Together Forever

by Jody Hedlund

  The reverend smiled at them. “I require and charge you both, as you will answer at the dreadful day of judgment when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, that if either of you know any impediment why you may not be lawfully joined together in matrimony, that you do now confess it.”

  “I confess that I’m engaged to another man,” Marianne said quickly before she could find one more reason to refrain.

  The room grew so silent Marianne was sure everyone could hear the rapid whirring of her pulse. The reverend’s mouth stalled around the next words of the ceremony. And Drew’s head sank as though he’d been defeated once and for all. She didn’t dare look at Jethro and see the shock and disappointment on his face.

  “I don’t understand,” Elise said. “I thought Drew was your fiancé.”

  “Drew and I aren’t getting married.” Marianne forced the words, even though they stuck in her throat.

  “Why not?” Thornton asked from where he stood by Drew’s side. “You both love each other, don’t you?”

  “Yes.” The word fell off Drew’s lips as if he needed to say it or burst. “I love Marianne. I love her more than my own life.”

  Her lungs constricted at his words. And she lost her breath completely when he gazed down at her with love radiating from his eyes—a love so sweet and strong she wanted to weep that she would never get to experience it.

  “Don’t you love me too, Marianne?” he whispered hoarsely.

  She did. But telling him would only make the parting that much more painful.

  “If you can honestly tell me you don’t love me, then I’ll walk away from you today and I won’t pressure you again.”

  Her heart ripped apart, and the pain in her chest brought tears to her eyes.

  “Just say it,” he pleaded, reaching for her hand. “Please, Marianne.”

  “Yes, I love you.” She couldn’t hold back the words any more than she could hold back the tears that had begun to spill over. “But you know I have to marry Reinhold. He needs me.”

  “We’ll talk to him,” Drew said. “We’ll explain the situation. We’ll work with him to find someone else to take care of his sisters.”

  “Stop right there,” Elise said, spinning Marianne. “You mean to tell me you agreed to marry Reinhold even though you were in love with Drew?”

  Marianne dropped her head and nodded miserably.

  Mr. Gray cleared his throat loudly. “Speaking of Reinhold.” The stationmaster reached inside his suit coat pocket and pulled out a telegram. “This came earlier in the morning. I didn’t realize there was any question—I just assumed with the dewy-eyed way Drew and Marianne acted that everything was as it should be. If I’d known differently, I would have given the telegram to you right away.”

  Marianne took the telegram. Her fingers were shaking too much to open it, so she handed it to her sister. Elise unfolded the short note, read it silently, and then expelled a relieved breath. “Reinhold says he’ll do just fine looking after Silke and Verina by himself. He says he hopes you and Drew will be happy together in your new life.”

  “What?” Marianne and Drew asked at the same time.

  “Here.” Elise shoved the telegram into Drew’s outstretched hand. “Read it for yourself and then maybe we can get back to the business of having a wedding.”

  Drew held the telegram, and Marianne noticed his hand was trembling. Reinhold’s telegram was brief, but it was enough for Marianne to realize he understood she loved Drew and was releasing her from their engagement.

  Elise began explaining to the others Reinhold’s situation with his aunt and his sisters, and Drew used that opportunity to pull Marianne off to the side.

  “What a relief,” Drew said, sucking in a shaky breath. “It’s a good thing he sent that telegram or I was planning to ride up to Mayfield today and tell him he couldn’t have the woman I loved.”

  Marianne was grateful to Reinhold for his understanding of her situation, but she still planned to do all she could to help him with Silke and Verina. She’d let him know she would be there, only this time as a friend, not a wife.

  The only man she wanted was standing next to her. And now they were free. She was free. Once she’d finally admitted to her deception, the truth had set her free.

  He lifted a hand to her face. With exquisite tenderness, he grazed her cheek down to her chin. “I should have just told you I was marrying you regardless of Reinhold.”

  “So you were planning to go through with this wedding today even if I’d never said anything?”

  He nodded sheepishly. “I wasn’t about to let you marry a man who could never love you the way I do.” His fingers trailed around her chin and then to her lips.

  “What way do you love me?” she asked, not caring that her voice came out low and sultry.

  Sparks flickered to life in his eyes, and she glimpsed his desire before his hands slid around her waist and pulled her against him.

  She had the feeling they would face many more trials and hardships, especially if they continued working with the orphans. But they would face them together, just as they had this trip. And they would be stronger because of it.

  “I love you, Andrew Brady,” she said into his neck.

  “And I love you, Marianne Neumann,” he whispered into her ear before pressing a kiss there. The kiss echoed throughout her body and made her shiver with anticipation at the promise of many more to come. “Please, will you marry me now? Right this instant, before anything more happens to stop us?”

  “Nothing can stop us or separate us ever again,” she whispered.

  “Promise?”

  “I promise you. We’ll be together forever.”

  “I pronounce that they be man and wife together, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.” The reverend made the sign of the cross above their heads and then closed his prayer book.

  “Are they finally married?” came Jethro’s voice behind Drew.

  Drew had expected more protest from Jethro when Marianne had spoken up about being engaged to Reinhold. But he’d handled the news well. The boy was resilient, just as Drew had predicted.

  “Yes, buddy, we’re finally married,” Drew said with a grin over his shoulder at the boy. “Isn’t that great? After I kiss my bride, then we can be a family just like we all talked about.”

  Jethro didn’t grin. Instead he looked down at his polished black shoes.

  Drew exchanged a glance with Marianne, but she shook her head firmly with a look that told him he wasn’t getting a kiss until they made sure Jethro was all right first. He gave an exasperated sigh, but inwardly smiled because he felt the same way. He and Marianne made a great team, and he prayed God would give them many more opportunities to make a difference in the lives of children together.

  He released Marianne’s hand and knelt in front of Jethro. A second later, he felt her hand upon his shoulder and loved her all the more for her constant support in whatever he did.

  “What’s wrong, Jeth?” he asked. “I thought you wanted me and Marianne to get married so you could be our child.”

  “I did want that,” he said in a small voice, still staring at his shoes. “But maybe you can find another little boy with red hair and freckles that nobody wants.”

  Drew glanced up at Marianne in confusion. But her eyes widened with the same questions he had. What was Jethro saying?

  Drew focused his attention on the boy again. “Why’s that, Jeth? Why do you want us to find someone else?”

  Jethro looked up at him finally. “You’d make real good parents,” he said solemnly. “You and Miss Neumann both.”

  “But . . . ?”

  “But I was wondering if Mr. and Mrs. Gray could be my new pa and ma instead.”

  At Jethro’s words, Mrs. Gray released a soft sob before cupping a hand over her mouth. Her eyes brimmed with tears, and Mr. Gray wrapped an arm around his wife to keep her from crumpling.

  At the sight of Mrs. Gray’s tears, Je
thro’s face fell. “It’s okay if you don’t want me,” he said. “No one else ever has except Mr. Brady and Miss Neumann—”

  Mrs. Gray broke away from her husband, fell to her knees before the boy, and grabbed him into a fierce hug. “I want you, honey,” she said through another sob. “Oh, I want you very much.”

  Jethro circled his arms around Mrs. Gray’s neck and hugged her back tightly.

  “I’ve always wanted a little boy just like you,” Mrs. Gray said. “And you’d make me very happy if you’d be my son.”

  “Even though I got red hair and freckles?” His voice wobbled.

  “Not even though you have them, but because you have them.” Mrs. Gray kissed his forehead. “I can’t imagine a more handsome boy than you.”

  Jethro gave her a gap-toothed grin, and his eyes shone with an adoration that had apparently developed during the time he’d spent with her when he had the measles.

  Mr. Gray bent down and placed a hand on Jethro’s head. “We never thought we could have any children, but you’ve proved us wrong.”

  “Thank you, Jesus,” Mrs. Gray whispered.

  Tears streaked Marianne’s cheeks. Drew stood and pulled her into the crook of his arm, placing a kiss onto her cheek and tasting the saltiness. She smiled and snuggled against him. Nearby, Thornton had wrapped his arms around Elise.

  “Then you won’t be mad at me, Mr. Brady?” Jethro asked as he pulled free from Mrs. Gray.

  “No, buddy. I won’t be mad. In fact, I’m mighty happy God brought you to the perfect family in His perfect timing just like we prayed for.”

  Jethro smiled and nodded. He reached for one of Mr. Gray’s hands and one of Mrs. Gray’s and stood between the couple. “God’s pretty good about working things out, ain’t He?”

  “He sure is.” Drew turned his attention upon his new bride and whispered a silent prayer of thanksgiving for how God had worked things out for him and Marianne too.

  “Do you think I can finally kiss my bride?” he asked.

  Marianne lifted her head in response, her tender smile beckoning him, her lovely brown eyes inviting him to come home, where he belonged.

  Author’s Note

  Thank you for reading this second book in my ORPHAN TRAIN series, for joining in the ride as Marianne, the middle Neumann sister, takes a journey both literally and figuratively, discovering more about who she really is, as well as finding true love along the way. She learns many things during her journey, including how to come out from the shadow of her sister and embrace a new kind of courage she never believed she had.

  In casting Marianne Neumann in the role of a placing agent, it was my hope to give readers a glimpse into the orphan train movement from the perspective of those men and women who rode the trains with the orphans. The Children’s Aid Society (CAS), started by Charles Loring Brace, was the major organization in New York working to place orphans from its inception in 1853 and well into the twentieth century. CAS hired numerous ministers, single men and women, as well as married couples, to escort orphans from the East to their new homes in the West.

  One of the most well-known placing agents was Clara B. Comstock, who traveled west with children from 1911 to 1928. During these years, she made seventy-four trips and wrote about her experiences. I drew from her notes about what it was like before the trip, the clothes the orphans were given, and the detailed lists of supplies and food she packed. She also recorded what it was like during the journey west and what happened once they arrived at their destinations, including an incident where she was quarantined with a five-year-old boy who’d contracted diphtheria.

  Toward the end of her life, Clara Comstock said this about her experiences: “The work was a great adventure in faith. We were always helped and grew to expect kindness, deep interest and assistance everywhere. A sense of responsibility was keenly felt by all the workers. My life has been greatly enriched by the varied experiences found in everything the Children’s Aid Society and the contacts made. It is an honor to have followed from afar, the founder of this work.”

  In Together Forever, I hoped to portray the struggles that placing agents felt right along with the struggles of the orphans. I have no doubt what the orphans experienced was far more emotional and painful; nevertheless, the job of the placing agent was not an easy one. It consisted of weeks of demanding travel, difficulty in placing children, plus the logistical challenges in revisiting each child before returning to New York.

  I also hoped to reveal the dichotomy of the placing-out movement, the positive aspects as well as the heartbreak. Even in the best of situations (like Dorothea’s), fear and confusion were constant companions. Amidst the adventures, mishaps and accidents happened. The incident with George getting lost and separated from his brother, Peter, is based on a true story that occurred during one of these trips. Of course, there were the “unwanted” children like Jethro, who were neither young nor old enough to be of much appeal to families.

  The agents not only faced the ups and downs of handling such a wide variety of children, but they also faced the challenges of the job itself. Since nothing had ever before been done like the placing out, agents had to learn on the job and make up the rules as they went. In the early years, record-keeping was inconsistent, placements irregular, and the screening process nonexistent. While many of the agents like Drew and Marianne meant well and truly cared about providing better lives for the children in their care, unfortunately the lack of consistent practices provided further hardships to many orphans.

  I pray that in reading this story, not only have you gained greater insights and a different perspective of the orphan train movement, but that you’ve also been encouraged to know God is present in our weakest moments. He doesn’t necessarily promise to give us the courage of a lion or to make everything perfect. But He does promise that His strength is available and that His power will rest upon us. Perhaps that strength will be just enough to get out of bed for another difficult day. Or perhaps it will be just enough to face the illness or hurt or heartache we bear.

  We can rest assured it will always be just enough. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. May His power rest on you today and always as you move forward each tiny step with His courage.

  Jody Hedlund is the award-winning author of multiple novels, including the BEACONS OF HOPE series as well as Captured by Love, Rebellious Heart, and A Noble Groom. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Taylor University and a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin, both in social work. Jody lives in Michigan with her husband and five children. Learn more at JodyHedlund.com.

  Books by Jody Hedlund

  The Preacher’s Bride

  The Doctor’s Lady

  Unending Devotion

  A Noble Groom

  Rebellious Heart

  Captured by Love

  BEACONS OF HOPE

  Out of the Storm: A BEACONS OF HOPE Novella

  Love Unexpected

  Hearts Made Whole

  Undaunted Hope

  ORPHAN TRAIN

  An Awakened Heart: An ORPHAN TRAIN Novella

  With You Always

  Together Forever

  Resources: bethanyhouse.com/AnOpenBook

  Website: www.bethanyhouse.com

  Facebook: Bethany House

  Twitter: @Bethany House