Too Rich for a Bride
Read Too Rich for a Bride Online
Authors: Mona Hodgson
Tags: #Fiction, #Christian, #Historical, #Romance
Praise for
Too Rich for a Bride
“A beautiful tale. Intriguing. Inviting. Inspiring.”
—C
INDY
W
OODSMALL
, author of
The Hope of Refuge
and
When the Soul Mends
“This is a story that lets us stand on the cusp of a great societal shift—the entrance of women into the business world.… Cripple Creek’s cast of colorful characters plays host to a new romance, as well as pulling back the curtain on a local family tragedy. This sequel revisits the characters we’ve already come to love and creates a complementary depth to an entertaining new tale.”
—A
LLISON
P
ITTMAN
, author of
Stealing Home
and
The Bridegrooms
“Ida believes her future is secure in a man’s world. After all, she has drive and determination. But what happens when she meets a man who makes a withdrawal from her heart? Author Mona Hodgson makes discovering the answer to this question a rich, rewarding adventure.”
—D
IANN
M
ILLS
, author of
A Woman Called Sage
and the Texas Legacy Series
“Ah! A book I’ve been waiting for.
Too Rich for a Bride
by Mona Hodgson will charm your socks off. All the ups and downs of a romance with a delightful dose of history and characters who will sneak into your heart and take up residence. More, more, we want more.”
—L
AURAINE
S
NELLING
author of
No Distance Too Far
and the Daughters of Blessing series
“Mona Hodgson has done it again. With deft storytelling and characters that leap off the page,
Too Rich for a Bride
is a book I won’t soon forget.”
—K
ATHLEEN
Y’B
ARBO
author of
The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper
and
Anna Finch and the Hired Gun
T
OO
R
ICH FOR A
B
RIDE
P
UBLISHED BY
W
ATER
B
ROOK
P
RESS
12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921
All Scripture quotations or paraphrases are taken from the King James Version.
The characters and events in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to actual persons or events is coincidental.
Copyright © 2010 by Mona Hodgson
Published in association with the literary agency of Janet Kobobel Grant, Books & Such, 52 Mission Circle, Suite 122, PMB 170, Santa Rosa, CA 95409-5370.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc., New York.
W
ATER
B
ROOK
and its deer colophon are registered trademarks of Random House Inc.
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hodgson, Mona Gansberg, 1954–
Too rich for a bride : a novel / Mona Hodgson. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
eISBN: 978-0-307-45893-3 1. Businesswomen—Fiction. 2. Sisters—Fiction. 3. Cripple Creek (Colo.)—Fiction. 4. Colorado—History—1876-1950—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3608.O474T66 2011
813’.6—dc22
2011005869
v3.1
For two sisters …
my daughters: Amy Eardensohn and Sara Hodgson
Contents
But thanks be to God, which
giveth us the victory through
our Lord Jesus Christ
.
1
C
ORINTHIANS
15:57
ONE
Portland, Maine
18 September 1896
da Sinclair didn’t know where her ambition would take her, only that she possessed a liberal measure of it. That was why the Merton School of Business was the perfect place for her. And why she sat in the front row of the classroom. She didn’t want to miss any bit of information or instruction that could move her closer to success.
Gazing from the calculations on the blackboard to the guest lecturer’s dark eyes, offset by traces of silver at his hairline, Ida waited for Mr. Bradley Ditmer to finish his point about customer relations and then raised her hand.
“Miss Sinclair, you have another question?”
Ida moistened her lips. “Yes. I’d like to know how one goes about securing financing to launch a busi—”
A roar of deep laughter startled her and she turned to glare at the source—a gangly, beak-nosed young man in the row beside hers.
“I wouldn’t worry too much about financing, missy,” he said. “Learn how to make a good pot of coffee and keep a file cabinet organized, and maybe I’ll hire you to work in my company.”
More laughter swept across the room until the professor made his way to the mouthy student’s desk. Mr. Ditmer’s footsteps stilled all other noise.
“Mr. Burn—”
“Burkett.”
“You are a child to indulge in such hubris. Kindly keep it to yourself.”
Ida felt the same burn she’d become accustomed to since her first day in class. Her fellow students didn’t approve of her plans and aspirations. Even the women. But she also felt somewhat vindicated by Mr. Ditmer’s gallant stand against such boorish rantings.
The professor cleared his throat. “To answer your question, Miss Sinclair, bankers, private investors, and those on the stock exchange could provide necessary funding for a business.” He sauntered back to the front of the room then turned to face her. “However, no investor is wont to throw away money on frivolous pursuits. Each business proposal is weighed individually by its likelihood of success.”
“Thank you, sir.” Ida sealed her mouth shut against the numerous questions his answer raised.
She was still recording her thoughts and ideas in her notebook when Mr. Ditmer dismissed the class, making her the last to head for the door.