Chapter One
Isabelle Winslow lookedaround her at the walls of Elizabeth Tandy’s office. She and her sisters Anabelle and Rosabelle had buried their mother less than a week before, and they’d sneaked out of their father’s home to escape his abuse just hours before.
Now, she Ana and Rosie were sitting together on the sofa in Elizabeth’s office, reading letters that were from men who were looking for mail-order brides. The non-identical triplets had nowhere else to go, so they agreed to read letters from three men who were all from the same small town in Colorado, deciding if they would agree to be their mail-order brides.
Izzy read through her letter, from the mayor of Hope Springs, and she instantly knew the letter was meant for Rosie. Rosie would be a wonderful mayor’s wife, and she did not incline to be the first lady of a small town. No, she wanted someone who would be able to give her whatever she needed in life, and a small-town mayor wouldn’t be able to do that.
Izzy nodded, her brunette locks brushing against her cheek, but her heart hammered against her ribs like a bird in a cage. Ana’s fingers twisted a strand of her fiery hair, winding and unwinding with every breath she drew. Beside them, Rosie’s hands lay folded in her lap, her blonde curls cascading over her shoulders.
Izzy had always admired Rosie for being able to stay calm through any situation.
“Remember,” Elizabeth said, her gaze flitting over the sisters, “this arrangement is as much about survival as it is about matrimony. It’s a harsh world out there for women alone. And though you wouldn’t be able to live together, at least you would be in the same town, and be able to spend time together.
“Your lives are about to change,” Elizabeth said softly, “one way or another.”
Izzy carefully read the letter that had been handed to Rosie.
April 1898
Dearest Prospective Companion,
My name is Albert Thoreau, a name perhaps whispered on the winds of this mining town for the silver veins I’ve been blessed to uncover beneath its rugged beauty. Yet, amidst the wealth and wonders, I am alone.
Hope Springs is a town that thrives not just on the bounty beneath the ground, but on the spirit of community, the warmth of shared endeavors, and the quiet strength that binds us. It is here that I’ve built a life marked by material success. Yet as I enjoy the wealth my good fortune has brought me, I find that it’s hard to truly be happy while I am alone.
I seek not just a wife, but a true partner—to share in the joys and challenges that life in Hope Springs presents. A woman whose eyes sparkle with curiosity and kindness, whose laughter is a melody that brightens the darkest of days, and whose presence turns a house into a home.
In you, I seek a companion to explore not only the beauty of this world but the depths of our own spirits. A woman who values the richness of the heart above the glitter of gold, who sees in every day an opportunity for love, learning, and laughter. Together, I believe we can build a life that transcends the ordinary—a partnership based on mutual respect, deep affection, and an unwavering commitment to each other’s growth and happiness.
If these words stir something within you, then I eagerly await your reply. Let us take the first tentative steps toward a future filled with the light of understanding and the warmth of companionship.
With a hopeful heart,
Mr. Albert Thoreau
Hope Springs, Colorado
As the silence settled once more, Izzy’s spine stiffened. She would go west and marry this man, not as a victim of circumstance, but as the architect of her own destiny.
Izzy’s gaze returned to the letter, to Albert’s promises of partnership. He would suit her much better than a mayor would, and if she and her sisters went to the same small town, they would still be together. She had never spent a night without her sisters. She’d rarely spent an hour without both of them at her side, and she didn’t want to start now.
“I’ll marry this man,” Izzy declared.
*****
IZZY AND ROSIE CLASPEDtheir hands tightly as if their joined fingers could ward off the uncertainty that clawed at their bellies. Ana sat opposite them as Beckham disappeared. The world outside blurred past them, a mosaic of colors streaking by as the locomotive devoured the miles toward Hope Springs.
“Remember,” Ana whispered, her voice a thin thread of sound barely heard above the din, “no matter what happens, we’re in this together.”
Rosie gave a small nod, her eyes rimmed with fear she couldn’t voice.
Izzy’s gaze drifted to the window, where her reflection stared back at her—a ghostly specter framed by the sweeping landscape. The countryside was a vast expanse of muted greens and browns, the distant mountains a jagged line against the sky.
The train lurched into the station with a hiss of steam and a screech of metal on metal, jolting Izzy from her thoughts. Her sisters rose with her, the three of them swaying slightly as they gathered their meager belongings. They stepped onto the platform.
Izzy’s breath hitched in her throat as she scanned the sea of faces, searching for the man who held her future in his hands. Albert Thoreau—the name was a talisman she turned over in her mind.
“Perhaps they’re not here yet,” Rosie murmured, trying to mask her disappointment with a hopeful lilt.
