New Beginnings Spring 20 Book Box Set Read online

No sooner than John left, Amy began ribbing Loraine. “You sure do fancy my brother,” Amy chuckled. “Perhaps you should spend your time with him, instead or me, for the rest of our stay.”

  Loraine felt embarrassed and hurt, and she blushed. “I’m sorry,” she said meekly. “I just—”

  “You just what?” Amy interjected. “You just fell in love, huh?”

  Loraine’s face got even redder.

  “Well then, maybe you should just marry him,” Amy jeered.

  Though Amy had said what she’d said to be childish and cruel, her words struck Loraine in an unexpected way—and they planted a seed of thought in her mind, which firmly took root and began to grow.

  THREE

  Despite the way she had taunted her, Amy “forgave” Loraine later that same night, and, for the remainder of the Lawrence family’s stay, the girls went on to play and bond in incredible ways. So, too, as the two weeks passed, Loraine continued to admire John, and she became more and more enamored with him.

  When Mr. Fuller and Mr. Lawrence were finally done with their business and it came time for the Lawrences to leave, Loraine and Amy were both heartbroken. They’d become quite close and didn’t want to part ways. And, Loraine’s hear especially ached, for not only was she losing her best friend, but also the boy she’d grown to love.

  The girls’ only consolation was the fact that their fathers’ business had gone so well that they decided to form a partnership of sorts, wherein Mr. Lawrence said he’d return on an annual basis to have Mr. Fuller work on his fiscal-year report. So, the girls knew that they would see each other again for at least a few years into the foreseeable future, though it still bothered them that they’d have to spend so much time apart.

  “You know,” Amy said the night before the Lawrences were set to leave, “I wish you were my sister.”

  “I do too,” Loraine smiled. She paused for a moment, then went on.

  “We could be sisters one day,” she added.

  “Huh?” Amy asked with wide eyes.

  Loraine took a deep breath. “The first day you were here,” she explained, “you teased me about my fondness for your brother, and you said I should marry him… Well, if I did marry him, we’d be sisters by law.”

  Amy’s wide eyes got even wider, and, without even realizing it, she giggled and smiled. “I still think my brother is nothing but a bother and a bore,” she replied. “But, perhaps he has a purpose after all! You’re right; if the two of you married, we’d be sisters.”

  Loraine nodded her head and giggled as well. “So, that’s our plan,” she said in a serious tone. “I’ll win your brother over, so that, when we are old enough, we can be wed, and you and I can be sisters… We mustn’t tell him of our plan, however.”

  “Of course,” Amy confirmed.

  The Lawrence family left to return to Dallas the next day, and, no sooner than they were out the door, Loraine was penning a letter to Amy, telling her how much she missed her already and referencing their “plan” in nuances and code.

  Over the next year, the girls wrote several letters back and forth. And, in each of her letters, in addition to expressing her sentiments toward Loraine, Amy included a good deal of information about John, noting his interests and activities, so that Loraine could learn more about him and figure out how to win him over.

  When the Lawrences came back to Baltimore the next year, the girls were elated to see each other, and Loraine was swooning over John again. She knew a great deal more about him at this point, and she used that to forge a genuine friendship with him. Given her age however, “romance” was not yet an option, but she did whatever she could to set the gears into motion so that, one day, it would be.

  Things continued to play out in this manner for the next five years. The Lawrence returned to Baltimore each year, at the same time, and the friendships between Loraine and Amy and Loraine and John flourished and became stronger.

  As John grew into his manhood, he became, by all accounts, a very handsome man, which made Loraine’s affections for him all the stronger. And, even though she became more mature as well, she still clung to the plan she’d come up with as a child. She still desperately wanted to marry him one day, and she tried to win him over at every chance she got.

  Just as John had grown into a handsome man, Loraine had developed into a very attractive young woman. From time to time, John couldn’t help but admire her beautiful face and form. But, given their age difference, and the affiliation between their fathers, he forced himself to “think away” whatever suggestive thoughts he had.

  The Lawrences’ annual visits were a joyful time for Loraine, as well as for Amy. And, their time apart was made more endurable by the letters they continued to exchange, wherein the fondly recalled whatever fun they’d had on their last visit and anticipated whatever fun they’d have next. As the years passed, however, while Loraine continued to reference their “plan” in nuance and code, Amy started to reference it less and less. Loraine thought nothing of it though, and she continued to hold fast to her dream.

  But then, late one spring, Loraine received what she considered awful news. Her father returned home from work one day, and he handed her a letter from Amy that’d he’d picked up from the post office in town. Before she could open in, he told her that he’d received a letter from Mr. Lawrence as well.

  “The Lawrences wouldn’t be coming in this year,” Mr. Fuller said in a monotone, unaffected voice. “It seems out business will be halted for a while, or, perhaps, put to an end.”

  “What?!?” Loraine exclaimed. Her heart ached in a way she’d never felt before. “Why?” she asked.

  “The war, my dear,” Mr. Fuller answered, throwing his hands in the air. “It’s tearing our country apart, you know. And, it’s not as safe time for the Lawrences to travel, especially considering the distance they must journey and where they’re from… The war is moving westward, and there’s been many questions as to where Texas’ loyalties lie.”

  Loraine didn’t know much about the unrest going on in the U.S. She was 19 years old at this point, and she still lived a rather secluded, sheltered life, so she didn’t have much exposure to talk of the war. But, soon enough—in a matter of minutes, in fact—it became of great concern to her.

  Oh dear, Loraine thought as she read Amy’s letter, from which she learned that her beloved John had signed on as a soldier. From this day forward, now that she had a personal stake in the war, Loraine kept track of current events—and, over the next few months, she regularly read her father’s newspapers and asked him for information on the goings-on across the country.

  Indeed, Loraine was saddened to learn that John had joined the Army. But, believe it or not, that was not the most disheartening news that came from Dallas that year. About six months after Amy and Mr. Lawrence’s letters arrived, after a period of sparse communications between the girls, another letter came from Texas, and it was addressed to both Mr. Fuller and Loraine—and, when Loraine read it, she felt as though she would faint, if not drop dead.

  The letter was not, in fact, a letter, but, rather, an invitation, and it read, in part: Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Lawrence are proud to announce the engagement of their son John Lawrence to Miss Belle Wallace, of Dallas. Please join us for the wedding ceremony and celebration during the Christmastime season.

  The invitation went on to list the exact date and location of John’s wedding, but Loraine didn’t even bother reading them. She was so astonished by the rest of the words that she didn’t care to know the particulars of the event.

  “So, shall we go?” Mr. Fuller asked his daughter, unable to surmise the excruciating pain she felt.

  Loraine tried to hide her disappointment. “You said it’s not a wise time to travel,” she replied. “So, I suppose not.”

  “Well, if you really want to go, we can,” Mr. Fuller said. “A few of my longtime business associates are involved in the war, in high posts, and I can contact them to ensure that—”

  “
Don’t bother,” Loraine interrupted. “I don’t want to go.”

  Loraine left the room without so much as a word, and she went to her bedroom, where she threw herself down on her bed and cried herself to sleep in a fit of tears.

  FOUR

  Christmastime came, and while all the world was celebrating the joyous holiday and the Lawrences were celebrating John’s vows, Loraine fell into a grave depression, from which she thought she’d never return. The lonesome, secluded life that had once troubled her became her only comfort, and she lost her drive to live a fuller life. The man she’d loved for as long as she could remember was now married to another, and she didn’t want to love anyone else, ever. She decided that she was destined for a spinster’s life, and she yielded to that lifestyle without pause.

  For three months, Loraine sulked around the house and spent a good deal of time lying restless in bed. Amy wrote two letters to her during that period, but she had no desire to reply to them.

  But then, one day, Loraine’s father handed her another letter that he’d picked up from the post. Loraine looked at it with disinterest and was just about to toss it aside, when she noticed that the penmanship on the envelope was a bit smaller and more linear than she was accustomed to. Upon further inspection, Loraine realized that, although the letter had come from Dallas, it hadn’t come from Amy… It came from John.

  As if by a miracle of some sort, Loraine instantly felt enlivened again. Simply receiving a letter from John gave her a sense of fulfillment, hope, and happiness that she hadn’t felt in nearly a year.

  Loraine carefully opened the letter and read it.

  Dear Loraine, it read. I hope this letter finds you well. My sister and I have missed you very much since our family’s annual visits have stopped. We were also quite sad that you and your father could not come out to Texas for my wedding, but, given the state of our country, your absence was understandable. In any event, I am writing to you with what I hope you will consider a welcome invitation. I have a good friend named William Hudson, who is looking for a bride. He is a kind, hard-working Christian man, and he recently took over his late parents’ cattle ranch. Amy and I have told him many things about you, and he would very much like to meet you, court you, and if all goes well, make you his wife. I assure you, he is a wonderful person, and I personally believe the two of you would be a great match. So, please write back to me and let me know if you’d like to come out to Dallas to pursue a life with my friend.

  The letter was signed “Love, John,” and Loraine read it several times before going to her desk, retrieving a pen and paper, and writing her reply.

  My Dearest John, Loraine wrote. What a splendid invitation! Indeed, I’d very much like to come out to Dallas and pursue a life there. I’ll make arrangements to leave for Texas as soon as possible.

  Love, Loraine

  Loraine wrote her letter rather quickly, but she’d chosen her words very carefully.

  You see, when Loraine read, and reread, John’s letter, she focused too much on the wrong parts. She paid attention to how John had said he missed her, how he’d said he was sad she hadn’t made it to Dallas for his wedding, and how he signed it “Love, John”—and she allowed those sentiments to get the better of her and give her hope. Even though John was married, she believed that those parts of his letter meant that he had “feelings” for her, and she believed that she could somehow use those feelings to her advantage and still win him over and make him hers. That she would be breaking up a marriage union made in front of God and man, did not enter her mind at all.

  So, that’s why, when Loraine wrote her response, she made no mention of William Hudson directly. Indeed, she would go to Dallas and meet the man—even marry him if she had to—but it would all be in an effort to get closer to John.

  Yes, Loraine had ulterior motives, and they weren’t all that virtuous. But, little did she know, John had ulterior motives too—and, they weren’t too upright either.

  FIVE

  Mr. Fuller was none too happy when Loraine told him she was leaving Baltimore to go to Dallas, and Loraine put up a mighty fight to get her way. But in the end, sure enough, she did get her way. Mr. Fuller resigned to the fact that, if she had to go away, at least she was going somewhere where close associates of his were.

  But, mind you, in leaving, Loraine didn’t tell her father about William Hudson, or any possibility of marrying him, as she hoped she wouldn’t have to deal with William for too long before winning John over.

  So, with a hopeful heart and her father’s reluctant approval, Loraine left for Texas by train. She’d never been on a train before, and, in addition to living a secluded, sheltered life, she’d also lived a spoiled one—so, the conditions of her travel were quite a shock, and displeasure, to her. But, she shrugged off the tolls of her journey and tolerated them as best she could, for the prize waiting for her on the other side of the country was well worth the price she had to pay.

  Before leaving for Texas, Loraine had exchanged a couple of additional letters with John pertaining to her travel itinerary. John knew when she’d be arriving in Dallas, and he assured her that he, Amy, and William Hudson would be there to receive her. So, when the train finally pulled into the platform in Dallas, Loraine excitedly collected her luggage and ran to the door, eager to see her friends.

  “Loraine!” Amy exclaimed joyfully as soon as the train door opened. Tears flooded her eyes as she ran towards Loraine. Even though Loraine was laden with luggage, Amy wrapped her arms around her and squeezed her tight. Loraine held tight to her things, but caved to the embrace. She too was crying. But, through her tearful eyes she saw John standing a short distance away, and her heart fluttered. It had been about two years since she’d seen him, and he looked even more dashing than she remembered.

  As Loraine’s eyes were fixed on John, she didn’t notice the man standing beside him. But the man standing beside him definitely noticed her. William Hudson felt weak in the knees when he saw the woman his friend had arranged for him to meet, and he couldn’t help but think she’d make an incredibly beautiful bride.

  “Hello Loraine,” John said, walking over to the women.

  “Hello John,” Loraine replied, feeling lightheaded and short of breath. She also felt a little less burdened all of a sudden, and it took her a moment to understand why. Without her even feeling it, or knowing it at the time, William had taken the luggage from her hands.

  “Oh, thank you,” Loraine said, realizing what he’d done.

  “You’re quite welcome,” William replied. And, when he spoke, Loraine looked at his face for the first time. Indeed, he was quite handsome—some, if not most, would say even more handsome than John, though Loraine would never admit as much. Plus, he had an awkward look on his face, and Loraine thought he looked a bit foolish. He looked “woozy,” as if he were drunk. And, sure enough, he felt drunk, but not my whiskey, but by Loraine. He’d heard so much about her from John, and he found all he heard quite intriguing, but he’d never imagined she’d be as lovely as she was. It seems John had left out that part.

  “Ah, where are my manners!” John laughed. He turned to William. “William Hudson, I’d like you to meet Loraine Fuller.” John turned to Loraine and said, “And, Loraine Fuller, I’d like you to meet William Hudson.”

  “It’s a pleasure,” Loraine said with a superficially courteous smile.

  “Indeed, it is,” William smiled back, with a smile that came from his heart. Again, Loraine thought he looked—and sounded—a bit goofy, and she turned from him to admire John again.

  “Move along!” one of the train attendants shouted as he walked past the group. “You’re blocking the path from the train.”

  The man was right. The foursome was still close to the train, and the other passengers were forced to maneuver around them in order to get the further parts of the platform.

  “I guess that’s our cue to get going,” John laughed. He gestured his head toward the far end of the station, where his car
riage was parked, and the foursome headed off that way.

  Once the group arrived at John’s carriage, William loaded her things into the back as John got behind the reins. After William was done loading Loraine’s things, he held out his hand to help her up onto the carriage—and, when she put her hand in his, he felt a spark. But, alas, all she felt was his sweaty palm. William helped Amy onto the carriage as well, then sat up front, next to John.

  As John steered the carriage away from the station toward town, Amy talked incessantly, updating Loraine on many of the things that had happened in her life over the past two years. Loraine listened the whole while, and contributed here and there, though her mind was fixed on John, whom she occasionally stared at, longingly, from time to time. She didn’t know it, but, just as she stared at John, William was similarly staring at her.

  A short while later, John stopped his carriage outside of the town restaurant.

  “I’m sure you’re hungry,” he called back to Loraine with a strange grin. Amy was grinning too, and for the first time since Loraine arrived, she was quiet.

  The group went into the restaurant. Loraine looked around. It was a very nice place, as far as restaurants were concerned. It was very clean, and the food smelled wonderful.

  “Let’s sit here,” John said, directing everyone to a four-top table near the back of the room. The group sat down, and, no sooner than they did, Loraine noticed that John was staring off into the distance.

  “There’s someone very special I’d like you to meet, Loraine,” John said, without moving his eyes or blinking. Loraine followed the course of his gaze, to one of the women standing behind the counter. She was rather plain looking, and a little plump—and, she looked back at the group with a broad, friendly smile.

  “That’s my wife,” John said. “That’s Belle.”

  “You married a waitress?” Loraine asked, alarmed. Her question sounded quite rude, but luckily John didn’t take it as such.