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managed that account and would know if she took any out. However, if she waited to take it out right before leaving, he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. She fell asleep dreaming of escaping to pursue her dreams.
    At breakfast, Tessa once again scoured the newspaper. An unusual advertisement caught her eye.
     
    The Brooks Agency is seeking eligible women of good reputation to correspond with gentlemen from the West who are seeking a wife. Please reply to this advertisement with a letter of description or come to our office located at the address below.
     
    Tessa grew more excited every time she read the advertisement. Her mind began churning as she weighed the pros and cons of doing such a thing. She would certainly begin an adventure that would be worth writing about and perhaps find true love in the meantime. She would miss her family greatly and most likely anger them, but she was of age and could make her own decisions. Tessa was no fool and she realized that she would have to be sure of the man before traveling to meet him.
    Knowing that she would be noticed writing down an address, Tessa memorized the address listed in the ad. After a rather boisterous breakfast with a lot of teasing between the four women, Tessa went up to her room and began making her plans to go to the Brooks Agency the next day.
    She would need a taxi because she didn’t want the family’s driver to report where she was going. Tessa had no doubt that Mr. Richards would tell her father if she were to go anywhere out of character for her. She decided she would go for a walk to the park and take a cab from there. Paying the cab fare wasn’t an issue since Tessa had a rather large sum of money saved and stashed in her room.
    Each of the girls were given an allowance every week and it was rare that Tessa used all of hers because almost all of her needs were met by her parents. Maddie , on the other hand, was prone to spending her money on frivolous items and then wanting more money to buy more things that caught her eye. Tessa hoped Maddie married a rich man who could keep up with her spending habits.
    The day seemed to pass slowly even though Tessa kept busy. She was impatient for the day to be over and for the next day to come. She lay in bed that night and couldn’t sleep, try as she might. She wanted to look her best the next day to make a good impression at the Brooks Agency. However, it was a long time before sleep claimed her.
     
    “Well, Miss O’Connor, you seem to be exactly what we’re looking for in potential brides. The men are looking for women of your breeding and temperament,” J.D. Brooks said with a smile.
    Tessa returned his smile and said, “Splendid! How do we proceed?”
    J.D. turned and took a large file from a cabinet behind him. “These are advertisements from prospective men. Look through them and see if any appeal to you. I would ask that you choose only one to correspond with at a time because you may become confused as to whom you are writing. Men are jealous sometimes and it may not sit well with them that you are talking to other men as well.”
    Tessa saw the wisdom in that. “I understand.”
    “Follow me, please,” J.D. said and rose from his chair.
    He led her to a large conference room with a long table and many chairs.
    “You will have plenty of room and privacy in here to look through them at your leisure,” he informed her.
    “Thank you.”
    “You’re welcome,” Brooks said and left her. As he went back to his desk, he wondered why such a beautiful, refined young lady was considering becoming a mail-order bride. From her elegant clothing and impeccable hair style, she was obviously a woman of high social standing.
    Tessa sat at the table and opened the file. There were many ads in it and she began to read them. She giggled over some of them because they were so amusing. Some were from men who were very strict about wanting a very domestic wife. Others were very sweet, almost too sweet,