Saturday Snippet: How Silly To Agree to This

Saturday Snippet- Do You Think That C... Saturday Snippet: I Might Have Laughed

Saturday Snippet: How Silly To Agree to This

Today's Saturday Snippet is taken from

Mail-Order Barber

Mail-Order Husbands-Hopeful Husbands, Book 29

by Zina Abbott

Columbia, California – June8, 1859

Sittingin the chair across the desk from the man who suggested she seek a new husband,Rowena Healy stared at the advertisement in the Sonora Herald. Her mind blanked out the words. Her circumstances ofthe past three-and-a-half weeks had resulted in her thoughts often straying, asthey did now. After leaning forward, she read again.

Reputablewidow with child seeking marriage of convenience to last up to ten years withan experienced barber in exchange for his use of established shop, equipment, andliving quarters. He must be willing to train widow’s son to someday take over thebarber business.

She had not worded the solicitation orsubmitted it to the newspaper. That had been the work of her late husband’s attorney—MarcusDelaney, Esquire. As the man Edward Healy trusted to advise him on his businessaffairs, he had been one of her first visitors after Edward’s funeral. Sighing,Rowena folded the newspaper in half with the listing visible. After running herfingers over it, she raised her palm as if to sweep across her forehead. Mindfulthat her mourning black gloves might not show any ink smudges, but they couldeasily transfer black smears to her skin, she dropped her hand in her lap. How silly for me to agree to this. Why did Iever come here? Even as the thought occurred, she knew why. She wasdesperate.

Men were the heads of households. Asof the time they married, Edward Healy had been in legal control of theirfamily. It had not mattered that his leaving her and their child behind togallivant off to the wilds of California had never been considered or discussedprior to their wedding. Once the vows were spoken, she was bound to do as hewilled. She still recalled the dismay she experienced when Edward announced hisintention to leave their home on the outskirts of Cleveland, Ohio, to find hisfortune.

Before they married, Rowena knew he intendedto turn his back on barbering, his father’s life’s work. He refused to jockeyfor position with his brother over the eventual control of the family businessonce their father passed. However, not long after their son entered the world, Edwardannounced he did not like being employed by her father in his apothecary shop,either. Since he had no training in the proper use of herbs and other medicinalconcoctions, he could not see any future in working as a clerk, bookkeeper, andall-around handyman. She tried to be supportive when—opposed to working againunder his father—he entered into a partnership with another local barber on theother end of the business district. Unfortunately, like many joint ventures, hesoon grew disgruntled with said partner and sold his interest.

Rowena struggled to encourage hisefforts to find fulfilling employment. However, she found it shocking when hechose to use the proceeds from the sale of his half of the Cleveland barbershopbusiness to desert his family in order to chase after a dream built on rumorsand speculation. ...Untouched by her unhappiness, he gleefully studied severalbooklets detailing everything he would need to succeed in the gold fields andthen went about procuring his steamship tickets and said supplies….

Before she ever agreed to leave herparents’ home, her husband had assured her that, for a city in a wild, goldmining region, Columbia was fairly settled. That had been a little over twoyears earlier. After she arrived in the city—rustic though it was—shegrudgingly agreed. She had quickly learned there were still rough elements in town,which was why she kept a careful eye on Tobias. She never allowed him outsidealone after dinnertime—whether it was dark or still light during a summer’sevening.

That changed the day Edward hadvisited Mr. Molior’s assay office to have the gold dust he had accumulated aspayment for his barbering services smelted down and converted into small coinsin lieu of the gold being sent loose to a government mint. Until she arrived inCalifornia, she had never heard of such a thing. However, due to theextenuating circumstances of the remoteness of the region, such a practice wasallowed. The coin or ingots stamped with their true gold weight were locallyaccepted as legal tender.

While returning home and passing theDouglass Saloon the tragedy occurred. A dispute broke out between two minersinside. One of their stray bullets had flown out the open door and struckEdward in the chest. In spite of Dr. Baldwin’s best efforts to save him, Edwarddied the following morning….

“What do you think, Mrs. Healy? As youcan see, I set the process up so replies will come in care of me. I will handall of them to you and let you read through them—the ridiculous andself-serving, as well as those that might be from legitimate respondents. Ifyou prefer, I will be happy to review the letters first and pull those I deemtotally inappropriate.”

Blinking, Rowena turned her attentionto the middle-aged attorney—slightly overweight and with liberal swaths of grayadorning the temples of his dark hair. Marcus Delaney was one of the few men inColumbia who dressed like a professional—tailored three-piece suite, dressshirt to which he attached a collar, cravat, and derby—no matter the weather. Arush of gratitude for his patience while she worked through this situationfilled her. She inhaled and met his gaze. “My preference at this time, Mr.Delaney, is that I do not wish to read inappropriate responses. I prefer you tofirst look them over and forward those that appear to be legitimate responses.If it will not cost too much, I wish you to advise me if any that appearfeasible on the surface contain conditions or offers that are not suitable.”

“I planned to do that anyway, assumingyou approve, Mrs. Healy. Since this advertisement was my suggestion, I feelmorally bound to help you avoid difficulties.”

My most recent release, Mail Order Barber, is the final book in the Hopeful Husband's series. It is currently available as an ebook for purchase or at no additional cost with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. To find the book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE

My most recent book in the Prairie Roses Collection, Sue , is now available for sale as an ebook or at no additional cost with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. To find the book description and purchase options,

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Hal's Lucky Escape is now available for sale as an ebook or at no additional cost with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. To find the book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE

My book, The Mine Owner's Rescue, Book 7 in The Rich Man Takes a Bride series is also available for sale as an ebook or at no additional cost with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. To find the book description and purchase options,

please CLICK HERE