A Daughter's Quest (21 page)

Things couldn’t have worked any better for Hans. Mrs. Barker had returned with the news that Selena was hoping to return to work right away, so he and Jackson moved Constance to the parsonage on Monday. He had been spending every evening over there for two weeks.

Constance cooked wonderful meals, and he ate with them. He hoped Mrs. Barker wasn’t disappointed to lose one of her regulars for supper. Tonight Constance promised fried chicken. His mouth watered just thinking about the crunchy goodness. Her mashed potatoes and cream gravy were the best he had ever tasted.

Tonight would be special. Just that morning, Hans had heard from the tax collector that everything was in order.

He now owned a farm that ran along the bluff above the Mississippi River. Of course, the house needed quite a bit of repairing, but he could go out there on days when he didn’t have too much work, and soon it would be restored. He could hardly wait to surprise the woman he loved.

When the meal was over, Constance got up and started toward the kitchen with a load of dishes. As usual, Mary insisted that since Constance did so much during the day, she and Jackson would take care of the washing up. His friends had given him every opportunity to be with Constance. They were almost as excited about his courtship as he was, but he hadn’t shared his secret with them.

When Constance accompanied him on this walk through the late June twilight, she seemed a little agitated. He took her hand, hoping she wouldn’t pull away. Maybe the connection would calm her.

“Is something the matter, Constance?” Hans stopped beside a field that bloomed with a profusion of multicolored wild-flowers on the outskirts of town.

She turned toward him, not letting go of his hand. “I don’t feel that I’m being fair to Mary and Jackson. I moved into their home to help her, but every evening she insists that she and Jackson will do the dishes.” Her upturned eyes clouded over with concern.

He laughed and took her other hand. “I have a confession to make, Constance. I wanted to court you the way my parents taught me I should, but you weren’t living under the protection of your father or other male relative. I talked to Jackson about it, and he suggested that you move in with them.”

While he talked, Constance’s eyes grew larger. “Court?”

He pulled her closer to him and lowered his face almost to touch hers. “Yes, court. As in, I’m in love with you, and I want to marry you.”

“Marry me?” Her voice took on a dreamy quality.

“I’ll even kneel before you and propose to you if you want me to.”

She pulled her hands from his and framed his cheeks with them. “Oh, Hans, I have been praying that God would allow you to fall in love with me.”

Her face was so close that he couldn’t resist. He dropped a feather kiss on her lips. “So will you marry me, Constance?” Even he could hear the husky quality of the question.

Hans slipped his arms around her and pulled her closer. They fit together like a hand in a glove. After waiting for her faint
yes
, he once again touched her lips with his, this time settling his more firmly on hers. Her shy first response set his body to smoldering. Then she matched the fervor of his caress and a bonfire burst forth inside him. All he could think about was the fact that the woman he loved returned his love. They would spend their lives exploring the depth and breadth of what that meant. His caresses lingered as long as he could allow without losing control.

When he pulled back from the embrace, he was glad that they were in a deserted area. However, he knew that if he didn’t want to defile her purity before the wedding, they would need to spend most of their time in the company of others.

When Hans pulled back from the embrace, Constance felt cool air take his place. She had never imagined the depth of love two people could share. What started as a simple kiss had turned to something much more. Something that could consume her. Being married to this marvelous man promised things she had never imagined. She came to Browning City on a quest for her father, but perhaps the real quest had been from God—to find the man He had created for her.

Hans thought he wanted to get married right away, but Mary and Constance changed his mind when they said it would take them at least a month to plan the wedding. Since Constance didn’t have any family left, he thought they would just stand up before Jackson and let him perform a quiet ceremony and not bother with guests.

However, Constance had lived in Browning City long enough to make friends, and the women at the church liked having a reason to celebrate. Every evening when he went to the parsonage for supper, the list of people who were helping the two women had grown.

Maybe their way was best. It would give him time to make the house livable. The first few days, he went out to the farm alone, but soon he let Jackson in on the surprise. To keep the women from knowing what was going on, Jackson came to the smithy each day without telling them where he was going. When Hans finished fixing the things at the smithy that people needed right away, the two men went out to the house. While they worked together, they did a lot of talking about life and marriage. Hans felt he would be a better husband because of his friend’s thought-provoking advice.

Mary and Constance went to the mercantile to buy the fabric for her wedding dress. Since Hans complimented her most when she wore green, they chose a watered silk the color of grass in summer.

Constance had always liked the assortment of pretty lace the store carried. They chose a spool in a creamy hue to trim her frock. After they completed the purchases, Mrs. Barker came over to help them sew.

“I miss having you at the boardinghouse.” The older woman began to stitch the many panels of the skirt together. “But I’m so happy you and Hans are getting married. I’ve always thought highly of him. If I had been younger, I might have pursued him myself.”

When Constance exclaimed, “I didn’t pursue him,” the other two women laughed. Then she realized her former employer was teasing her.

“I’m going to have Selena make you a wedding cake.” A warm smile spread across Mrs. Barker’s face. “They have several kinds of dried fruit at the mercantile. She can make a rich spice cake filled with fruit and nuts.”

While they worked, Constance couldn’t help wondering about Hans. Before he had asked her to marry him, he sometimes came by the house to see her during the day, but he hadn’t since.

“I’ve noticed that Hans goes out of town almost every day. I’ve seen him, and sometimes Pastor Jackson, riding in a wagon away from town.” Mrs. Barker tied off the end of her thread, then cut it close to the seam, being careful not to snip the delicate fabric.

“Maybe they’re helping one of the farmers.” Mary got up from her chair and stretched her back. “I can’t sit in one position too long. How about if I get us something cool to drink?”

While Mary was in the kitchen, Constance turned toward Mrs. Barker. “Do you know about any houses to rent?”

“I haven’t heard of any.” The other woman pulled a length of thread from a wooden spool. “Of course you and Hans could live at the boardinghouse if you need to. I’m sure his quarters behind the smithy wouldn’t be adequate.”

Constance had mentioned to Hans that she wondered where they were going to live, but somehow the subject was changed before he answered. If it was up to her, she really didn’t want to start their married life at the hotel or the boardinghouse. She had hoped for a little more privacy. She didn’t want to hurt Mrs. Barker’s feelings by expressing this desire.

The day before the wedding, two wooden boxes arrived on the stagecoach for Constance. Jackson had been in town when they arrived and brought them home to her. Constance remembered seeing one of the boxes shoved under the bed, but she hadn’t thought about it in a long time. Jackson pried the lids off both of them for her, and she and Mary went through the contents. The little cabin in the mountains held meager possessions, and the best of the linens and dishes were in the first crate. The one from under the bed contained a china teapot with hand-painted flowers and matching cups nestled between crushed pieces of old newspapers, along with fancy doilies in a deep ivory shade. The edge of an envelope was visible on one side.

Constance pulled it out and saw her name in her mother’s handwriting. She carefully opened the message and tears filled her eyes as she read.

Wherever she and Hans lived, she would place these things in a place of honor. One day, perhaps she could pass them on to their daughter.

The wedding day arrived bright and sunny. Hans had told Mary what he and Jackson had been doing. He asked her to make sure all Constance’s belongings were packed. Hans had bought a special trunk for her to use.

The ceremony took place in the church, and the sanctuary was full. More people attended than he had expected, but he was glad for Constance. Since she didn’t have a family, she should be surrounded by a host of friends. After the service, they all went to the schoolhouse that was empty for the summer. The women had spread a feast, and a pile of presents filled one table. After they ate the delicious meal, he and Constance took quite awhile opening everything and thanking everyone. It looked to Hans as though they received everything they could possibly need for their new home.

Finally, everything was loaded into the wagon, which also contained the trunk Mary had packed and enough food to feed them for several days. Everyone crowded around, giving them last-minute good wishes. Constance looked so happy it dazzled him. Hans felt almost as if his heart was too full of the love he felt for this beautiful woman, his wife.

He lifted her up onto the bench seat, wishing he could have taken her home in the new buggy he had purchased, but they needed the wagon to transport both her things and the wedding gifts. As they drove away, people continued calling out blessings on their marriage.

When they were out of sight, Hans put his arm around his bride and pulled her close to his side. He glanced down into her lovely face. “I love you, Constance Van de Kieft.”

She leaned closer into his embrace. “And I love you, too, Hans.”

He pulled on the reins, and the well-trained team slowed to a stop. The kiss at the end of the ceremony had been chaste. Now as his lips met hers, he poured all his suppressed emotions into the depth of the kiss.

When they separated a long time later, he had a hard time catching his breath, and her eyes shimmered with tears. “What’s wrong?” He cupped her cheeks with his hands.

She smiled into his eyes. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m happier than I have ever been.”

With his thumbs, he gently brushed away the moisture from her cheeks. “Then why the tears?”