a smile. John sensed
her unease and stroked her hand as he spoke, "I hope it did not feel too
strange sleeping in that room. Were you comfortable enough?"
This time, she smiled warmly at
him. "I confess I found the room a little too grand but the low fire at
the hearth made the room warmer and the bed covers were also nice and warm.
Anyway, after writing many letters, I was quite tired and fell asleep right
away."
"Did you finish all the
letters you needed to write?"
"Yes," she blurted with
a sigh of relief. "The letters to my aunt and Edith should arrive there
tomorrow if I post them this morning. The one to Frederick will take about two
weeks and I am not certain how long it takes for the mail to arrive in
Argentina. I have heard only once from Mr. Bell and sadly, I don't know how he
is but I must send him my good news anyway."
"I will walk with you to
post your letters. We can go right after breakfast."
"You do not need to. I do
remember the way to the post." She smiled, amusement in her eyes, and
added, "Besides I would like to go to Greens afterwards for some
clothing."
"I can take you there later
but we'll have to visit the parson first after we post your letters. We have
to set a date, my love."
"Yes, of course." She
replied, somewhat startled. She knew she was about to get married but it had
not completely sunk in that it would happen sooner rather than later. The day
before had been so dense with momentous events that she never thought of what
needed to happen immediately as a consequence of her decisions. It was clear
enough to her that, from that day on, her life would be in Milton. But it
never occurred to her to consider the propriety of her actions—the social
constraint which dictated that her wedding should take place as soon as it
could be arranged.
She sipped her tea slowly and
sadness overcame her at the thought that her brother, the only immediate family
she had now, could not come to her wedding. With her father gone, she only had
one sincere wish on her wedding day—that Frederick could give her away. But,
of course, that could never be. Perhaps, she could persuade John to visit him
and his wife in Cadiz sometime in the future. She was anxious for the two most
important people in her life to meet, a wish that became more compelling with
John's admission of jealousy. Knowing both of them, she was certain that they
would like each other, once they got acquainted. For her part, she was eager
to meet Dolores.
She had been silent a while and
John surmised her mind was faraway. With a gentle squeeze on her hand, he
interrupted her thoughts, and said, pressing her hand to his lips, "I
would marry you today, if I could. I have waited for you a long time but I
will defer to your wishes." Then, he added mischievously, "Doesn't
every young woman want to make the day she gives a solemn promise to love for
always a day to remember?"
She smiled brightly and replied
in the same vein. "That, I suppose is the conventional wisdom. But I
used to think that, if that day ever came for me, all I would do was put on my
best gown and walk through a lush arbor into my father's church, preferably on
a beautiful morning in early summer with birds singing and roses of all colors
perfuming the air."
"Did you doubt that day
would come for you?"
"I had all those months of
reflection after Papa died and I realized I was not prepared to marry just
anyone. Edith was always inviting the captain's friends and his friends'
friends." She stopped abruptly, lowered her eyes, and was silent for a
moment before she added, "With Mr. Bell's legacy, adventurous spinsterhood
became an attractive possibility."
He asked, with a wicked smile,
"Did I rescue you in time from those friends or deprive you of an
adventure?"
She replied archly, "Would
not a life with you be an exciting adventure?"
"Nothing but," he said,
smiling. Then, he asked, a little worried, "Is marrying in
her unease and stroked her hand as he spoke, "I hope it did not feel too
strange sleeping in that room. Were you comfortable enough?"
This time, she smiled warmly at
him. "I confess I found the room a little too grand but the low fire at
the hearth made the room warmer and the bed covers were also nice and warm.
Anyway, after writing many letters, I was quite tired and fell asleep right
away."
"Did you finish all the
letters you needed to write?"
"Yes," she blurted with
a sigh of relief. "The letters to my aunt and Edith should arrive there
tomorrow if I post them this morning. The one to Frederick will take about two
weeks and I am not certain how long it takes for the mail to arrive in
Argentina. I have heard only once from Mr. Bell and sadly, I don't know how he
is but I must send him my good news anyway."
"I will walk with you to
post your letters. We can go right after breakfast."
"You do not need to. I do
remember the way to the post." She smiled, amusement in her eyes, and
added, "Besides I would like to go to Greens afterwards for some
clothing."
"I can take you there later
but we'll have to visit the parson first after we post your letters. We have
to set a date, my love."
"Yes, of course." She
replied, somewhat startled. She knew she was about to get married but it had
not completely sunk in that it would happen sooner rather than later. The day
before had been so dense with momentous events that she never thought of what
needed to happen immediately as a consequence of her decisions. It was clear
enough to her that, from that day on, her life would be in Milton. But it
never occurred to her to consider the propriety of her actions—the social
constraint which dictated that her wedding should take place as soon as it
could be arranged.
She sipped her tea slowly and
sadness overcame her at the thought that her brother, the only immediate family
she had now, could not come to her wedding. With her father gone, she only had
one sincere wish on her wedding day—that Frederick could give her away. But,
of course, that could never be. Perhaps, she could persuade John to visit him
and his wife in Cadiz sometime in the future. She was anxious for the two most
important people in her life to meet, a wish that became more compelling with
John's admission of jealousy. Knowing both of them, she was certain that they
would like each other, once they got acquainted. For her part, she was eager
to meet Dolores.
She had been silent a while and
John surmised her mind was faraway. With a gentle squeeze on her hand, he
interrupted her thoughts, and said, pressing her hand to his lips, "I
would marry you today, if I could. I have waited for you a long time but I
will defer to your wishes." Then, he added mischievously, "Doesn't
every young woman want to make the day she gives a solemn promise to love for
always a day to remember?"
She smiled brightly and replied
in the same vein. "That, I suppose is the conventional wisdom. But I
used to think that, if that day ever came for me, all I would do was put on my
best gown and walk through a lush arbor into my father's church, preferably on
a beautiful morning in early summer with birds singing and roses of all colors
perfuming the air."
"Did you doubt that day
would come for you?"
"I had all those months of
reflection after Papa died and I realized I was not prepared to marry just
anyone. Edith was always inviting the captain's friends and his friends'
friends." She stopped abruptly, lowered her eyes, and was silent for a
moment before she added, "With Mr. Bell's legacy, adventurous spinsterhood
became an attractive possibility."
He asked, with a wicked smile,
"Did I rescue you in time from those friends or deprive you of an
adventure?"
She replied archly, "Would
not a life with you be an exciting adventure?"
"Nothing but," he said,
smiling. Then, he asked, a little worried, "Is marrying in
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