Tillie's Theatre (The Alphabet Mail-Order Brides Book 20) Read online

  William left his stack of letters—which he’d already narrowed down significantly from all the ones he’d received—with Mrs. Caldwell while he tended to Mr. Caldwell. William was happy to find that only a day or two after his last visit, the man’s condition had started to improve drastically, and because of this rapid improvement, Mr. Caldwell had decided to give up his pipe for good. William made sure to tell the man just how wonderful an idea that was, even though he wasn’t sure if it had really made a difference in the outcome of this particular ailment, but of course, he conveniently left that part out. Why not make Mrs. Caldwell happy and help her cause?

  “Dr. Powers! This is your girl! This girl has her head on straight!” William jumped at the sounds of Mrs. Caldwell’s voice, and couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face as she walked into the room with a single letter held high above her head, shaking it like a newspaper boy trying to sell an extra at the end of a long day.

  “Let me see. Which one is it?” William stood and grabbed the page, immediately recognizing the immaculately penned letter in blue ink. Tillie Thompson.

  “She’s the only one who didn’t ask how much money you make, or how much you’d send her, but instead if you had enough to help her open a school!” Mrs. Caldwell poked his chest. “Don’t be a fool, Dr. Powers. Out of all the letters you received, this is the only girl who’s concerned about helping others. She’s special. Forget about the rest.” Mrs. Caldwell put her hands on her hips and stared him down as if daring him to disagree.

  “I recognized the same thing, I suppose I just didn’t give it as much weight as you did. Some of the other women’s letters were nice. Did you read them all? Here, let me get—” William started to walk back into the kitchen where Mrs. Caldwell had been reading his letters, but she was right on his heels and didn’t even let him finish his sentence.

  “Don’t bother. I read enough of them to know that Miss Thompson is the only one worth your time. That’s my advice. You can take it or leave it, but reading those other letters isn’t gonna change it.” Mrs. Caldwell wasn’t exactly a woman who would care about good breeding, but he had said education was important to him, and obviously it was to Miss Thompson as well.

  “I’m not going to disregard your advice, Mrs. Caldwell. It’s just that I don’t really know anything about her except that she wants to start a school. I don’t know where she studied, or who her parents are, or if she has any hobbies. I don’t even know what subject she teaches. Shouldn’t I at least ask a few more questions before I toss out the other letters?”

  Mrs. Caldwell pulled off the dish towel that was slung over her shoulder and draped it over the back of the chair she was standing behind. “I wouldn’t. You know enough about her to know that she’s the one you want. You’ll have plenty of time to get better acquainted when she arrives. Don’t waste your time on trivial little tidbits—just make the travel arrangements and be done with it. It takes much too long to get a letter to New York City to be worrying about which subject she’s been teaching her students. Maybe she teaches them all.”

  “I suppose you’re right. I don’t want to overwhelm her by asking about every detail of her life. I just want to be sure we’re a good match.”

  He’d decided to follow Mrs. Caldwell’s advice and let Miss Thompson know that he was interested in her becoming his wife in his next letter. When he received her response, which contained an unusual request, he was caught off guard. He wasn’t an expert at coordinating the delivery of a mail-order bride, but he was fairly certain that most women who answered ads in The Bride’s Bulletin wanted to be guaranteed a marriage if they were going to drop their whole lives to move across the country. Either way, he was grateful she’d been different. Her plea to court for a while before they married was one of the reasons he’d ended up feeling so confident in his choice. Well, that and Mrs. Caldwell’s constant expressions of her approval.

  When he'd thought about who Tillie could stay with until they married, the Caldwells had been the obvious choice. No one would try to convince her that he was worth her while like Mrs. Caldwell. If William trusted anyone to support their successful marriage, it was her. He just hoped that Miss Thompson would find their accommodations agreeable. He had no idea what circumstances she was coming from. Perhaps their humble home would be inferior to her standards. Although, that could work in his favor. His fine house would be all the more appealing to her. Maybe she would make the move over even more quickly.

  It was a wicked thought, and he shouldn’t count on buying his future wife’s love. That wasn’t the type of woman he wanted anyway, but he would take all the help he could get. From the message sent by her request to court, she wouldn’t be easily swayed.

  The sight of the ship approaching caused William’s chest to tighten a bit. He was still nervous about meeting Miss Thompson, even if they wouldn’t be married right away. In all honesty, he was probably more nervous now that he would actually have to win her over in order to have her hand. He began to pace the dock, reciting what he’d say when she stepped off the ship. He liked to prepare for things as best as possible. He’d written several different greetings down over the past few days, rehearsing his favorite lines over and over again, but now that the moment was here, he could hardly remember what he’d planned to say.

  Miss Thompson, I’m so glad you’re here. No, no, no, too cliche. Miss Thompson, I trust your journey was comfortable. No, of course it wasn’t. It was probably miserable coming all the way from New York City.

  William still remembered his journey from Massachusetts. It had been so long, he’d convinced himself he’d never see the Pacific Ocean, but when he’d finally arrived in Coos Bay, he knew he’d never go back to the east coast. He’d fallen hard and fast for the pine-covered hills, rocky cliffs, and temperate weather. He hoped Miss Thompson would feel the same way. And that morning, Mother Nature was really putting her best foot forward. It was warm and sunny, with only a few small clouds, and no wind. The earth still smelled like fresh rain from the early-morning drizzle they’d had, and the lush green hills looked striking against the blue water in the bay. He sincerely felt like he was standing in heaven on earth.

  Distracted by the beauty around him, William almost forgot how nervous he was, but when he glanced back in the direction of the ship and realized how much closer it had gotten, his chest tightened up once more. He didn’t understand what was causing him to be so unsettled about Miss Thompson’s arrival. He’d prepared in every way possible for this moment, and logically, it shouldn’t be affecting him so much. He wasn’t worried about losing out on his money—it really wasn’t that much when he considered all of his assets and what he earned annually. So what was it that had him so tied up inside?

  He decided to sit down on a stack of empty crates and try to calm his nerves. He took a few deep breaths, but no matter how many times he told himself there was no reason to feel so anxious, he still couldn’t stop from bouncing his knees or chewing on his bottom lip. By the time the ship was docking, he was sure the poor woman was going to think he had a stuttering problem, or a twitch, or worse—that he was completely mad. He was thoroughly disgusted that he was allowing himself to act in such a way. He’d never felt so out of control of his faculties.

  As the crew set up the gangplank, he found himself silently berating them for not moving quickly enough, and had to suppress the urge to tell them to hurry it up. The urge was so foreign, William suddenly wondered if he was in any condition to meet Miss Thompson at that moment. He’d never felt so irrational in all his life. Not even displeased patients who were disputing their bills or distraught mothers with sick children caused him to become so flustered. He felt like Mrs. Caldwell or Mrs. Jones had somehow taken over his body—it just wasn’t natural for him to act this way, and yet, here he was, unable to calm himself down. What a disaster. Miss Thompson would surely turn around and ask to be taken back to San Francisco when she laid eyes on him. There were probably hundreds of more suitable men to
be found there. In fact, if he was decent, he would tell the woman that he was unstable, and she should just save herself three months of torture.

  As passengers began to disembark, William’s breaths grew more and more shallow. Had it simply been too long since he’d looked forward to spending time with a woman? A resounding yes came into his mind, and suddenly, that realization helped him relax. He wasn’t losing his mind, and he could do this. He just needed some practice. Unfortunately, that practice would be on the dazzling little brunette who was walking down the gangplank. That had to be her. Tillie Thompson.

  There weren’t many people who would be aboard a ship from San Francisco to Coos Bay. Empire City and Marshfield—the two main towns in the bay—though charming, were not bustling cities by any means. They were small, tight-knit communities that didn’t receive many unknown visitors, and William had definitely never seen this petite lady before. The woman was only carrying a small reticule, but she was followed closely by two large men who were each hauling a trunk. At least she put my money to good use. The thought of her being stubborn enough to try to haul her luggage around on her own made William smile, and further eased his restless demeanor. Maybe he’d read her wrong. Maybe Tillie wasn’t stubborn—maybe she was simply careful. Even her movements seemed to say so. She glided down to the dock with grace and poise, her face revealing nothing about how she felt inside.

  William fought the rising panic in his chest, and reminded himself that he simply needed to get the first few words out. Once the initial shock of speaking to a woman he was interested in was over, he was sure his apprehension would dissipate. And he was already very interested in this woman. Now that she was off the gangplank, he pushed through the small crowd of crew members that had gathered at the bottom. He’d deduced that she’d been the one he was waiting for because of the amount of luggage she had with her, and the general lack of unknown visitors to the area, but she should easily recognize him from the photograph he’d placed in his ad.

  When he reached her, she had her back turned to him, and was thanking the two men who had carried her trunks down to the dock for her. She seemed even more delicate in closer proximity. He was quite sure that the top of her head would barely reach his chest, and at five foot ten, he wasn’t an unusually tall man.

  William cleared his throat, then spoke. “Miss Thompson?”

  The heavens seemed to be on her side because just as Tillie turned, a small cloud that had been covering the sun moved past, and direct rays of light came down and bathed the woman in an ethereal glow. Her large eyes, framed by thick, dark lashes, shimmered, and William was sure he’d never seen a more striking color of blue.

  “Yes, that’s me.”

  Even after she’d said the words, William couldn’t take his eyes off her mouth. Her perfectly curved lips were turned up in the slightest smile, and he wondered again what she was feeling because her pleasant face divulged nothing. She seemed content, but not excited, nervous, or scared. He suddenly wondered what she could see in his face.

  “I thought so. I’m William,” he said, holding out his hand.

  “Tillie.”

  Tillie tried to act casual as she shook William’s hand, but inside she was overcome by a most unfamiliar feeling. Her belly was dancing and tingles covered her arms, and though she wanted to look away, she forced herself to stare into the light-brown eyes of the doctor she’d been dreaming of meeting since the moment she’d set eyes on his picture.

  She allowed herself one giddy smile when William released her hand and turned his attention to the two men who’d carried her trunks off the ship, but quickly restored her typical composed face when he looked back at her. Regardless of her deft control over her facial expressions, Tillie could not stifle the fluttering she felt in her stomach. She’d never met a man who’d cause her to react that way. She’d met plenty of men at the theatre back in New York City, but none of them had ever looked at her the way William just had.

  Those eyes. She would never get over the depth she saw in them, and now she knew their true color—dark amber, like a jar full of honey, and they made her feel just as sweet. She put her hand over her mouth, trying to cover the evidence of her imprudence. She could not let William know just how taken she was by him. At least, not yet. She wasn’t a fool—some people didn’t always turn out to be what they showed you on the outside. She didn’t know if it was possible for eyes like William’s to hold a secret, but she wanted to be sure.

  “If you’ll just follow us, then. This way!” William’s voice sounded authoritative without being loud.

  Tillie had been lost in her thoughts about William’s eyes, but was brought back to reality when the two men with her trunks picked them up and started walking toward her on William’s orders.

  “So, Tillie, what do you think of Coos Bay?” William asked as they walked down the dock toward a buggy she assumed was his. She noticed that his tone had become more gentle—the slightest adjustment, just for her—and it made her stomach flip.

  “It’s gorgeous. I don’t mean to offend, but you didn’t do it justice in your letters.” Tillie was mostly teasing—she wasn’t sure how one could even begin to describe such beauty. Each element of the scene had taken her breath away when the ship had come into the bay, and the sum of them seemed to have swept her up in a dream. Or maybe it was the possibilities that were here for her, the thrill of falling in love with William. Either way, she felt positively elated.

  “Well, I’m just glad you like it.”

  Tillie looked up in time to catch a wide smile spread across William’s face, and her knees went a little wobbly. Kind eyes, a playful smile, and a doctor—what more could Tillie ask for in a man?

  “Here we are,” William said as he held out his hand to help her climb into his buggy. Once she was settled in her seat, he turned and directed the loading of her trunks. In a few moments, he was sitting beside her, and she found herself smiling once again.

  “So, where will I be staying until we—” Oh, dear. She hadn’t really thought about how she was going to say this. “Until we get married, or, you know…” Tillie wanted to hide her face in her hands. Could I be any more awkward?

  William tipped his head back and laughed, actually laughed out loud, and Tillie was mortified.

  William must have noticed her face drop because he quickly followed up the burst with an apology. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t laughing at you. I suppose I’d just been a little tense about how to bring up the subject of our…arrangement, and here you are facing it head on. It’s refreshing.” William had a devilish grin on his face, like he’d just won an argument, and Tillie found herself immediately defensive, although she wasn’t sure why. It’s not like she’d lost anything except for maybe a piece of her dignity. Something about William made her feel fiercely competitive. Was this what it was like, falling in love? Would she always feel as if she were struggling for the upper hand?

  “Well then, you’re welcome. For broaching such an uncomfortable topic.” Tillie tilted her chin up slightly and folded her arms.

  William chuckled again. “To answer your question, though, you’ll be staying with the Caldwells—an older couple who are friends of mine.”

  Tillie nodded. “And do they live close by?”

  “Yes, actually, they live closer to the dock than I do. We’ll stop by their house and drop off your things. Then, if you’re up for it, I’d love to show you my house and introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Jones, my gardener and housekeeper. We can even go down to my office so you can see where I work. Well, when I’m not doing house calls, that is.”

  Tillie folded her hands in her lap and relaxed. She’d quickly put her guard up after William had laughed at her, but when he immediately offered to invite her into his home and into his life, she realized there was no reason for her to distance herself from him. “I’d love that.” Her smile returned. Until he proved otherwise, she needed to be open to falling in love with him. Wasn’t that why she’d just trekked all th
e way across the country?

  Chapter 5

  William lay in bed the night of Tillie’s arrival unable to sleep. The day had gone so perfectly, yet he found himself unhappy and it was all his doing. Tillie was incredible. Truly, she was. However, he had been fool enough to agree to her idea about courting before they married.

  What was I thinking? He let out a heavy sigh. If only he had known how wonderful she was when she’d written to him the first time, they could be together right now. Instead, she was off at the Caldwells’ while he was home alone, as usual.

  Oh, Mrs. Caldwell had been quite the sight when he and Tillie had arrived. She’d made such a fuss over how beautiful Tillie was, and how foolish William was for not taking her home with him. He smiled, remembering the blush that had rushed to Tillie’s cheeks, and the shy way she’d avoided his gaze after that. Well, at least until they’d left the Caldwells’.

  The rest of the day, as Tillie met Mr. and Mrs. Jones, explored the house, and went down to his office with him, she’d started to unravel. When he’d seen her that morning, walking down the gangplank so carefully, he’d wondered if letting herself loose would add to her charm, and it had indeed. More than he ever would’ve thought.

  After they spent a few hours together, Tillie relaxed in a way that made him always want to be near her. She seemed to slough off her poised shell, and her tiny frame took on an excited, pixie-like quality that made everything about her brighter. Her smiles were ready on her lips, and her laughs came easily, like the music made by rustling leaves—an effortlessness that only nature can create. And though her deep-blue eyes had always been lovely, they seemed to shine in a new way. As she lightened, he expected the heaviness she’d dispelled in him to return, but was surprised when he matched her step for step toward happiness.