[Canadian West 02] - When Comes the Spring

by Janette Oke

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  Wynn arrived a little earlier than I had expected. I was still in my room making last-minute preparations, so it was Sarah who let him in. All afternoon she had been looking for people who would admire her doll all dressed up in the finery of her new hand-stitched dress, a shimmery pale blue. Wynn gave it a proper inspection and complimented the young seamstress on her fine work. Sarah beamed and deserted Wynn to wait on the steps for the return home of her father. She was most anxious to show him the new dress as well.

  Kathleen took over entertaining Wynn, regaling him with all our afternoon adventures. I'm sure Wynn must have been surprised that I had found time in my rushed schedule to spend a rather leisurely afternoon with my niece. All he had heard from me recently was about the plans and work and preparation and diligence I was giving to every detail of the coming wedding. Kathleen had succeeded in bringing me up short. People are more important than fussing over preparations. Whys I haven't even been good company for Wynn, I realized, looking back in humiliation over some of our last evenings spent together. Vell, I would change that. After all, a marriage was of far more importance than a wedding.

  I hummed to myself as I walked slowly to the parlor. I had intended to be in the parlor waiting for Wynn when he arrived, instead of entering rushed and harried after he had already come ... like I had done on so many previous evenings.

  Wynn was listening attentively to the chattering Katheen, and I couldn't help but smile at the homey picture they made.

  'An' after that, we went an' looked in the store windows-just for fun," explained Kathleen. 'An' then we took a ride on the streetcar just as far as it would go-just to see where it went-an' then we took it back all the way home again!" Kathleen waved her small hand to show Wynn just how far all the way home really was.

  Wynn smiled at the little girl. Clearly he was enjoying their conversation.

  "Was it fun?" he asked, not because he needed the answer but because he sensed Kathleen needed to be able to express it.

  "It was lots of fun!" exclaimed Kathleen. "We ate two kinds of ice cream. Even Aunt Beth ate two kinds. An' we brought home lemon drops for Sarah and William-Baby 'Lisbeth might choke on lemon drops," she explained seriously, so Wynn would understand why Baby 'Lisbeth had been left out. "Then we walked all the way up the hill, right from the bottom, 'stead of ridin' the streetcar-'cause Aunt Beth said she needed the ex'cise." She giggled. "To work off the ice cream," she added. "And we sang songs when we walked."

  It had been a fun day. I realized it even more as I listened to Kathleen share it with Wynn.

  "Next time will you take me, too?" Wynn asked seriously, and Kathleen nodded, suddenly feeling sorry that Wynn had missed out on so much.

  "Maybe we can go again tamora," she said thoughtfully. "I'll go ask Aunt Beth."

  Kathleen bounded from the couch to run to my room and then noticed me standing by the door. Wynn's eyes looked up, too. Surprise, then pleasure, showed on his face as he stood to his feet and held out a hand to me. Neither of us spoke, but I could read questions coming my way.

  "We had a wonderful day," I confirmed Kathleen's story.

  "You look like you've had a wonderful day," Wynn said, taking my hand and drawing me closer to him. "Your cheeks are glowing and your eyes are shining-even more beautifully than usual."

  I pulled back a little as Wynn tried to draw me close, thinking of the curious eyes of young Kathleen. Wynn must have read my thoughts.

  "Kathleen," he said, turning to the wee girl, "why don't you go out on the step and wait with Sarah for your daddy and William to come home. They'll want to hear all about your big day, too."

  Kathleen ran from the room, and Wynn smiled at me and pulled me close. I did not resist him. The strength of his arms about me and his gentle kiss reminded me again of how much I had missed really spending time with him during the previous distracting days. I would be so glad when the long weeks ahead had finally passed by and I would be Mrs. Wynn Delaney. Right now it seemed forever. I forgot about all I had to do in the next few weeks and thought instead of this man I loved.

  When he stopped kissing me, he whispered against my hair, "I love you, Elizabeth. Have I told you that?"

  I looked up at his face. His eyes were teasing, but his voice was serious.

  "Not often enough, or recently enough," I teased back.

  "I must remedy that," he said. "How about a walk in the moonlight tonight?"

  I laughed, thinking of how late the Alberta night would be before the moon was shining.

  "Well," I said, "I'd kind of like to hear it before that. You know it doesn't even start to get dark until after ten o'clock. That's an awful long time to wait."

  Wynn laughed too. "Let's not wait for the moon then," he agreed. "I'd still like to go for a walk."

  "We'll walk," I promised, "and just talk. We have so much to talk about, Wynn."

  "More wedding decisions?" He sounded almost apprehensive.

  "Not tonight. That can wait. Tonight we will talk-just about us. There is still much I want to know about the man I'm going to marry, you know."

  Wynn kissed me again.

  The sound of the front door told us that Jonathan had arrived home. He entered the house to encounter his two young daughters talking excitedly. Jonathan tried to listen to them both, attempting to share in the excitement and the enthusiasm they felt. And William had tales of his own he was bursting to tell. He had worked just like a man at his father's business and was making great plans for all the money he was sure to make over the summer.

  Mary joined the happy commotion in the hall and was greeted by her husband with a warm hug and a kiss. Jonathan did not agree with the tradition of parents hiding their affection from their children's seeing eyes.

  "Who needs to know more than they, that I love you?" he often told Mary; and the children grew up in a household where loving was an accepted and expected part of life.

  At the sound of the family moving our way, I drew back reluctantly from Wynn. Perhaps now wasn't quite the time for me to openly show my feeling for Wynn in front of Jonathan's children, though I knew it was not in the least hidden. How could I hide it, feeling as I did?

  The pleasant supper hour seemed to pass very quickly. All around the table was shared laughter and chatter. The children were allowed and even encouraged to be a part of it. Baby Elizabeth, who now insisted on feeding herself, was the reason for much of the merriment. Her intentions were good, but not all of the food got to its intended location. She ended up adorned with almost as much as she devoured. The children laughed, and Elizabeth put on even more of a show.

  Wynn enthusiastically entered into the gaiety of the evening. Now and then he reached beneath the damask white tablecloth to give my hand a gentle squeeze. From all outward appearances, he was his usual amenable self; but, for some reason, the meal had not progressed very far until I sensed that something about him was different. There seemed to be an underlying tension about him. I looked around the table to see if any of the others had noticed it. Jonathan and Wynn were talking about some of the new businesses that had recently been established in our very young city. They were pleased for the growth and what it meant to the residents of the town. Jonathan seemed to sense no difference in Wynn. My eyes passed on to Mary. Though busy with the struggling Elizabeth who was refusing her proffered help, Mary seemed to be her usual relaxed self. I decided that maybe I had imagined the undercurrent and concentrated on what was being said.

  But, no. I was sure it was there. The way Wynn looked at me, the way he pressed my hand at every given opportunity, the way he leaned slightly my way so his arm brushed against my shoulder-all sent unspoken little messages to me. I found myself anxious for the meal to end so I might be alone with this man I was to marry.

  I had no appetite for dessert. I begged off with the excuse that I had already eaten two cones of town ice cream with Kathleen. I sat there, impatiently twisting my coffee cup back and forth in my hands as I waited for t
he rest of the family to finish the meal. I had determined to be completely relaxed tonight-completely relaxed and a pleasant companion for Wynn. I had determined to push aside all of the plans and decisions concerning the coming wedding so I might concentrate only on him-and here I was, tensing up inside again. And for no reason I could explain.

  "Why dolt we take that walk?" I asked Wynn when the meal was finally over. I was rewarded with a broad smile.

  "Why, there is nothing I would rather do, Miss Thatcher," he teased. But I saw a certain seriousness in his eyes, and a funny little chill of fear went tingling through my body.

  We left the house and strolled, up the familiar street. We had not gone far when I turned impulsively to him and asked, "Would you mind very much if, instead of walking, we went for a drive? I'd love to drive up to where we could see the mountains."

  He smiled. "That's a wonderful idea," he agreed. "Perhaps we can stay and watch the sunset."

  The sun would not be setting for several hours. I smiled back at Wynn. It sounded good to me-all of that time to sit and talk.

  We walked back to the house and were about to enter Wynn's car, when he suggested, "Perhaps you should have a shawl or coat, Elizabeth. It may be cool before we get back. Can I get you one?"

  "I left a light coat in the back hall. It will do."

  Wynn helped me into the car and went for the coat. I imagined that while inside he also told Jon and Mary of our change of plans. When we were on our way, Wynn chatted easily. We left the city and drove up the familiar hill to the place we could look out at the mountains to the west. Still I could sense something, though I did not question him.

  When we reached the summit, we left the car and walked to a fallen log. It was a perfect spot from which to look out at the mountain grandeur before us. I sighed as I settled myself. In just about seven weeks' time, I would be visiting those mountains-visiting them as Mrs. Wynn Delaney. I wished instead that our wedding would be next week-no, I wished that it were tomorrow!

  Wynn sat down beside me and his arm pulled me close. He kissed me and then we fell into silence, both of us gazing out toward the mountains. His arm tightened. He must have been thinking of the coming honeymoon, too, for he broke into my thoughts with a question.

  "You aren't going to change your mind, are you, Elizabeth?"

  "Me?" I said, astonished.

  "Well, I wondered with all the work and preparations if you might decide that it wasn't worth it after all."

  I sighed again, but this time for a different reason. "I've been a bore, haven't I? All the talk and all the fretting and all the frustrations showing. I'm afraid I haven't been much fun to be with recently, but I-"

  Wynn stopped me with a gentle kiss. "I haven't been very supportive, have I?" he confessed. "The truth is, I would like to be, but I just don't know how. I had no idea that along with a wedding came so much planning and ... and ... frustration," he ended weakly. "I'm sometimes afraid it will all be too much for you and for Mary. You both look tired and pale."

  "Oh, Wynn," I almost wailed. "It's awfully silly. Today I saw just how silly. I'm going to talk to Mary tomorrow. We can do things much more simply. There is no need to wear oneself out before beginning life together. Why, if I put half as much effort into making a marriage work as I have put into trying to prepare for a wedding-"

  I left the sentence dangling. Wynn's arm tightened about me again.

  "Is that what is bothering you?" I finally asked.

  I felt the tension in Wynn's arm.

  "Did I say something was bothering me?" he asked.

  "No. You didn't say it," I said slowly, "but I could sense it somehow. I'm not sure just how, but-"

  Wynn stood up, drawing me with him. He looked deeply into my eyes.

  "I love you, Elizabeth," he said quietly. "I love you so very much. How foolish I was to ever think I could live without you."

  He pressed my head against his chest, and I could hear the low, steady beating of his heart.

  "There is something, isn't there?" I asked, without looking up, afraid of what I might find in Wynn's eyes.

  Wynn took a deep breath and lifted my chin so he might look into my eyes.

  "My posting came today."

  His posting! My mind raced. It must be a terrible place to make Wynn look so serious. Well, it didn't matter. I could take it. I could take anything as long as we were together.

  "It doesn't matter," I said evenly, willing him to believe me. "It doesn't matter, Wynn. Really. I don't mind where we go. I've told you that, and I really mean it. I can do it-really I can."

  He pulled me against him again and pressed his lips against my hair.

  "Oh, Elizabeth," he said, and his words were a soft moan. "It's not where, it's when," he continued.

  "When?" I pulled back and searched his face. "When? What do you mean?"

  "I'm to be at my new post by the first of August."

  My head refused to put everything into focus. I tried hard to get it all to make sense, but for some reason nothing seemed to fit.

  "But you can't," I stammered. "Our wedding isn't until September the tenth."

  "But I must. When one is sent, one goes."

  "But did you tell them?"

  "Certainly."

  "Can't they change it? I mean-"

  "No, Elizabeth, they expect me to do the changing."

  "But where are you posted? Is it up north as you had hoped?"

  "Yes, it's up north."

  `But that's such a long way to travel to come back for the wedding. It really doesn't make sense to ... It would be such a long trip back and forth and would waste so much of your time-"

  "Elizabeth," said Wynn gently. "The Police Force does not allow men to come out of the North until their tour of duty is finished."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I mean that once I go to my posting, I will be there-probably for three or four years without returning. It depends on-"

  But I cut in, my eyes wide and questioning. "What are you saying?"

  "I'm saying that there can't be a September wedding."

  I felt the strength leave my body. I was glad Wynn was holding me-I'm afraid I could not have stood on my own. For a moment I was dazed, and then my foggy brain began to work again. No September wedding. The Police Force would not let Wynn travel back from the north country once he had set up residence there. Wynn was to be at his posting in only two short weeks. That didn't leave much time.

  I willed the strength back into my legs and lifted my head to look at Wynn again. I had never seen his face so full of anguish.

  "How long does it take to get there?"

  He looked confused at my question, but he answered, "They said to allow six days for travel."

  "Six days," I mused. "That leaves us only nine."

  Wynn looked puzzled. "Nine?"

  "My folks can be here in three or four days," I hurried on. "By then I should have my dress ready. That will make it about right for a Saturday wedding. That leaves us four days in the mountains and one day to pack to get ready to go. Can we do it, Wynn?"

  Wynn was dumbstruck.

  "Can we do it?" I repeated. "Can we pack in a day?"

  "Oh, Elizabeth," Wynn said, crushing me against him. "Would you-would you-?"

  I moved back and looked deeply into Wynn's eyes. The tears were burning my own.

  "I couldn't let you go without me, Wynn. I couldn't," I stammered. "The wedding might not be just as we planned, but it's the marriage that counts. And we will have our family and friends there. It will still be beautiful."

  There were tears in Wynn's eyes as he kissed me. I finally pulled away and looked out at the mountains. So it wouldn't be seven weeks before I would be visiting there as Mrs. Wynn Delaney. It would be less than a week. It seemed unreal, almost heady. Wynn must have thought so, too. "Bless the Police Force," he murmured in almost a whisper.

  "Bless the Police Force?" I repeated, wondering at his sudden change of emotion.

 
He grinned at me.

  "September always seemed such a long, long ways off."

  I gave him a playful push, though the color rose in my cheeks. I could feel the glow. "Well, September might have been an awful long ways off," I agreed, "but this Saturday is awfully close. We have so much to do, Wynn, that it's absolutely frightening."

  I suddenly realized the full impact of the statement I had just made.

  "We'd better get back to Mary. My, she will be just frantic."

  "Hold it," said Wynn, not letting me go. "Didn't you promise me this whole evening?"

  "But that was before I knew that-"

  Wynn stopped me. "Okay," he said, "I won't hold you to your original promise. I will admit that things have changed somewhat in the last five minutes. However, I am going to insist on at least half an hour of your undivided attention. Then we will go to the house and Mary."

  I smiled at him and settled back into his arms.

  "I think I'd like that," I answered shyly.

  THREE

  CSfe~~ec~Vp 9ins

  The house was full of commotion in the next few days. Mary seemed to be running in every direction at once. Surprisingly, it was I, Elizabeth, who took things rather calmly-I who had always dreamed of the perfect wedding. I who had pictured myself many times coming down the aisle of a large stained-glass cathedral on the arms of my father, the altar banded with delicate bouquets of orange blossoms or gardenias, my exquisite arrangement of orchids trailing from my satincovered arm. I had envisioned masses of attendants with shimmering gowns designed by the best seamstress in England or Paris. I had listened wistfiilly to strains from the magnificent pipes of the organ, as the wedding march was played.

  And now I was to be married in a very simple, tiny, roughconstructed church. There would be no stained-glass windows to let in the summer light. There would be no magnificent sounds from the throat of a pipe organ. There would be few attendants, and their gowns would be unnoteworthy by the fashion world's standards. And yet it would be sheer heaven, for I would be standing at the altar with the man I loved. That was all that mattered, I suddenly realized. And so it was I who slowed Mary down and calmed her with words of assurance that everything would be just lovely. Everything would be just right.