Authors: Lauraine Snelling
Amethyst (53 page)
“Thank you,” she whispered in Amethyst’s ear.
“You’re welcome.”
“Glad you comed home.”
“Me too.” Amethyst kissed Carly’s cheek and hugged her again. “ ’Night.”
“Sorry to interrupt.” Pearl rolled her lips together and gave a little wave as they left.
“I think she knows.” Jeremiah nodded toward the retreating pair.
“That will save us telling one person.” Amethyst looked down at their clasped hands. “I have to say something else.”
“Have to?”
“Yes.” She looked into his face. “I will be returning to Chicago to discuss how Mrs. Grant and I will handle our business. I have a lot to do if we are to move it to Medora.”
“Move the lotion business to Medora?” Dawn breaking after a stormy night could not have looked more joyous. “You mean I won’t have to move to Chicago?”
“Do you want to?”
“No, not at all, but I would if I had to.”
Amethyst sighed. “You couldn’t have said anything more perfect.” “Well, that’s a miracle in its own right.” He nodded. “A spring wedding?”
“How soon do you think the church will be finished?”
“Not soon enough.” He glanced up to see Carl standing in the arched doorway with a tray in his hands. “How soon can we have the church built?”
“Well, I was thinking about a year, but I guess we can hurry it up some.”
Amethyst gazed at her future husband, fairly certain that he would move half the rocks in the badlands if that’s what it took to get the building up sooner. After all, he knew how to organize and win army campaigns. What would building a little church be compared to that?
June 1888
“Are you going to be all right for this?” Rand asked.
“Of course.” Jacob dug his finger into the neckline of his shirt to loosen the fit. “I said I would conduct the wedding for Jeremiah and Miss O’Shaunasy, and I shall.”
“Right before your own?”
“No problem.” His voice cracked only slightly. One hour and they would begin. The pastor from Dickinson had arrived on the morning train. The women had about stripped the town of flowers to decorate the church, and even though they didn’t have all the windows in the walls, they didn’t really need them on this glorious end-of-June morning. The breeze spread the fragrance of the lilacs as a welcome to those arriving.
Together the men had set the altar in place the night before, or rather, early in the morning. Very early. Charlie had his crew lining up the benches from the schoolhouse so the guests would have places to sit. After the weddings, they’d take the benches back to the school, where the afternoon’s festivities would take place. Beans had started the steer on the spit over hot coals before sunrise.
“How do I look?” Opal glanced over her shoulder to see Ruby wiping away tears. “You can’t cry, or I shall, and I don’t want to cry on my wedding day.”
I’ve cried enough the past two years to last a lifetime
.
“Tears of happiness are different.”
“You didn’t answer me.” Opal turned back to the mirror and smoothed her palm down the front of the pearlescent silk gown Mrs. Brandon had sent from New York. With a sweetheart neckline, puffed sleeves, and full skirt gathered to the waistline that dipped in front, the gown fit perfectly. They’d sent gloves, fan, and shoes to match, so all she had to do was get dressed.
“You look lovely. I’m just having a hard time believing my little sister is getting married.”
“Me too. I can remember thinking I’d never get married.” Her smile turned dreamy. “But I found someone as good as Rand, don’t you think?”
Ruby hugged her sister. “That you did. Or did he find you?”
Opal shrugged. “Doesn’t matter now, does it?”
“Are you ready?” Pearl peeked in the doorway. Both brides were dressing at her house because there was no separate room finished at the church where they could dress. “Oh, Opal honey, you are beautiful.” She sniffed and ducked back out.
“You look lovely, my dear Amethyst.” Mrs. Grant smoothed the shoulder of the straight-fronted gown in a purple hue. Deep pleats fell from the waistline, giving the skirt plenty of fullness for the dancing to come later. Light shimmered in Amethyst’s russet hair, done up in an intricate knot that gave her the look of a queen.
Amethyst stared at the image in the oval mirror. “It’s hard to believe that is the same woman who came west to find her nephew. Perhaps she did indeed die in the snow and resurrected as someone else.”
“No, I’d say you were born anew in that snow, and you are stepping into all the happiness you so richly deserve.”
“You about ready in here?” Pearl asked from the doorway.
“Any time.”
Carl helped the two brides and the other women into the carriage borrowed from the de Mores’ house. “I have the best job of all today. I get to bring the two beautiful brides to the church.”
“I’m glad you’re going first,” Opal whispered. “Then I can see how it is done.”
“I want to get it over with before I faint from all the excitement.” Amethyst used her fan to cool her face. “I’m so thankful it’s not blazing hot.”
Opal lifted her chin to let the cooling breeze do its job. She clenched her hands in her lap. She was indeed getting married today.
The ride to the church went quickly and, once those first to be married were in place, the wedding service began. Opal stood in the back while Jacob performed the ceremony for Jeremiah and Amethyst. Jeremiah seemed to be having a hard time getting the words out, while Amethyst said her vows with a clear voice.
Please, Lord, let me do this right when it is my turn
.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride,” Jacob intoned the age-old words.
Amethyst smiled into her husband’s face as he leaned toward her. “I love you,” she whispered.
“Good thing,” Jeremiah whispered back, cupping her cheeks in his hands and kissing her waiting lips.
Pearl set the piano to dancing as the two made their way back down the aisle, smiling and nodding to all those greeting them.
“Your turn.” Amethyst gave Opal a hug.
The minister from Dickinson took his place in front of the church, and Jacob moved to the side, turning to watch as Opal on Rand’s arm made her way down the aisle.
When they met in front of the minister, Jacob turned and took both her hands in his.
Amethyst locked her hand through her new husband’s arm and, looking into each other’s eyes, they whispered their vows again as Jacob and Opal said theirs. When they finished, Jeremiah kissed the ring he had placed on her left hand.
“For as long as God gives us together.”
She nodded. “I love you, Mr. McHenry.”
Pearl continued playing the piano as folks gathered around to congratulate the two new couples.
“I have a question,” Joel said as he shook first his father’s hand and then Opal’s.
“All right. What is it?” Jacob drew Opal closer to his side.
Joel shook his head and made a face as he looked to Opal. “What do I call you now? I mean…”
Opal shrugged. “I guess you can call me whatever you want. Opal sounds good to me. At least I recognize that name.”
“Good.” Joel started off, then turned back. “I’m glad you two got hitched.”
“Hitched?” Jacob and Opal said at the same time and then, shaking their heads, smiled at Mr. and Mrs. McHenry.
“Married surely sounds better than hitched.” Amethyst smiled up at her husband. Ah, what a delightful word,
husband
.
“We might want to mosey on over to the schoolhouse. That steer is getting close to being done,” Rand suggested after he congratulated the McHenrys and hugged Opal with one arm while shaking Jacob’s hand with the other.
“What a way to bless this new church.” Jacob smiled as he looked up at the altar that needed more coats of finish and the walls that needed windows set in. He turned to McHenry. “You think this unfinished church is something like a marriage? The wedding is the framework, but all the living and loving to come fills in what’s missing?”
“I think we have years to figure all that out.” McHenry turned to his wife. “But I know one thing, I don’t want to miss out on any of it. And I thank God for the jewel He brought to my life.” He smiled into his wife’s eyes. “A real Dakotah treasure.”
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