EDWINA’S HUSBAND
by
AGNES ALEXANDER
WHISKEY CREEK PRESS
www.whiskeycreekpress.com
Published by
WHISKEY CREEK PRESS
Whiskey Creek Press
PO Box 51052
Casper, WY 82605-1052
Copyright Ó 2013 by Agnes Alexander
Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 (five) years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
ISBN: 978-1-61160-645-4
Cover Artist: Gemini Judson
Editor: Dave Field
Printed in the United States of America
Dedication
To my wonderful critique group who makes all my books sound better: Harol Mashall, Nancy Gotter Gates and Betty DiMeo.
Prologue
Richmond, Virginia: Last week of May 1888
Getting away from Richmond wasn’t as hard as Edwina thought it would be. When her uncle, the Reverend Hezekiah D. Thorn, announced he and his wife, Callie, were to lead a two-week revival at several small churches in the Shenandoah Valley, she knew this was the opportunity she’d been praying for. During the week preceding the trip, she began gathering the things she and her fifteen-month-old son, Adam, would need for the journey.
Since she kept Adam’s clothes in a trunk under the window in her room, it was easy to slip some of her things underneath them. Though they were old and worn, her two best brown day dresses were easily hidden there along with some of her undergarments. In the carpet bag, she placed two outfits for Adam and a change of underclothes for herself. She left plenty of room for his diapers and gowns, a simple toy she’d been able to hide from her uncle and a couple of bottles in case Adam became upset on the trip.
In her reticule she put a small comb, brush, extra hair pins and necessities for the baby. She also stashed the money she had been able to save in one of Adam’s socks and tucked it in the bottom of her drawstring purse. She kept all these things hidden away until the day her uncle and aunt left on their trek into the mountains.
As soon as her relatives were out of sight, Edwina dressed in her best brown dress, the one she wore to church every Sunday. Putting her straw hat on her blonde hair, she went to the bank and did something she had never done before. She lied to the banker so she could withdraw money. She told him her uncle and aunt left her responsible to pay for the running of the house while they were gone. He allowed her to get three times the monthly allotment she was normally allowed to take at one time from the account left to her by her parents. She prayed God would forgive her for lying as she went directly to the depot and bought a ticket on the afternoon train.
At two o’clock, the hired cab came to the house, picked up her bag and trunk and drove her to the station. At three-thirty the train pulled out. It wasn’t until they were traveling at what she considered a high speed that she let out a sigh of relief. With a smile, she hugged her toddler to her breast and whispered, “We did it, baby boy. We got away. Now I won’t have to worry about you being taken away from me. We’re on our way to New Mexico to find your daddy.”