“Food,” Brenda said, the idea planting itself in her imagination.
Brenda leaned back into the seat of the train, her heart aflutter like the wings of a caged bird eager for release. The rhythmic chug of the locomotive was a soothing backdrop to the dreams blossoming in her mind. “What if I really do meet him?” she mused aloud, her voice tinged with a hope she’d seldom allowed herself to feel.
“Your Prince Charming?” Elizabeth said, her tone playful yet sincere. She adjusted the brim of her hat, a small smile playing on her lips as she regarded Brenda. “I’ve seen it happen before, dear. Love has a way of showing up when we least expect it.”
Brenda’s green eyes sparkled with the reflection of the passing scenery. “But you truly think he’s out there? A man who can handle my...well, my Brenda-ness?”
“Without a shadow of a doubt.” Elizabeth’s confidence was contagious, and Brenda felt it seep into her. “You’re a remarkable young woman. Anyone would be lucky to have you by their side.”
“Even with my stubborn streak?” Brenda asked, half jesting, half seeking reassurance.
“Especially with it,” Elizabeth affirmed. “It shows you have a spine of steel. And trust me, that’s something to be admired.”
Nodding, Brenda let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. For the first time in what felt like forever, the future seemed not just a distant possibility, but a vivid promise waiting to unfold.
“Thank you,” Brenda said. “For believing in a happy ending for me.”
Elizabeth reached across the aisle, her hand covering Brenda’s with a gentle warmth. “It’s more than belief, my dear. It’s a certainty. We’ll find the one who complements your spirit, and together, you’ll write your own love story.”
The thought alone filled Brenda’s chest with a lightness that bordered on elation. As the train drew nearer to its destination, Fort Worth no longer symbolized just a city but the gateway to a life she had only dared to wish for in whispers.
The train let out a final, lingering hiss as it came to a rest at the Fort Worth station. Brenda peered through the window, her eyes taking in the bustling platform alive with the energy of new arrivals and heartfelt farewells.
“Here we are,” Elizabeth chirped, standing up and swaying for a moment as she got used to having her legs under her. This train ride had been measured in days and not hours, so it was strange to stand without the floor moving under her. “Fort Worth, the city of cowboys and culture. And , perhaps, romance.”
Brenda couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips. The infectious optimism of Elizabeth’s voice made the butterflies in her stomach do a hopeful dance. They disembarked, the hot Texas air making Brenda wonder how hot it would be in July and August when it was this hot in early June.
“Remember to breathe,” Elizabeth whispered as they stepped onto the platform. “Every great adventure begins with a single step – or in your case, a twirl at a dance.”
“Let’s hope my feet remember the steps,” Brenda replied. She’d always enjoyed when they’d danced at the foundling home. It hadn’t happened often, but it had been fun to spin in circles with boys she considered her brothers.
Elizabeth’s sisters Susan and Alice were waiting at the train station, each of them with a wagon that extra boards had been laid on to create extra seats.
The drive to Susan’s house took them out of the city into wide open spaces filled with ranches and farms. They drove past a church, and Susan pointed it out as the setting for the dance tomorrow evening.
When the wagon stopped in front of the ranch house, Brenda scrambled to the ground, excited. Hopefully, she would marry at the party, and they would go straight to her new home, and she would only spend a single night in the beautiful house in front of her.
Susan jumped down and spread her arms wide and Elizabeth flew into them. “Elizabeth,” she said, looking at Mrs. Jackson and embracing her as well. “You must be Mrs. Jackson. We’re going to get all your girls married off to good men. I promise.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Dailey,” Mrs. Jackson said, stepping inside, where the sounds of children’s laughter echoed from the other room.
“Please, call me Susan. We only have one bathroom, so everyone will need to take turns using it. My housekeeper, Mrs. Hackenschleimer and I will be filling the tub in the kitchen as well.” Susan led them upstairs to a room filled with more lace and frills than Brenda had ever seen.
*****
TWO AT A TIME, THEnine young women from Massachusetts bathed in the grand house outside of Fort Worth, and they were each dressed in gowns Susan had borrowed from friends and neighbors for the occasion.
Brenda emerged from an upstairs bedroom, her cream-colored shirt adorned with delicate lace and a bright blue skirt that flowed around her. She couldn’t deny the slight flutter in her stomach as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and prayed silently for the night to bring her the right man.
Her mind couldn’t decide between confidence and nervousness, so she chose to be confident. She would find the right man, and she would be happy. Tonight, she would begin her forever.
