Gold Rush Wedding

by Suzanne Lilly

Chapter 3

  The next afternoon a crowd of people crushed into the parlor of the Mansion House for George and Lucinda's wedding.

  Sheriff McKinley knew his townspeople well. They would be unlikely to tolerate a long speech, so he kept his marriage discourse short and to the point. He said only three things:

  He stated that Lucinda and George were both strong people, well suited to each other.

  He asked God to bless their union.

  He inquired if George had a ring.

  George pulled a ring off his littlest finger. He turned to Lucinda, and took her hand in his. Tenderly, he slipped a simple gold band onto her finger. "I hereby wed thee, with this ring made from the gold I found the day I met you. I knew at once you would be my life's desire, forever and always."

  Lucinda began to cry again. Tears of joy clogged her throat and ran down her cheeks. She couldn't speak. All she could do was nod.

  "Just kiss her already!" someone shouted. Raucous laughter ensued.

  George obliged. The salt of her tears mingled with his tender kiss. She hugged him tight, crushing the lavender and poppy bouquet between them. The scent of the crushed flowers sent her back to the day he came back from the levees, the day they kissed lying in the grass amid the lavender blooms. This kiss was as good as that one and more. She never wanted to let him go.

  Sheriff McKinley cleared his throat. Lucinda and George stepped away and smiled as they turned toward their guests. "I now present you with Mr. and Mrs. George Arnold Jr.," announced the sheriff. "May they live long in happiness, health, and wealth!"

  Sam Brannan raised his arms wide. "The feast is on the table, and the wine cellar is open!"

  Two men pulled out a fiddle and a mouth organ and played a triumphant ditty as the crowd found their seats.

  The tables groaned under the weight of the food. Roasted pheasants rested on platters surrounded by grapes. A whole pig, cooked in the ground, waited to be carved. Roasted venison dressed with sage, and surrounded by wild asparagus, sat alongside platters of oysters fresh from San Francisco Bay. Several loaves of spider bread were distributed among the guests, along with lavender biscuits, and beans. The peach pies and cobblers came courtesy of Mrs. Henriod, and a variety of wines and spirits were Sam Brannan's pleasure to provide. Cheeses and chocolates from the latest steamer to arrive in Sacramento rested on the sideboards.

  Sam Brannan made the first toast.

  He tapped a glass with his spoon. The crowd continued feasting. He tapped his glass again. The crowd paid no heed. He held up a gold pan and banged on it with his spoon. That managed to get them to turn in his direction.

  "Thank you folks for your kind attention. I'd like to make a toast to the young bride and groom."

  He lifted a wine goblet and waited until the guests had hushed. George put his hand over Lucinda's.

  "When I first met this young man, I knew he would be an asset to our community. He has determination and spirit. But then when I met Lucinda, I knew he would have his hands full. George has gumption. Lucinda has more. George is stubborn."

  The crowd snickered. One miner shouted, "I'll drink to that!"

  "As I was saying, George is stubborn. Lucinda is more stubborn. George has determination and grit. Lucinda has just as much if not more."

  He tipped his head toward them. "I would say they're a perfect match. Our town was saved, in part, by George's fortitude in working on the levees to hold back the Sacramento River. Now the men are talking about moving the river. Only God and George can do that!"

  The guests cheered. They clinked glasses. They drank. They picked up their knives and forks. The gold pan rang out its gong again.

  "I'm not done with my toast," Sam Brannan told them. "While George was out saving the town from the river, Lucinda was nursing those taken ill back to health. Never have I seen such a talented young doctor." He stopped and looked around the table. "Are there any other doctors here? Yes? Well, she's still the best doctor I've ever known. That’s why I recommended her to the Philadelphia Female Medical College."

  Another cheer came from the guests, and they downed another drink. Bottles were passed around the table.

  George's father stood up, steadying himself on the edge of the table. "Sit down, old man, it's my turn." He held up his glass.

  "Two years ago, my son and I were at odds. I wanted him to go into the financial business in San Francisco, and George Jr. wanted to go into the financial business up here in the gold hills. I told him he was a fool. It's a good thing he didn't listen to me. If he had, he wouldn't have been so successful in life, in love, and in friendships. I would not have had the nonpareil pleasure of getting to know Miss Lucinda Martin York. She's a remarkable woman and one I'm proud to call my daughter-in-law. She saved my life when I fell ill during the floods."

  Knives banged on plates, glasses clinked, and more wine was downed.

  "I'm so proud of my son. He proved himself to be a man and struck out on his own. He made a life of his own, and a good one it is. May he and Lucinda be blessed with ever increasing joy all their days."

  Lucinda stood up and gave George Sr. a tender hug.

  Phineas Peabody decided he was in a reminiscing mood. He had a captive audience and he always had a tale to tell. He stood to give his toast.

  "I will forever bless the day this young couple came into our lives, way back there in Diggers Flat. You may not know this, but Lucinda saved the love of my life, Mrs. Henriod, from certain death that winter she stayed in the boarding house."

  Mrs. Henriod gave a solemn nod beside him.

  "Lucinda sat by her bed, day after day, giving her healing draughts of herbs and cooling her fever with cold cloths. Even when I was sure Mrs. Henriod was on her way out of this world, Lucinda did not give up."

  Lucinda started to say she had only done what anyone else would have done, but Phineas held out a hand to shush her.

  "No, you have too much modesty. I owe you forever for the care you gave to my one true love, Mrs. Henriod."

  The crowed clapped, cheered, and drank the toast before Phineas could continue.

  The toasts continued, and glasses were refilled. Some of the guests had too much to drink and not enough to eat in spite of the vast quantities of food on their plates. George swept Lucinda out of the parlor and into the horse carriage to escape before the bawdy comments sank into drunken vulgar humor.

  "We're not spending the night at the Mansion House?" she asked as he helped her up into her seat.

  "Absolutely not. We're spending the night at our cabin on the hill in LuciArno." George clicked his tongue at the horse, and the carriage took off, just as the guests from the wedding stepped outside onto the portico. "Come back! We have dancing to do!"

  "Dance with yourselves!" George called out over his shoulder. He smiled at Lucinda. "My wife's dance card is full!"

  Distance faded the guffaws and shouts as they sped away to their first night together as a married couple. Lucinda stared up at the stars in the sky, imagining her parents smiling down at she and George. Her heart overflowed with the joy of her wedding and the anticipation of their new life together.

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