Not Quite A Mail Order Bride (Mail Order Brides) (10 page)

“Good answer,” she said.

They began dressing. As she began straightening her clothes and arranging her hair, she said, “You don’t need to get dressed.”

“You don’t think for one minute I’m going to let you go home by yourself?” he said.

“I’ll be all right,” she said.

“No, end of discussion.”

He got her carriage, and tied his horse behind it and drove her home. A couple happy with the bargain they had made. Upon arrival, there was a final kiss. “Luke, how would you feel if I said I would like to wait until we’re married, now?”

“Whatever you want, Honey.”

“Let’s send the telegram tomorrow,” she said. “I’m anxious now.”

“Deal,” he said, and rode out of the yard headed home.

Our Plans…

At breakfast, Martha said, “Luke is going to send Mama and Papa a telegram and ask if they would like to come to our wedding. If they would, we’ll send them the money for tickets the same day. Can you believe that can all happen in two days?” She laughed. “I can just see the money running down the telegraph wires. I don’t know what they’re going to think of next.”

“Two days? You mean you can ask them a question, get the answer, and send them money and they’ll have it in two days? Unbelievable.”

“We’re going in tomorrow and get the license and make the arrangements with John,” Martha said.

“It’s wonderful you will have Mama and Papa come out for the wedding. I wish they could have been at mine and Jedadiah’s,” Sarah said. “It will be nice for them to see the children again so soon.”

The next morning, after an early morning ride to Laramie, they stopped at the county offices and got a marriage license, then went to see John and Grace. Grace was ecstatic when she found out about the engagement. “It couldn’t happen to two nicer people,” she said. “I’m so happy for you. I just know your marriage is going to be a joyous union of two people perfectly suited to each other.”

After talking with John, the wedding was set for a week from the coming Sunday, after church. As usual, John would conduct the ceremony and Grace would provide the music. They next went to the hotel and made arrangements for a brief reception. It would be held in the hotel ballroom.

The next stop was the telegraph office where they composed the message, giving the dates and directions for the return reply. Telegrams were expensive, so they asked her parents to send the response collect. They expected an answer the next day or the day following.

They went to the restaurant in the hotel for lunch. Extending her hands across the table, Martha took Luke’s hands. “You are the most generous man I have ever met. I haven’t told you yet, but I love you Luke Hastings. I do.”

He squeezed her hands and said, “I love you too, Honey. You’ve brought a joy to my life that’s been missing since Clara’s death. The boys too. They are so excited about having a mother again, it’s all they talk about. Will is always saying, “When Miss Martha gets to be my mother, I’m going to…” Jimmy is excited too, but Will expresses his. It means a lot to me. I can hardly wait.

She beamed at his praise. “It’s going to be a special time for me too. I’ve always wanted children, but for some reason, Daniel and I were not blessed. Now I get a family overnight.”

“Speaking of night,” Luke said, “I want to tell you again how special last night was for me. That you would share yourself with me like that was just so… I guess incredibly wonderful is the phrase I’m looking for.”

She colored at the memory of it. “It was good for me too. You are a handsome man, beautiful inside as well as out. And, you’re mine. That is the part that just makes me quiver inside. It’s the same feeling I had last night.” Her color deepened at the thought of it. “I want to wait until the wedding, but then again, I don’t want to wait. Don’t I sound just like one of the fancy girls from the saloon, talking like that.”

“I don’t know how the fancy girls sound, having had no contact with them,” Luke said piously.

Martha giggled. “I wonder what they talk about,” she said.

“Again, I wouldn’t know,” Luke said.

Two days later, they received the answer from her parents. They were delighted at the news and overjoyed at the thought of attending their daughter’s wedding. Luke made arrangement for the wire transfer of the money. Since Martha’s father worked at the bank, he was familiar with wire transfers. Everything was all set now. All that was left was to wait. If they could, that is.

* * *

Luke and Martha rode into town to meet the train bringing her parents. It was a joyful and loud reunion. They had a vague memory of meeting Luke, but he had been just a neighbor then. Her mother hugged him and thanked him. Catherine told him “The telegram scared me to death. It’s the first one I’ve ever received and was afraid something had happened to one of my girls. My fears turned into joy when I read the real reason.” Jacob pumped Luke’s hand vigorously and declared how unbelievable it was the way telegraphs worked and the wiring of money and so on.

The Hardings would be staying at Jed and Sarah’s house until the wedding and then would stay with Martha and Luke for the balance of their trip.

Their honeymoon would not be until the end of the school term, at Martha’s request, though they could have suspended school for that period. Martha thought such a thing would diminish the importance of school to the children as well as to the parents.

When her parents alighted from the train, Martha ran to greet them, towing Luke by the hand. “Mama, Papa, this is my fiance, Luke Hastings. You met him when you visited Sarah.

Luke, this is my mother Catherine and my father Jacob.
”

“Mama, I’m so glad you could come. I really want Papa to walk me down the aisle and give me away. Jed is going to be Luke’s best man and Sarah will be matron of honor. I’m so excited, I can hardly contain myself.”

Luke said, “Jacob, if you point your luggage out, I’ll get it loaded into the carriage.” They left for the baggage claim area.

“Mama, you’re going to love my two sons, Will and Jimmy. Will is seven and Jimmy is four. Will is one of my students and I just love him to death. Would you listen to me? I just chattering away like a magpie. I’m just so excited to see you. I said that before didn’t I”

“How is your sister doing?” asked Catherine. “She never writes.”

“She is doing well. They are a happy couple and John Lucas and Sarah Catherine are growing like weeds. John Lucas is named for Luke, you know,” Martha ran happily on as they walked toward the carriage.

The trip was uneventful, save for the chattering by Martha. Luke and Jacob talked a little, mostly it was Luke pointing out scenery or landmarks. When they turned off to Jed and Sarah’s, Martha said, “Ours is the next ranch over. It’s been in Luke’s family for three generations now.”

When they pulled into the yard, the entire Barnette family came out to greet them. Jed shook Jacob’s hand and asked about his health and welfare, he hugged Catherine, who picked up John Lucas and remarked, “You sure are getting big.”

“Yes, I’m five and I’ll go to school next year. Aunt Martha is teaching me to read and write,” he said.

“How is grandmama’s little girl?”

“I’m not a little girl. I’m a big girl now, huh, Mama?”

“Yes, Sarah Catherine, You’re Mama’s big girl. Now, give grandmama a big girl hug,” Sarah said.

The little girl wrapped her arms around her bending over grandmama’s neck and said, “Uhhhhhh, Grandmama.”

Martha stood back, watching this exchange, Luke’s arm thrown around her shoulder. “Thank you again, Luke. This means a lot to me. If our other sister was here, it would make the circle complete.”

“I sent her a telegram too, but I didn’t hear back from her,” he said.

“I didn’t know you did that,” she said.

“I got the address from Sarah and sent it at the same time. I wanted it to be a surprise for you.”

Pulling him closer, she wrapped her arm around his waist and said, “One of the reasons I love you so much. You’re so kind and thoughtful.”

It's Our Wedding Day…

On this Sunday, dawn peeked through the curtains of Martha’s bedroom in the Barnette’s home. She stood, yawned, and stretched. She padded over to the window, pulled the curtains aside and raised the shade. She saw a few thin, wispy clouds, brightened by the rising sun. “It looks like a perfect day for a wedding,” she said to no one.

Three miles away, Luke Hastings had risen over an hour before. He had gone to the barn, checked out the carriages and harnesses. He gave his brace of horses, some oats and hay. From the well, he got water and filled their water trough. He went back into the house, where Hetty was busily preparing breakfast. He went to Will and Jimmy’s bedrooms and rousted them. “Time to get up and get started. Today’s the day we’re going to get you a new mother.”

“Yippee,” said Will.

“Yay,” echoed Jimmy.

Back in the kitchen, he said, “Well Hetty, you get another mouth to feed and a little more work.”

“Mr Luke, today is not about more work. Today you get what you need and that is a wife. It will be a happier place. It means a lot to me too.”

“You are coming to the wedding aren’t you?” he asked.

“Land sakes, Mr Luke. If you want me to come, I have to change to my church going dress. You boys hurry. I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Luke got dressed, and then helped his sons dress while Hetty hurried to clean the kitchen and change into her churchgoing dress. He was wearing his best dress pants, a dress shirt with a string tie. He had his newest white Stetson hat. In a separate bag he had his wedding clothes.

Several days earlier…

Catherine had carefully packed her wedding dress in their trunk in hopes Martha would wear it. He had gotten it out and carefully ironed the wrinkles from it. “Martha,” she had asked, “What are you going to wear for your wedding?”

“I thought I would wear my nicest dress to church and then to the wedding, why?” Martha asked.

“Come look, you too, Sarah, and tell me what you think,” Catherine said. Laid out on the bed was the beautiful white wedding gown. “What do you think?”

“Mama, you brought your wedding dress,” she said, tears filling her eyes. “Mama, this is the nicest gift you could have given me.” She hugged her mother and whispered, “Thank you,” in her ear and hugged her again. The dress fit with only a few minor alterations and the replacement of some of the old threads.

They hung the dress in the closet in anticipation of the wedding day, when it would be taken to the church and changed into for the wedding.

Getting to the church on time…

Luke, his sons and Hetty left for town and church, passed the road that led to the J-Bar-B ranch, about half an hour before the Barnettes and Martha left, allowing the dust to settle before they passed. The family filling the Barnette’s carriage was ebullient. This was to be a happy day in their lives. One of their own would be putting her lonely days behind her and moving into a new role as wife and mother.

Luke had arranged previously for a room at the hotel where he could change and Hetty could freshen up the boys. He left his wedding clothes in the room and walked with his boys and their nanny to the church. Warmly greeted by John Carruthers at the steps of the church, and his many friends among the congregation, Luke led his family and Hetty to the front row on the right side of the church.

Grace was playing a traditional hymn as Martha and her family came in and were seated. Martha peered around Jed, caught Luke’s eye and a smile as bright as the sun lit her face. Luke nudged his sons, who turned and waved. “I love you,” mouthed Martha. Luke answered in kind.