by Ginny Dye
“Me too,” Janie chimed in. “We will let nothing stop us from moving forward.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Carrie tapped lightly on Abby’s door, her heart bursting with excitement. She saw a mirror of her joy when Abby opened the door. “It’s finally here! You’re getting married.”
Abby grinned, her gray eyes dancing. “Having you excited about it gives me as much joy as the wedding itself,” she confided. “I can’t tell you how long I’ve dreamed of having a daughter. I’ve thought of you as one since the first summer we were together. To have it become official is almost more than I can absorb.” She took hold of Carrie’s hands. “I hope you know I’ll do everything I can to make your father happy. I never dreamed I would love another man, but I discover that my love for him just keeps growing every day. Your father is quite extraordinary.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Carrie replied. She started to say something else but stopped.
Abby looked at her closely and pulled her down beside her on the bed. “What is it?” she asked quietly.
“Your wedding day is hardly a time to ask the question that popped in my mind,” Carrie protested. “I’m confident you’ve already thought about it. We can talk another time.”
Abby gazed at her and smiled. “You read the women’s rights journal that Jeremy brought back yesterday.”
Carrie sighed. “Yes,” she admitted.
“And you’re wondering if I’m crazy to give your father control over all my assets.”
“I definitely don’t think you’re crazy,” Carrie protested. “I know my father, but…” She struggled to pull her thoughts together. They had been rampaging in her head ever since she had read the article.
“You didn’t know that under law every penny you make and any control of property actually belongs to Robert since you’re married,” Abby guessed.
Carrie shook her head. “I’d never thought about it.”
“Does it bother you?”
Carrie fought to think clearly. “It’s not that I don’t trust Robert,” she said slowly. “It’s just that I don’t believe anyone has the right to decide what I can or cannot do with what I have worked to create.”
“Go on,” Abby encouraged.
“Clifford saw Janie as property. He believed he could do anything he wanted with her.”
“And legally he was right,” Abby observed.
“Which makes the laws completely wrong,” Carrie said angrily. “They must be changed.”
“Agreed,” Abby said calmly.
Carrie stared at her. “Which brings me back to—”
“Your father and I.”
Carrie nodded. “Aren’t you afraid?”
Abby smiled and squeezed her hand. “As I said before, your father is an extraordinary man. We talked at length about my assets and holdings. He was a little put off that he was marrying such a wealthy woman, especially when he is struggling to re-establish his own wealth. And I wasn’t willing to relinquish control of what I have worked so hard for.”
“How did y’all resolve it?” Carrie asked breathlessly.
“All my properties and income have been put into a trust in my name,” Abby explained. “The laws have already changed a lot about a wife’s rights to property, but they still have a ways to go. In the meantime, women have to be smart. If they choose a husband well, like I have, the husband will be smart too!”
“So the trust protects you?”
“Mostly,” Abby admitted. “While the assets remain in my name, the law says your father has control over everything as long as he is alive.”
“Oh.”
Abby smiled. “It goes back to making a good choice. Your father and I talked about it. I’ve never once thought he was after control of my assets, but just to make me feel comfortable, he created a document relinquishing his right to any control. The only exception will be the factory because we are going to build and run it together as true partners.”
“Marriage can be complicated,” Carrie said with a frown.
“That it can,” Abby agreed, chuckling.
“Yet you’re willing to do it.”
Abby nodded thoughtfully. “Marriage is a risk. Any kind of relationship or partnership is a risk. You make the best decision you can and then you live with the consequences. I believe it’s a balancing act. I treasure my independence as a single woman, but I also missed the joys and fulfillment that comes from sharing my life with someone I love deeply. I have found those again with your father. I have taken steps to be wise, but I won’t let my fears keep me from living a life filled with love.”
Carrie smiled. “And my father is the luckiest man in the world because he’s getting a woman who is loving, beautiful, and brilliant.” She would think later about fighting for women’s rights. Today she was going to focus on making Abby’s day perfect.
She stood and moved over to where Abby’s dress was hanging on the door. “It’s lovely,” she breathed as she ran a hand down the light yellow dress trimmed in cream satin. “Can I help you get ready?”
“I would love that,” Abby said eagerly.
Carrie moved toward the door. “I brought assistants.” She opened the door to reveal Rose and Janie waiting outside. “I’m hopeless with hair, but Rose is a magician.”
“And I just don’t want to miss any of the excitement,” Janie laughed.
“Oh, Janie,” Abby murmured. “This must be so hard.”
“Not at all,” Janie said firmly. “It gives me hope. You have found true love twice. It helps me believe that I may someday find a man worthy of me,” she said smugly.
Abby laughed. “You have come a long way.”
Janie nodded, suddenly somber. “I know better than to think all the pain and regret will go away so quickly, but that doesn’t mean I can’t celebrate love when I see it.” She waved her hand toward the chair in front of the oak armoire with a massive mirror. “It’s time to let Rose do her magic.”
Abby smiled and seated herself. “No woman ever had a more perfect wedding party,” she said softly. “I am all yours, Rose.”
One hour later, after much talk and laughter, Abby was ready. She had tears in her eyes when she gazed at herself in the mirror. “Oh my…”
“You are absolutely beautiful,” Janie said with awe.
Abby stared at herself. The yellow dress hugged her slim figure, illuminating the golden glow the sun had given her in the last weeks and making her gray eyes seem even bigger. Her soft brown hair was pulled up into a loose bun on top of her head. Loose tendrils curled lightly around her face, but she knew it was the look of sheer joy that made her beautiful. “I do believe you’re right,” she whispered, almost stunned with the sheer delight shining from her eyes. “I never believed I would feel this way again.”
“The day is only going to get better,” Carrie proclaimed. “While we’ve been up here, everyone else has been downstairs getting everything ready.”
“I do believe I remember saying that things should be simple,” Abby protested.
“Yes, I remember that too,” Carrie agreed calmly. “I also seem to remember saying I would do it my way. You are marrying my father, the least I can do is attempt to make it the most special day of your life.”
Tears filled Abby’s eyes. “I didn’t really have a wedding with George,” she admitted. “My family was appalled I was marrying a Northerner, so they ignored the whole marriage. He didn’t have family and I hadn’t made many friends yet, so it was rather a solitary event.”
Carrie wrapped her arm around her waist. “Not this time!” she declared joyfully. “You’re going to be surrounded by people who love you. I know if we were in Philadelphia the church would be overflowing with people, but hundreds of people couldn’t equal the love all of us feel for you.
A light tap sounded at the door. “Everything is ready,” Jeremy called.
Carrie turned to Abby. “I believe that is our cue.”
Rose and Janie both kissed Abby on
the cheek and promised they would see her downstairs.
Abby turned to Carrie. “Since you seem to be in control of this wonderful day, I am yours to command.”
“Could you repeat that, please?” Carrie teased. “It may be the only time I hear you say it.”
Abby laughed and then twirled in front of the mirror. “I feel like a girl again,” she said, her eyes shining brightly. “Please take me to your father. I don’t believe I can wait another minute.”
Carrie grinned, took her hand, and led her to the top of the stairs. As soon as they appeared, Janie began to play the piano softly.
Matthew, who had been waiting in the alcove at the top of the stairs, stepped up to Abby’s side. “It would be my great honor to give you away, Mrs. Livingston,” he said gravely, his eyes twinkling with fun.
Abby smiled and reached up to kiss him on the cheek. “I can’t think of anyone more perfect.”
Carrie squeezed her hand. “I’ll see you downstairs.” She turned and ran down the stairs, smiling with delight when she saw what everyone had done to the parlor. There was hardly a spot that wasn’t full of vases of fresh-cut flowers. Greenery hung over all the doorframes and windows, and fresh air blew in, turning the parlor into a fragrant fantasy.
“You’ve outdone yourself, daughter.”
Carrie whirled around and stared at her father, resplendent in a dark gray suit. His face was tanned and relaxed, his eyes dancing with pleasure. “Father! You look magnificent.”
“I’m glad you approve,” Thomas replied. “Thank you for making this day so special. Everything looks wonderful.”
Carrie smiled. “Nothing but the best for my father and his wonderful new bride whom I adore as much as I do you.”
“I know,” Thomas said softly. A sudden shadow flitted through his eyes.
Carrie tucked her hand in his arm. “Mother would approve,” she said quietly. “She loved you so much. I know she would want you to be happy. And,” she added before Thomas could respond, “I believe she knows you will always love her. She knows you’re moving into a new season of life, but you will always treasure the one that came before.”
Thomas took a deep breath. “How could I ever deserve such a wise and loving daughter?”
Carrie laughed and kissed his cheek. “You forgot brilliant and talented,” she teased. She took his hand and led him to the front of the room, nodding at the minister who was waiting in the doorway. When everyone was situated, she nodded at Janie again to switch the music — the sign for Matthew to lead Abby down the stairway. Then she took her seat beside Robert.
“Everything is perfect,” Robert whispered.
Carrie’s heart felt like it would explode with joy when she looked into Robert’s vibrant eyes. He wasn’t back to full strength yet, but he was spending hours in the barn every day and had begun to ride again. He had put on weight and the lines on his face were growing dimmer every day. The white pallor of his illness had been replaced with a healthy tan. She knew that by fall he would look like the man she had married.
A murmur in the room made her swing her eyes to the stairway, but she looked away to watch her father, her heart singing when she saw his eyes blaze with love and wonder. His eyes were locked on Abby as she floated down the stairs. Carrie knew everyone else had ceased to exist for him.
Abby held his eyes as she walked into the parlor on Matthew’s arm and took her place beside him.
******
When the day had dawned clear and with little humidity — a rare treat on a Virginia July day — Carrie moved the feast and dancing to the backyard to take advantage of the breeze and cooler temperatures. Little tables with white tablecloths were scattered around the yard. While the parlor wouldn’t hold everyone on the plantation for the wedding, everyone was invited to the reception.
The yard rang with laughter and the squeals of children. All the men’s families had arrived from the contraband camps in the last couple weeks. They had insisted on providing the music for the event. A joyous mix of black spirituals and modern music spilled from their fiddles, banjos, and harmonicas.
The food was a sight to behold. Annie and Polly had been cooking for days, aided by many of the new women on the plantation. Long buffet tables placed under the trees groaned under the load of the piles of food that grew with every trip to the kitchen.
Lush gardens had provided huge platters of fresh vegetables. There were plates of fried chicken and Virginia ham surrounded by serving dishes full of deviled eggs, and steaming biscuits wrapped carefully in towels to keep them moist. Churns full of butter rested beside mountains of cornbread, and pies and cakes of every imaginable kind tempted anyone who came near.
The afternoon and evening passed in a haze of dancing, laughter, talking, and never-ending games of chase. Jeremy had ordered in several sets of croquet, a new craze up north since 1860.
Carrie grinned at Matthew as she hit his ball out of bounds and then promptly put hers through the wicket. “I do believe I like this game,” she said innocently.
“Show off,” Matthew muttered, his eyes bright with laughter.
“Perhaps you should play with one of the children,” Carrie suggested. “You might have a better chance of winning.”
Matthew laughed loudly. “We’ll see. The day is still young. Have you never heard that pride goeth before a fall?”
Carrie grinned impishly as she struck her ball smartly through another wicket. “I don’t seem to be the one falling.”
Jeremy left the dancing and walked over to join them. “Is she beating you too?”
“So I’m not the only male here to have my pride knocked around?” Matthew asked.
“Afraid not,” Jeremy assured him. “No one has beaten her yet.”
“That’s only because she hasn’t played me,” Robert said as he joined them. “Carrie has a fierce competitive streak, but it’s time for her to go down.”
Carrie merely smiled and handed him a mallet. “Give it your best shot, Captain Borden. I will be happy to add you to my list of those I have vanquished.”
“We’ll see, Mrs. Borden…We’ll see.”
“Good luck, old man,” Matthew said with a chuckle. “She obviously never learned the lesson that proper women are supposed to let men win.”
“And on that note, it’s time for me to assure all of you that I have not the faintest desire to be a proper woman,” Carrie tossed over her shoulder as she hit her ball out of the double wickets to start a new game. “Win on your own merits, or prepare to be vanquished.”
“Proper women are so boring,” Robert said blithely, “but I warn you I play to win.”
“That’s what they all said,” Carrie said loftily, her eyes dancing with fun.
******
All the families had drifted back down to their cabins. The tables were empty of food and all the musical instruments had been put away. The sun had set, kissing the sky with a haze of gold and purple that seemed a fitting end to such a magical day.
Carrie and Rose sank down into the rockers on the porch and closed their eyes.
Janie walked out onto the porch. “Are your eyes closed from contentment or exhaustion?”
Carrie cracked one open and managed a smile. “A little of both.”
“Speak for yourself,” Rose said. “It’s a lot of both.”
Carrie cocked her head and nodded. “She’s right.” She waved a hand at another rocking chair. “Join us. It’s perfectly okay if you want to groan at some point.”
Janie smiled and joined them. “It was an absolutely perfect day. Your father and Abby looked so happy and so much in love.”
Carrie forgot her fatigue for a moment as she smiled. “Yes, they did. Every aching muscle was completely worth it.”
“Oh please,” Rose replied, opening one eye to peer at her. “Your muscles are aching because you spent the whole afternoon dancing and defending your title as the queen of croquet.”
“That’s true,” Carrie said, satisfaction ringi
ng in her voice. “I love to dance and I love to win. It was definitely a perfect day.”
“You didn’t even let your husband win!” Janie said with mock dismay.
“I’ll take her on my own when I’m stronger. She won’t hold her title for long.”
The women gasped and began to giggle as Robert’s voice drifted down from the window over the porch. They looked up to see him staring down at them, a wide grin on his face.
“Do women always gloat over their victories?” he asked, curiosity shining in his eyes.
“These women do,” Moses answered as he strolled out onto the porch. “They have joined together to spurn every proper way to protect a man’s pride. I’m not sure what happened because I’m sure Sarah taught Rose the right way to treat her husband.”
“Hmm…” Robert said thoughtfully. “I’m quite sure Carrie’s mother taught her. In fact, I’m rather certain it was her goal in life.”
“That she failed at quite miserably,” Carrie said playfully.
“And my mama never told me to be less than I am,” Rose added. “If I happen to be better than a man at something, they’re going to have to get used to it.”
“Amen!” Janie agreed.
Moses looked up at Robert and shrugged his shoulders. “Do you see what I mean? We don’t stand a chance.”
Robert grinned. “Good thing we both like strong-willed, obstinate women.”
Carrie suddenly felt like crying. She couldn’t believe Robert and Moses were bantering like two old friends. She had seen them together many times since they had talked about their father’s deaths, but she hadn’t realized their relationship had evolved into such an easy friendship. When Rose reached over and squeezed her hand, Carrie knew she was thinking the same thing.
Moses settled down on the stairs, his back against the railing. Matthew and Jeremy wandered out to join them. Robert was close behind.
Silence fell on the group as all of them allowed the night air to wash over them.
“Has it really only been three months since the war ended?” Carrie asked, breaking the silence. “It seemed like it would last forever, but now that it’s over, it seems like it was so long ago.”