The Devil's Bride

by A. S. McGowan

  "A family wedding dress." Tears sprang up and she nodded her head. "Then yes, I accept."

  No sooner where the words out of her mouth than the women sprang into action. No maids helped her dress today or tended her hair. Today she was assisted by her future sisters and mother-in-law. Matthew may be marrying her to save her reputation, but his family was showering her with more love than she had known since her parents had died. She knew that even without his love, Matthew would be good to her. His family would love her and she was finding a home for herself. Never did she dream that home would be in one of the biggest mansions in Chicago.

  Dressed and with her hair curled and piled upon her head, she stood in front of the mirror. She didn't recognize the lady looking back at her. She turned this way and that, admiring how the gown flowed over her body. Would Matthew find her beautiful? Did he ever see her that way?

  "Sarah, Matthew is offering you more than marriage. He is offering his heart. Keep that in mind," Topsannah said.

  "You are mistaken. He is a good man offering marriage to protect me. Love is not a part of this."

  "I know him very well and trust me, he risked everything because he loves you," Topsannah said as Ester and Agnes nodded.

  "Your husbands risked a lot for me as well."

  "Yes, because they love Matthew. See all is done in love." Topsannah took her hands in hers. "If you don't love him, please promise to at least do right by him in this marriage."

  Tears sprang free again and she took her hands back to wipe them away. "I keep crying. Oh, I hate this. Yes, I will do right by him. I think I fell in love somewhere between running for our lives and grieving my dead son."

  "Great. Ye both in love. I fear me boy may not say it first, so ye may have to be the one to cross that bridge to him."

  The women cried happy tears and hugged. Soon she would go downstairs and become Mrs. Matthew O'Brian. Could she say those words first? Did she dare? What if they were wrong and he didn’t feel that way about her? Fear and doubts swirled around inside her head. She stepped back from the other women, took a deep breath and pushed the thoughts aside. She just had to walk out of this room and put one foot in front of the other. The good Lord was in control and everything else would play out as it should. She just had to have faith.

  Chapter 24

  Matthew stood in John's office along with John, Patrick, and James. Father Fitzgerald sat in the chair across the desk from John. He was nodding his bald head in agreement to quickly marry Matthew and Sarah.

  "Thank you, Father. It means a lot to my brother," John said.

  "Of course. Matthew has always been a fine lad. Sad him and the young Miss Sarah put the cart before the horse as they say." He turned to Matthew. "We can fix this today and bring you two into the sanctity of marriage."

  "Thank you, Father," Matthew said. "It will simply be so she can have the words, since the actual marriage documents will be backdated so as to not show the wee dearly departed child as a bastard."

  "Backdated? No, no, I can't go back dating records. It simply can't be done."

  "You can and you will," James said as he stepped toward the priest. "I mean, it would be a shame if anyone found about you and a certain troubled young woman."

  "I have no idea what you are talking about. I am a man of the cloth."

  "I saw you and Mabel, Father," James said.

  Father Fitzgerald stood, his face reddened. "That woman has the devil in her."

  "Doesn't matter what is insider her." James spread his hands out, palms up. "Your secret for ours."

  Matthew watched the priest sink back into the chair defeated. His face was buried in his hands. He felt a pang of guilt that his brother had blackmailed a priest. He didn't have time to dwell, though. Sarah would be ready soon.

  They joined the rest of his brothers in the parlor just before his mother came in. She gave him a quick smile before she sat herself. No sooner had she sat down, then the doors opened again. Sarah came in flanked by Ester and Topsannah. She wore the green dress Topsannah had worn when she married David. Topsannah had been a lovely bride that day, but she was nothing compared to Sarah. Sarah in that dress was . . . radiant. It was the only word he could come up with that fit her, yet it still seemed to not truly capture her.

  She came to him and he took her hands. The priest said the words, but he barely heard them. He was focused on Sarah as he tried to slow his heartrate down. His breaths came rapid and shallow. Did he say his vows right? He couldn't tell. His hands shook as he slipped the ring on her finger.

  The priest announced he could kiss his bride. He leaned down and gently placed a kiss on her lips.

  "I love you," she whispered as he pulled away.

  Those three simple words slammed into him. He pulled her to him, crushing her mouth with his. Her hands gripped the front of his shirt. He deepened the kiss, blood pounding in his ears. Faintly, he heard his brothers cheering. When he ended the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers. He was just as breathless as she was.

  "I love you too, Mrs. O'Brian," he whispered.

  Chapter 25

  They had honeymooned in Boston with a full week of sightseeing. He had taken her to the theater a couple of times. For Sarah, it was magical, a fairytale dream come true. More than once she thought she would wake and find herself back in the boarding house. She dreamed of a life with a man who loved her; she just never thought it would become her reality. Yet here it was, and none of the niceness of the honeymoon compared to simply knowing he loved her. Even if he was poor, just him loving her would be enough to make her the richest woman in the world.

  They had returned to Chicago yesterday evening. This morning he left her at the mansion with the promise to return by early evening. Once he was gone, a maid came in and helped her dress and tend her hair. Finished, she went in search of her new sisters-in-law. When all the usual spots turned up empty, she headed to the kitchen.

  “Mrs. Scott, have you seen Ester or Topsannah?”

  “Yes. Both were in here early this morning.” She scrapped the carrots she had been cutting into a large pot. “Everyone has left the house I’m afraid.”

  She thanked the cook and left the kitchen. She headed down the hallway toward the library. Inside she was surrounded by walls of shelves housing more books than she had ever seen in her lifetime. After careful consideration, she selected one and sat in the chair by the window. She was still reading when Matthew came in.

  “Sarah, come quick.” He stood in the doorway, motioning her with one arm.

  “Matthew, what is the rush? Is everything alright?” She sat the book on the little side table.

  “You will see, just come.”

  She followed him out of the library. At the front door, they stopped long enough for Mr. Wiggins to help her into her coat. Matthew took her hand and led her out the door. Cold wind slapped against her cheeks. She was grateful when inside the carriage, the door shut out the wind. She pulled her coat tighter and shivered.

  Matthew sat across from her, a grin on his face. She pushed a bit more for him to tell her what was going on, but he simply shook his head, the grin never leaving his face. They hadn’t gone far when the carriage stopped, the driver opened the door, and Matthew hopped out. He offered her his hand and helped her alight the carriage.

  She stood staring at a large house. While not as big as the mansion they had just left, it was still one of grandeur. He took her hand and she saw the giddy expression on his face. Before she could ask why they were here, he turned and pulled her along behind him. She practically had to run to keep up with him. Who could possibly live here that he was so eager for her to meet? When they reached the porch, Matthew opened the door without knocking, swept her up into his arms, and carried across the threshold.

  “Matthew, you simply can’t go walking into someone’s home like this,” she chided.

  “I can if it is my home. I bought it for us,” he said, still holding her in his arms. “I hope you like it.”
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  “Oh, Matthew its beautiful. It’s perfect.”

  “You haven’t seen all of it yet.”

  “Doesn’t matter. It’s perfect.” She leaned up and kissed him gently.

  When she pulled back from the kiss, she wiggled, indicating he could put her down now. His grip tightened and he carried her farther into the house. Their house, which she vowed to work hard to make into a home for her husband and their future children.