Mail Order Mix-Up. Christine Johnson

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