The Soldier's Lady (36 page)

I
don't suppose the news took any of us altogether by surprise. But we were so overjoyed by it that it might as well have come as a surprise. Nothing would ever make up for William's loss. But knowing that Emma had a man to love her and that she would be the wife of Micah Duff, and likely have more children in time, gave us hope that her life would be filled with joy in spite of her present sorrow.

The minute Papa and Uncle Ward heard that Micah and Emma planned to be married, they immediately began making plans to enlarge Micah's cabin to accommodate the new husband and wife.

“We could run a water line down there, couldn't we, Ward,” said my papa excitedly, “and put in a water pump and tub.”

“I don't see why not.”

“And while we're at that, why not bring water to Henry and Jeremiah's too. We'll modernize both places at the same time.”

With a sheepish look, Micah glanced at Emma. A smile passed between them that seemed to say they knew more about their future than did any of the rest of us.

“That's kind and thoughtful of you, Mr. Templeton,” said Micah, “and we appreciate it more than we can say. But . . . well, the fact is, Emma and I have been talking, and . . . actually we have some other plans.”

Papa and Uncle Ward stared back as if they had never considered any possibility other than that Micah and Emma would stay at Rosewood.

“I'm not sure Emma will ever be completely safe from William McSimmons,” said Micah. “The look in that man's eyes when I was speaking to him, and in his wife's, was not an expression that spoke of forgiveness. We thwarted his ambitions, and I have the feeling that revenge will be on his mind as long as the two of us are anywhere nearby.”

Micah looked around at the rest of us with obvious love in his eyes. I think we all began in that moment to sense that a farewell was coming to Rosewood.

“It was you, Mr. Daniels,” Micah went on, “who told me that I needed to have plans, and have the courage to follow my dreams. You don't know how much I appreciate your speaking to me as you did. I've tried to take your words to heart ever since. I've talked it over with Emma, and we have been thinking about that new railroad out west . . . and the long and the short of it is that we have decided, right
after we can be married—and we wouldn't be married anywhere but at Rosewood!—to take the train west and try to make our way to Oregon. I had been looking forward to the experience of picking cotton with you all this fall,” he added with a smile, glancing around at the rest of us. “But after what happened, and what may still be some degree of danger, I think it best that we not wait. Emma will be safe in the West, and we hope that maybe we can have a little place of our own to begin our life and a family together.”

He glanced at Emma and again they smiled.

“Well, son,” said Papa, “I think that's a fine plan. We'll miss you, of course, and speaking for myself, I'd much rather you stayed right here. But a man's got to follow his dreams, and I'd be the last one to stand in the way of yours.”

I looked at Katie and smiled. We both had tears in our eyes, but we were happy for Emma too. It was hard to believe what a part of our lives she had become. I knew we would miss her more than we realized.

Ward Daniels had business in Oakwood the next day. When he returned, he went immediately in search of his brother. When they were alone he pulled a sheet of paper out of his pocket.

“Look at this,” he said. “They're up all over at Oakwood.”

Templeton took it and looked it over with a serious expression.
“Wanted,”
he read,
“for the murder of Weed Jenkins—tall Negro man, speaks white English, reportedly former Union soldier.”

He shook his head in disgust.

“Very clever of them,” he said. “Without getting their own hands dirty, whoever's behind this can just wait and let someone bring Micah in for them.”

“Who do you think's behind it?”

“I have no doubt it's Sheriff Jenkins. I'm sorry about his kid, but he's had it in for us all along.”

“Should we tell them?”

“I can't see any point. Let's just get them married and out of here. They don't need this to worry about starting out their life together.”

“Still . . . we better stick close, keep a close eye on things, and not let him go into town again.”

“Probably best that nobody goes into town except for Henry and Jeremiah going to work. We better
all
stick close to home for a spell.”

I came upon Emma a few days later sitting looking out one of the front room windows.

“What are you looking at?” I asked.

“Oh, jes' at Micah an' Jeremiah out dere,” she said.

I went to the window. The two were laughing together like the best of friends.

“We's a couple er mighty lucky young . . . young
ladies,” she said, “—dat's what Micah'd make me say—ain't we, Mayme? De're a couple er right fine young men.”

“Yes they are, Emma,” I said. “We are very lucky young ladies to have such good young men to love us.”

I turned and walked away. After a few steps I glanced back. Emma was still staring out the window. And now a figure approached from outside. I could tell from the shadow it cast on the wall that it was Micah, and that he had seen Emma sitting there watching him. She wasn't smiling exactly, but the expression on her face as she gazed out at him said more than a hundred smiles.

It was a peaceful look that said she knew she was loved, and that because she knew it, she would never be the same again.

H
APPY
D
AY

36

T
he day of Emma's wedding was one of the happiest Rosewood had ever known.

All morning Josepha and Katie and I fussed with her hair and dress to get everything just right. She was just about the most beautiful bride you could imagine! She was again wearing Katie's white dress, the same one she had been baptized in. We added some green and yellow ribbons around her waist and tied them in a bow in back. We braided a little wreath of ferns with tiny yellow roses woven into them for her hair to match the color of the ribbons. Emma was beautiful anyway, but by the time for the wedding, I'd never seen anything like the picture she looked, not even in a book of fairy tales and princesses.

Our young friend Aleta and her father came out about noon and we went downstairs to meet them. Aleta had grown so much since she stayed with us! When she and Emma saw each other and ran to
meet and embraced like sisters, I thought I'd never seen anything so wonderful. We excitedly hurried Aleta upstairs with us to continue putting the finishing touches on Emma's hair and dress.

Reverend Hall and his wife came about an hour later. He hadn't seemed to mind that we weren't having the wedding in his church. In fact he had never encouraged us to attend services, knowing, no doubt, that we would all expect to sit together—which might have angered his other parishioners. He talked awhile to Papa and Micah and Katie about the arrangements. Katie had planned everything and was in charge of telling everyone what to do. More and more she was the mistress of Rosewood!

Emma waited upstairs with Josepha and Aleta and Katie and me. She was nervous but beaming!

Finally everything was ready. But then Emma started crying, and I knew why.

“I wish my William cud be here,” she said. “I wanted a good life fo William since he wuz born a free baby. He wud hab been so happy ter know dat he wuz finally gwine hab a daddy. He loved Micah so much.”

Katie gave Emma a hug. “But remember, Emma,” she whispered, “even though William isn't here with us, he is happy in heaven—and happier for you than you can imagine.”

Emma smiled and wiped at her eyes. “Dat's nice, Miz Katie,” she said. “Dat's real nice. I hope you's right. Dat'll make me real happy ter think of him like dat. You really think he's happy fo me?”

“I know he is, Emma. He loves you.” Then Katie hurried downstairs.

We heard the tramp of men's feet walking up the stairs. A few seconds later, Papa and Uncle Ward appeared.

“You ready, little girl?” said Papa.

“I is, Mister Templeton,” said Emma, drawing in a breath to steady herself.

“Then we'll take it from here,” he said, looking at the three of us. “Time for you ladies to leave us with the bride!”

Josepha and Aleta and I gave Emma one last smile, then went downstairs to join the others. There stood Micah and Jeremiah in their finest clothes, their faces shiny clean. I had to admit—they were both mighty handsome! The whole house was silent. Katie was sitting at the piano. She glanced around making sure everybody was ready, then began to play.

When they were alone upstairs together, the two Daniels men looked seriously at Emma.

“I haven't ever been too good at things like this,” said Uncle Ward. “But both of us want you to know that we're honored to walk you down to that fellow who's going to be your husband. You're a mighty fine young lady, Emma Tolan. You've done a lot of growing up, and we're mighty proud to know you.”

He looked over at my papa. By now Emma was crying. But Papa had some things to say to her too.

“I know you had to struggle,” he said, “alongside Katie and Mayme, to feel like you were as good as them. But let me tell you something, Emma, and I
don't want you ever to forget it as long as you live. You're a fine person, a good person, and wherever you go you can hold your head up high. You were a good mother too. We all miss William, but you'll have more children and you'll be a good mother to them too. But he'll always be your firstborn and he'll always be special to all of us. You can rest assured that we'll never forget him either, any more than we'll forget you. You'll always be part of this family, Emma. We all love you.”