too.”
Arya swallowed hard and placed her hand on his chest. “We are one, you and I. We share a heart.”
Newton continued to stare straight ahead, his face stricken. “I’m beginning to agree with you. Those strange vows Mr. Awahnee had us recite …”
“They are different for different people,” she said.
He slowly turned to look at her. “You mean he’s married people from your tribe before?”
She nodded.
Newton gulped. “Arya, how much of the ceremony do you remember?”
“All of it.”
He turned his entire body toward her. “What happened? I remember parts of it, but not everything. Not after I drank that … well, whatever it was Mr. Awahnee gave me.”
“In the wedding cup?” she asked.
“Yes, what exactly was that stuff?”
“He always brings it when two become one.”
“Why is it I can only remember half of our wedding and you remember all of it?”
“I do not know.”
He leaned against the headboard. “This is probably not the time to say this, but I swear at one point we were bathed in bright light … so bright everything else became invisible to me. Everything except you.”
Arya smiled.
“Was it like that for you? Did that really happen or did I imagine the whole thing?” She smiled again, but didn’t answer. “You’re not doing much to convince me I have all my mental faculties.”
“What is this ‘faculties’?”
He chuckled. “It means I think I might’ve gone ‘round the bend when I was with your people. Either that or I was so bloody drunk I missed half my own wedding.”
“You did not miss it, Newton. It was no different from other weddings of my people.”
“So the other grooms were as much in their cups as I was?”
“Cups?”
“Never mind,” he groaned, then put an arm around her. “Let’s get some sleep. You have a big day tomorrow.”
“Big?”
“You’re to meet with the ladies’ sewing circle to discuss your wedding dress.”
“Ah, pretty dress. A white dress.”
“That’s right.” He reached over and brushed some hair from her face. “You’ll be the prettiest bride in all the land. Twice.”
She smiled. She liked it when he told her she was pretty. It gave her a fluttery feeling in her belly.
Arya leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. Talking with him had made the lonely feeling go away. But how long until it came back? Was this something she’d have to contend with while she was away from her people? And if Newton could feel it too, why did they not go in search of them? Would they really be that hard to find?
“Arya, let’s go back to sleep now,” Newton whispered against her hair. He removed his arm and gently helped her to lie down next to him, then tucked the blankets around them before pulling her into his arms. “I love you, my Arya. I love you with all my heart and then some. If I had another to give you, I would.”
She smiled at him. “Newton, don’t you remember?”
“Remember what?”
“You already did.”
----
N ewton awoke the next morning hungry – but not for food. No, he needed his wife. He woke her with a kiss, she returned them with passion, and pretty soon they found themselves wondering if anyone else on the second floor of the hotel had heard them, er … having breakfast.
Later they dressed and headed downstairs to the dining room, where Mrs. Upton had their second breakfast laid out on a sideboard against the wall. “Looks like we get to pick and choose this morning,” Newton said as he surveyed the array of hot food. He turned to the cook. “Mrs. Upton, why all this food? Does the hotel have other guests?”
“No, but some of the townsfolk are coming to eat this morning. More than normal, so I decided to serve things up this way.”
“Who’s expected?” he asked.
Mrs. Upton nodded at the dining room doors, just as the Cooke brothers came waltzing in. Jefferson Cooke, Chase Adams and Levi Stone were right behind them.
“What’s the occasion?” Newton
Arya swallowed hard and placed her hand on his chest. “We are one, you and I. We share a heart.”
Newton continued to stare straight ahead, his face stricken. “I’m beginning to agree with you. Those strange vows Mr. Awahnee had us recite …”
“They are different for different people,” she said.
He slowly turned to look at her. “You mean he’s married people from your tribe before?”
She nodded.
Newton gulped. “Arya, how much of the ceremony do you remember?”
“All of it.”
He turned his entire body toward her. “What happened? I remember parts of it, but not everything. Not after I drank that … well, whatever it was Mr. Awahnee gave me.”
“In the wedding cup?” she asked.
“Yes, what exactly was that stuff?”
“He always brings it when two become one.”
“Why is it I can only remember half of our wedding and you remember all of it?”
“I do not know.”
He leaned against the headboard. “This is probably not the time to say this, but I swear at one point we were bathed in bright light … so bright everything else became invisible to me. Everything except you.”
Arya smiled.
“Was it like that for you? Did that really happen or did I imagine the whole thing?” She smiled again, but didn’t answer. “You’re not doing much to convince me I have all my mental faculties.”
“What is this ‘faculties’?”
He chuckled. “It means I think I might’ve gone ‘round the bend when I was with your people. Either that or I was so bloody drunk I missed half my own wedding.”
“You did not miss it, Newton. It was no different from other weddings of my people.”
“So the other grooms were as much in their cups as I was?”
“Cups?”
“Never mind,” he groaned, then put an arm around her. “Let’s get some sleep. You have a big day tomorrow.”
“Big?”
“You’re to meet with the ladies’ sewing circle to discuss your wedding dress.”
“Ah, pretty dress. A white dress.”
“That’s right.” He reached over and brushed some hair from her face. “You’ll be the prettiest bride in all the land. Twice.”
She smiled. She liked it when he told her she was pretty. It gave her a fluttery feeling in her belly.
Arya leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. Talking with him had made the lonely feeling go away. But how long until it came back? Was this something she’d have to contend with while she was away from her people? And if Newton could feel it too, why did they not go in search of them? Would they really be that hard to find?
“Arya, let’s go back to sleep now,” Newton whispered against her hair. He removed his arm and gently helped her to lie down next to him, then tucked the blankets around them before pulling her into his arms. “I love you, my Arya. I love you with all my heart and then some. If I had another to give you, I would.”
She smiled at him. “Newton, don’t you remember?”
“Remember what?”
“You already did.”
----
N ewton awoke the next morning hungry – but not for food. No, he needed his wife. He woke her with a kiss, she returned them with passion, and pretty soon they found themselves wondering if anyone else on the second floor of the hotel had heard them, er … having breakfast.
Later they dressed and headed downstairs to the dining room, where Mrs. Upton had their second breakfast laid out on a sideboard against the wall. “Looks like we get to pick and choose this morning,” Newton said as he surveyed the array of hot food. He turned to the cook. “Mrs. Upton, why all this food? Does the hotel have other guests?”
“No, but some of the townsfolk are coming to eat this morning. More than normal, so I decided to serve things up this way.”
“Who’s expected?” he asked.
Mrs. Upton nodded at the dining room doors, just as the Cooke brothers came waltzing in. Jefferson Cooke, Chase Adams and Levi Stone were right behind them.
“What’s the occasion?” Newton
Similar Books
