The rain was gently falling from the grey sky over the mourners. Phoebe stood between her mother and younger sister while her father's coffin was lowered into the soggy ground.
Tears rolled down her face behind the black veil attached to her hat.
A simple fall.
That is all it took for Phoebe, her mother and younger sister Anne to become homeless and penniless. All her father's wealth was tied up in the land. The land that was to go to a distant cousin.
Her father had gone riding last week and fell off his horse. The doctor said he died on impact.
Within a week of his fall, her father's heir, Rupert Humphreys, moved in. Rupert made it plain that they were not welcome and must leave after the funeral.
Another tear crawled its way down Phoebe's face.
Tomorrow they were to move in to their new lodgings. Joanne, the local seamstress, was happy to hire her. Her mother was too overcome by grief to be of any practical help. In one moment she had lost a husband and a home.
"...ashes to ashes. ." The words of the clergyman were indistinct against the rain.
Finally, it was time to leave the grave. People came up to the mourning family to wish their condolences. One by one everyone left. It was just the three of them standing at the grave.
A mournful wail escaped from Tilly, Phoebe's mother. Phoebe and Anne hugged her until she became calm.
Together they left the cemetery.
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Mail-Order Bride. Phoebe ( On Hold)
RomancePhoebe becomes a mail-order bride to save her family. Her father died leaving her family destitute. Crossing an ocean to become a bride to a frontier man, Phoebe learns that she has hidden strengths. Come along with Phoebe as she makes the journey...
