Understanding Mercy

by Janelle Ashley

  Understanding Mercy

  Understanding Mercy

  Chapter Eighteen

  The glorious spring morning dawned bright and beautiful and the happily singing birds, and busily ringing bells seemed to announce to the world the importance of this day. Wearing a frothy white dress, Mercy made her way into the Old North Church for the most important day of her life. Her mother and father escorted her inside with beaming faces and Pastor Thompson greeted them at the door with a kind smile as he took Mercy’s hand. “Look at you, all grown up. I did your christening, you know, and you wore a pretty white dress then as well.”

  She glanced down at her dress with a smile. “I couldn’t decide what color to wear and now I’m glad I choose white.”

  Placing his hand on her back, he ushered her toward the back of the church and into the little room where she waited with Priscilla for her wedding to begin. So much had happened in these few short months. It was in this room she’d first seen Addison again. He took her breath away when she looked up to see him in all his spectacular glory and now he would be her husband. Her husband. She just couldn’t believe it. What had she ever done to deserve him?

  Pastor Thompson patted her hand. “Well, Mercy Creed, I will see you in a few minutes.”

  “Yes, you will. And then a few minutes after that I will be Mercy Berkeley.”

  “Yes, you will.” With one last smile, he left the room.

  Her father came and stood before her and held her hands in his. “My beautiful baby girl,” he murmured, his eyes shining with love.

  She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Oh, Daddy, I’m so happy you are well enough to walk me down the aisle.”

  “That makes two of us.” He brought both her hands up for a quick kiss and then squeezed them. “It just seems like yesterday that I held you in my arms before your christening. Now it’s your wedding day.”

  “And in many ways that day, led to this one, didn’t it?”

  “You are right. That is the day Addison Berkeley came into our lives. Who would’ve known then the blessing he would turn out to be for us all?” His voice filled with emotion, as he added, “I could never have asked for a better son-in-law.”

  “He feels the same way about you. He says all the time that he could never ask for a better father-in-law.” She glanced over at her mother’s pretty blue eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Or a better-mother-in-law. He loves you both.”

  Priscilla came bustling into the room with a brilliant smile. “Oh, Mercy, you look gorgeous. That dress is spectacular. You put Marie Antoinette to shame.” She turned to Daisy who followed close behind. “Oh, Daisy, I love how you styled her hair so high with the white roses and pearls and this lovely veil. You are positively brilliant with hair.”

  Daisy merely smiled at Priscilla’s enthusiastic praise. Mercy’s heart filled with warmth to be surrounded by so much love. Not long before, she’d thought her life was over, and she had actually wanted to end it, but now here she stood on the threshold of a brand new life—with the man of her dreams.

  ****

  Addison paced back and forth across the room and looked at his pocket watch, but his restlessness came from anticipation, not anxiety. Within a few minutes, Mercy would be his wife. What had he ever done to deserve her? Closing his eyes, he stopped for a minute and breathed a silent prayer of thanksgiving. Cecil strode into the room with a big smile lighting up his happy face. “You look spectacular, Addison. Look at you in your burgundy velvet suit and fancy embroidered gold waistcoat.” He flicked the lace at his neck and sleeves. “Who would’ve thought I would see my boy in lace fit for the King of France.”

  He mumbled, “It’s the style.”

  “I’ve no doubt it is. And you even powdered your hair.”

  “Mercy thought I should.”

  He chuckled. “Not even married yet and she is already telling you what to do. Hey, with that in mind, I have a question for you. If a man speaks in the forest and no woman is around to hear him, is he still wrong?”

  Addison just shook his head in amusement. Cecil slapped him on the back and proclaimed, “So this is your last few minutes as a bachelor.”

  “Yes, it is, thank God.”

  “Yes, thank God.”

  “Actually, I was just thanking Him when you walked in.”

  Cecil became uncharacteristically serious and nodded. “Can you believe the little baby girl you thought was so pretty when Mr. Creed showed her to you over twenty years ago is now going to be your wife?”

  “No. I can’t believe it.”

  Cecil pulled a letter out of his pocket and handed it to him. “I’m not sure if this is good timing to give this to you, but it came by post this morning.”

  Addison took the letter from him and looked down at the flowery script in French and knew who it belonged to. He opened the letter and read:

  Dear Addison,

  I appreciate you letting me know you are getting married. I truly enjoyed our two years together, but I always knew in my heart it would not end in anything permanent. I admit I will miss you, but don’t be sad for me. I adore my life. I must say I’m not surprised you have chosen Mercy Creed for your bride. Long ago in John Hancock’s parlor I saw the way the two of you looked at each other. You assured me you had no future with her. How wrong you were. But I’m glad you were wrong if she makes you happy. You are a good man Addison Berkeley and I wish you true happiness.

  Sincerely,

  Blanche

  He handed the letter back to Cecil. “You can read it if you like, and then throw it away. I never made Blanche any promises, but I still felt a little bad about informing her of my marriage in a letter. She certainly seems to have taken it well. I knew she would.”

  Cecil skimmed the letter and then remarked, “She seems like a nice lady.”

  “She is. I would not have spent time with her for two years if she wasn’t. And she is right that Mercy makes me happy. I want to make Mercy happy too. I know I’m doing the right thing.”

  With an encouraging pat on the back, he replied, “I know you are too.”

  An elderly lady walked into the room and announced, “It’s time, Mr. Berkeley. Follow me.” She walked him out into the church and pointed to the stage. “You and your best man go stand up by Pastor Thompson now.” He quickly obeyed and then clasped his hands in front of him while he waited.

  A violin quartet began to play Bach’s sonata fugue in A minor and Priscilla and Daisy came down the aisle looking lovely, but they were not who he wanted to see. At last Mr. Creed stood at the back of the aisle with Mercy on his arm and she looked as gloriously beautiful as he knew she would. Her exquisite dress and elaborately arrayed hair were stunning, but nothing could tear his eyes away from her face. She positively glowed with happiness, expectation, and love. Love for him. He couldn’t believe it.

  When Mercy stood before him beaming up at him in adoration, he felt his heart would burst with joy. He leaned forward and whispered, “When I watched you standing up here next to Priscilla, I wished it was me standing next to you. I wished it was us getting married. And now it is. Now we are.”

  “I wondered what you were thinking that day.”

  “Now you know.” He winked at her and then turned to face the pastor.

  Pastor Thompson spoke about the two becoming one flesh and his message touched Addison deeply. He asked them to face each other and say their vows, and Addison took Mercy’s hands in his own. The pastor asked, “Do you promise to love, honor, and cherish her until death do you part?”

  He blurted out, “Yes, I do. I will. I promise.” A few chuckles rippled across the church and Mercy’s face radiated happiness as she let out a little giggle.

  ****

  After the wonderful reception dinner, Mercy cut the bride’s cake and she waited to see who would bite down on the nutmeg root. When Daisy carefully took it out of her mouth a chorus of, “Daisy is the next to marry,” rang out across the room.

  Mercy scur
ried over to her and whispered, “It works, Daisy. At least it worked for me.”

  She smiled up at her. “I hope so. Although if I got married, I would miss you.”

  “We would still be friends, silly.”

  The strains of the small orchestra tuning their instruments floated into the room and she glanced up to see Addison staring at her and he lifted an eyebrow in invitation. With a smile of pure joy she walked toward the magnificent man who was now her husband. He raised his hand, and she placed her gloved hand in his and he lifted it to his lips. “May I have the honor of this dance, Mrs. Berkeley?”

  Placing her finger on her chin she looked up as if the question required deep pondering, and then teased, “Hmmm. Let me think about it.”

  “All right then. Let me rephrase it. Let’s go dance.”

  “Hmmm. I don’t know. I think I’m pretty busy.”

  “Well, I want to dance and you just promised to obey me,” he declared with pretend seriousness.

  She placed her hand on her hip and looked confused. “Did I? I don’t remember that part.”

  “Well, I remember it. Let’s go.” He pulled her outside and as the first notes of the music began, he did his best to execute the complicated steps of the Virginia Reel. His beautiful face looked terribly serious, and she could see his lips moving while he counted, and it touched her heart to see him trying so hard to dance. Mrs. Marseille was right. He was quite hopeless…but positively adorable. When the dance finished, he let out a big sigh of relief and in front of everybody she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him as she gushed, “I love you. I love you so much it hurts.”

  With a twinkle in his eye, he asked, “Is it my dancing skills that has you so enthralled?”

  “Most definitely,” she proclaimed as she gazed up at him with a teasing smile.

  He looped her arm over his and pulled her away as he whispered, “Would you care for a stroll, Mrs. Berkeley?”

  “You like saying Mrs. Berkeley, don’t you.”

  “You have no idea.”

  “Well, as a matter of fact, I would care for a stroll. Where would you care to stroll me?”

  “Around the corner, where I can kiss my wife and no one will see.”

  “Oh, good. I was hoping you would say that. But wait right here for me. I want to get something first. I’ll be right back.” She dashed upstairs to her room and grabbed two presents she’d wrapped for him and then came back to find him patiently waiting for her. She grabbed his hand and pulled him over to a secluded part of the garden on the side of the house. “These are for you. They may seem like silly gifts, but they mean a great deal to me.”

  He took the first package from her and replied, “Well, if they mean a great deal to you, then I know they will mean a great deal to me as well.” He untied the bow and took the lid off the box and his face broke out in a wide smile. “Ahh. I haven’t seen this for over twenty years.” He took out the pretty little doll in a yellow dress and held it up next to Mercy. “Yes, I was right. The resemblance is uncanny.”

  “Yes, well, when you went to that toy store, you only wanted the horse, but now you have ended up with the horse and the doll.”

  “I like the doll. But I must say I like the real-life version even better.” He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and then unwrapped the paper of the next gift, and she suddenly said, “Stop.” He looked up at her with questioning eyes and she laughed. “Sorry. I just want to remember this moment forever. You look so beautiful standing under the cherry tree while the blossoms float down around you. I can smell the honeysuckle on the spring breeze and I can hear the lovely music from the orchestra. Every part of me is just bursting with joy and I want to remember right now, forever.” He gazed at her in appreciation for several moments and then continued to unwrap her gift. He stared at it and then his eyes lifted to hers “What is this?”

  “It’s a sampler I made of a lighthouse when I was eleven. The words are what the pastor spoke over me at my christening. Remember, I told you about those words before. Noah saw me making this sampler and said he liked the prayer and he hoped I fulfilled it.”

  He read the words she’d so carefully stitched, “May she be a lighthouse, an instrument of God’s love and mercy, a guiding beacon for others in the storms of life.” Overcome with emotion, he placed the little frame carefully on the bench and then brought her into his embrace. As he held her and stroked her back she spoke against his chest, “I wanted to give this to you, because we made a promise to each other that we would be lighthouses together. This prayer is now your prayer too. It’s our prayer together. I get to spend the rest of my life with you, and I could never put into words how happy that makes me. God has blessed me beyond measure with you.”

  Kissing her temple, he murmured, “Oh, Mercy, you don’t have to put it into words, because I know exactly how you feel. You are God’s priceless gift to me and I’ll cherish you forever. And thank you for my gifts. They mean more to me than you could know.” He pulled back and gave her his best charming smile that melted her every time. “So Mrs. Berkeley, I think I should like to give my wife a proper kiss now.”

  “Not too proper I hope.”

  He laughed and then held her face as he brought his lips to hers with such sweetness that at first it was an entirely proper kiss, but then the kiss deepened in intensity until she sighed and melted against his strong chest. She could feel him smile against her lips and she pulled away a bit and asked, “Why are you smiling?”

  While chuckling softly, he asked, “Do you think anyone would notice if we left early?”

  “I think they probably would.”

  He leaned back against the wall and rolled his head to the side. “I suppose if I waited three years for you, I can wait another hour or so.” When he lifted his head back up, he gave her a dazzling smile that made her weak in the knees. “Shall we pass the time dancing? I have moves you haven’t seen yet.” She burst out laughing and he kissed her again as a swift breeze swept through the trees and a flurry of cherry blossoms floated down upon them. Holding her tightly against him, he murmured against her lips, “I love you, Mercy Creed.”

  “Thank you. I love you too, but I’m Mercy Berkeley now.”

  “That you are.”

  With her arms still wrapped around his neck, she looked up at the soft pink and white blossoms swirling around them, as the birds serenaded them from the trees. “Oh, Addison,” she proclaimed, “This right now…this is beautiful.” Her eyes lowered to his, and she kissed his nose. “You are beautiful.” Taking in a deep breath, she let out an emotional sigh. “My life…my life is beautiful.”

  “I’m glad you think so Mrs. Berkeley.” His eyes glistened with love as he gazed at her. “I know we need to get back, but I think I want to give my wife one more improper kiss.”

  “Please do.” And he did.

  Understanding Mercy

  Epilogue

  February 1793

  Mercy looked up at the steeple of the Old North Church as the bells rang their melodious music across the city. She could hardly imagine one heart containing such happiness and smiled as snowflakes covered her face. Impulsively, she stuck her tongue out to taste one like she did when she was little.

  A deep laugh startled her and she turned to see Addison shaking his head in amusement. “What may I ask are you doing? You look quite silly standing out here with your tongue stuck up in the air.”

  She laughed. “I’m sure I do.” Taking a step to him, she reached out. “Can I hold Cassandra now?”

  “No. I just got her back from your father, and your mother had her before that, and she had to steal her from Daisy, and Daisy had to snatch her away from Barry. It’s my turn. Let’s get inside.”

  He put his arm around Mercy and led her through the doors of the church while he rubbed noses with his little baby. “Anyway, Cassandra, you like me best. Don’t you?” She let out a coo and he gave Mercy a proud look. “See. She agrees. She likes me best.”

 
“Unless she’s hungry,” she countered quickly.

  “That I must confess is true.”

  “But I must confess that she is definitely a Daddy’s girl.” His handsome face beamed, and she rested her head on his shoulder. It warmed her heart to see how proud Addison was of his baby.

  Their little copper haired beauty looked so tiny as her father’s big hands adjusted a bow at her neck. “I must say, Cassandra, you look just as pretty in this dress as your mommy did. I thought she was the prettiest baby I had ever seen…until I saw you.”

  Mercy wiped away a tear of that slipped down her cheek. “Addison, can you believe this day is here? For four years, I despaired of ever having a baby, and now here we are at her christening.”

  While nuzzling Cassandra’s little cheek, he murmured. “She was worth the wait.”