A Time to Love (25 page)

Wasn’t Sunday morning enough?
Haman thought.

On Monday morning, Linda walked to Blake’s house from the hotel to begin making some changes in decor. She enlisted the help of Sadie, who was more than happy to assist the beautiful young lady with the sad eyes. Sadie suggested that first they sit down in the kitchen and have some aromatic tea and some of her delicious sweets.

Linda enjoyed Sadie’s company in the bright, cheery kitchen, which at this point was her favorite room in the house. They shared some favorite Scriptures together and talked about the Lord and His blessings to them. When their tea was finished, they got down to business on the decor.

Linda followed the same routine for the next two mornings, which included buggy rides to Main Street to make purchases for the needed improvements. Haman had given Linda money for that purpose.

On Wednesday evening, Sadie was feeding Linda and Haman supper, when suddenly Linda looked at the clock and said, “Oh! We’re
going to have to hurry, or we’ll be late to prayer meeting!”

“I know you have to go your hotel room, Miss Linda,” Sadie said. “You two go on. My friend Bertha, who always picks me up, will bring me to church. I’ll see you there.”

Haman’s stomach tightened, but he couldn’t reveal his true feelings yet. He rushed Linda to her hotel so she could change clothes and pick up her Bible.

Again Linda noticed Blake’s discomfort at church but let it go without saying anything.

By Thursday evening, she was unable to dismiss her negative thoughts about Blake Barrett. More incidents of ungentlemanly conduct had taken place, and it puzzled her deeply. It seemed that he had changed personalities between the time he’d sent his letters and the time she’d arrived in Cheyenne City. Blake definitely did things to please her, but where was the kind and tender gentleman she’d come to expect?

On Friday night, Haman and Linda were sitting in a restaurant when he looked across the table at her and said, “Well, darling, you’ve been here a week now. What do you think about us getting married?”

Linda was thinking about her parents and the fact that she hadn’t yet written to them. The reason was that she was still unsure of Blake and didn’t want to write till she had something positive to tell them. She’d held off writing to Joline for the same reason.

When Haman’s words penetrated her thoughts, Linda jumped slightly and said, “Hmm? I’m sorry. My mind was occupied.”

A slight frown etched his brow. “I said you’ve been here a week now. What do you think about us getting married?”

Linda took a sip of coffee, then said, “I won’t beat around the bush with you, Blake. In many ways, you’ve been kind to me. You’ve generously allowed me to redecorate the house, and you’ve let me order several hundred dollars’ worth of new furniture. I appreciate this, but I have some questions I must ask you.”

“Of course,” Haman said.

She dabbed at her lips with a napkin, then said, “You seem on edge when we’re at church. Don’t you like it there after all?”

“Sure I do. Its just that—well, I haven’t been myself since I came here to Cheyenne City. The move and all … and the load of getting adjusted to the new bank. Everything is so different here in the banking business than in California.”

“You’re not happy here?”

“Oh, it’s not that. It’s simply the huge adjustment. I love Wyoming. Everything’s going to be fine. Especially since you’re here.”

Haman felt cold sweat bead his brow. He thought he’d covered his feelings well at church. He must be more careful.

Holding his gaze, Linda said, “Maybe what you just told me answers the other question I have.”

“What’s that?” Haman’s insides were churning. What else had he done to make her question him?

“Blake, you’re quite different in person than in your letters.”

“In what way?”

“I … I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but I have to be honest with you.”

“I want you to be honest, Linda.”

“In your letters, you … well, you seemed so tender and gentlemanly. I don’t see those traits in person. You’re a little blunt in your speech now and then, and you have yet to help me in or out of your carriage. Only once have you hurried ahead of me to open a door. If I’m walking beside you as we approach a door, it’s usually me who has to open it …”

Haman’s face flushed. “Linda, I’m so ashamed of myself. You were right when you said a moment ago that what I told you about my conduct at church answers your second question. I just haven’t been myself. Please forgive me. From this moment on, you’ll begin to see the old Blake Barrett.”

“All right, Blake,” Linda said, smiling. “I can accept what you’ve said about the adjustment. I’m sure it hasn’t been easy for you.”

Haman reached across the table and took her hand. “I’m falling deeper in love with you every day, darling,” he said.

Linda squeezed his hand in return, then said, “I need a little more time, Blake. How about another week?”

“Oh, that’ll be fine,” he said, relief flooding him. “One week from today?”

“How about we get married on Saturday, a week from tomorrow?”

“Of course. Saturday. Let’s see … that’s February 2. Good. We’ll talk to the pastor about it on Sunday.”

The next day, Linda happily sat down and wrote her parents a letter, telling them the news that Blake was owner and president of the Great Plains Bank in Cheyenne City, and that he was quite wealthy. The house he had bought was the next thing to a mansion, and it was in the nicest part of town. She was glad to tell them they had found an excellent church, and capped off the letter by informing them she and Blake would be getting married on February 2.

She also wrote a letter to Joline, giving her the same information.

On Sunday morning after the service, she and Blake talked to Pastor Frye about having the wedding on the following Saturday at the church, and Frye readily agreed. The bride and groom wanted a simple ceremony with only two others in the wedding party—Carla Frye and Sadie Brown as witnesses. They had already asked Sadie, and Carla readily accepted.

Pastor Frye announced the wedding in the Sunday evening service, and afterward the church people offered their congratulations.

During the week, Linda and Sadie went shopping to pick out the wedding dress, and Sadie bought herself a new dress for the wedding. The two of them also worked hard at the house, making more changes. On Thursday the new furniture arrived, and when Haman came home from his day at the bank, he was very pleased with what Linda had done to make the house take on her personality.

The wedding took place on Saturday afternoon at 2:00
P.M.
It was attended by all of Haman’s employees, many of the businessmen who did their banking at Great Plains Bank, and most of the members of the church.

Haman stood tall in a black suit with a paisley vest and black cravat. As he thought of the fact that he was standing where Blake Barrett had wanted to stand, his eyes took on an evil glint and a smirk curved his lips. He caught himself and blinked a couple of times, reminding himself to smile pleasantly.

Linda was exquisitely clad in a light blue dress of watered silk. It fit her perfectly and flattered her graceful figure. The high neck was edged in delicate lace, and the puffed sleeves tapered down at her wrists with a double row of lace. She wore a small blue hat the same shade as her dress and adorned in simplicity with small white flowers.

In her hands, covered with white lace gloves, she carried a small nosegay of white roses tied with blue satin ribbons. The whole effect made a lovely picture as she stood beside Haman in the muted glow of sunlight coming through the windows.

Pastor Frye began the ceremony with words of welcome to the guests, then read from Genesis chapter two about the wedding of Adam and Eve, which was performed by God Himself.

Though she struggled against it, Linda’s mind kept flashing back to the wedding that almost took place in Boston.
This is not at all what I had pictured for my wedding when I was growing up,
she thought.
No bridesmaids, no maid of honor, no ring bearer and flower girl.
She felt tears prick at the back of her eyelids and blinked rapidly to dispel them.

Lost in her own thoughts, she was unaware of what the pastor was saying. Suddenly she became aware that Pastor Frye was looking at her strangely, and there was dead silence. They must be waiting for her reply, but she had no idea what the question was.

She blinked in confusion and said, “I … I’m sorry, Pastor. Would you mind repeating those words?”

Haman frowned at her, then looked back at Frye.

Frye smiled nervously and said, “Linda Forrest, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together with him in the bonds of holy matrimony, and do you promise to keep yourself only unto him so long as you both shall live?”

“I … do,” she replied.

From that moment, Linda made a concentrated effort to keep her mind on the rest of the ceremony.

It was over shortly, and before she knew it, the pastor was giving his permission to kiss the bride. Then Pastor Frye introduced them as Mr. and Mrs. Blake Barrett, and they hurriedly walked up the aisle with Linda’s hand tucked firmly in the crook of Haman’s arm.

Haman had arranged for a large reception at the dining room of the Wyoming Hotel. He would have liked to serve liquor to perk up the occasion, but knew he dared not.

Linda enjoyed visiting with the friends she had made at church, some of whom were also employees at the Great Plains Bank.

Haman stood there, talking first to one person, then another, and smugly told himself he had pulled off his deception without a hitch. He always got what he wanted. He laughed inside as he thought of the real Blake Barrett, rotting in prison.

Linda valiantly turned her thoughts from Lewis and what might have been and determined in her heart to be a loving and submissive wife to Blake.

There was no time for a honeymoon. Haman told Linda it was too early yet to be away from the bank for any length of time.

As time passed, Linda and Sadie worked together around the house a good part of each day. Linda was still making little changes here and there, using some decorating schemes she had learned from her mother and from Aunt Beth. When Sadie wasn’t helping Linda, she was doing her regular duties.

One day, as they were having tea together, Linda said, “Sadie, you’ve started to talk about your childhood on several occasions, but it seems there’s always an interruption. How about telling me about it right now?”

“Oh. Well, all right,” said the pudgy little woman. “I was six years old when I came to America from England with my parents. We settled in
New York City, but my father began to hear things about the wild and woolly West. Soon he got the ‘itch’ to go west so bad that he packed us up, took us to Missouri, and joined a wagon train at Independence. We crossed the wide Missouri River and headed across the Nebraska plains.”

Sadie went on for some time, telling tale after tale of the journey westward in the wagon train. Pretty soon she said, “That’s all for now, honey. It’s time for this housekeeper to get back to her work. I don’t want the mister to fire me!”

Linda’s eyes twinkled as she said, “If the mister fired you, the missus would just hire you right back!”

The two women had a good laugh together and went back to their separate tasks.

Some two weeks after she had written to her parents, Linda received a letter from her mother, which also had a note from her father tucked in the envelope. They were rejoicing that things were going so well for their daughter, and both reminded her how very much they loved her and missed her.

Linda was sitting in the library, weeping, as she held the letters in her hand, when Sadie stepped in and said, “What’s wrong, honey?”

Linda looked at her through her tears and said, “Nothings wrong, really, Sadie. I received a letter from my parents. I just miss them so much.”

“Aw, honey, I know it’s got to be hard.”

She wrapped her ample arms around Linda and cuddled her as a mother would her small child. Linda wept some more, then finally gained control.

“I know I can’t take your mother’s place, honey,” Sadie said, “but when you need to talk, I’ve got big ears.”

Linda kissed the woman’s plump cheek. “Thank you, Sadie. You are truly a blessing.”

A few days later, Linda received a letter from Joline, which helped her a great deal. She had sent off another letter to her parents, and now
took the time to immediately respond to Joline’s.

Each day as they spent time together, Sadie told Linda more stories about her wagon train journey to Wyoming. Many of the incidents were humorous, but Sadie took note that even though Linda smiled, the smile never reached her pretty eyes.

One day in mid-March, a snowstorm was blowing outside. Linda and Sadie sat down in the kitchen and began polishing the silverware.

With cups of steaming hot tea before them, Sadie looked at the young woman with the sad eyes and said, “Linda, dear, you’ve never told me about your life in Boston. I’d like to hear about it.”

“Well, I … I don’t want to bore you.”

“It won’t bore me,” Sadie assured her. “You’ve come to mean a lot to me. I’m very much interested in your past.”

“Where shall I start?”

“Best place I know of is the beginning.”

“You mean from the time I was born?”

“Yes.”

Linda’s lips curved in a sly grin. “All right. I clearly remember the day I was born. There was this sudden flash of light, the temperature took a sudden drop, and someone slapped me real hard on my posterior. Then I remember being dried off, and—”

Sadie shook with laughter. “You little scamp! Now, get serious!”

It felt so good to Linda to be able to laugh and have a good time. She told Sadie of her happy childhood and growing up years. She told her some things about Janet that were actually pleasant in her memory, then told her of the day she opened her heart to Jesus, and how He had saved her and made Himself so real to her.

As she described her teen years she came to the point in time when she met Lewis Carter and slowly fell in love with him. Sadie listened quietly, wondering if she was about to learn why Linda carried the sadness in her eyes.