A Path to Love’s Redemption (Preview)

Chapter One

“It’s here!” Lucille Wilson called excitedly, running up the street in front of their cramped apartment building. “It’s finally here! Winnie!”

People along the street stopped to see what the commotion was. Some local boys, including her younger brother, Matthew, were playing football in the street, and they all stared at her as she ran past.

“Be good, Matty!” she called, winking at him before she ran into the building. Her excitement was overflowing, and she couldn’t contain herself.

Lucille, or Lucy as her friends and family called her, was an exuberant young woman who had just celebrated her twenty-first birthday. She believed that life was an adventure, and she intended to live it to its fullest extent.

The walls of the building were peeling paint, and each family had been stuffed into tiny apartments that could hardly hold a single couple. Pickings had been slim after the Great Fire of Chicago only a year previously. Most people in the slums had lost their homes, and the survivors had been shoved into whichever building was open.

In the months that had passed after the fire, some survivors had managed to move into other lodgings, but Lucy and her five siblings were struggling to make ends meet.

“Winnie,” Lucy said, bursting through the door, “look!”

Winifred Wilson was Lucy’s older sister. Everyone always said that Winnie was the prettiest Wilson sister. While both sisters had cinnamon brown hair, Winnie’s curled naturally into lovely waves. Lucy had smoky blue eyes, while Winnie’s eyes were bright blue that shone in the sun. To make matters worse, Lucy was tall and thin as a rake while, Winnie had curves in all the right places.

Some girls in Lucy’s place might have been jealous of Winnie’s good looks, but Lucy didn’t mind it. She preferred to look on the sunny side of life, besides making friends always came more naturally to Lucy. Winnie was shy and struggled to speak up for herself. As a result, Lucy always felt the need to defend Winnie, even though Winnie was three years her senior.

Winnie was sitting at the window, busy darning a pair of socks. The two oldest girls used to work at a textile factory, but it burned down in the fire. They, like so many thousands of other people, were left waiting for the city to be rebuilt. Their younger brother, Eddie, had spent his days working in a lumber yard. Now, he helped the local grocer, Mr. Harris Thompson, in his little shop. Eddie was only fourteen, and there was only so much work for him in the shop, so his income wasn’t much.

In the meantime, Winnie had taken on any washing work she could get from some of the wealthier residents of the city. She also mended socks and worked on clothes for some of the factories that were still open.
“What is it, Lucy?” Winnie asked crossly, her face flushed red. “I could hear you hollering all the way from the street. Surely, that’s no way for a grown woman to behave.”

“Oh, put a sock in it,” Lucy said mischievously, causing their younger sister, Estelle, to giggle.

Estie was a pretty girl of eight years. She spent most of her time helping Winnie around the house. Lucy often thought that Estie was more like her in temperament, while Matty took after Winnie. Eddie didn’t take after anyone, and most of the time, he was out on the town determined to make his own way.

“Who’s going to care about my lack of decorum in this place?” Lucy asked, twirling around.

The apartment was small, and sparsely decorated with everything they could pull out of the burned wreckage of their last house. They had lost almost everything they owned. All they had in the tiny apartment was an iron wood stove, a worn kitchen table, and a few cabinets. Winnie had a chair where she sat and darned socks, while the rest of them sat on the floor.

There was one bedroom, so the girls slept on a mattress on the floor in the room, while the two boys shared a mattress in the shared living area.

“Perhaps the O’Learys downstairs?” Lucy asked, dancing a jig in one spot. “They have twelve children and make more noise than I could ever hope to achieve.”

“That’s not…” Winnie started in frustration.

“Or perhaps the Bakers on the third floor?” Lucy asked, pretending to box at her own shadow. “They scream at each other every night, and we all hear what they’re fighting about.”

“Lucy,” Winnie said in a warning tone.

“Perhaps you’re worried about old Mrs. Flannagan?” Lucy said, mimicking the old woman’s slow gait. “She’s almost eighty and deaf as a doorpost. Tell me, Winnie, who are we trying to impress in this tinderbox?”

“Really, Lucy,” Winnie said, her brow furrowing. “It’s not about them. It’s about how we see ourselves. We may be stuck here for but a moment, but we should still try to maintain our dignity.”

Estie watched everything with wide eyes and sat with her knees drawn to her chest. Her dress was two sizes too small, and Lucy wondered when they’d have some money to buy her a new dress again.

“Alright, alright,” Lucy said mischievously. “I’m in too good a mood for you to spoil it anyhow. Look, we got a letter back from the mail-order-bride agency. I thought we’d have to wait at least a year.”

“It is surprising,” Winnie agreed, her hand shaking slightly as she held out her hand for the letter.

“We’re truly blessed, Sister,” Lucy said, holding her hand over her heart dramatically.

She was concerned about the fact that Winnie’s hand was shaking. Her sister often went without food so that everyone else had enough to eat.

“I thought I would read it,” Lucy said, sticking her bottom lip out.

Winnie rolled her eyes. “Fine, read it out loud.”

At that moment, the sound of boys shouting could be heard from the street. They shared a concerned look and hurried over to the only window in the apartment. Down below, the boys who had been playing football were now all fighting with each other. Matty was in among them, swinging his fists.

“Oh, heavens,” Winnie fretted, bringing a hand to her forehead. “He’s going to get awfully hurt! Lucy, could you please hurry down and fetch him?”

“Why?” Lucy asked, leaning over the windowsill to get a better look. “He needs to be tough if we’re going to live in this neighborhood.”

Winnie gave her an exasperated look before storming out of the room.

“Wait up, Winnie,” Estie hurried after her. “I’ll come with you!”

Lucy continued watching as Winnie stomped into the midst of the boys and grabbed two of them by their ears. They howled in pain, then ran off as soon as she released them. Finally, she grabbed hold of Matty, whose shirt pocket was hanging off his shirt. She pulled him upstairs by his arm.

“What were you thinking?” Winnie asked when she got into the apartment and closed the door.

“Daniel O’Leary said I threw a ball like a maggot,” Matty muttered, rubbing the side of his head furiously when Winnie deposited him on the floor.

“Oh, and I suppose that was enough for you to fly off the handle?” Winnie asked, putting her hands on her hips.

“I can’t let them disrespect me like that!” Matty said defensively. “He’s got seven brothers, each bigger than the last. If I look weak, then they’re going to pick on me all the time like they do with poor Willy Baker.”

Winnie looked appalled and turned away from him. “We cannot continue living like this. We simply cannot endure this way.”
“You know what these children need?” Lucy asked, still lounging by the window. “A one-way ticket out West. Think about it, Winnie, they could play outside in wide-open spaces. We could help on a ranch, or find our own way. Think how much stronger they’ll be when they can play out in nature.”

Winnie sighed and smoothed her hair down. It was tucked into a tight bun on her head.

“I know you’re in favor of moving out West,” Winnie said carefully, “but it’s a big decision. We’ve lived in the city all our lives. Besides, I’ve heard terrible stories…”

“We’ve all heard the stories, Winnie,” Lucy said, rolling her eyes, “but think of it! We could marry lonely ranchers who need our help. You won’t have to worry about paying the rent on time or feeding us all. It’ll be such an adventure.”

Winnie nodded tiredly.

“Do you think I could become a cowboy?” Matty asked, his face brightening.

“You can be anything you want,” Lucy said, tapping his nose playfully.

“Awh, c’mon, Winnie,” Matty said, turning to her excitedly.

“This is our ticket to a new life,” Lucy said triumphantly as she tore into the letter.

After the factory burned down, Winnie had been frantically looking for a new job. However, Lucy saw it as an opportunity to try something new. She saw an ad in the newspaper for a mail-order-bride agency, and she convinced Winnie that they should write to the agency. As usual, Winnie had insisted on only offering herself as a bride so that they could suss out any potential dangers first.

Lucy didn’t mind so much. If they only made it out West, she could find herself a cowboy of her own.

“Dear Winifred,” Lucy read out loud. “My name is Mr. Isaac Moore.”

“Do you have to read the whole thing?” Matty asked in annoyance. “Can’t you just tell us what it says?”

“I want to hear!” Estie protested, elbowing Matty in the side.

“I’ll read it all,” Lucy decided, clearing her throat. “I…am…of…” She drew every syllable out, and Matty groaned in frustration.

Finally, Winnie walked forward and took the letter out of Lucy’s hands.

“Hey!” Lucy said.

“This is our future, Lucy,” Winnie said. “I do not appreciate your games.”

Matty snorted, and Lucy glared at him. He shrugged his skinny shoulders, and she fought the urge to fight him. She had already annoyed Winnie. Her poor sister looked pale, and there were circles under her eyes. Lucy knew how difficult it was for Winnie to look after them all.

“He’s from the Wyoming territory,” Winnie explained after she scanned the letter. “And he’s willing to send funds for us to join him on the ranch post haste.”

“He has a ranch?” Lucy asked, sighing dreamily. “Do you think he has any brothers? I suppose they’re rather starved for choice out there. Perhaps we could both marry ranch owners, Winnie! That would be so romantic. Do you think he’s handsome?”

“Oh,” Winnie said, her shoulders slumping as she read the letter.

“What?” Lucy asked, immediately alert.

“He says he will only send money for three of us,” Winnie said, as she turned the letter over. There was no writing on the back. “According to him, the other two, that is you and Eddie, are old enough to fend for yourselves.”

“What?” Lucy asked indignantly. “What a brute. He cannot think that he’ll separate us.”

“You’re right,” Winnie said, nodding resolutely. “I’ll write to the agency and tell them to send the money back.”

However, as Winnie spoke, Lucy watched as Matty and Estie’s faces fell in disappointment. They had so been hoping to go out West.

“No.” Lucy sighed, feeling sorely disappointed, “he’s right. Eddie and I can take care of ourselves. You go ahead. I could always write to the agency once I know you’re settled.”

“I don’t know…” Winnie said, before biting her bottom lip.

“Think about it,” Lucy said, gesturing at the cupboards, “we don’t have much to eat as it is. Estie and Matty aren’t doing well here. Perhaps this is for the best. Eddie and I are grown. We’ll be fine.”

Winnie looked over at the two youngest children, and Lucy could see that she was conflicted.

“I’ll be just fine,” Lucy promised, her voice shaky. “You can’t miss out on this opportunity.”

 

Chapter Two

Lucy was sorely disappointed. For the next few days, she did her best to help Winnie and the younger children get ready to leave. She didn’t want Winnie to know how disappointed she was, because she knew her sister would only feel guilty. Knowing Winnie, she would probably offer to stay behind.

“Are you nervous?” Lucy asked on the morning before they were about to set off.

She would take over some of Winnie’s laundry clients, but their main income would come from Winnie, who offered to send as much money home as she could. Perhaps her new husband would be amenable to helping Lucy and Eddie financially for a little while.

“No,” Winnie said, but Lucy noticed that her smile didn’t reach her eyes.

“It won’t be too bad,” Lucy said, sitting next to Winnie and laying her head on her sister’s shoulder.

Winnie was busy packing Estie’s clothes in their small room. It felt strange to think that Lucy would have the room all to herself once they were gone. She’d never had her own room before.

“You’re right,” Winnie said, but she kept her eyes on her folding work. “I’m sure Mr. Moore will be a perfectly decent husband. Besides, this will give you the freedom to marry for love, as you’ve always wanted.”

Lucy sighed. She’d been reminding herself of that fact for the past few days. In a sense, Winnie was taking a bullet by marrying out of duty. The circumstances had the potential for romance, but also for disaster. At least when Lucy married, it would be because she chose her man.

“You might come to love him,” Lucy said, trying to keep her voice upbeat. “He might be a handsome cowboy who sweeps you off your feet and shows you the wonders of the West.”

Winnie’s expression tightened, and she looked away quickly.

“Don’t fret, Winnie,” Lucy said worriedly, “you’re doing the right thing.”

“I am,” Winnie nodded quickly. “I know I am.”

However, when Winnie turned back, Lucy noticed that her eyes were slightly red. She squeezed her sister’s hand and kissed her forehead before walking out to the kitchen. They had been living hand to mouth for months. Neither of them could find decent work, and most days, they only had one meal. They were all becoming increasingly gaunt, and the winter was fast approaching.

There was already a nip in the air. Lucy knew their best chance at a better life was by one of them becoming a mail-order bride. It stung that she wouldn’t be joining her siblings out West, but with the money coming in and most of the house empty, their chances of getting through the winter were looking much better.

“I’m leaving my coat for you,” Winnie decided. “The winters in Chicago are bitterly cold. I’m sure my new husband will help me get a new one, or there might be someone in the town who might lend me one.”

“Winnie,” Lucy said with a frown, walking up to her sister and taking her hands in her own, “you’re doing enough for us. Don’t deprive yourself of a coat, too.”

Winnie shook her head and walked away. There was no arguing with Winnie. A flash of irritation went through Lucy. How come Winnie always made all the decisions for them? She had accepted the offer to become Mr. Moore’s wife without consulting the rest of them.

Lucy watched as Winnie slipped out the door, then she walked into the bedroom to pack the coat into Winnie’s bag. When she got there, she spotted Matty doing the exact thing she had been about to do.

“It’s cold out in the territories, too,” Matty said unapologetically as he folded the thin, patched coat into the bag. “I hate it when she does that.”

“What?” Lucy asked, leaning against the doorway.

Everyone always said that Matty was older than his eleven years. She found that he could be a little self-righteous at times, but he was a good kid.

“She puts everyone else’s needs ahead of her own,” Matty said, shaking his head. “She’d give her last grain of rice even if she was starving. Do you know that she doesn’t want to go out West?”

“She’s just nervous…”

“No, she doesn’t want to go,” Matty said, crossing his arms. “You’re the one who thought up this scheme. Why don’t you go?”

Lucy bit the inside of her cheek and looked away. “She already wrote to him and told him she’s coming.”

“That don’t matter much,” Matty scoffed, “he’s expecting a Wilson sister. Do you really think it matters which one shows up?”

He shook his head at her and walked past her. Lucy was left wondering if he was right. She had been dreaming of starting her life out West, and it did seem like Winnie was reluctant to go.

That night, the siblings all enjoyed their last evening together. Winnie had scrounged some extra money and bought some stewing beef. They all had a hearty stew and exchanged homemade presents. Lucy had used some scrap fabric to sew Estie a doll, while Eddie had picked up some handkerchiefs at the store for Winnie.

“Mr. Harris helped me buy them,” Eddie said, puffing his chest out proudly.

“Oh, Eddie,” Winnie whispered, touching the handkerchiefs lovingly, “you shouldn’t have…”

“It was Mr. Harris’ idea,” Eddie said with a shrug. “He’s been in a mood all week long. Then he came to me with the idea and gave me some money. Wouldn’t even hear of me paying him back.”

Winnie’s eyes filled with tears, and she quietly excused herself. As she left the room, Lucy watched her with a contemplative look. Something strange was going on, and she was going to figure it out.

Eventually, Winnie returned and ushered everyone off to bed. Lucy lay awake staring at the ceiling, replaying Matty’s words in her mind. He was right. She was the one who had placed the ad with the agency, and it was her idea. Why was she allowing Winnie to go? She should have been the one to offer. Her thoughts swirled in her mind, keeping her awake.

Around midnight, she felt Winnie get up and watched her sister tiptoe out of the room.

“That’s strange,” Lucy mused under her breath.

She quietly slipped out of bed, leaving Estie all on her own. Lucy peeked her head around the door and watched as Winnie put her shawl on and walked out the door. A burning feeling of curiosity pushed Lucy to follow her sister.

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“A Path to Love’s Redemption” is an Amazon Best-Selling novel, check it out here!

In the wake of the devastating Great Chicago Fire, Lucy Wilson seeks a a husband in order to provide a better life for herself and her siblings. When the mysterious Mr. Moore offers to become her husband, she seizes the opportunity and embarks on a life-altering journey with her two youngest siblings in tow. With an unyielding spirit and a heart filled with dreams, Lucy yearns for a great romance and a future where she can thrive in happiness.

Can she truly find the love she so fervently desires?

Mr. Isaac Moore, a weathered ranch owner, still reels from the loss of his wife during childbirth. Left with a vulnerable baby daughter, Isaac turns to a mail order bride agency, hoping to find his daughter a mother. Unlike Lucy, Isaac has given up on love and plans to keep his new bride at arm’s length. However, when Lucy arrives at Isaac’s ranch, their worlds collide. The emotionally distant Isaac immediately clashes with Lucy’s vibrant personality and they gradually draw closer.

Can Lucy’s warmth and kindness thaw the icy heart of a man who has given up on love?

Together, Lucy and Isaac must endure various trials and tribulations. Along the way, they learn to grapple with past wounds and seek to embrace new beginnings. Will they manage to transcend their initial intentions and forge an unbreakable bond?

“A Path to Love’s Redemption” is a historical western romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Get your copy from Amazon!