Opening her carpetbag, she threw the few dresses she had in the bag along with the tintype pictures of her family. That was all she had from the big home she’d lost to death and taxes.
Mrs. Jones hugged her. “Good luck.”
She stepped out the door and Pearl heard her talking to the man. “She’s almost finished. Would you like a slice of apple pie that just came out of the oven? I’ve also got a fresh pot of coffee.”
Soon, Pearl heard him step away from the door.
She pushed open the window and threw her bag outside and then she climbed over the windowsill and landed with a thump on the ground.
Picking up her bag, she got to her feet and then raced as fast as she could to the back alley that led to the street she needed. A few minutes later, she stood in front of the address on the paper.
She pounded on the door. A woman answered. “Can I help you?”
“I’m here about the mail-order brides going to Montana.” She glanced down the street. “Can I come in and talk to you?”
“Of course, dear,” she said. “I’m Mrs. Newton, a marriage broker. I find women for men seeking a wife.”
“Pearl Tuttle,” she said, hoping she didn’t have to tell the older woman about who was searching for her.
Pearl stepped into the house and peeped around. It was a nice home.
“Come into the parlor and let’s talk about you and make certain you’re a perfect fit for the men seeking women.”
Relief filled her as the woman shut the front door and led her inside. Nervous, Pearl followed to a fancy sitting room. She’d escaped for now.
“Have a seat and tell me about yourself.”
Should she tell her about the fact that the madam and her henchmen would be searching for her? How much should she tell about the trouble she’d gotten into?
“The most important question is are you a virgin? Our men expect their wives to be virgins.”
Good grief, this was the second time today she’d been asked this very personal question. But she knew it was important she answer truthfully.
“Yes, ma’am,” she said. “But there is something you need to know. I owe the gambling hall a lot of money and they have sold my loan to the bordello. Just now, I ran away from the boarding house where I was living. They will be searching for me.”
The woman sighed. “That Miss Champe is despicable. Of course, you ran away. No decent woman wants to live that life.”
“They were going to auction me because I’m a virgin. I don’t want to have to sleep with unknown men,” she said as a sob escaped her throat. “I’m so scared.”
The woman reached out and touched her hand. “Of course, you are. But you’re safe here. No one is going to find you. We leave the day after tomorrow, so we’ll get you out of town before they can locate you.”
Pearl let out a deep sigh. “Thank God, I was so worried. She threatened to beat me if I ran off. She promised she would find me.”
“No, she won’t because I won’t let her,” Mrs. Newton said with a single nod and determination in her eye.
“What if I get there and don’t want to marry the man? What if I hate it there?”
The matchmaker smiled. “The men have promised to pay your way back. There are no women in their small town and there is more than one choice. You could have several men courting you.”
Here in town, no one wanted to court the woman who had lost everything. She wasn’t rich, and the poor men thought of her as haughty. She wasn’t, by any means, but they believed her to be because of her family name. The Tuttles once owned one of the most productive and prestigious plantations in South Carolina.
“Now, let me put you in a room with Julia and introduce you to the other girls. You are the last girl we’re accepting. So, in a couple days, the journey begins. A new life. A husband and eventually a family.”
Relief flooded Pearl. She’d been so stupid to borrow money from the gambling hall. And she would need to stay in the house until they left.
If she could get out of town, she would be safe.
Rising, Mrs. Newton took her to the back of the house where women lounged in a large room with a fireplace. Some of them were reading. Some doing needlework and some just appeared bored staring out the windows.