“I need your help here.” She placed her hands over his and guided them toward her abdomen. The jade jewel at the center of her wedding band glistened, reminding her of the special afternoon when Abe had surprised her with a picnic by a nearby waterfall. Against the backdrop of the spectacular view, he’d gotten down on one knee, slipped the ring on her finger, and professed his undying love.
When his hands were firmly in place, she held them there.
“Here?” The confusion in his voice made her smile again.
“Aye.”
He brushed several more kisses against her neck before growing motionless. “What does this mean?” His question wavered with emotion.
She turned in his arms so that she was facing him. She wound her arms around his neck and lifted her face up to him. “It means we’re having a babe.”
“Are you sure?” His blue eyes filled with hope.
“I’m positive.” All the signs had been there for days, but she’d waited long enough to make sure.
He searched her face for a moment before he bent in and took her lips in a kiss that rose and fell with all the love they shared. But his passion was gentler, almost as if he were afraid of hurting her.
She pressed against him. “Kiss me again, just like you always do, and never stop.”
At her demand, he kissed her hungrily, this time his mouth taking possession of her down to her very soul, so that she could hardly hold herself upright when he finished.
“There,” he whispered. “Will that do?”
“Aye. But I’ll need another one like that again soon.”
His lips curled into a smile. “I might be able to arrange it.”
“Do you remember when we first met that day at the hospital after Jane’s death?”
“How could I ever forget the best day of my life?”
“You prayed with me and asked God to help me find a husband. Did you ever think that He’d answer your prayer the way He did, by making you my husband?”
“I’m heartily glad He did. I can’t imagine my life without you.”
She hugged him, letting the joy of this moment waft over her. She was grateful for the new life growing inside her as well as the children God had already given them. Hopefully this was only the beginning of many more.
At a knock, Abe rapidly released her and began to straighten his shirt and collar.
“Ma?” Will’s voice came from outside the door. “Pastor Abe? I know you’re in there smooching.”
Abe froze, his eyes widening with chagrin.
Zoe smiled. “Tell everyone we’ll be right out.”
“Sure thing.”
As the boy’s footsteps faded, Zoe drew Abe back, smoothed out his hair, and then pressed a tender kiss against his cheek before they exited the room. Hand in hand, they descended the spiraling staircase, crossed through the wide entryway, and then stood before the closed door.
Abe took a deep breath. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
Together they nodded at Mr. Ping, who swung open the door. As they crossed the threshold, the gathered crowd erupted into cheers. People stood all around the front yard and even in the street. Zoe clutched Abe’s hand tighter, not having expected so many to come out for the dedication.
Among the sea of well-wishers, she caught sight of Zeke’s handsome face. He’d traveled down from Williamsville to join them for the occasion. She’d loved being able to visit with him for longer periods over the past few days. He’d told her only that morning he was making a sizeable donation to her and Abe’s new ministry. When she told him God had already provided far more than they needed, he’d still insisted that she take his gift and use it any way she saw fit.
Her heart swelled with gratefulness at the sight of so many other familiar friends—Mr. Allard from the store, Mr. Hemming from the pub, their previous neighbor Little Joe, the native women and their children, the Hurdy Gurdy girls, Mr. Barton from the livery, the Royal Engineers who’d helped build the church, and all of the different people Abe had ministered to who lived in and around Yale.
Even John Roberts had come up from Hope for the day with his new bride, Lizzy. Zoe had decided the two were perfect for each other, since they were both quiet and reserved. John had continued to protest the bishop’s decision to take the Yale parish away from Abe. But Abe had been at peace with the change and had remained involved among the miners anyway.
The only difference was that Abe didn’t leave her for days at a time anymore. He’d told her their marriage was his first priority, next was his family, then his parish. He was rarely gone for more than a few hours before returning to her and eagerly seeking her out.
Besides, together they had a new ministry. God had used Violet to bring them together, and the child would always be special because of that. But now that the house was finally ready, they’d put out word that their doors were open. Zoe liked to think Wanda would have been pleased with their accomplishments and plans.
Together they walked down the front steps. Zoe stopped to kiss Violet, who was content in Will’s arms. Then she reached over and kissed Lyle, who was wiggling against Miss Bea to get loose. He reached for Zoe, and Miss Bea gratefully relinquished the bundle of energy.
With Abe at her side and Lyle on her hip, she stopped in front of the new sign draped with a sheet. Abe offered a prayer, and then, sharing a smile, they tugged the covering away. It fell into the grass and revealed the sign: Merivale Home for Foundlings.
Another cheer rose into the air, and with it Zoe let her praise rise to God. She’d given Him her willing heart and trusted Him. And He’d led her one step at a time into so much more than she ever could have asked for or imagined.
Author’s Note
When I first heard of the concept of bride ships I was utterly horrified and fascinated by the idea that women would actually willingly board ships, leave everything they’d ever known behind, and sail to a strange land, all for the purpose of marrying complete strangers. I couldn’t help but ask myself what kind of woman would do such a thing and why.
In the 1860s several bride ships left England’s shores with the destination of Victoria on Vancouver Island (which was at that time still a colony of England and not yet part of Canada). As I researched these ships and the women who took the voyages, I searched frantically for the answer to a question, namely, What sort of desperation did these women face that would drive them to board one of the bride ships?
In this third book in THE BRIDE SHIPS series, my hope is to show the perspective of one of the brides who came on the second bride ship that sailed to Victoria. This ship, called the Robert Lowe, left approximately four months after the Tynemouth (the bride ship highlighted in the first two books in the series).
While the women aboard the Robert Lowe were sponsored by the Columbia Emigration Society the same as the Tynemouth women, a distinct difference exists between the two groups. The group on the first ship came largely from the London area and consisted of wealthy middle-class women as well as the poor plucked from orphanages and slums.
The Robert Lowe women, however, were from the cotton manufacturing districts in Manchester, England. The calamity in the midlands was widespread, with tens of thousands of cotton-mill workers suffering from unemployment as a result of the cotton shortage brought about by the American Civil War. The women chosen to immigrate aboard the Robert Lowe were among the many who’d lost their jobs. In light of the bleak conditions in their homeland, the three dozen Manchester mill girls were happy to be offered the chance at a better life in the colonies where work and husbands awaited them.
As I portrayed in the book, this bride ship arrived in January after three months without any stops. After spending a weekend of rest and quarantine aboard the Robert Lowe, the women were ferried to Victoria aboard a steamship. Before they could go to shore, however, two ill women were taken to the hospital with what was believed to be consumption or mill fever, illnesses common among mill workers. Since the lung ailments can l
ie dormant, the women may have already had the disease, and the damp sea voyage may have allowed it to progress. Whatever the case, the two women died shortly after arriving in Victoria.
The rest of the brides came ashore much the way I portrayed. With the arrival of another bride ship, the excitement of the men in the colonies was out of control. With not nearly enough women for all the eager men, the women (similar to the Tynemouth women) had to run a gauntlet through the mobs hoping to find brides. While Zoe isn’t based on any real person in particular, I did hope to portray her bride-ship experience through the eyes of a mill woman.
Finally, in developing Abraham Merivale as a minister, I was inspired by the story of a pastor who lived in the colonies during this time period. The Anglican Church really did send missionaries to the mining towns and camps with the intention of spreading the gospel as well as maintaining order and civility among the miners. One such missionary was a tall, well-liked preacher by the name of John Sheepshanks, a highly educated man and the son of an upper-class family, who’d chosen to volunteer for a period of five years in the colonies without a salary.
John Sheepshanks was a cheerful and resourceful minister whose compassion made him popular among both the miners and natives. He spent time building relationships by playing ice hockey, spearfishing for salmon, and teaching reading. I modeled Abe around this beloved missionary who showed God’s love wherever he was within the mining districts of British Columbia.
I hope you’ve enjoyed taking this bride-ship journey with Zoe as she learned to seek after God’s will for her life and follow His direction, even when the whole plan wasn’t clear to her. I pray that as you seek after God’s will and leading in your life, you never forget He’s able to do exceedingly more than you can ask or imagine. If you allow Him to guide you, He might just surprise you with what He does!
Jody Hedlund is the bestselling author of over twenty historical novels for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous awards, including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Awards. Jody lives in Michigan with her husband, five busy teens, and five spoiled cats. Visit her at jodyhedlund.com.
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Table of Contents
Cover
Half Title Page
Books by Jody Hedlund
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Epigraph
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Author’s Note
About the Author
Back Ads
Back Cover
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