Chapter Two
Belle watched out thewindow as the train pulled into the Oregon and Washington train station.She waited until the train had stopped before picking up her carpet bag and leaving the train.Her joints were stiff after sitting for so long, but she was excited that the first leg of her journey was over.
When she stepped out onto the platform, there stood a woman holding up a sign with her name in bold print.Belle walked toward her.“I’m Belle Montgomery.”
“Oh good!I was hoping you’d spot me easily.I’m Harriett Farmer.”
“Elizabeth told me a great deal about you.It’s so nice to meet you, Mrs.Farmer.”
“Call me Harriett,” the blond woman replied.“The carriage is this way.My former butler drove me.”
Belle walked along with Harriett toward the carriage, noting immediately that the other woman walked with a dramatic limp.“Should you be walking?”Belle asked.
Harriett smiled.“My limp is from a very old injury.It’s fine for me to walk, if I don’t do it too much.”
“I appreciate you letting me stay with you.This is a much longer journey than I imagined, and it’s nice to have a respite.”
“It’s good to have company from Beckham.I lived there for a long while.”
“I’m happy to have a bed that doesn’t rock for a couple of nights.”
Harriett laughed.“I understand.When I came here to marry Max, I did a little tour of all the women I’d sent to be mail-order brides.”
Belle stopped walking.“Wait.You were a mail-order bride as well?”
“I was.I insisted on getting to know Max before I left Beckham, so we wrote for more than two years.And I passed the business on to Elizabeth.”
“I want to hear all about it!”
“I’ll tell you everything after supper tonight.I hope you’re hungry!The cook is making beef wellington.I don’t get to have it often, but when I have a guest, I like to have her make some special dishes.”
“I’ll gladly try it!The hotel I worked in offered that as an option on their menu, but I’m afraid the waitresses had meals provided that weren’t quite as...expensive.”
“I’m glad you had meals provided.”Harriett shook her head.“I had a few brides come to me who hadn’t been able to eat.”
“Thank you,” Belle said softly.
“What are you thanking me for?”Harriett asked, obviously confused.
“For reminding me that having a roof over my head and food in my belly made me a great deal more fortunate than many women.I don’t need to feel sorry for myself.”
Harriett stopped in front of a carriage, and an older gentleman jumped down and helped her up to her seat before assisting Belle.“Thank you,” Belle said softly, feeling a bit out of place.No man had ever helped her into a carriage before.
She felt very fortunate to be in such a lively city with a woman who obviously cared about people.She couldn’t imagine a better respite from her travels.
*****
BELLE ENJOYED HER TIMEin Seattle so much, she was disappointed when it was time for her to board the steam ship to Alaska.Most of the people aboard the ship were men, and Belle was given a small stateroom away from most of the others.
She spent her entire journey sick to her stomach from the rocking of the ship and chose to stay in her quarters as much as possible.
After the miserable seven-day voyage, Belle was relieved when the ship docked and she was able to step out onto solid land.She looked around her and stopped a man asking for directions to the general store.There was a boarding house above it, and it had been deemed the most desirable place for a woman traveling alone to stay overnight.
When she finally found the general store, she asked about accommodations and was led to a room.The woman running the boarding house wrinkled her nose at Belle.“It’s not moral for a woman of any age to be traveling alone,” the woman said, her nose in the air.
“I’m sorry you feel that way.Is there an extra charge to have a bath brought up?”
The woman frowned.“No extra charge.And I insist you take meals in your room.You shouldn’t be around the men.”
