The Scholar

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by Tess Thompson


  “Thanks for keeping me company,” I said.

  “You’re welcome.” Delphia ran into the house.

  Addie gave me a sweet smile before following her sister.

  Theo sat beside me. “Do you need anything?”

  “Just you,” I said.

  He wrapped his arm around me. We sat together as the light dimmed into golden twilight. Time continued forth. Life went on for those left behind with work left to do. My mother and father had finished their work and were now with God and the angels. I would miss them for the rest of my days, of that I felt sure. They’d wanted me to have a satisfying, joyful life. I would, I thought. With Theo.

  23

  Theo

  * * *

  On a day in early August, Lizzie wiped beads of perspiration from her brow with a towel. She’d been describing the wedding cake she wanted to make for Louisa and me. White cake with raspberry jelly between the layers and then fully covered with a buttercream frosting.

  We’d agreed to put the wedding on hold but now, weeks after we’d lost Mrs. Lind, we were in full wedding planning stages. Louisa and Mama had gone out to Annabelle’s dress shop for a final fitting, leaving me alone with Lizzie to wrap up final details for the reception. Mrs. Wu was taking a break because of the heat of the afternoon. Lizzie soldiered on despite the warmth of her kitchen. Lizzie and Jasper’s daughter Florence, who was the same age as Addie, was with both my smallest sisters eating a lunch of cheese and pieces of Lizzie’s sourdough bread. They had their noses in books. I’d promised to take them swimming after I was done with Lizzie.

  “That sounds delicious,” I said to Lizzie. “It’s not too much work for you, is it?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be a silly goose. This is what I do.”

  Jasper appeared from the stairwell. He, too, appeared unruffled by the warmth of this summer day, despite his formal butler attire. “Lord Barnes will be ready for his tea thirty minutes late today,” Jasper said to his wife. “He went into his office in town. I assume Mrs. Barnes and Miss Louisa will need refreshment as well when they return.”

  “I’m making cucumber sandwiches,” Lizzie said. “The gardener brought in a large number of them and fresh raspberries as well.” She pointed to a bowl brimming with the dark pink berries.

  “May we have some?” Delphia asked, looking up from her book.

  “At teatime,” Lizzie said. “Not a moment sooner.”

  “Thanks, Lizzie.” Delphia patted her tummy before turning back to her book.

  “We’re going to roast a pig,” Lizzie said, pulling me back to the menu plan.

  “A whole pig?” I asked.

  “My Theo doesn’t get married every day,” Lizzie said.

  I lowered my voice so the children didn’t hear. The Barnes family were notorious for falling in love with our livestock. “Where will the pig come from?”

  “We’ve ordered it from the Higgins brothers,” Lizzie said. “Clive’s going to help me bury it in the ground.”

  “It’ll cook all night,” Jasper said.

  I always thought the roasting of a pig rather barbaric, but who was I to question Lizzie? “I’ll look forward to the feast.”

  “I’m going to make potato salad, which we’ll have to keep on ice,” Lizzie said. “We’ll have everything set out on the back porch in a buffet style.”

  Jasper groaned. “My father’s turning over in his grave.”

  “Jasper thinks your request for a casual affair is for peasants,” Lizzie said, sounding apologetic for her husband.

  “A formal sit-down dinner is what all of Lord Barnes’s children should have,” Jasper said.

  “He’s no longer a lord.” I exchanged an amused glance with Lizzie. “Anyway, this is what Louisa and I felt comfortable asking for since the wedding is such short notice. Lizzie has enough to do without adding an impromptu wedding.”

  “As you wish.” Jasper sniffed, straightened his tie, and left the room, his heels clicking on the wood floor as he climbed the stairs.

  “The poor man is tortured on a daily basis.” Lizzie laughed under her breath. “Now back to your wedding feast.”

  24

  Louisa

  * * *

  In my wedding dress, I sat at the mirror on the dressing table in the room I’d be sharing with Theo until our house was ready. Fiona, wearing a silk-and-lace champagne-colored frock, pinned my hair to the back of my neck. Annabelle had made my dress from a combination of silk, satin, and lace with a rounded neckline and sleeves as soft as butterfly wings that fluttered around my shoulders.

  Fiona placed a beaded headband around the front of my hair and stood back to look at her handiwork. “Perfection.”

  Cymbeline was lounging on the window seat with her legs spread out long on the cushions. She and Fiona were dressed already for the wedding in silk dresses.

  “What do you think of my masterpiece?” Fiona asked Cymbeline as she helped me up from the chair.

  “You look like one of those porcelain dolls,” Cymbeline said. “The prettiest one ever made.”

  “A perfectly perfect bride,” Fiona said.

  I looked at myself again, pleased. “I do love this dress.”

  There was a knock on the door, followed by Quinn asking if she could enter.

  “Yes, please,” I called out to her.

  Quinn had a wrapped package in her arms. She set it on the table before exclaiming, “Louisa, what a spectacular bride you are.”

  “Thank you.” For some reason, I curtsied, then giggled. “I’m a little nervous.”

  “I was an absolute wreck on my wedding day. Once it all begins, you’ll forget all that and enjoy yourself.” Quinn gestured toward the package. “I brought you something. Would you like to open it now?”

  “I would, yes.”

  “Yes, do,” Cymbeline said. “I love surprises.”

  “Then, please, go right ahead,” Quinn said.

  I tore open the brown wrapping paper to find a leather Bible.

  “This is for you and Theo to write the names of your babies as they come,” Quinn said. “And your grandchildren too.”

  I ran my hand over the soft brown leather. “Thank you. I love it.” I opened it to see that Quinn had written inside.

  Louisa,

  Welcome to the family. May our good Lord bless you and Theo all the days of your lives. Much love, Mama and Papa.

  “I can understand it might be strange for you to think of me as anything but Miss Cooper,” Quinn said. “But you’re part of the family now, and I’d love it if you’d either call me by my first name or as the others do, Mama.”

  Touched, I thanked her again. “You don’t mind about the ceremony being here?” I asked. “Rather than the church?” Quinn and Alexander had offered up their yard for the ceremony as well as the party. Rather than go to the courthouse and come back for the party, we’d gratefully agreed.

  “I understand why you’d be uncomfortable having it at the church,” Quinn said. “I’m thankful the judge agreed to come here to conduct the ceremony.”

  Cymbeline snorted. “That old man can’t wait to get into the booze after the ceremony. He was only too happy to come out here.”

  Quinn artfully avoided commenting on what we all knew was true but were too polite to say by changing the subject. “I only wish your father could be here to marry you and Theo. He married Alexander and me as well as Jo and Phillip and Flynn and Shannon.” She touched the corners of her eyes with a lacy handkerchief. “We miss him very much.”

  “I do too,” I said. “He would have been so happy to know I was marrying Theo.”

  “He’s smiling from heaven,” Quinn said. “Theo’s already down in the parlor. Guests will begin arriving any moment now.”

  Fiona gasped as she realized the time. “I have to finish getting ready. I’m supposed to be playing as guests arrive.” She sat at the dressing table and powdered her face. “I’ll only be a moment, Mama, and then I’ll come down to star
t the music. Is Li already there?”

  “Yes, I believe so,” Mama said from the doorway. “I heard him warming up earlier. I’ll see you all downstairs.”

  After Quinn left, Cymbeline went to the mirror. She smoothed the skirt of her light blue dress while scrutinizing her appearance. “Next to you two beauties, I look a fright.”

  “You don’t.” Fiona rubbed a bit of rouge on her cheeks.

  “My hair is unruly. I can’t get the curls to behave.” Cymbeline’s brown waves hung attractively around her face, secured in place with a ribbon that matched her dress. She grabbed a lipstick from the table and made up her mouth.

  “I think your hair looks lovely,” I said.

  She turned to me. “I took special care today. For you and Theo.”

  “And Viktor?” Fiona asked sweetly as she got up from the dressing table and lifted a beaded necklace over her hair.

  “Traitor,” Cymbeline said under her breath.

  There was a knock on the door, then Jo poked her head inside the room. “Hello, girls. May I join you?”

  “Jo!” Cymbeline said. “When did you get here?”

  “Just now. I’ve left the babies at home with our housekeeper.” Jo fluttered her hands. “It’s making me terribly nervous, but Phillip said it would be nice for me to have an evening without them. Two babies are much harder than one.” Despite her obvious anxiety about leaving the children, she looked her typical tidy self in a cream dress.

  Jo clutched a small purse in one of her hands. “I’ve got something for you all and wanted to make sure I gave it to you before the ceremony.” She unclasped the bag and came out with three small packages wrapped in tissue paper. “I had them made by a jeweler in Denver. They’re matching sister rings. I have one for Shannon and one for the little girls, but they’ll have to wait until they’re a bit bigger.”

  The rings were simple silver bands. Etched on the inside read: Louisa Barnes, our seventh sister. “This is special. Thank you.” I choked up and dipped my head, shy.

  “I love it, Jo,” Fiona said as she held out her arms to me. “Louisa, welcome to our sisterhood. We take it very seriously.”

  “Are there initiation rituals?” I asked, laughing as we embraced.

  “You’ve already been through those,” Cymbeline said. “That’s what the last few weeks have been.”

  “I don’t really know how to be in a family with so many siblings,” I said. “I hope I won’t make mistakes.”

  “The rules are the same as what Mama taught us all those years ago in school,” Cymbeline said.

  In tandem, we all recited them. “Be curious. Be kind. Protect one another.”

  We laughed when we finished. Both Jo and Cymbeline gave me a hug.

  “I must get downstairs to do my duty,” Fiona said. “Good luck, Louisa.”

  “It’ll be over before you know it,” Jo said. “And then you can enjoy the party.”

  I certainly hoped this was true. Now I felt as though I might faint. “My legs feel funny.”

  “Don’t worry,” Cymbeline said. “I’ll hold you up until Theo can.”

  That just might be enough for today and the rest of my life.

  ***

  I stood at the window with Cymbeline as the guests arrived, parking near the barn and anywhere else they could find. We were both relieved to see that Viktor had arrived with only his parents. No sign of Emma. Poppy was escorted by Neil Hartman and looking as if she could be on the cover of a French fashion magazine in a beaded dress and a headband with a bright red feather. Isak and Nora came together, both dressed in their Sunday best. Flynn and Shannon arrived in his sleek black car.

  We could hear the music from downstairs. Not the lively jazz from the speakeasy but a classical piece with a piano and violin. Right as the clock struck five, we heard a knock on the door. It was Alexander. “Are you ready, love? It’s time.”

  Cymbeline gave me one more quick hug. “You can do this.”

  Alexander offered his arm. “Shall I walk you down the stairs as well as the aisle?”

  “Yes, please.”

  ***

  The parlor had been cleared of furniture, just as they did for other parties I’d attended here. However, instead of a dance floor, chairs had been lined up, creating a row for Alexander and me to walk down. We stopped just outside the doorway, waiting for the processional music to start. At Fiona’s first note, the guests turned to look at us.

  I wanted to run. I started to shake and truly worried my legs might give out from under me.

  “Look at Theo,” Alexander whispered in my ear. “Continue to look at him the whole time and you’ll be fine.”

  Theo, yes. My groom. I looked up to see that he stood near the fireplace with the red-faced judge. We locked eyes. Alexander nudged me along, and we began to proceed down the aisle. Fiona’s piano and Li’s violin seemed to be speaking to each other in a language of their own.

  I did as Alexander advised and kept my gaze on Theo. A smile lifted the corners of his mouth, and his eyes were soft and adoring. My love for him weakened my knees. How was it possible that this man had been here the whole time, waiting for me to see him?

  When I reached Theo, Alexander gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, then joined Quinn and the littlest girls in the front row. For a moment, I thought I saw Mother and Father sitting there too, beaming at me. I blinked and they were gone. Yet I knew they were there with us.

  The next few minutes were lost on me as the judge asked us a series of questions, all of which we answered, “I will.” Soon, he declared us man and wife.

  “You may kiss the bride,” he said.

  Theo looked into my eyes. “She prefers if you said she could kiss me now.”

  “Yes,” Cymbeline shouted.

  I laughed, despite the seriousness of the moment. “Thank you,” I whispered to Theo.

  The judge raised an eyebrow, then glanced over at the waiting punch bowl and must have decided it wasn’t worth fighting. “You may kiss the groom.”

  I wasn’t sure about all the men in the room, but I knew at least three who murmured their approval: Alexander, Viktor, and my Theo. They knew the women they loved well enough to know what was good for them.

  Regardless of the instruction, I tilted my face up to Theo. We met in the middle for our first married kiss. In the end, it didn’t matter who initiated the symbol of affection. The effect was the same. My stomach fluttered and my legs wobbled, and I had that same yearning sensation that traveled to every part of my body.

  After we parted, we turned toward our guests, who all stood to cheer us as we walked back down the aisle as a legally bound couple.

  25

  Theo

  * * *

  Dressed in cotton pajamas, I paced nervously around the room as I waited for Louisa to come out of the bathroom. I had no idea what would happen tonight. I’d vowed to be patient and I would be, even though it would be nearly impossible not to desire her.

  As much as I’d have loved to consummate the marriage, I knew instinctually that I must give her time. Sleeping next to me in bed after a time would come to seem normal. As trust grew, I hoped we could become intimate in the traditional sense. Until then, I would wait.

  I turned off one of the bedside lamps to make the room darker. Night had fallen, but I’d closed the curtains anyway. The house creaked as it settled. Fiona and Cymbeline, tired from dancing and laughing all evening, had retired at least an hour ago. I’d heard their soft voices speaking to each other as I’d passed by the doorway with Louisa holding my hand. The little girls shared the room across the hallway and had been forced to go up for bed before the party was finished. Papa and Mama had gone upstairs before us as well.

  She came out finally. Her hair was down, hanging below her shoulders and shiny in the dim light. A robe made of a lacy material more than hinted at what was underneath the fabric. Be strong, I told myself. This is a test of your commitment.

  She halted near the doorway. Even f
rom feet away, I could see she shook with fear.

  “What do I do now?” Louisa asked.

  “Are you tired?”

  “A little. It was a long day.”

  “Indeed.” I walked over to the bed. The maid had already folded the sheets and comforter down and fluffed the pillows. “Would you like to join me?” I took off my slippers and pulled back the covers to slide into bed.

  She remained on the other side of the room. Her fingers clutched the collar of her robe. “I could sleep on the window seat instead.”

  “If anyone is sleeping anywhere other than this bed, it’s me,” I said. “But this is a big bed. I’ll stay on my side.”

  “You will?”

  “I promised you that we wouldn’t do anything you weren’t comfortable with. I won’t go back on such a promise.”

  She shuffled across the rug to the bed. “Would you turn off the lamp, please?”

  I did as she asked. The room darkened to black. I heard her shrugging out of her robe and tossing it somewhere on the bed. “I can’t see,” she whispered, then giggled.

  “Feel for the covers and pull them back.” I smiled in the dark.

  The mattress moved as she slid in between the sheets. I sensed the heat of her body even though we were a good half foot apart.

  My eyes adjusted to the darkness. A sliver of light shone in the crack between the door and floor, allowing me to make out the shapes of the furniture and my wife. She was on her back with the covers pulled up to her neck.

  “Did you enjoy the day?” I asked softly.

  “More than I thought I would. I enjoyed the toasts. The dinner was delicious. And that cake—my goodness.”

  “Lizzie and Mrs. Wu outdid themselves.”

  “Theo?”

  Would hearing her say my name ever stop making my heart flutter? “Yes?”

  “Is this the part where you’re supposed to kiss me?”

 

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