WILD OATS (30 page)

He grinned at her.

After a moment she grinned back.

Chapter Twenty-four

"With this ring, I thee wed."

Cora looked down at the wide gold band that was being slipped on her finger as she listened to Jedwin's words. Glancing up, she caught his eyes and they smiled a sweet private smile all their own before looking toward the good reverend.

“By the authority vested in me,'' Reverend Bruder bellowed to the crowd, “by this church and the Territory of Oklahoma, I pronounce these two, man and wife. What God has joined together, let not man put asunder."

Bringing his eyes back to the young couple, the preacher was all smiles. "You can kiss her now, son," he said, as if the two were in need of his permission.

Jedwin pulled Mrs. Cora Sparrow into his arms and brought his lips down to hers. The kiss was warm and sweet and welcome, as if the gentle touch of lips truly did seal the vows they made for all time.

As the kiss lingered, matrons began to titter behind their fans and a couple of the younger men began to applaud in appreciation.

The two pulled apart, flushed. With a prideful grin of satisfaction, Jedwin offered his arm to his new bride and gave
a slight nod to Opal Crenshaw at the piano. The cheerful, smiling woman struck up a rousing rendition of "Happy the Home When God Is There" as Jedwin and Cora marched up the aisle and out of the church, the reverend following behind mem.

Stopping on the steps, Jedwin took the opportunity to kiss his wife on the end of the nose. "I love you," he managed to whisper before the entire community of Dead Dog began pouring out of the church door to offer congratulations.

"We think so much of this young man," Grace Panek told Cora. "Osgold and I are just so happy he has found you."

"Jedwin." Carlisle Bowman shook his hand and then offered a polite nod to Cora. "You have my best wishes, ma'am."

Nora Dix exclaimed delightedly over the fashionableness of Cora's dress, while her teenage daughter, Emma, fairly drooled at the pale confection of peachy-beige satin and lace.

Holding Lily Auslander firmly at her side, as if for protection, Constance Bruder almost too cheerfully invited Cora to attend the Ladies' Tuesday Meeting when she returned from the honeymoon trip.

"We are studying the Book of Job," Mrs. Brudcr told her hopefully. "And we devote a half hour every meeting to deep breathing and exercise."

As the crowd began to spill out onto the church lawn, Jedwin and Cora were swept along with them. Children were beginning to run wild with freedom after the confinement of the wedding service. Amelia, with the help of Beulah Bowman, began dishing out cups of sweet cider to the guests and urging the newly married couple to come and cut the cake.

At the urging of his wife, Kirby Maitland brought out a chair for Fanny Penny.

"For heaven's sake, Fanny," Mrs. Maitland scolded. "That little boy of yours is barely two weeks old. You should never have left your bed so soon."

Fanny just smiled. She looked strong and healthy and prettier than she had in a long time. Titus had claimed he needed to be escorted by the prettiest woman in Dead Dog and Fanny was just as insistent that she be at his side.

Amelia finally managed to lure Jedwin and Cora to the cake table.

"You cut the cake and feed it to her," Amelia directed.

"What?" Jedwin did not seem particularly disposed to the idea.

"It's a symbol," his mother insisted.

With a shrug, Jedwin cut a small piece of the fancy cake made of fine-milled flour and offered it to Cora.

"It's wonderful," Cora complimented her new mother-in-law and gladly watched the older woman preen with delight.

As the youngsters began running forward to snitch pieces, the women served up the plates and Cora and Jedwin once again braved the crowd.

"Watch me, Miz Cora," Tulsa May called out from the lawn at the side of the church. "I'm learning the wand." The young girl twirled the shiny new Lewis wand with some skill. Cora offered a splash of genuine applause and an admonition to keep practicing.

Mort Humley sidled up to Jedwin and stuck an elbow in his ribs. "You need a tot of corn liquor for your weddin' night?" he asked in a cautious whisper. "It's guaranteed to warm up the coolest of new brides."

Jedwin grinned and patted the older man on the shoulder. "No, thanks, Mort. I think I can warm things up on my own."

Young Arthel was showing Ross Crenshaw's boys how to throw the Indian clubs as little Maybelle Penny stamped her foot and demanded attention. "Me! Me! Give them to me!" she screeched in fury at the boys nearly twice her size.

"I hope we can get out of here soon," Jedwin whispered warmly in Cora's ear. "That hotel in Guthrie is looking like paradise to me about now."

Cora nodded and opened her mouth to voice her agreement when the sound of a buggy on the road drew her attention. A fancy black phaeton, slightly out of fashion but splendidly dressed out, pulled up in the church yard. Conrad Ruggy sat on the driver's seat in his Sunday best and high hat. Behind him, as regally bedecked as a queen, was Mrs. Maimie Briggs.

A hush fell over the crowd and each person looked at another to take the lead. Osgold Panek looked to Titus Penny. Titus looked to Carlisle Bowman. Carlisle looked to Reverend Bruder. But it was Jedwin Sparrow, his wife on his arm, who walked out to Miss Maimie's rig.

"Good afternoon," he said politely. "It was nice of you to come, Miss Maimie. You do know my wife?"

Cora nodded to the older woman, but it was Miss Maimie who offered her hand. "I wish you the very best, Mrs. Sparrow. I've brought you a wedding gift. Conrad ..."

At her gesture, Ruggy stepped down from the buggy and retrieved a sterling silver tray from the seat beside him. With a smile and a wink he handed it to Cora.

"My husband brought this piece to me from Saint Louis," Miss Maimie explained. “I meant someday to give it to your mother, Jedwin. But I think I'd rather that you had it."

Cora looked down at the fancy piece of scrolled silver and thought how much better it would look in Amelia's home than in her own.

“Thank you very much, Miss Maimie." She showed no sign that she'd seen through the spiteful woman's machinations. "Won't you get down and have a bite of our wedding cake?"

As Jedwin helped the frail old woman to the ground, Fanny hurriedly gave up her chair. Seated among the standing company, Miss Maimie quickly regained her color and the haughty lilt to her chin.

"What a lovely little boy, Fanny," she said sweetly. "And don't worry, I'm sure that you will regain most of your figure eventually."

Slowly, as if doing a penance, each member of the community came to pay their respects and take turn with Miss Maimie's spiteful tongue. But somehow her barbs seemed less sharp than remembered.

When Miss Maimie espied young Tulsa May, it was on the tip of her tongue to call the girl over for a reminder of her unacceptable dowdiness. What stilled her tongue was the young boy laughing at her side. Miss Maimie's heart caught in her throat as she saw the sleek black hair, the bright broad smile, and the vivid blue eyes she thought to never see again. "Luther!" she whispered under her breath.

A crash of breaking glass kept her exclamation unheard.

"Maybelle!" Titus Penny's voice was a loud gust of surprise as he stared at his young daughter, Indian club in hand, standing among the colorful broken glass that had once been a Dutch windmill.

Cora came out from behind the dressing screen in a new pink calico nightdress that she'd never worn before. She stood silently at the end of the bed, waiting for Jedwin to notice.

The lamp beside him, Jedwin lay in the bed, scribbling on a piece of paper. Minutes went by and he didn't raise his head. Cora got tired of waiting. She cleared her throat loudly.

Jedwin raised his head to look at her.

She smiled and gave him a graceful curtsy in her new attire.

"Pretty," he said, before returning immediately to his writing.

“I bought it readymade in that fancy emporium in Guthrie."

He glanced up again and grinned. "Kind of a waste of money, I suppose. I'm just going to take it right off you."

As Cora's mouth dropped open, Jedwin turned his attention once more to the paper in his hand. She stood there staring at him in disbelief.

"You seem mighty busy tonight," she said, a hint of pique in her voice.

Jedwin didn't even glance up. "I've wasted a whole week honeymooning with you. I'm a working farmer now, I've got to keep my mind on my business."

"You
'wasted
a whole week honeymooning'?"

Jedwin didn't answer.

"Is this how it's going to be?" she demanded.

Jedwin looked up again. "What?"

"Marriage!" she screeched. "Is this how it's going to be? You just do what you please and ignore me like I'm a piece of the furniture until you get me into bed."

Jedwin gave her a long-suffering look of patience. "You're my wife now, Cora," he said simply. "Wives are not like women you sow wild oats with. You can't expect me to continue to treat you like a fast fancy woman."

"I don't expect you to treat me like a stranger. I won't stand fork!"

"I'm afraid you don't have any choice," Jedwin said, with a gesture toward his belt that still hung around the top of the bedstead, a visible symbol of promises made, as sacred to him as the ring on her finger.

"Don't worry," he told her. "I know my duty as a husband and I'll do what's required to get you with child at the earliest possible opportunity."

"Duty!" Frantically she struggled to control the anger that seethed within her.

"Yes, duty, Cora," Jedwin said calmly. "That is what marriage is about after all. What else could you want?"

"Love!" Cora screamed.

"Of course I love you," he said. "Surely you'd never question that."

"But . . . but ..." She was speechless with exasperation.

"Ah!" Jedwin said, raising his finger as if suddenly having an idea. "I suppose you are talking about romance."

Cora didn't answer, but strived only to keep her temper in check.

He shook his head disdainfully. "Cora, Cora, Cora," he said. "Romance and marriage simply do not mix." ,. She snapped. Grabbing the pillow on her side of the bed she raised it over her head. With a scream of blood lust worthy of an Indian on the warpath, she brought it down with all the force in her body on Jedwin's head.

One on-target hit was not sufficient and she raised the pillow again arid again, pounding him into the bed. Jedwin finally managed to wrestle the pillow away from her and toss it onto the floor. They struggled together for several moments. She on top first, then he, then she again. More than once they nearly fell off the bed, but managed somehow not to. Cora's fury gave her strength and for most of the fight she had the upper hand. But finally her arms began to ache and her strength began to fade. It was only moments before the natural physical superiority of the male finally overcame her most valiant efforts.

He held her down full-length on the bed, his body on top of hers. Both her hands were grasped in one of his and he held them high above her against the headboard. She could feel them pressing against the leather of the belt that hung there.

In Jedwin's other hand, he still gripped the piece of paper he had so diligently been writing upon when the fracas had begun.

He brought the paper up before his eyes and in the pale yellow light of the coal-oil lamp he quietly read to her what was written upon it.

"A man searches for happiness

The whole of his life.

But he won't ever find it

Until he takes him a wife.

A woman to help him

Be the man he can be.

To love and to cherish

For eternity.

I have found such a woman.

Her name, it is Cora