A Headstrong Christmas Bride for the Lonely Father by Emma Morgan

 
    This is it, Ella Burns thought, I’m finally on my way out of here! She clasped her train ticket to her chest. The train station was abuzz with the excitement of families welcoming their loved ones home and travelers embarking on new adventures.
     
    Ella was usually a reserved girl. She tended to play it safe. But at twenty years old, she had hoped to be married long before now. There was simply no one to marry. Most of the young men around the area had either travelled west or had been killed in the war. She had considered answering a matrimonial ad from the paper even before she had heard her parents arguing, but overhearing their fight had sealed the deal. She knew money was tight for her family, but she had never known her parents to fight over it. It was obvious that things had grown worse, and she feared that she had become a burden on their already stretched income.
     
    So, the very next morning, she had gone to the post office and had replied to one of the ads. It was short and simple.
     
    Benjamin Pearson.
     
    Bachelor. 24 years old.
     
    Gained charge over orphaned niece.
     
    Seeking wife to help care for young child.
     
    Mountain Ridge, California
     
    She knew little about what the west held, but one thing she did know was how to care for children. She had been caring for her four younger siblings for the past six years, ever since her mother had been forced to go to work to help out with finances. Her siblings were old enough to care for each other now, though. She knew she would miss them terribly, but it was time for her to move on.
     
    Ella heard the train whistle from a distance, and her heart began to race. Soon, the train came thundering into the station and rumbled to a stop in front of the platform where she and the other awaiting passengers stood. This was it, the beginning of her new life. Once the line to board started moving, she stepped forward and handed her ticket to the attendant. He summoned someone to take Ella’s bags and then ushered her to her seat. She was thrilled to find that it was a window seat. Soon, a woman of about fifty years sat next to her. Ella politely introduced herself, as did the woman, Lydia.
     
    “Where are you headed, young lady?” Lydia asked.
     
    “California,” Ella beamed with excitement, “and you?”
     
    “Missouri. I’m headed to see my grandchildren. Would you believe they are already four and five years old, and I’m just now going to get to see them?”
     
    “I’m sure they will love to meet you,” Ella said politely.
     
    “I hope so. What does California hold for a young thing like you? That’s about as far as you can get from here in Massachusetts.”
     
    “Yes, it certainly is. I’m going out there to get married.”
     
    “Married? To your betrothed from here?”
     
    “No, ma’am. I answered an ad in the matrimonial pages.”
     
    “Oh! A mail order bride, that’s quite and adventure! I hope all goes well for you.”
     
    “Thank you. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure what to expect. He didn’t offer much information. But whatever the situation turns out to be, I’m determined to make it work.”
     
    “With that outlook, I’m sure you will do just that,” Lydia replied with a smile.
     
    Just then, the train whistle blew. The train jerked to a start and the platform disappeared from view. Before long, the countryside was whizzing past Ella’s window, and she couldn’t take her eyes off of it. It was beautiful. Miles upon miles of open land stretched out before her eyes, and every now and then, she spotted a town in the distance. Occasionally, they would roll to a stop in some small town and pick up passengers or let them off. Ella and Lydia became fast friends over the next couple of days. But, before they knew it, they found themselves rumbling into a small town in Missouri where they would part ways.
     
    With a tight squeeze, and best wishes, Lydia got off the train to meet her beloved grandchildren. And