’d heard Isaac and Sadie would be spending the day with Mrs. Calloway, she’d changed her mind. Fiona and Louise also declined, apparently having decided overnight to forgive Garrett for his misleading advertisement.

“I’ve asked Roland Decker to find employment for all of you,” Pearl told them.

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