by Lily Wilspur
“She’s in the kitchen with the rest of them,” Adelaide replied. “Can’t I help you do whatever you need to do?”
“You can help me do my hair,” Kathy told her. She stood back from the door and Adelaide bustle in. “I don’t think you’ll be strong enough to tighten my corset. We’ll leave that for your mother. But there’s plenty more to do.”
Kathy got out her whalebone comb and hair pins from the trunk. She sat down on a chair by the window. “Here. You can comb my hair.”
Adelaide fell to the task with religious reverence. She drew the comb slowly and delicately over Kathy’s scalp and down to the ends of her long sandy hair.
“You’re doing a very good job,” Kathy remarked.
“Mama lets me comb her hair sometimes,” Adelaide told her.
“That’s nice,” Kathy replied. “It must be a nice time for you both to spend together.”
“She doesn’t let me do it very often,” Adelaide explained. “She’s usually in a hurry and wants to get it done before chores in the morning. But sometimes she lets me.”
“I envy your mother, having a daughter like you,” Kathy told her. “It’s not every woman who has a special closeness with her daughter the way your mother has with you.”
“I do everything with Mama.” Adelaide passed the comb down the back of Kathy’s head. “I help her with all the chores, and she teaches me how to do everything. She taught me how to spin and knit, and now she lets me put the wood in the fire. She says after the wedding, she’s going to teach me how to make soap. I’ve been working on her forever to teach me, but she says it’s too dangerous.”
“I should think so,” Kathy exclaimed. “How old are you?”
“I’m nine” Adelaide replied. “I just had my birthday after Easter.”
“And how many brothers and sisters do you have?” Kathy asked.
“I don’t have any brothers or sisters,” Adelaide told her. “It’s just me and Mama and Papa. Oh, and Uncle Luke, of course.”
“What?” Kathy cried. “Nine years old and no brothers or sisters? Why not?”
“I don’t know,” Adelaide replied. “I guess Mama and Papa never had any more. I don’t know why.” She thought about it. “Maybe they didn’t want any more. Maybe one was enough.”
“I find that hard to believe,” Kathy remarked.
Chapter 4
Adelaide continued on in a vein of her own. “But Mama says that, now that you are coming to live on the farm, we might not see as much of Uncle Luke as we used to. She says we have to understand if he starts spending his time at home instead of up at the house with us.”
“Is that what she says?” Kathy asked.
“Yes,” Adelaide answered. “She told me I shouldn’t just drop in on Uncle Luke’s house the way I usually do. She says I shouldn’t go there unless I’m invited.”
“Hmm,” Kathy replied. “Well, I hope that you’ll keep seeing a lot of your Uncle Luke, the same way you always have in the past. I hope that, after I get settled in a little bit, you can come over whenever you want.”
“That’s nice of you to say so,” Adelaide returned. “But I don’t think Mama would like it if I did.”
“We’ll just see how it goes, okay?” Kathy suggested. “We have a long time to figure out what works the best for everyone. I wouldn’t want to do anything your Mama wouldn’t approve of.”
“Me, either,” Adelaide replied.
“I think my hair’s done,” Kathy stood up and smoothed out her hair. It fell away soft and smooth under her hand. She pulled her looking glass out of her trunk. “Now, if you will hold this glass while I put my hair up, I would appreciate it.”
Adelaide held the looking glass up for her as she wound her hair into coils and arranged them around her head. She just finished pinning the last strand in place when a gentle rap knocked at the door.
“That’ll be Mama,” Adelaide exclaimed. She opened the door and Annabel came in.
“I hope you’re not making a nuisance of yourself, Adelaide,” Annabel murmured.
“Not at all,” Kathy put in. “She was just helping me do my hair. But I’m glad you’re here. Could you help me with my corset now?”
“Certainly.” Annabel took hold of Kathy’s laces and tugged them tight. Kathy held onto the corner of the bed rail and sucked in her ribs.
“I think that’s as good as it’s going to get,” Annabel brushed the back of her wrist across her forehead.
“Now I’ll just put my dress on,” Kathy told them. “Would you please button me up?”
“Of course,” returned Annabel.
Kathy put on her white shoes and buttoned them up. Then she put on her jewelry.
“Now, Adelaide,” Kathy said at last. “I need your help to put on my veil.” She took it out of the trunk and held it up in front of the girl. “You see this flower here? Underneath are two hairpins that go into my hair—right here. Do you see?”
Adelaide nodded and held out her hands for the veil. Her eyes stared out of her head like two saucers, so entranced was she with the office of veiling the bride. Kathy turned her back on Adelaide and sank down a little bit in front of her.
“Now, put the pins into my hair.” Adelaide slid the pins into place, and Kathy checked her appearance in the looking glass. “That’s very good. I think I’m ready.”
Annabel held up her hand. “Just wait here a moment. I’ll run over to the church and make sure Max and Luke are ready for you.”
“All right,” Kathy replied.
Annabel closed the door after her, leaving Kathy and Adelaide alone again. Kathy smiled at the girl, unsure how to engage her. But Adelaide had other ideas. “You’re still going to let me carry your train, aren’t you?”
Kathy grinned. “Of course. After the wonderful job you did helping me get ready, I wouldn’t think of letting anyone else help me but you.”
Adelaide blushed to the roots of her straw-blonde hair and smiled down at her shoes. Just then, Annabel came back, panting. “They’re ready for you. Let’s go.”
“Wait a minute,” Kathy replied. “I need you to put my veil over my head.”
“Oh, right.” Annabel stood in front of Kathy. She stood several inches taller than Kathy, so she could reach over her head without much effort. She brought the veil forward, making sure not to disturb Kathy’s hair.
But just as she prepared to draw the veil over Kathy’s face, she paused and looked intently into Kathy’s eyes. Kathy noticed the trace of a tear in Annabel’s eyes.
Annabel sniffed. “You look absolutely beautiful. You’re going to make a sensation when you get to the church. I know Luke will think you’re absolutely breath-taking.”
“Thank you,” Kathy breathed. “Thank you for all your help, and for going to such trouble to make me welcome.” Her voice cracked with emotion. “I can’t tell you how important it is to me to find kind people who opened their hearts and their lives to me. I was so worried about what I would find here…” She trailed off.
But Annabel understood her perfectly. “I can’t imagine how you managed to leave your home to travel all this way to marry a stranger. I never could have done it. It must have taken incredible courage. But I’m so delighted that you did come. I know we’re going to be like sisters to each other.”
“Me, too.” Kathy couldn’t keep her tears from welling up in her eyes and overflowing onto her cheeks. Thank goodness, she would have the veil over her face so no one would see her puffy, red eyes.
“Ever since Luke told us he was getting a mail-order bride,” Annabel continued, “I’ve dreamed about the woman who would come out here to marry him. I knew I would be closer to whoever came than my own sisters, because we’re married to two brothers and we’ll live together on the same farm. We’ll be in and out of each other’s lives all the time.”
“I’m so happy to be your sister,” Kathy sobbed. “I’m so relieved that you’re happy to have me.”
“I just want you to know,” Annabel told her. “Tha
t you are everything I dreamed of in a sister-in-law. You are as kind and thoughtful and caring and gentle as I ever hoped you would be. I’ve seen the way you treat Adelaide, and I’m so glad you’ve come to live with us. I know you’re going to make Luke a wonderful wife. I know you two are going to be happy together.”
“Oh, thank you!” Kathy exclaimed. “Thank you so much! I feel exactly the same way about you, and I hope we can be in and out of each other’s lives for many years to come. I hope I can be as helpful to you as I know you’re going to be to me. I’m so thankful that I’ll have you to help me when my time comes to have children, and I hope I can help you when you have your next child.”
Annabel stared at her, and the tears flowed out of her eyes. “I know you’re trying to be kind, but you might as well know now that I can’t have any more children.”
Chapter 5
Kathy’s eyes flew open. “What? Why not? Surely you’re not too old. You can’t be much older than me.”
“No, it isn’t that,” Annabel replied. “I just can’t. Max and I—we’ve tried, but it’s no good. We just can’t. I had a little boy about a year after Adelaide was born, but he died within a month of being born.”
Adelaide had been listening to their conversation from behind Kathy. “What?” she cried. “You never told me that.”
“I never told you.” Annabel sniffed. “And you were too young to remember.”
“Why didn’t you tell me I had a brother?” Adelaide asked.
“I guess it was just too painful.” Annabel wiped her cheeks with her fingers, but her tears kept falling. “After he was gone, it was just easier to stop talking about it.” She turned back to Kathy. “We tried for years to have another child, but it never worked.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Kathy wailed. “I am so insensitive. I never should have mentioned it.”
“You couldn’t have known.” Annabel took Kathy’s hand. “Please don’t blame yourself. You had to find out sooner or later, and at least now you won’t stick your foot in your mouth by saying something in front of the boys.”
“But surely Luke knows,” Kathy exclaimed. “He must know about your son dying.”
“He knows about that,” Annabel agreed. “But we’ve never talked to him about not being able to have another child. For all I know, he thinks we didn’t want any more, when we did.”
“But will it be too painful for you when Luke and I start having children?” Kathy asked. “I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“Not at all,” Annabel replied. “That’s one of the reasons Max and I have been so happy about Luke getting married. He’s been like a second father to Adelaide, and Max and I would love to have your children in our lives. We would love them just as if they were our own. It will make up for not having any of our own. And they can be the brothers and sisters Adelaide never had. I know she’d like to have other children around.”
The two women clasped each other by the hand. Kathy smiled through her tears. “That sounds wonderful. I’m so happy to find you here. Let’s agree to always be sisters to each other, no matter what.”
“Absolutely,” Annabel agreed. “Always.”
Kathy threw her arms around Annabel’s neck, and they cried through their embrace. Annabel finally pushed her back. “Now, come on. Everyone’s waiting for us over at the church. Dry your eyes. Do you have a handkerchief? Good. Then I’ll put your veil down.”
Kathy dabbed her eyes and nose with the handkerchief she kept tucked into the sleeve of her dress.
“There, now,” Annabel declared. “Here we go.” She took hold of the corners of the veil and lowered it carefully into place. Then she stood back and surveyed the bride. “Perfect.”
Kathy turned to Adelaide. “Gather up my train, Adelaide. Help me get across the yard to the church.”
Adelaide blinked her big eyes and silently obeyed. She gathered the folds of rustling fabric in her arms.
Annabel started toward the door, but Kathy grasped her by the hand. “Hold my hand.”
Annabel smiled and clasped Kathy’s hand. Then she led her down the stairs with Adelaide on her heels. The kitchen stood empty and silent. All the women were in the church. Annabel guided Kathy across Mary’s yard, up the steps of the church, and through the door.
As soon as the door opened, everyone inside swiveled around to look at Kathy. Her breath caught in her throat, and she crushed Annabel’s hand in her own. She wouldn’t let go of that reassuring hand for all the gold in California.
Up at the front of the church, Luke stood in front of the altar, staring at her. Max stood a few steps behind him with a twinkle in his eyes. They wore identical black suits, which made them look even more alike than ever, except that Luke looked stunned while Max looked amused. The congregation sighed at the sight of her, and women’s voices commented on her dress and on her beauty.
Kathy couldn’t take her eyes off Luke. Was she really going to marry this man? Was she really going to spend the rest of her life with him? And not only him, but with his brother and his brother’s wife and their daughter? She hadn’t realized when she agreed to marry him that she was marrying his whole family, too.
But the idea didn’t disturb her the way she thought it ought to. As she told Annabel, she couldn’t be more relieved that she wasn’t facing her new marriage alone. She would hate to live alone with a new husband she only met for the first time at the altar, hundreds of miles from the nearest road. And to think some mail-order brides did exactly that!
All of a sudden, Kathy realized she was halfway down the aisle. She squeezed Annabel’s hand again. At least Annabel was still there for her to hold onto. Was she really walking down the aisle? Yes, Luke was definitely getting closer.
And here he was. Annabel pried her fingers apart, and Luke’s warm, heavy hand took her place. They turned toward the altar. The minister gave his speeches and his readings from the Bible. Then he started the service.
Kathy felt the tears wetting her cheeks again, and she sought out Luke’s face through her veil. To her surprise, she found him watching her. What was he thinking about? Did he think she was sobbing from sadness to be marrying him? Did he think she would regret her decision?
Kathy fixed her eyes on him. She’d never been more determined to do anything in her life, especially now that she knew his family. She would take her place in this family and make them proud of her. She would give them all children, and they would all enjoy watching her children grow up. She would be the conduit through which the family blossomed and grew into the next generation.
Chapter 6
The minister asked if anyone objected to the marriage, and an awkward murmur swept around the church. No one said anything, and the murmur rose to a giggle. The minister interrupted the giggling, enjoining the bride and groom to take their vows seriously, and he threatened them with hell-fire and other unpleasant consequences if they didn’t.
The congregation responded with laughter. Max laughed the loudest of all. He practically brayed in the minister’s face. The minister hastened to complete the formalities. He first asked Luke if he took this woman, Katherine, as his lawful wedded wife, and other questions Kathy didn’t hear. She did hear Luke say, “I do,” loud and clear over the fidgeting and whispering of the congregation.
She also heard the minister address her. “Do you, Katherine, take this man, Luke, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love, honor, and obey him, to have him and to hold him, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”
Kathy swallowed. “I do,” she replied.
She didn’t hear the rest of the minister’s remarks until he said, “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Now Luke would see her face puffed up like she’d been stung by a nest full of hornets. Quite likely, he would think she’d contracted some dread disease between Mary’s house and the church. He wouldn’t want to kiss her with her eyes swollen shut and her nose leaking like a faucet.
&n
bsp; He drew back her veil and their eyes met. But instead of shrinking back in horror, he smiled at her with the same twinkling eyes his brother had. Kathy smiled through her tears. She and Luke shared a mischievous chuckle. Then Luke passed his arm around her waist and pulled her in tight against his chest.
Kathy sucked in her breath in astonishment at his boldness, but she didn’t have time to react. Luke leaned in and planted a kiss on her lips. For all his shy hesitation at the train station, when Max seemed to dominate him and practically force him to face his bride, Luke took possession of her now.
Kathy felt his lips press against hers, and her body melted against his. He held her close just long enough to feel her yield to his embrace. Then he pulled away with a loud smack of his lips.
The congregation erupted in laughter. Kathy gaped at Luke, but he only chuckled at his own antics. Kathy glanced around, but she only saw Annabel, Max, and the whole congregation laughing. Annabel wiped tears from her eyes and stepped up to Kathy.
“Don’t worry,” she told Kathy. “We aren’t laughing at you.” She broke into uproarious laughter again. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t laugh. It’s just that we’re all so happy. I’m sorry.” She tried unsuccessfully to quell her laughter, but only wound up laughing harder.
The minister raised his voice and shouted over the din. “Let us leave now in joy and love, to serve our fellow men.”
This statement apparently freed the congregation to leave the church. Luke took Kathy by the hand and conducted her back up the aisle to the door of the church. The congregation exploded into the aisle behind them, talking and laughing, and burst into the sunshine outside.
Somewhere at the far end of the aisle, Kathy became aware of Adelaide running after them. She caught up to them and hastened to lift Kathy’s train. She carried it back across the yard to Mary’s house. She followed Kathy and Luke upstairs to the same room, where she dropped the train on the floor.
“Thank you, Adelaide,” Luke said.
Adelaide stared back and forth between the bride and the groom.