It is with reverence and a hush of winter stillness that I present to you this series of letters from Mrs. Marian Tate—a young widow dwelling alone in the Kansas Territory during that first long, uncertain season of 1855.

An audible gasp escaped several nearby matrons. Juliet accepted the bouquet with trembling hands, conscious of the sudden silence that fell around her. Yellow roses—the flower of betrayal and broken promises. To receive such a gift at a public gathering was tantamount to social ruin.

Lord Nigel Ashcombe, Duke of Wexley, and Miss Mary Smith shared with me the details of their upcoming nuptials...I offer their words below, as they shared them with me—modest, tender, and utterly sincere.

Cottonwood Springs Nebraska Territory 1863 The stagecoach rattled to a stop, sending plumes of dust into the parched air of Cottonwood Springs. Lillian McAllister clutched her valise in one hand and steadied her bonnet with the other as she stepped down onto the wooden platform. The town stretched before her, a single dusty street lined with weathered buildings that had seen better days, much like the weary faces that turned to appraise her.   "Schoolteacher?" the stagecoach

Her mind wandered to the meaning of the larkspur, a flower embodying joy and an open heart...

With curiosity, she lifted the bouquet. The scent of lavender transported her instantly back fifteen years to summers at her grandmother’s cottage in Provo Canyon, to herb gardens and flower presses, and to Matt.

As they ascended the stairs, she whispered, “Maybe the lamplighter will make you an offer.” Eugenie stopped, turning wide-eyed.

March 1853 Kent, England "My lady, if I may interfere," her maid stepped forward from behind the desk where Lady Mary Fontaine sat writing in her dressing gown, her tea growing ever colder. "Yes, Agnes, what is it?" Lady Fontaine felt impatient with this whole morning process. Recently married, she was not accustomed to answering all of these notes and cards from well-wishing neighbors. Becoming Lady Fontaine had forced Mary into a world she had little known. She was the

A splash of color caught her eye near the garden fence; delicate purple and yellow blooms pushing up through the thawing soil. Pansies.

Alina and Dr. Rigby's happy conclusion.

Nettie meets a young man caught by the fey. Will she set him free so they can be together?

Alina and Dr. Rigby both make wishes. Will they come true?

She had finally unpacked her gown meant for her wedding. Cream and lavender with lace collar and cuffs, she knew she looked pretty.

Eleanor and Henry finally arrive in Thistle Creek, Colorado, to start their new life.

Will Dr. Rigby be allowed to court Alina, or will Matthias ruin her chances? Find out in this week's installment.

The motion of the steam engine, steadily carrying them across a continent, filled her with an unfamiliar sense of calm. Freedom.

"Mary," he interrupted gently, "people here are far too concerned with appearances. There is nothing improper about feeding ducks."

Henry and Eleanor continue their journey on the train to Omaha. Will Lord Rutledge catch up or will they eacape?

Alina finds Dr. Nathaniel Rigby's kindness something she's longed for her whole life.

Three crows sat on the dusty fairway outside of our caravan....I felt my burgeoning middle and felt the sense of panic again.