Chapter 8

Hattie

She walked arm in arm with the older woman, Mrs. Williams. She was trying to comprehend what was going on here. As much as she had wanted Joshua Bryce to become interested in her, knowing he had started this venture intending to court her only true friend, made her feel guilty.

Maybe it showed, because Mrs. Williams started talking to her. “What is wrong, dear? Is it the fact that Pastor Bryce has turned his attentions from your friend to you?”

She hung her head in shame. “Yes, ma’am. Before I knew who he was, I had asked God to let him be interested in me. I never expected him to be Haddie’s preacher. I feel awful that he has decided to court me. Like I’m stealing from her, after she has been so good to me.”

“Well, why don’t you look at it another way? Maybe God allowed her to be delayed because it was always his plan to bring you and Joshua together. We know what scripture says, ‘All things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to his purpose.’ Perhaps your purpose is to marry Joshua and become the pastor’s wife we need.

You’re like our Joshua, full of integrity and compassion. I can see your natural instincts are what a good pastor’s wife should have. You love others and care for them and their feelings. You are an encourager. Lyla told us how you had encouraged them to look at this trip as a grand adventure when several of them were discouraged about leaving their homes and families behind. So, look at this differently. Look at it as a chance to see if God has a purpose for you that is bigger than what you thought it would be.”

Hattie walked a few more steps, thinking, before she answered. “I would love to do so. But how can God bless this, if I start it by betraying my friend? Scripture also tells us about the friend that sticks closer than a brother. I can’t see a brother stealing his brother’s mail-order bride. How can I do that to my almost sister?”

Mrs. Williams grunted. “Well, I can tell you that brothers often try to steal each other’s love interests. As I’m sure you will find out before this week is done. If it really bothers you so much, if, God willing, your friend is still alive and on the mend, write her and explain what has happened. It will take about three weeks for the letter to get to her and back. See what she tells you to do. After all, she sent you here to find a husband. Just let Joshua know you did so. That way he can write her as well and explain from his side.”

“Oh, that’s an idea. Yes, I shall do that. I’ll write to Haddie and explain what is happening. Maybe she will be able to come earlier, or maybe we won’t be a good match. Thank you, Mrs. Williams. I feel much better now.”

“Hattie, dear, you need to call me Myrtle. Until things change, we are equals, you and I. Both trying to integrate your bride friends and the church’s Ladies’ Aid Society into one unit. No matter what else, Pastor Bryce has asked us to work together for the time being. So, call me Myrtle and I shall call you Hattie.”

They turned off the street to the boarding house Hattie had seen earlier. “Well, here we are. Now, come introduce me to your fellow brides and I shall introduce you to Helen Caudwell, Joshua’s cousin and the operator of this establishment.”

They entered the house, and it overwhelmed Hattie. The place was well put together. While not as richly furnished as the High Street Brothel, she had called home for nine years. It was worlds above the orphanage she’d lived in before that.

She stood in an entranceway, with a staircase a few steps in front of her. To her left was a large dining room, and obviously the swinging door at the far end went into the kitchen. On her right, beside the staircase, was a walkway leading to four doors to one side of the hall and two on the other. Directly to her right was a parlor with several settees and chairs, all facing a fireplace with a fire burning behind the grate.

The colors were all light and dainty, well suited for a group of young women. It was, in fact, the perfect retreat for women who were being courted. A place to meet with gentlemen callers and still be chaperoned with an actual chaperone. Anyone coming from the kitchen, or any of the rooms up or downstairs, could see everything. Whoever had thought of this building had considered everything.

She saw Lyla start down the stairs and seeing Hattie she stopped, turned, and yelled up the stairs. “Girls, Hattie’s here!” With that, doors opened and all of her travel companions started down the stairs to stand before her. They were all smiling, like the Cheshire cat she had read about in Alice in Wonderland a few years ago.

“What are you all up too?”

They looked at each other, trying to figure out who should answer her. Finally, Josephine shrugged. “I’ll do it. I’m leaving tonight, anyway.” The others nodded and Josephine stepped forward. “You disappeared. We saw you go into the church, and then the Pastor and Mrs. Williams followed you. Is he courting you?”

Hattie turned red with embarrassment. “Yes, I guess you could say we agreed to court.”

“Good. We got here in as good a mental and spiritual condition as we did because of you. So, we’re glad you may end up our pastor’s wife. We trust you. When we got here, those that are staying were told to pick out their rooms. We looked at every room, both upstairs and down.”

“We found a very special room down here and asked Miss Caudwell if we could give it to you. She told us that was fine, so we put your things in there. It’s the room of the person we need to lead and guide us in our new adventure here. Namely you, Hattie.”

All the girls started clapping and Mrs. Williams joined them. “Well done, girls. After just a few minutes with Miss Long, I agree whole-heartedly with you all on her leading you in this new adventure, and her becoming our pastor’s wife.”

Lyla skipped forward and hugged her. “Oh, it is the cutest room, Hattie. All the other rooms are the same, but yours has a private parlor attached to it.”

Hattie gasped. “Ladies, I think that room was supposed to be for Mrs. Williams. She is staying here as our chaperone and surrogate mother. She should have the room. I’ll take another.”

“Nonsense,” Myrtle said. “These ladies trust you and your judgment because you’ve earned it during your trip here. You should have the room. The parlor will be a good place for you to deal with anything these ladies need to confide in you about. I will take one room across the hall from you. If I’m needed for the conversation, you can just come and get me.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to put you out of your place.”

The older woman looked at Hattie, then all the other brides. “You see, ladies, this is why I agree with you. The pastor’s wife needs to be a servant to all and not one who would set herself above others. Our Hattie is just such a woman. Don’t you all agree?”

They did, enthusiastically. Which caused Hattie to break down in sobs. All the brides gathered around her, hugging together and surrounding her in their love. “What’s wrong, Hattie? Why are you so sad?”

“I’m so not that woman. I’m not, I need to tell you all something and when I do, you may not want me to be your leader or your pastor’s wife.”

They all denied that anything she could say would change their mind.

Hattie took a deep breath. “Well, how big is that parlor in my room you were talking about? Can we all fit in it? I don’t want to have this conversation where anyone can walk in and overhear.”

“There aren’t enough seats, but everyone should fit,” came from the woman standing in the dining room. “Then, once that’s all done, we need to finish getting today’s three brides ready for their weddings.”

Myrtle waved the young red-haired woman over. “Hattie, this is Helen Caudwell. She is the operator and partial owner of the Bride House. She is also Pastor Bryce’s cousin.”

“It’s nice to meet you. You should join us, since this will affect you as well.”

The girl gave Mrs. Williams a look, and she nodded. “I know what she is going to tell y’all. I’ll keep an eye on the kitchen for you.”

The girls pulled Hattie into the sitting room attached to the bedroom they’d picked for her. She had to agree. It was a very pleasant and homey space. But it was more room than she had ever had before. Once they were all in, with the doors to both the parlor and the bedroom closed, she stepped back so she could see them all and took a deep breath. “Please, don’t interrupt me until I’m done with my tale. It’s hard enough to tell you all this, as it is.”

The girls all indicated that they wouldn’t, so with her hands clasped tightly in front of her, indicating the anxiety she felt, she started. “I am not who you all think I am. I am not Pastor Long’s daughter.”

Josephine couldn’t stop herself. “Yes, you are. Linda told us you were.”

“No, she didn’t. She told you I went to Pastor Long’s church and was named Hattie. She never said I was his daughter. I’m not, I have the same name as his daughter, only it’s spelled differently. I’m Hattie Long with two t’s, she’s Haddie Long with two d’s. I’ve been an orphan since my parents died in an accident when I was six years old. I lived in one of the city-run orphanages until I turned twelve and then I became an indentured servant until I my twenty-first birthday. The day we left Chicago.”

The shy and quiet Virginia spoke up next. Hattie was going to stop her, but she knew Virginia rarely spoke up in a group, so she let her speak. “Why were you indentured? I thought that was only to pay off debts. How could a twelve-year-old orphan owe a debt?”