The Christmas Brides Collection Read online

  Jamestown Bride Ship © 2007 by Irene B. Brand

  Navidad de los Suenos © 1999 by Kristin Billerbeck

  ’Til Death Do Us Part © 2009 by Lauralee Bliss

  Courage of the Heart © 2009 by Tamela Hancock Murray

  The Snow Storm © 2002 by Lynn A. Coleman

  An Irish Bride for Christmas © 2008 by Vickie McDonough

  Little Dutch Bride © 2008 by Kelly Eileen Hake

  An English Bride Goes West © 2008 by Therese Stenzel

  Angels in the Snow © 2000 by Colleen L. Reece

  Print ISBN 978-1-63058-154-1

  eBook Editions:

  Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-63058-564-8

  Kindle and MobiPocket Edition (.prc) 978-1-63058-565-5

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without written permission of the publisher.

  All scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.

  Cover Image: RonTech2000 / GettyImages

  Published by Barbour Books, an imprint of Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683, www.barbourbooks.com

  Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses.

  Printed in the United States of America.

  Table of Contents

  Jamestown Bride Ship by Irene B. Brand

  Navidad de los Suenos by Kristin Billerbeck

  ’Til Death Do Us Part by Lauralee Bliss

  Courage of the Heart by Tamela Hancock Murray

  The Snow Storm by Lynn A. Coleman

  An Irish Bride for Christmas by Vickie McDonough

  Little Dutch Bride by Kelly Eileen Hake

  An English Bride Goes West by Therese Stenzel

  Angels in the Snow by Colleen L. Reece

  Jamestown Bride Ship

  by Irene B. Brand

  Dedication

  In memory of Dr. Herschel Heath, Dr. Charles Moffat, and Dr. Elizabeth Cometti, my history professors at Marshall University, who made a profound impression on my life and helped prepare me for a writing career in historical fiction.

  Chapter 1

  Jamestown, Virginia Colony, 1620

  Susanna Carter could hardly believe that she had survived the long sea voyage to Virginia. When Captain Trent bellowed from the quarterdeck that the colony was in sight, she left her cabin and hurried on deck as fast as her weak legs would carry her. She had lost count of the days they’d been on the voyage, but it seemed a lifetime since she had left London. The days on shipboard had been frightening enough, but after the ship left the Atlantic and moved slowly up the James River, the thick forests bordering the river had reminded Susanna of huge giants ready to pounce on their victims.

  The sails were furled, the progress of the Warwick slowed to a crawl, and waves splashed against the tree-lined riverbanks. Susanna leaned against the bulwarks and stared in dismay and disappointment. Surely this village of squalid huts couldn’t be Jamestown—England’s prized possession in America! Advertisements had circulated in London for several years claiming that the New World offered opportunities for a life surpassing anything to be found at home.

  As she turned her weary head and slowly surveyed the area, Susanna wondered if she had made a wise decision when she left London. Jamestown was the most woebegone place she had ever seen. She saw nothing except a fort constructed with tall, wooden posts enclosing a few houses and a church, with several homes and other buildings outside the palisade. It seemed incredible that she had endured weeks of seasickness, hunger, and every discomfort imaginable to reach the Virginia colony—a place she hadn’t wanted to visit in the first place.

  And regardless of her grandmother’s plans, it would be a visit, and a short one at that. She touched the soft leather bag hanging inside her garments, which contained enough coins to pay her return fare to England. Even if Grandmother no longer wanted her, Susanna didn’t doubt that her maternal uncle would be happy to give her a home.

  In spite of her disappointment in Virginia, after a rough ocean crossing, Susanna was pleased to see something besides water and trees. She welcomed a few days of respite from the rigors of sea travel.

  Ada Beemer, a friend Susanna had made on the voyage, joined her. “Are you feeling any better?”

  “Not much, but at least I haven’t been sick at my stomach since we left the Atlantic and sailed into Chesapeake Bay.”

  “Have you eaten anything?”

  “I tried some cold gruel this morning, but I’m not sure it’s going to stay down.”

  “It’s good you didn’t eat any of the pork. In spite of the thick salt packing, it’s rancid now. I can hardly force it into my mouth.”

  Looking to the left, Susanna saw a large group of women surging toward the bow of the ship. Women were so scarce in the colony that for the past two years, the Virginia Company in England had recruited women to travel to the New World as brides for the colonists. The Warwick carried fifty potential brides, and Susanna scanned their faces, which mirrored a wide range of emotions—excitement … fear … resignation … hope … determination.

  Riveting her attention on Ada, one of the prospective brides, Susanna tried to judge her friend’s feelings, but her face revealed nothing. “Aren’t you scared? Apprehensive of what’s waiting for you?”

  With a brave little smile, Ada admitted, “Of course I am. But whatever’s waiting for me in Virginia can’t be any worse than my life would have been if I’d stayed in England. When my father gambled away his inheritance and then took his own life, our whole family could have ended up in debtors’ prison. My mother’s brother was kind enough to settle our debts and give us a home, but there are three children younger than I, and I wouldn’t add to his burden. Coming to America seemed to be my only option.”

  “Well, at least you had someone who wanted you. Grandmother lost all patience with me when I refused to marry the second man she chose for me.” Bitterly Susanna added, “And treating me like a criminal, she transported me to Jamestown to live with my aunt.”

  Ada laughed softly. “But adults always arrange marriages. Why did you expect anything else?”

  “I expected to marry someone I can love. My parents were devoted to each other, and that’s the kind of marriage I want.”

  “The kind of love you’re seeking is very rare in marriages. I hope I can learn to love the man I marry, but if not, I’ll try to respect him.”

  “Aren’t you taking a terrible risk? The man who chooses you might be a terrible person.”

  Ada shrugged her shoulders. “That’s a chance I took when I made my decision. The men were screened by representatives of the Company, even as most of us were. But some of these women are convicts, and the English authorities are shipping them to Virginia to get rid of them. The settlers are taking a risk, too.”

  “From what I’ve heard of London’s poor, many people are put in jail simply because they had to steal to feed their families.”

  Nodding, Ada agreed. “That’s true, and that’s why I’ve been kind to those women. But I pray that everybody finds the right mate. The two chaperones who sailed with us will talk to the men before they’re allowed to approach us and will refuse anyone they consider unacceptable.”

  “The chaperones will be returning to England, won’t they?”

  “Yes, they’re supposed to go home,” Ada said, her eyes twinkling merrily. “But with women so scarce in this colony, they might decide to stay.”

  Observing the stern face of the stout, middle-aged woman who was beckoning Ada to join the other brides, Susanna doubted that she would stay behind. Which suited Susanna’s purposes, for it would be impossible for her to return on the Warwick without another female on board. As strict as the chaperones had been with their charges, Susanna knew they would provide all the respectability she needed.

  With a deep sigh, Ada said, “I’ll soon learn what my future is. And I’m selfish enough to wish you would stay in Jamestown. I’d like to know that you’re on the same side of the Atlantic I am, but I understand how you feel.”

  “You’ve been a good companion. I don’t believe I would have lived through the voyage if you hadn’t befriended me. I pray that God will lead you to the right husband,” Susanna said.

  “I believe He will. I’ll try to let you know how I fare.”

  “Until the Warwick returns to England, I’ll be with my aunt, Eliza Wilde, and her husband, Lester, but I don’t know where they live.” Gazing again at the few buildings, she added, “The settlement is small, so we shouldn’t have much trouble finding each other.”

  Susanna returned to the tiny cabin where she had slept, picked up a small chest, and returned to the deck. The ship’s captain, an acquaintance of her family, would see that her larger trunks were delivered to the Wilde home.

  The ship was gliding closer toward the bank, and even that small movement nauseated Susanna. She clutched her stomach, which was sore to the touch. Whether from lack of strength or because she’d lost her land legs after so many weeks at sea, she felt dizzy, and her stomach heaved. Determined not to lose the food she’d eaten e
arlier, she turned her attention to her destination.

  Although this colony had been established for several years, it seemed to Susanna that there weren’t enough houses for the more than one thousand inhabitants reported to be living here. But Captain Trent had told her that some settlers lived in outlying districts. Above the squeaking of the ship’s timbers and the snapping of the rigging, she heard him barking orders at the sailors.

  The ship listed sharply to the left when it nudged roughly into the long wharf that jutted out into the river. When it righted itself, Susanna lost her balance. She grabbed at the bulwark and didn’t fall, but the nausea returned. Without time to return for the pan she had used in the cabin, she leaned over the rail and lost her breakfast into the muddy water of the river.

  Hearing loud laughter, she looked up to see several men looking her way, amused at her distress. Anger overriding her embarrassment, Susanna stared at them with a haughty expression meaning, “How dare you laugh at a woman of quality,” a glance her grandmother would have approved. The men looked away quickly.

  She scanned the large crowd waiting on the riverbank to see how many others had witnessed her distress, but most of them were looking toward the women waiting to disembark. The ship stopped, and two sailors jumped out to tie it to palings on the wharf.

  Susanna’s gaze rested briefly on the compassionate gray eyes of a handsome man standing close to the ship, who must have noticed that she was ill. Thankful for his apparent sympathy, she nodded to him but turned away when Captain Trent approached.

  “Miss Carter, as soon as the other women get off, I’ll take you to your family. I’ll send your trunks later on in the day.” He carried a small chest, but he leaned over and picked up the one at her feet. “Stay close beside me,” he said. “I don’t want these men to think you are a prospective bride.”

  Susanna made an effort to stay beside him, but her legs seemed to have a mind of their own, defying her efforts to move forward. Determined, she forced one foot after the other until she reached the wharf, which didn’t have a rail for her to hold. The water swirling beneath the narrow wooden structure brought back her dizziness. She looked toward the captain for help, but he had his hands full already. Unable to control her legs and sensing that she was falling, she uttered a weak cry.

  The Warwick was already in sight when Joshua Deane left the forest path. He wended his way among the wattle-and-daub structures of Jamestown, dismounted, and tied his horse to the hitching post in front of the stockade. When he shipped his hogsheads of tobacco several months ago, he had stipulated that the tobacco be exchanged for household items and seeds. He hoped this ship had brought them.

  A ship’s arrival was always a time of rejoicing, but he was surprised at the size of the crowd, as well as the excitement. As the ship neared the shore, Joshua noted the large number of women standing near the bow. Suddenly realizing the reason for the men’s eagerness, he chuckled softly. The importation of wives was probably one of the best things the Virginia Company had done for the colonists. By experience, Joshua knew how lonely a man could get without female companionship, but he wasn’t desperate enough to wed a complete stranger even if other considerations weren’t involved.

  Speaking to the colonists he knew, Joshua worked his way slowly toward the river. He reached the bank just as the ship nudged into the wharf. Three men beside him laughed uproariously, and he followed their pointing fingers. A woman, hardly more than a girl, leaned over the side of the ship, losing her dinner. He turned angrily on the three men who found her predicament amusing, but she didn’t need his help. Imperiously, she lifted her head and stared scornfully at the men until, shamefaced, they looked away. Her eyes shifted to his, and she must have realized that he hadn’t shared their amusement, for she inclined her head toward him. She looked away, but Joshua was concerned about her, for she looked as if she were going to faint.

  A man approached the woman, and when Joshua saw that it was Captain Trent, he knew she was in safe hands. Eager to have a word with the captain about his shipment, Joshua worked his way toward the wharf, where several sailors held the prospective grooms at bay. They formed a path allowing the women to make their way unhindered up the bank and into the meetinghouse.

  Joshua wended his way toward the captain just as the woman swooned. The captain saw her stumble, but before he could drop the chests he carried, Joshua leaped forward and caught her, swinging her upward into his arms before she fell into the shallow water.

  “Thank you,” the captain said. “That was quick thinking.” He wagged his head sympathetically. “Poor girl! She’s been sick most of the trip, but I thought she looked better today or I’d have been watching her more closely.”

  Joshua nodded toward the church. “Shall I take her up there with the other women?”

  “No, she’s not one of the brides. Her name is Susanna Carter, and she’s come to visit her aunt, Eliza Wilde. Her grandmother, Lady Carter, put her in my custody to assure her safe delivery. I’m glad you caught her. I wouldn’t want to get in bad with a family of quality!”

  “I know where the Wildes live. I’ll carry her there. It’s only a short distance.”

  Susanna stirred in Joshua’s arms and opened her eyes. Her eyes shifted from him to Captain Trent, who peered anxiously at her.

  “Oh! What happened?”

  “You almost fell off the wharf. Mr. Deane caught you. Are you strong enough to walk to your aunt’s home? It’s not far.”

  “I think so. I’m sorry I’ve been such a nuisance to you.”

  “After several weeks at sea, it takes awhile to learn how to walk on land again,” Joshua warned. “With your permission, I’ll carry you.”

  Susanna’s eyes looked like black satin as she studied his face. Seemingly satisfied, she said, “Thank you. I am tired, and I don’t believe I can walk.”

  Her lids slipped down over her eyes as she settled more comfortably into his arms. Joshua tightened his grip, feeling a strange sense of possession as he walked up the bank. Susanna’s small, embroidered white cap had loosened, freeing her thick auburn hair to fall over her shoulders. A stiff breeze from the James twirled some of the loose tendrils around Joshua’s face. He gazed at the dark lashes that swept across her delicately carved cheekbones. She was very pale, and he sensed that several weeks of seasickness had caused her smooth skin to lose color. Still, considering the sweetly curled lips set in an oval face and arching eyebrows just a shade darker than her hair, Joshua thought she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

  So intent was he on his appraisal of Susanna, Joshua had forgotten the captain’s presence. He looked up quickly when the captain said, “I’ve got two crates for you on the ship.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. I thought a ship was due, and I hoped it was bringing my supplies. I came on horseback today, but I’ll bring a cart tomorrow to haul them to the plantation.”

  “That’s soon enough. Your boxes are far down in the hold. It will take awhile to get everything unloaded.”

  Joshua had thought Susanna must be asleep for she hadn’t moved, but without opening her eyes, she said, “When will you be leaving the colony, Captain?”

  “A week or more. Why? You planning to go back? Your grandmother indicated that you were going to live in the colony.”

  She opened her eyes and gazed at the captain, and Joshua noted another facial feature—her determined chin. “That is her idea. Please don’t leave without seeing me,” she said.

  The captain cast a puzzled look at Joshua, who had noticed that Susanna hadn’t answered the captain’s question.

  Susanna lifted her upward curving eyelashes, and she managed a small smile. “Are we almost there?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Then please let me try to stand. I’d prefer that Aunt Eliza doesn’t think that I’m unable to walk. She doesn’t even know I’m paying her a visit, and I don’t want her to think I’ll be a burden to her.”

  Joshua looked at the captain uneasily.

  “That might be best,” the captain agreed. “But take it easy, Miss Carter.”

  Still holding her securely, Joshua set Susanna on her feet.

  “Lean on Joshua until you’re sure you can stand,” the captain advised.