Liz nodded. “I like that idea. Gran would really love it, too. She could add it to her wall of photos.”
“Actually,” Jen hesitated, “I had an idea I wanted to run by you. It’s a little crazy, but it could be really fun.”
***
October in Virginia was beautiful. The leaves were vibrant shades of red, gold, and orange and the evergreens were the perfect backdrop for a ceremony. The secluded glade at the back of the farm had been transformed into a wonderland. There were wide ribbons hanging from branches and lights strung through the trees.
Several rows of white wooden chairs faced an arbor decorated in white flowers where the actual ceremony would take place. Jen’s colors were simple and clean, much like her own personal style. Most everything was some shade of white, with lots of wood accents and the occasional bit of green moss or pale pink flower. The whole effect was soft and ethereal.
The bridesmaids were all in creamy white, each in her own beautiful gown and styled to suit her personality. Jen had always wanted a snowball wedding, and this suited their plans perfectly.
Once everyone was seated, the string quartet began playing Pachelbel’s Canon and Tiffany waltzed down the aisle, smiling brilliantly and winking at her boyfriend. Mary followed more sedately, then Heather, Laura and finally Liz as the matron of honor. Mary’s two daughters skipped down the aisle, the younger throwing rose petals and the older ringing a large brass bell in time to the music. When they reached the front, the music swelled and everyone rose and faced the back, eyes searching for the bride.
Jenny was resplendent. She wore her grandmother’s gown and looked positively angelic as she floated down the aisle on her father’s arm. Neal was tall and proud, his eyes misty and his shoulders back. There was hardly a dry eye in the house as the couple declared their vows to each other—written on their own of course, and exchanged beautiful platinum rings.
The audience cheered and clapped as an extremely joyful Jenny and Andrew practically ran down the aisle and down a small pathway out of sight. They were followed by Liz and Will—the best man, and the other bridesmaids with the groomsmen: Harry, Calvin, Andrew’s brother-in-law Samuel and his cousin David. After they had all disappeared into the trees, the preacher asked everyone to make their way to the reception site, gesturing into the distance where there was a large tent set up out of sight, and asked the close family to remain for pictures.
The guests made their way over the hill, some walking, some riding in the Land Rovers that had been rented for the occasion. Once the space was cleared, the preacher spoke to the remaining people.
“As you saw in your invitations, we’ll now be moving on to the next portion of the program. Is everyone in their places?”
There was a general murmur of consent and Caroline and Jacqueline quickly stood and removed their coats, revealing elegant long, white bridesmaid dresses. Beside them, Teddy quickly pinned a boutonniere to his tuxedo lapel and went to stand next to his brother to the right of the clearing. Caroline led Thomas to the back (their six-month-old daughter Christine was with the nanny in Loretta’s house) and showed him how to hold his ring bearer pillow, and Laura quickly refilled the flower girls’ baskets with petals.
“As you know,” the preacher spoke again, “when Elizabeth and William married some two years ago, they did so without their families present. Her family never got to see her in a wedding gown. The young couple would like to rectify that today.”
He then stepped back and the music began, followed quickly by the entrance of William, the groom, and his groomsmen, Andrew—now in the place of best man, Calvin, Harry, Teddy, and his Harper cousins Ben and Jake, who’d flown in from Texas especially for this.
The small audience of family and close friends smiled, then turned their attention to the back as the bridesmaids began their processional down the aisle, Jenny in the final position as her sister’s maid (now matron) of honor.
Liz entered on her father’s arm, her smile so wide her cheeks ached, wearing a simple white cap-sleeve dress, her grandmother’s veil, and the family pearls. William lit up when he saw her, his heart pounding in his ears, making it difficult to hear the music or the words of the preacher.
William’s voice was strong and deep as he recited his vows. “I promise to always love you, to never lie to you, to always be there when you need me, to support and comfort you, to provide for you whatever you may need, to listen and really hear you. I will be the proudest witness of your life, your strongest encourager, and I will always be on your side. I’m yours, forever.” He squeezed her hand as he finished, his eyes glassy.
Liz smiled and said her own vows, her voice quiet but steady. “I promise to love you well and with all my heart, to support you through every endeavor, to take care of you when you’re sick, to hold your hand when you’re scared, to walk through the ups and downs of life by your side. I will be your friend, your partner, your lover. I will always want you, no matter what. I will always be yours.”
The preacher guided them through lighting the unity candle and exchanging the rings. Will wanted that portion of the ceremony to be English, so when he slid the ring on her finger, he said, “With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, with all my worldly goods I thee endow.”
Liz blinked her eyes to keep from crying and repeated the words as she slipped the simple band onto his finger. She almost laughed at the “worldly goods” portion, but didn’t. Traditionally, only the man spoke that part, but they had wanted a more equal ceremony, so they both said it.
The preacher smiled and said, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
A loud whoop went up, courtesy of Will’s Texas cousins, and they laughed through a light kiss, both with shining eyes.
“May I present Mr. and Mrs. Harper.”
They walked back down the aisle at a brisk pace, followed quickly by smiling bridesmaids and groomsmen.
The two wedding parties laughed their way through photographs, changing out family members where necessary and switching brides and grooms as the photographer ordered. Jenny and Liz had several wonderful shots of the two of them together and the two grooms as well. The foursome together was stunning. Loretta was beside herself with happiness and continually fanned her face to keep the tears at bay. Neal was quiet, as always, but he radiated a solemn joy that his two eldest daughters recognized.
The entire party walked over the hill for the reception, joining the already boisterous crowd. This portion was for Jen and Andrew alone; Liz and Will had had a reception, after all, but they didn’t mind. In fact, William thought it was the best possible way to do it. He got to have a beautiful small ceremony with his wife and all his best-loved people, and then blend nicely into the party afterward without having to stand for hours in a receiving line or be the center of everyone’s attention.
“Are you having a good time?” Liz asked as they danced.
“Yes, I am. You?”
“Yes. This is a lovely party.”
He turned her under his arm, then brought her back into his embrace.
“I heard something interesting from my mother.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. She said the tearoom connected to the store is ready to open. Apparently, she somehow got the money necessary to build the addition and put in a kitchen.”
“Hmm.”
“Can you imagine who would do such a thing?” she asked.
“Perhaps Andrew. Or maybe she saved it.”
Liz shook her head. “Her store is successful, but she has two daughters in college. She’s been complaining that that’s where all her money goes for years.”
He shrugged. “Does it really matter where it came from? If she’s running the business well, what difference does it make?”
He twirled her under his arm again. When she returned, she gave him a playful glare. “Don’t think spinning me around will distract me.”
He dipped her backwards. “I wouldn’t dream of it,�
� he said when she popped back up with a surprised expression.
“William Harper!”
He laughed and spun her around again, then a second time for good measure.
“All right, all right, I give in! No more questions!” she exclaimed, dizzy and out of breath.
They danced quietly for another minute.
“Will?”
“Yes, Lizzy?”
“I’m really happy,” she whispered. “I just wanted you to know.”
He held her a little tighter. “Oh, my Lizzy, I’m happier than I ever remember being.”
“Really?” she asked, leaning her head back to look up into his face.
“Really. The love of my life has just promised to live with me and love me forever. How can it get any better than this?”
“Oh, Will.”
THE END
Liz’s Go-to Recipes
Lemon Salad
Salad
1 Pound Romaine lettuce or 1 large head
1/3 cup grated Swiss cheese
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/3 cup slivered almonds
4 strips of bacon, cooked crispy and cut into bite sized pieces
Cherry tomatoes (optional)
Dressing
1 clove of garlic, pressed or diced
¼ cup lemon juice, usually 2 lemons
¾ grapeseed oil or avocado oil
Mix all together in a jar and shake until combined. Mixture will be a milky white.
Pour over lettuce in a large bowl and stir to coat. Add cheeses, almonds, bacon, and tomatoes.
To make a lighter side salad, eliminate bacon and tomatoes.
Dressing lasts 36 hours in the fridge.
Summer Salad
Salad
1 pound spring mix
1 cup candied nuts (recipe follows)
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
About 10 medium strawberries, sliced
Dressing
2 parts grapeseed or avocado oil (usually ½ cup)
1 part Balsamic vinegar (usually ¼ cup)
Mix in jar; stir or shake before using, or pour directly over greens and stir to coat.
Toss spring mix in dressing, then add nuts, cheese and strawberries. Stir and serve.
Autumn version:
Substitute apple chunks for strawberries (1 small apple) and add ½ cup dried cranberries.
Plain or roasted walnuts can be used in place of candied nuts for a less sweet salad.
Candied Pecans
1 pound pecan halves (or mix with walnuts)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt (sea salt or Himalayan is most flavorful)
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Mix together salt, sugar, and cinnamon.
Mix egg white and water in separate bowl until frothy; toss pecans in mixture.
Add sugar mixture to pecans and toss until coated.
Spread on baking sheet and cook for one hour, stirring every fifteen minutes.
Remove from pan and cool before serving.
Oatmeal Spice Cookies
1 ½ cups whole-grain or white flour (spelt works well here)
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ginger
a dash of ground cloves
a sprinkle of cardamom
½ pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups uncooked oats (quick or old fashioned)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (may sub. butterscotch chips)
Mini chips work best because they are less bulky when mixed with
oatmeal.
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In medium bowl, combine dry ingredients, mix well and set aside.
In large bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy; add eggs and vanilla, beat well.
Add flour mixture to butter mixture.
Stir in oats and chocolate chips gradually.
Spoon onto cookie sheet (best on stone sheet) and bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown.
Cool one minute on cookie sheet, then remove to cooling rack.
Comfort Soup
2 tablespoons mild oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
4 stalks of celery, diced
6 large carrots, sliced thin
½ pound mushrooms, baby bella or white (bella adds more flavor)
1 rotisserie chicken or cooked whole chicken, meat pulled from the bone and cut into bite-size pieces
3 quarts chicken or bone stock or broth
1 quart water
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon ground sage or 1 teaspoon dried sage
Heat oil in large stockpot with salt and pepper. Cook onions, garlic, and celery until celery is soft and onion is translucent. Add parsley, rosemary, and thyme. Stir on medium-low heat 2-3 minutes.
Add stock and water to stock pot.
In separate pan, sauté carrots with sage until softened slightly, then sauté mushrooms until color darkens, about 4 min. Add to stock pot.
Add chicken to stock pot.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer on low heat for two hours (quick version: simmer 30 min), then reduce heat to low. The longer the flavors blend together, the better the flavor.
Quick Sausage Pepper Quiche
1 roll out pie crust, softened and placed in pie plate
1 package ground sausage, mild or spicy, depending on preference
1 red pepper, diced
½ cup milk
6 large eggs
¾ cup cheddar or colby cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F; place crust in pie plate.
Whisk eggs and milk together in medium bowl; set aside.
Cook sausage in pan over medium heat; remove with slotted spoon when browned and add to egg mixture.
Cook pepper in sausage pan, do not drain first; when soft, add to egg mixture.
Stir in cheese.
Pour into pie plate and bake for 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let set for five minutes before serving
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elizabeth Adams is a book-loving, tango-dancing, Austen enthusiast. She loves old houses and thinks birthdays should be celebrated with trips—as should most occasions. She can often be found by a sunny window with a cup of hot tea and a book in her hand.
She writes romantic comedy and comedic tragedy in both historic and modern settings.
You can find more information, short stories, and outtakes at elizabethadamswrites.wordpress.com
Books by this Author
Modern Fiction
Green Card
Historical Fiction
The Houseguest
Unwilling
Meryton Vignettes, Tales of Pride and Prejudice
On Equal Ground
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