Winning the Spinster's Heart (Clear Creek Brides #1) - Kit Morgan Page 0,1
that’s all.”
“More like a swift kick in the rump, if you ask me.”
Leona rolled her eyes. “Come now, Betsy, it won’t be that bad.”
Betsy straightened her hat. “I hope not. I’d hate to think we came all this way for nothing.”
“Everything will be fine, you’ll see. Besides, I plan on doing more than making sure the young people of Clear Creek find each other.”
Betsy looked suspicious. “Oh?”
Leona nodded in determination. “I’m going to get some recipes from Irene Dunnigan if it kills me. And find out the rest of the story of how our town got its name.”
Betsy’s eyebrows rose. “When it comes to recipes, I’d watch what I say.” She shook her head. “I don’t mind telling you, but Irene scares me at times.”
“Nonsense, she’s fine.”
“You didn’t have her at your table eating your cooking like I did. Land sakes, I’ve never been so nervous about anything in my life.”
“Come, now, it wasn’t that bad.”
“Ask Charlotte if you don’t believe me. She was there.”
Leona smiled at Betsy. “You’re exaggerating. The next day you were telling everyone what a wonderful woman Irene was.” She looked out the window again and sighed. “Do you feel old?”
“What?” Betsy asked in surprise.
Leona shrugged. “Have you ever thought that this might be the last time we have young people’s lives to meddle in?”
Betsy snorted. “Meddle?”
“Poor choice of words. But you know what I mean.”
Betsy stuffed her hanky back up her sleeve. “Leona, we are old. My back aches, my eyesight isn’t so good and I strain to hear things. It’s amazing I’ve lived this long. I’m surprised we’re in as good a shape as we are considering we’re both going on seventy.”
“Exactly – which is why I want to make this trip count. This could be it for us – our biggest contribution to matrimony in a long history of preparing brides for the altar.”
“But first we have to get them there,” Betsy said with a sigh. “No mean feat, Leona, and we both know it.”
“Which is why as soon as we get to Clear Creek, I say we form a committee.”
“What kind of committee?”
Leona smiled. “Why, the Clear Creek Bridal Committee, of course. What else?”
Betsy frowned. “But what if the locals don’t like us barging into town to play matchmaker?”
Leona waved the idea off. “I’m sure Belle has informed everyone of our plans.”
“Wouldn’t that make the young folks in town nervous?”
“Discretion plays a large hand in these matters. You don’t think Belle and Sadie would breathe a word as to the true nature of our visit, do you?”
Betsy looked unsure.
Leona rolled her eyes again. “You have no confidence in your fellow matchmakers. Don’t worry so much.”
Betsy faced forward and braced herself for whatever was to come as the conductor yelled, “Clear Creek! Comin’ into Clear Creek!”
“Leona, Betsy!”
Adele Cooke watched her mother, Belle, make a beeline for two old women who’d just stepped off the train. Mother hugged them both as she and Father joined them.
“Why, Belle!” one of them said. “It’s so good to see you. I can’t tell you what a time we had on the train. It was marvelous, wasn’t it, Betsy?”
Betsy, taller and thinner than her counterpart, opened her mouth to speak.
But she never got the chance. “I was just telling Betsy before we got off the train what a lovely town this is. Of course, we haven’t seen the rest of it yet, but if it’s anything like this charming train station I’m sure we’ll be pleased.”
Adele glanced at Father and back. He wasn’t saying a word, letting Mother handle them.
“I’m sure you’ll love Clear Creek as much as we loved Nowhere,” Mother replied. “Now where are your bags?”
“That nice gentleman over there offered to carry them off the train for us,” the shorter one said. She must be Leona Riley – Adele’s parents had told her about them. She had yet to visit Nowhere and was a little jealous that Parthena not only got to go on the last trip, but got herself a husband to boot! But that’s how things went for her – she had rotten luck in general, and especially when it came to men. She didn’t see much hope for the future on that score either. Maybe she should accept spinsterhood with grace and dignity.
“And who do we have here?”
Adele looked up, not realizing she’d been staring at the platform. “Excuse me?”
“Belle, don’t tell me this is your oldest?” Leona asked.
“Yes, this is Adele,” Mother said. “She’s been looking forward to your visit.” Mother