by Kari Trumbo
Barton met her gaze and his eyes narrowed. He clapped Beau on the shoulder and said something, then made his way to her through the crowd of mingling family, drew her aside and ran a gentle hand down her arm. “What’s bothering you? Our family’s here for our wedding and you looked like you wanted to hide under the wagon.”
She hadn’t thought of that. If it would help, she might. Perhaps Hattie could give her one more talk …
He rested his broad forehead against hers. “Let me in, Lula. I can’t take away your fears if you don’t. If you tell me, at least we can face it together.”
In less than a day, she would be partnered for life with this wonderful man but telling him of this fear still mortified her. “I’m nervous about tomorrow … tomorrow night.” She’d spent all week memorizing her vows in addition to her schoolwork, and she had those down pat. But some things, you couldn’t study for.
He smiled, his eyes so close to hers she could see all the colors of blue, gray, and gold within them. “I’m nervous too. What if I don’t make you happy? What if I don’t please you? You’re all that is soft and good, and I’m rough. I know that when I hold you in my arms, you fit perfectly, like water in a pitcher. I know you’re worried about what Harland said, but that’s his problem. He isn’t choosing to love her, to wake up every morning and kiss his wife and thank the Lord for what he has. But I do, and I will be thankful for every moment, good or bad.”
She wanted to cling to him and every word. She breathed in the scent of leather that was always subtly with him and was sure she’d never tire of it.
Barton wove his fingers into her hair and left a kiss on her forehead. “I don’t want to leave you, but my father and brothers are helping me move everything into our apartment. It’s only temporary since we’re leaving at the end of term, so they didn’t bring much. But it should be enough to start a home.”
Home. “I already have all we need to start a home - you. Go. I’ll be waiting here for you tomorrow.” And, Lula mused, the rest of her life.
Barton was nervous as a horse in a river. He’d dressed in his best suit and had Pa drive him to the small white church on the edge of Spearfish. And now he waited. Lula and her family hadn’t arrived yet. Izzy had come, but Harland hadn’t been invited.
Where could Lula be? He paced to the end of the aisle and back until Ma stopped him and led him to a pew in front. “Sit, my nervous boy.”
He sighed and obeyed, wiping his clammy hands on the front of his pants. Nothing short of “she’s waiting outside” would calm him down.
“She’ll be here. It takes a woman a while to get ready on her wedding day. She has more to prepare than just her clothes.”
He glanced at Ma, then up to the wooden cross hanging in front of the church. “What else would she have to get ready? Does she have to make up her mind again?”
“In a way, yes. Just as you should. Today you’ll enter into a covenant. In your excitement, I hope you remembered that. It’s one of the few things the Lord asks us to join and it should not ever be broken. Not in this life, anyway.”
“I don’t ever want to break it.” That was the truth. His life was empty without Lula.
Ma patted his leg. “I know. But it’s easy to say that on your wedding day when you’re looking at life through the lens of hope. There’ll come a day when you have to choose to keep loving her, just as she’ll have to choose to keep loving you. You’ll have left your socks on the end of the bed one too many times and she’ll want to put castor oil in your soup.”
He couldn’t picture that. Even when she’d hated him, she’d only used words to cut him. But if Ma said it, it was so. Maybe she’d had days like that with Pa. He’d have to forgive Lula for things, just as she’d had to forgive him so many times – and likely would many times to come.
“Be good to one another, give each other grace. Love deeply, because sometimes the Lord does take away, but be there to fill in the holes that those losses leave behind.”
Lula stepped across the threshold, a gauzy white veil covering her face to match the flowing white of her dress. She truly was an angel, a pure bride just for him, because they’d done what was right. He couldn’t breathe or speak; how could this vision be his?
His mother stood and gripped his shoulder, then turned to Lula. “You’re lovely, dear. I’ll go get the minister.”
Lula reached both hands out for him. He couldn’t deny her, but his feet were sluggish, and he felt like an oaf compared to her elegance. “She’s right. You’re lovely.”
Lula ducked her head and laughed nervously “I don’t know how you can tell that through all this fabric. But I was told that’s how they do this now. Hattie never had to wear one.”
He’d been told of Hattie’s past, that she and Ruby didn’t wear white on their wedding days. For Ruby, it was because she was on the way to rescue her sisters when she wed Beau. “I know what you look like. Can you believe we’re finally here?”
She shook her head, the long veil hardly moving. “This week has seemed like a year.” And it had. Every night as he’d left her after supper, it had been harder and harder to say goodbye. But now he wouldn’t have to.
The minister walked in and laid a hand on each of their shoulders. “Are you ready? Everyone is here.” He sent Lula out the back and led Barton to stand in front.
The minister’s wife went to the organ and began to play as his brothers and parents came in, then Lula’s sisters and mother. Finally, Beau led Lula to the entrance and everyone stood. The long aisle stretched before him and it seemed as if she would never make it to him.
When they finally arrived, she kissed Beau’s cheek through the veil and Beau put Lula’s hands in Barton’s. His heart quaked at feeling her pulse. He’d always thought of her as his Lula, but from this moment on, he would also be her Barton.
The minister took her wrist, untied the black tie and joined Barton’s wrist to hers with it, clasping hands. She’d worn it faithfully since Christmas – he’d never seen her without it. Now when he wore it, he’d always think of her.
They said their vows and, just as his knees couldn’t take another minute of tension, the minister announced them as husband and wife. Barton and Lula turned to each other. He found the hem of the veil and lifted it, finally able to see her face again. She glowed, brilliant before him. He pulled her near and kissed her to seal the covenant before their families and God. And it was good.
Lula’s sister Nora ran to the front and hugged them both as he untied the tie from their wrists so they could walk out of the chapel together. He smiled at Nora, who shyly smiled back. He’d never had a sister before. Now he had seven, and he’d protect them fiercely.
“Barton, I’m supposed to welcome you to the family.” Nora stood on tiptoe and kissed him gently on the cheek. “We’re so very glad to have you.” He couldn’t help but give her one right back and tugged on one of Nora’s loose curls. “Thank you, Butterfly. I don’t think I could’ve found a better family to join.”
Lula tucked herself under his arm, fitting just perfectly as always, just as he’d hoped from the first moment she’d walked into the classroom almost three years before. He tugged one of her curls, setting it free of it pins.
“Barton!” she gasped, swatting his hand playfully.
“I can’t help it. I won’t promise to never tease you.”
She smiled, warming him down to his toes. “But no butter, all right?”
“All right.” Barton buried his fingers in her hair and kissed her. Today was not a day for regrets, but new beginnings. He pulled away just enough to tuck her head under his chin, her hair now spilling out of the pins. “I promise to love and care for you all the rest of my days.”
Lula held him tight and knew beyond a doubt that it was true.
Historical Elements
I originally found the city of Spearfish, South Dakota on my honeymoon. My husband and I toured all over the lovely Black Hills and stayed in a cabin near Bridal Veil Falls in
Spearfish Canyon. So, when I read about the Spearfish Normal School that not only was a school for teachers, but also had primary students as well … a story was born.
Spearfish is a wonderful little town on the edge of the northern Black Hills. It has rich prairies for cattle and farming but is close to Deadwood and Lead. This provided Spearfish with great revenue opportunities, and the town had beef while other areas did not. Spearfish leveraged its lack of gold against the wealth of the prairie and came out the victor – it is relatively prosperous to this day.
The Spearfish Normal School is now Black Hills State University. It began with a government grant in 1883 and continues to educate teachers today. Despite my best efforts, I was unable to find pictures of the inside the school from the 19th century, only in front of and around it. Any descriptions inside the building are fictional. Due to a fire in 1925, the buildings I describe in the story are no longer there. However, the actual school is pictured on the cover of this book.
For the purposes of this story, I used rules generally followed by school boards of the late 19th century, many of which didn’t change for a long time. That isn’t to say that there weren’t progressive schools, but the majority of teachers, especially female teachers, had to live under strict rules, some as silly as the number of petticoats worn. Though, I’m not sure who would be in charge of checking on that …
Generally speaking, female teachers were not allowed to “step out,” as it were, with any man. They were not allowed to be out later than 8 p.m. on a school night. Some rule lists even went so far as to say which businesses teachers had to stay away from – Heaven forbid they go out for ice cream! While some lists I’ve seen may have been created or falsified, even as late as the 1960s teachers were held to strict rules of behavior.
For those wondering about the “Roman conqueror” who climbed Bridal Veil Falls: the story is true, but I’m not telling who it was.
Thank you, dear reader, for joining me on this adventure. Be sure to join my special reader list to find out when the next Seven Brides of South Dakota novel will be released. You can also get a free book HERE.
Get the next book in the
Seven Brides of South Dakota Series
Dreams in Deadwood
Kisses in Keystone
Love in Lead
Romance in Rapid
Sparks in Spearfish
Hearts in Hot Springs
Courting in Custer
If you loved Sparks in Spearfish, I’d love to hear from you! Please consider leaving a review.
Want Izzy’s story? You can find out what happens to her in Teach Me to Love.
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About the Author
Kari Trumbo is an inspirational romance author, blogger and proud home schooling mother to four great kids. She interacts often on reader groups on Facebook and volunteers at the local library when needed. When she isn’t writing, she is obsessively reading and expanding her skills as a wordsmith. Kari lives in her great-grandfather’s remodeled 1890-built home in central Minnesota with her husband, children, cats, and one hungry wood stove.