Reforming Elizabeth

by Lorin Grace

  Silence followed them the rest of the way home. Elizabeth hadn’t expected an answer.

  Gideon’s step quickened as they reached Mina’s house. Thinking he was ready to be away from her, Elizabeth veered toward the front door, but Gideon stopped her with a hand. “I think I have an idea. Go find Mina. I’ll be in as soon as I take care of Jordan.”

  Elizabeth watched him hurry to the barn. An idea? She shook her head. Impossible.

  Could it work? Legally it would help, but what about morally? It was a lie. But did not the prophet Abraham lie about his own wife to save them?

  Gideon hurried to put up Jordan and jogged to the house. He found Elizabeth with her aunt in the parlor. Both women gave him a questioning look as he entered.

  “Mina, Elizabeth is convinced her father will force her to marry, and perhaps move west. Do you think it is a possibility?”

  Mina set aside her knitting needles and yarn. “It is most likely based on his correspondence.”

  Gideon looked from Mina to Elizabeth, who worried her lip. “I have an idea that will prevent that, for at least a year.”

  The women sat up straighter. Elizabeth tilted her head. “A year?”

  “Yes, enough time to find a more permanent solution and prove to your father you are the person I know you to be.”

  Elizabeth looked to her aunt, too shocked to reply.

  Mina recovered first. “Don’t keep us in suspense. What is your plan?”

  “We go to Stoughton and post our intentions.”

  “You want to marry me?” The hopeful note in her voice almost made him wish he did.

  “No.”

  Elizabeth’s face crumpled. Mina sat forward, a frown forming.

  “I am not explaining this well. I mean to give you time. If you post intentions before your father can, the first will be valid, and you have a year from the date they are posted before they are no longer valid. Since ours is not the parish church, they need to only be displayed for fourteen days in public, at the post office. Then your father cannot force you to marry unless I release you and withdraw the intentions.”

  Mina sat back. “It could work, but everyone hereabouts would expect a wedding. Neither of you will fare well from a broken engagement.”

  Elizabeth sat quietly playing with the edge of her apron.

  “If you like your father’s choice, you need only ask to be released. If not, you have a reason to stay with Mina for the year.” Gideon hoped it would convince her.

  “What of you? What if you want to marry?” Elizabeth looked up.

  “At the moment, I am not inclined to wed, and since I have yet to set up my cobbler shop, I have no means to marry again.”

  Mina picked back up her knitting. “Could you not rent the shop on High Street?”

  “No, it is Butler’s, and the other space belongs to one of the Curtises, but he has gone to Washington and is not expected back for a month.”

  “But you may want to marry someone else before the year is over. What will happen then?” The apron twisted into knots in Elizabeth’s lap.

  “I cannot court another woman once it is generally known I have declared intentions. It may be a favor to me, as some women will not be inclined to try to catch my eye.” He left the name Joanna unsaid.

  “I don’t like that both of you would be living a lie. Preacher Boy, you may have given up your calling, but it is still a jump to lying for a year. Elizabeth, if it becomes known you lied about this, Ebenezer may come up with something much worse.”

  Elizabeth rose and paced the room. She stopped to look at Gideon and then again at her aunt. “I don’t want to live a lie, but I like having a choice.” Elizabeth stopped in the middle of the room and turned to Gideon. “Are you sure? This plan could go awry and leave you in such a mess.”

  It could, but it would be worth it. After all, if he’d dealt with the letter earlier, a sanitized version of events would have been sent and Elizabeth might not be facing a reprimand. “I am sure. It is my fault it was not sent sooner. We need not live much of a lie. Some couples decide not to marry and let the intentions lapse, merely going on with their lives. We would do the same, only faster.”

  Elizabeth drew in her lower lip and looked at her aunt.

  “It is not as if you are marrying under false pretenses.” Aunt Mina studied the clock. “If you leave now, you can appear before the clerk in Stoughton before they close.” Mina pulled a purse from her pocket and counted out a few coins. “This will pay the fee. Take my buggy. Elizabeth go change your dress.”

  Elizabeth spared Gideon one more look before she hurried from the room.

  Mina’s voice stopped Gideon. “Preacher Boy, you must know I hoped you would declare intentions with my niece in a more honest fashion.”

  Gideon opened his mouth to protest, but Mina held up her hand.

  “I know you still love Ruth and are not prepared to take a wife, but you now have a year to consider Elizabeth. I have watched you together. Friendship is not a bad foundation. Think on it.”

  Click, click, click. Mina had resumed her knitting.

  Gideon hurried to the barn. He’d rather not think on it. His mind strayed too often to Mina’s beautiful niece, but he could never support her in the way her father had. His house would know want. Marrying Elizabeth was not an option.

  Elizabeth spent the drive to Stoughton looking at everything but Gideon, the one question she didn’t dare ask continuously rolling through her head. What would happen if they decided the intentions were real? Would Gideon’s shop be enough to support them in a year?

  A ridiculous thought. Gideon’s sharp “No” when she’d asked if he were proposing was more than enough to prove he could never think of her that way. The kiss he’d dropped on the top of her head only days ago, so like one of Nathaniel’s, had been brotherly, not romantic—as much as she wished it were different. Her brother would like Gideon.

  Her mother would never approve. There wasn’t enough money in shoes. But money didn’t matter, did it? The Stewards were happy together. Of course, more money might ease some things for them, but Aunt Mina loved her farmer husband, and his memory seemed to mean more to her than all the acreage in Curtis Corners.

  She heard Gideon’s voice and turned. “I was woolgathering. What did you say?”

  “I asked what weighs so heavily on your mind.”

  “I was thinking of Aunt Mina.” Not a lie. “Thank you for doing this. I will not have to leave her. I am loath to do that. Some days I think she pretends to be more feeble than she is, and other times I think she tries to be stronger.”

  “I have noticed the same. I am glad you will be able to stay with her.”

  “What of you? Will you leave her employ?”

  “For now I will continue taking care of Mina’s outside chores.”

  “What will your family think?”

  “I will not tell them unless it becomes necessary, then I will tell them the truth of the situation. And you, what will you say?”

  “As little as possible. Will you help me? Father is not likely to believe that anyone who has been in the ministry would have me. Especially after my wanton behavior.”

  “I promise you that you will not face your father alone in this.” Gideon reined the horse to a stop and set the brake. He helped Elizabeth from the carriage, careful to not catch her dress in the wheel.

  “Ready?”

  Elizabeth straightened her skirt before taking Gideon’s arm.

  They found the clerk at his desk, a man of more than fifty with wire-rimmed glasses, his powdered wig sitting a bit askew. He looked up and shifted his gaze from Gideon to her.

  “I assume you are here to post intentions, but neither of you are familiar to me.”

  “Miss Garrett and I reside ov
er in East Stoughton and attend the church there.”

  The clerk pulled out a piece of paper. “Oh, very well. I shall have to write ‘resides in Stoughton’ as East Stoughton is not an incorporated body. Your name, sir?”

  “Gideon Frost.”

  “Oh, yes, you are the assistant minister at the church over there. It isn’t the parish church, but you will need to make sure your preacher announces the intentions just the same.” The clerk turned to Elizabeth, not noticing the color drain from Gideon’s face. “And you, miss, name and age?”

  “E-Elizabeth Garrett. I obtained nineteen years last September.”

  “I am not familiar with the Garretts. Are you recently come to the area?”

  “No, sir. I am living with my Aunt Mindwell Richards.”

  “And where does your father live?”

  Elizabeth mumbled the town, and the clerk raised his brows. Had he heard of her father?

  After a brief pause, the clerk wrote their names on a couple of printed forms and handed one to Gideon. “Give this to Reverend Porter for him to read. I will post this in the post office and have the Congregationalist minister read it here in the parish church. You may return on the …” the clerk consulted his calendar “ … on the sixteenth to collect your certificate. Your intentions will have been publicly posted fourteen days by then, which is the minimum. Since you do not attend the parish church, we shall use that standard. I have put Miss Garrett’s father’s town instead of Stoughton as I believe this your permanent residence.”

  Nodding her acknowledgment, Elizabeth worried her father might be contacted but didn’t dare ask the clerk.

  Gideon handed the clerk a few coins, and they took their leave.

  Once settled in the buggy, Elizabeth dared speak. “Do you think he will need to send a copy up to my father’s clerk?”

  Gideon flicked the reins. “I don’t believe so. I have never read any intentions from another parish.”

  Elizabeth relaxed and then recalled the way Gideon’s face had paled. “You are sure about this? I noticed your reaction when he told you Reverend Porter would need to read the intentions.”

  “I assumed the public posting would be enough. I am worried that if Reverend Porter reads them, someone might object because of the incident with Mr. Butler.”

  “Could they do that?”

  “There is no legal standing to protest the intentions because of that day. But the gossip may start, and I’d rather not see you hurt again.” Gideon glanced her way, his eyes full of concern. Too bad the intentions were only pretended.

  Twenty-Six

  Magistrate Garrett took one look at the papers piled on his office desk and wished he were back home in his study reviewing plans for the lieutenant governor’s visit. He knew most of the issues before him would be the same matters that came to his attention every month. His clerk had presented the few pressing items to him at his home yesterday.

  He was glad he’d set Abner’s trial for Monday. It would take him that long to clear his desk. Once, a decade or so ago, Abner had been a relatively quiet citizen. Never a beloved one, but he hadn’t caused any trouble, either. He wanted Abner out of his court and out of town. There were rumors there were no living relatives to take in the boys. What would he do with them? Boys left to themselves often found mischief, and worse.

  He put the matter out of his mind and concentrated on the top document in the left-hand pile.

  Reverend Woods’s sermon focused on marriage, a common subject for him each summer. No doubt the wedding of MaryBeth had prompted it a bit early this year. Ebenezer’s wife whispered that, like many other couples, MaryBeth had begun her marriage planning to increase the family in less than nine months. The sermon dragged on, extolling the virtues of matrimony. Ebenezer didn’t look at his wife. At least she was still comely, if somewhat dull. Virtues of matrimony, indeed. It was nothing more than a means to an end.

  The minister explained how men could benefit by the calming nurture a wife brought to him. Reverend Woods didn’t live with Rebecca, nor would he be the one to marry Elizabeth. Pity the man!

  Gideon elected to sit with the parishioners today rather than on the rostrum since Reverend Porter had relieved him of his duties when he turned in his official resignation the morning after posting intentions. The reverend insisted Gideon remain living with his family for propriety’s sake. Gideon had agreed because it gave him the use of the entire lean-to as a temporary shop.

  A baby cried. Mrs. Porter shifted the infant boy to her shoulder. Gideon chanced a glance at Elizabeth. One of the Steward girls sat on her lap, playing with a bit of string Elizabeth wove around her fingers.

  The end of the sermon neared. Unfortunately, he still had to sit through the practice sessions, but the low rent was worth a few hours of listening.

  “I have been asked to read the following intentions. Mr. Theodor Butler of Stoughton and Miss Charity Wixom of Brookline. Also Mr. Gideon Frost and Miss Elizabeth Garrett, both in residence here.”

  It was impossible to tell which couple’s announcement stirred the most murmuring. Only about half the congregation managed to sing the final hymn.

  After the prayer, a couple of men congratulated Gideon, but most avoided him. Across the aisle, he saw Elizabeth blush at something Mrs. Steward said. Mrs. Howell and Joanna pointedly ignored both Elizabeth and him, lifting their noses just high enough to make their point. He moved in Elizabeth’s direction. No need to create more gossip.

  Gideon’s gut twisted as Mrs. Porter stopped to congratulate Elizabeth. What was he doing deceiving good people like Mrs. Porter?

  Mr. Butler walked toward them, his hand on the back of a young woman dressed in silk. Gideon stiffened and moved closer to Elizabeth.

  “Ah, Frost, what did they do, refuse to let you continue in the ministry after you announced you would marry her?”

  Gideon balled his fists. Hitting a man in church would not help matters. “No, purely coincidental.” As you well know, I’ve been trying to rent your storefront for weeks.

  “My dear, let me introduce you to Mr. Frost and Miss Elizabeth Garrett. It appears they too shall be wed soon.”

  The woman smiled shyly at both of them, her hand resting at her waist. Was it the Parisian cut of her dress, or was she one of Butler’s victims? The poor girl—apparently her family’s wealth would force her into marriage with such a man.

  Gideon assisted Mina into the buggy, keeping Elizabeth close lest Butler say something worse.

  Mina looked at Mr. Butler’s buggy and shook her head. “Poor girl, She has no idea and in the family way, too.”

  They rode to Mina’s in silence.

  The clerk ushered Abner Sidewall into the magistrate’s office and gave the magistrate another quizzical look. The trial was not for an hour yet, and it was highly unusual for the magistrate to address someone before their trial.

  At a nod of the magistrate’s head, the clerk left the office, shutting the door.

  “Have a seat, Abner.”

  Abner’s eyes grew wide. Nevertheless, he sat down in the appointed chair.

  “I have been giving your case much thought, and I think I have a proposal that will benefit us both.”

  Abner leaned slightly forward and listened.

  An hour later, Mr. Sidewall pled guilty to all charges and was penalized by a fine. He agreed to return home to his sons that afternoon and toss all the liquor in the house down the privy. What’s more, he would endeavor to sell his land and prepare to move to Ohio with his new bride in four weeks’ time.

  Twenty-Seven

  Sour milk? At least it was white, but it made as little sense to Elizabeth’s mind as the cow dung. She counted the fact the milk was harvested the same day the dung collected as pure superstition. But she was not going to argue with h
er aunt on this point. The entire second batch of cloth received the dung-and-lye treatment.

  She leaned over the milk-filled laundry tub and scrubbed away, then lifted the cloth out and set it to the side. Usually she would empty the large tub there in the yard, but Aunt Mindwell told her to use the liquid to water the lane to kill the weeds.

  It smelled atrocious. She probably did too. She was up to her elbows in the sour-milk-and-dung residue. Some had sloshed onto her skirt. At least the skirt had a prior run-in with the dung, so it was of no great concern. She filled the watering can with the now-brown milk and started at the south end of the lane.

  On her third trip, Gideon came around the barn. “I thought you were washing the linen today.”

  “I am. Aunt Mina told me to use the dirty sour milk to kill weeds when I was done.”

  His nose crinkled. “That is a pungent odor.”

  “Do you like it? I do believe I shall use it instead of a fancy perfume every day.” She grinned up at him. “If you carry this, I bet you could wear some too.” She tried to hand him the watering can.

  Smiling, he stepped back. “Well, then, Miss Lizzy, I think I shall decline to help you.” The expression on his face changed. “I have come from the post.”

  “Did Father … ?”

  Gideon shook his head. “No there is no letter from him for either of you.”

  Elizabeth bit her lip.

  Gideon continued. “This is mine. I have been requested to go to the seminary and must answer to them in person.”

  “Oh.” She tilted her head. “Why would they do that?”

  “I don’t know. I am going to speak with Mina and then leave this afternoon.”

  “Where will you go after?”

  “Mina gave me leave to stay in the barn room for now, but I don’t want to start gossip that might hurt your reputation with our intentions posted and all. I have been hoping to rent the empty shop on High Main Street. There are some rooms above it I can use as my home. Unfortunately, I must rent from Mr. Butler, and he has not been very easy to work with on the matter.”