Glad they had made it to town without encountering any kind of trouble, Mrs. Oleson smiled up at the tall, red-headed cowboy. “Thank you so much, Rusty.” She even reached up and patted his cheek, which took on a hue similar to his hair.
Lorinda knew she should thank him, too, her relief at making it safely to church was dammed behind anxiety about what would happen after she left the church as Franklin’s wife. She nodded and gave him a tight smile. He doffed his hat toward them then headed to the livery with the buggy. The other cowboys ambled up the street. She wondered where they were going, but since it was early for the service, she figured they had some way to kill the time.
Mary Nelson welcomed them into her parlor. “Brian is already at the church. He spends a couple of hours on Sunday mornings going over his sermon notes one more time. So we have the house to ourselves.”
Stella sat in a rocking chair with Michael asleep on her shoulder. “He’s been a dear since we picked him up at the Rocking V this morning. We’re getting along just fine.”
Her youngest child had pulled up on the table beside her chair and was trying to reach the books stacked near the back.
Lorinda walked over to peek at her son, then looked down at Stella’s daughter. “I haven’t seen her stand by herself. When did she start that?”
“Just last night. Now she’ll be getting into everything.” She didn’t sound the least bit upset about that. Of course, she had several older children.
“Are you sure you want to take care of Michael today? You’ll have your hands full with the two of them.”
A tender smile lit Stella’s face. “I love babies, and I can take care of more than one of them. If Michael awakens and is hungry, I can nurse him, so your day will be just for you and Franklin.”
Words wanted to burst through, but Lorinda worked hard to keep them inside. This wedding was just a formality, something to protect her and her son’s future. That thought made her feel like a fraud. Her heart ached. Had she made a deal with the devil for her own gain, and would she lose her soul in the long run?
While Mrs. Oleson helped Lorinda into her wedding suit and all the underthings, complete with a corset, which she’d never worn before, Mrs. Nelson packed all her other new clothing into a small traveling trunk. Although Lorinda thanked the women, she didn’t know when she’d ever need a traveling trunk. Her future would be spent on the Rocking V ranch.
Before she gave Lorinda the jacket or hat, Mrs. Oleson took Michael from Stella’s arms without waking him. “Stella’s going to dress your hair so the hat will fit just right.”
Using a curling iron, heated on the kitchen stove, Stella curled and arranged Lorinda’s hair, then took her to the cheval glass in the bedroom.
Lorinda wouldn’t have recognized the woman staring back at her if she hadn’t known what had gone on before. She had always felt plain, even ugly sometimes. But this woman was pretty...like a picture in Harper’s Bazar magazine.
“Do you like this style?” Stella stood beside her and cocked her head to the side as she studied Lorinda in the looking glass.
“I’m almost speechless. I never dreamed I could look like those women in the magazines.”
A white silk blouse with a short lace ruffle around the sweetheart neckline was just the thing to set off her new hairstyle, pinned up in a mass of curls on the back of her head, with one long, fat curl hanging on the right side of her face and across the front of her shoulder. The hair gleamed as if it were the gold Mike had dug from their mine. She could imagine him coming up behind her and twirling her hair around his finger as he promised her enough gold to fill her every desire. Why am I thinking about Mike on my wedding day to Franklin? I need to tuck those memories away, burying them so deep they can’t resurface.
“Oh, you’re so lovely.” Mrs. Oleson came up behind the two women. She held a blue velvet case in her hand. “In all the excitement, I almost forgot Franklin wanted me to give this to you to wear for the wedding.” She thrust the blue velvet case toward Lorinda.
When she opened it, she gasped. A pearl necklace and eardrops, nestled on a bed of blue satin. Her gaze flew toward her dear friend. “He bought these for me?”
“Oh my, no. These are the pearls his father gave his mother at their wedding.”
“I can’t...take these.” Lorinda raised one hand to hover over the exposed skin above the neckline of her blouse.
“Of course, you can. He’s been saving these for his wife.”
The wide smile that beamed from Mrs. Oleson shot straight to Lorinda’s heart. His wife. That’s what she’d be after the ceremony today. At least legally.
Her dear friend stepped behind her and clasped the necklace. The perfectly matched pearls encircled her neck and nestled right below her throat. The sunlight filtering through the lace curtains gave each bead a luster that warmed her heart.
“Let me help you with the eardrops.” Mrs. Oleson reached for Lorinda’s lobes. “Your ears aren’t pierced, are they?”
“No, ma’am. I’ve never had any jewelry before.” She glanced down at the empty third finger of her left hand. “Except the wedding band Mike gave me.” Now I’m talking about my dead husband. What must these women think of me?
“I remember taking off the gold band my dear departed husband gave me and tucking it in my jewelry box. It signaled the time I needed to move on.” Mrs. Oleson gave her shoulder a comforting pat.
Stella picked up the hat from the round hatbox on the chest of drawers. “Let’s get this settled on her. The veil that covers her face will probably cover her ears.”
The small blue hat perfectly matched the watered silk of her suit, and the veil made of an open netting was as white as the silk blouse. It had been attached at the front of the narrow brim of the hat and caught up under a cluster of lace at the back of the brim.
“Wait.” Mrs. Oleson lifted the jacket from the bed. “Let me put this on her first, then the hat.”
Feeling almost like a doll that two little girls were dressing, Lorinda held her arms toward her back, then turned one way and the other as the women told her to. A dim memory, from before her mother died, flashed across her mind She’d had a blond china doll with a blue velvet skirt and jacket, and her mother helped her put them back on the doll after Lorinda had removed them. She never knew where that doll went. It disappeared soon after her mother was buried. She hadn’t remembered that for a long time. Her heart squeezed, wishing her mother could see her on her wedding day. For a moment, she even wished that her father had died and her mother lived. Her life would have been so different.
When she once again stood in front of the full-length cheval glass, she felt like a different person…and for the first time in her life, she felt like a beautiful china doll. But whose doll would she be? The veil that fit snug under her chin did cover her ears.
Mrs. Oleson clasped her hands across her bosom and sighed. “I can hardly wait until the first time Franklin sees you like this.”
It would make no difference. She was just the woman who had what he wanted. That’s the only reason he was marrying her.
Why does that thought hurt so much?
Chapter 15
The July heat in the small room off the sanctuary of the church, where the women waited, forced Lorinda to remove her jacket. Mrs. Oleson opened both windows, then the door a small crack so they could hear every word. She broke out a folded fan and used it to stir the air around Lorinda.
Waiting was never easy, and today, the pastor seemed more long-winded than ever. She had no idea what he said. All she could think about was what would come after the service. Even with all the heat, her stomach felt as if a large lump of ice had crystallized there, chilling her insides while a drop of sweat made its slow way down her spine. She hoped the beautiful clothes wouldn’t be ruined.
“Amen.” The last word of the preacher’s prayer penetrated Lorinda’s attention.
“Oh, my goodness.” She turned toward Mrs. Oleson. “I’ve got to put on
my jacket.”
The other woman helped her slip her arms into the sleeves and then worked the pearl buttons through the tight buttonholes.
“I have a special announcement.” Pastor Nelson’s smile shone through his tone. “You are all invited to stay and witness the marriage between our good friend Franklin Vine and his beautiful bride Lorinda Sullivan.”
A few surprised gasps could be heard. But most of the people already knew about this wedding. They had even helped prepare the reception to be held in the school building. Lorinda figured those who were surprised must live the farthest from Breckenridge.
“After the ceremony,” the pastor continued. “We will have a wedding luncheon in the schoolhouse. Many of you brought food to share, but if you didn’t, you’re still invited. With our church-wide meals, there’s always enough for extra people. Help us celebrate with this well-loved couple.”
Lorinda didn’t feel “well-loved.” Many of these people had never met her.
“If any of you need to leave now, I’m sure everyone will understand.”
After the final words from the preacher, Lorinda listened for footsteps on the wooden floor, but none came. Evidently, everyone chose to stay for the festivities.
“Let’s go out in the narthex.” Mrs. Oleson waited for her. “The sanctuary doors are closed. Mary will start playing the ‘Wedding March.’ It’s become popular with brides for the walk down the aisle.”
Lorinda had never heard about that or any of the other various and sundry things about weddings, and she wasn’t sure she would be able to walk down that aisle alone.
“I’m going to stand in for your father and accompany you.” Tears glistened in her dear friend’s eyes. “You feel like the daughter I never had.” Mrs. Oleson leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.
Lorinda took a deep breath and slowly released it.
At least someone besides her son loved her.
Franklin stood at the front of the church, his gaze trained on the double doors at the back of the sanctuary. Rusty stood beside him, to be his best man. He surely was a better man than the traitor who was supposed to serve the post in his wedding to Miriam. He tried to shake that horrible memory out of his head.
That was the past. This was for the future.
Mary Nelson took her place at the piano. Everything was quiet and the people sat still, except for most of the ladies battling the heat with their fans.
He took a deep breath and slowly let it out.
The first notes of music brought his attention back to the double doors. Two of the men slowly opened them, revealing a sight that took his breath away.
Lorinda was more beautiful than any woman he’d ever known in his life. Dressed in blue and white that enhanced all her physical charms, she looked as nervous as he felt.
When Mary played a section of the music louder, Mrs. Oleson walked down the aisle holding Lorinda’s arm. His bride carried a bouquet of mountain wildflowers. He’d always loved the summer blossoms, but her loveliness outshone them.
His throat felt dry, but his palms weren’t. He wanted to wipe them on his trousers, but he refrained. He couldn’t take his eyes from the vision of loveliness approaching him. How in the world would he keep his promise to her to not want a husband’s physical rights?
Her outward appearance wasn’t the only thing that drew him to her. Over the time she’d spent in his home, he knew she had a tender heart. She was a good mother, and her presence brightened every room she entered. Her love for the Lord was contagious.
As the two women reached the front of the church, Franklin let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. He still couldn’t take his eyes off her.
His pastor and friend went through all the formalities of the ceremony. He asked who was giving the bride, and Franklin’s dear housekeeper placed Lorinda’s hand in his before settling on the front pew. Both of them answered the questions when Brian asked them. After speaking about the sanctity of marriage, the pastor asked if there were rings.
Rusty dropped the ring Franklin had bought for Lorinda into his hand, and Mrs. Oleson placed a golden circle beside it. He wondered where that came from. He’d have to ask her later. Right now, she was slipping Lorinda’s left glove from her hand.
Lorinda glanced up at him as he eased the ring on her trembling finger and repeated the words the pastor led him through. Then her gaze dropped to the jewels that adorned her hand.
When her time came to put the ring on his finger, she shook so hard, she couldn’t get it past his knuckle. He grasped her fingers with his other hand and helped her move it into place. A strange tingle shot up his arm.
Finally, the minister pronounced them husband and wife.
“What God has brought together, let no man put asunder.” Brian smiled at each of them. “You may now kiss your bride.”
Without a pause, Franklin reached for the bottom of the veil that stretched across her face. Gently, he peeled it back far enough to uncover her ripe cherry lips. He planned to barely touch them. As if they had a mind of their own, his lips settled against her soft mouth. Heat rushed through his body like a wildfire. He thrust his fingers into the silky curls to hold her even closer.
A kiss had never touched him with the depth that this one did. He wanted it to go on forever.
When Pastor Nelson uttered the last words, Lorinda expected Franklin to maybe drop a kiss on her forehead or cheek. She wasn’t prepared for the touch of his lips on hers. Never had she felt the strong emotions that rushed through her.
His fingers caressed her head, and her arms, of their own accord, slid around his waist. She barely noticed the tinkling sound of hairpins hitting the wooden floor. The racing thrum of her heartbeat almost obliterated it. Rock-hard muscles flexed under her fingertips. She lost herself in the amazement that flooded her. A new awakening shook her deep inside. She never wanted the kiss to end, but it must. If he doesn’t want our marriage to be real, why is he kissing me like this? Her whole body flooded with fire.
When she slowly moved back from her new husband, he let her go, and she felt bereft. Finally, she realized they were standing in front of the whole congregation. No one had moved, and every eye was on the two of them.
Since some of her curls now lay against her neck, she figured her hat must be askew as well. The heat of a blush raced up her neck and across her cheeks. How would she ever face everyone again after that intimate display?
Then some woman clapped her gloved hands. Soon everyone joined the applause, and some of the cowboys hooted and stomped their feet. Someone even whistled.
Mary Nelson started playing a lively tune as Franklin led Lorinda back up the aisle. When they reached the narthex, he stopped.
He stared down at her. “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you.”
“It’s all right.” She had to force the words out.
Nothing would ever be right again.
Even though the schoolhouse wasn’t far from the church, a buggy with blue bows and streamers tied to it awaited them when they went out the door. Most of the congregation lined the road, and the clapping, hooting, and whistles accompanied them as Rusty drove them slowly toward the other building with its two storeys and tall bell tower.
Lorinda had read about parades with dignitaries and royalty. She felt like a princess as she saw each smiling face. She once again glanced at the ring her husband had slipped on her finger. A blue stone she assumed was a sapphire was set in gold with tiny diamonds surrounding it. She wondered if this had also belonged to Franklin’s mother.
Most of the crowd made its way into the schoolhouse while Franklin helped her down from the buggy. His hands spanned her waist, burning an imprint of their presence. When she was steady on her own feet, he possessively placed his hand in the middle of her back as they walked toward the doorway. He was playing the part of an adoring husband too well.
“Congratulations.” Rusty took off his hat and held it over his heart. “I’m mighty proud to know you, ma�
�am, and I know you’ll make the boss happy.”
She gave a quick nod toward the earnest cowboy. What would he think if he knew the truth?
An enormous amount of food covered the tables set up along one side of the room. Lorinda didn’t feel hungry, but the wonderful fragrances of fresh-cooked vegetables, meats, and warm cakes and pies wafted through the warm air.
“This could be a long afternoon. We need to eat something first. I think they have several things in mind for the celebration.” Franklin gave her a plate and picked up one for himself.
As they walked beside the table, he recommended his favorites to her. So many things to choose from–roast, fried chicken, ham. Various cooked vegetables were right beside sliced fresh tomatoes and salad. On a separate table, a tall layer cake was covered with some kind of white fluffy frosting.
“That’s our wedding cake.” Franklin’s whispered words were accompanied by warm breath against her ear. She hadn’t realized he was so close behind her.
She had often enjoyed viewing the turning patterns of the kaleidoscope that rested on a table in the parlor at the ranch. With all the colors and patterns moving around her, she felt as if she were in the middle of one right now. For a moment, dizziness gripped her and she swayed.
Franklin grabbed her plate before she dropped it. Leaving his sitting on the edge of the table, he led her to a chair beside a table near the wedding cake.
“Are you too warm?” Concern colored his tone.
He glanced around, looking for something. She didn’t know what.
Mrs. Oleson noticed them and rushed to where they were. “Is something the matter, Franklin?”
“Lorinda needs more air and something cool to drink.”
“I’ll see about it.” She gave them both a smile. “You just take care of your precious wife.”
Precious wife? If only she were.
Mrs. Oleson went around the room opening the windows all the way. She also opened the door. Then she came back with several of the women wielding fans.
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