He wove a chain of flowers for her neck, a garland for her hair. They spoke of a quiet ceremony, just her family and his, a few of their friends. They talked of his grandmother, who hadn’t lived to see them wed. They cried together for the old lady who’d loved them so much, known them so well. Their grief was mingled with gratitude, for she’d sharpened the girl’s gift, and brought the man to an understanding of her love.
He held her quietly for a while then, but the shadows were extending and they were far from home. He helped her up and drew her into his arms, kissed her tenderly. As she packed the basket up again, he shrugged into his shirt.
The red bandanna lay unnoticed in the grass as he took her hand and led her back the way they’d come. As darkness descended, they began to run. Some hundred feet from the house, she stopped abruptly, almost pulling him over.
“What?” he demanded in a whisper. “What is it?”
“My shoes,” she whispered with a giggle. “Where are my shoes?”
“Oh, no,” he groaned. “Aroon...”
There was no time to go back, and she couldn’t get home after dark. She couldn’t go alone, or without them.
“Look in the basket,” he hissed.
It was a desperate suggestion, but with another small laugh she grabbed them and waved them around. She sat to slip them on but didn’t lace them, then held out her hand. He tugged her upright and they ran again, reaching the farmhouse porch just as the first stars shimmered into the sky.
Annie started to giggle. He stared at her for a moment, then joined in. When Evelyn came to the door they were clinging to each other, almost hysterical, and she regarded them as if they were insane.
“What’s so funny?” she demanded.
Annie controlled herself long enough to answer. “Nothing,” she said demurely, and Daniel laughed again. She fell against his arm while Evelyn shook her head.
“Well, if you two can control yourselves long enough to wash up, dinner’s almost ready.”
A FEW MOMENTS LATER, Owen came out of the barn. Daniel’s head was bent low over Annie’s, and he saw the radiance of his daughter’s face, the deference in the woodsman’s touch.
I should beat him with a whip. But she is so very happy. Ah, Megan. My Megan, do you remember the day...? He sighed deeply.
Daniel straightened up then, stood almost at attention. Taking Annie’s hand in his, he turned them both to face her father.
“Papa.” “Owen.” They’d both spoken at once.
Owen raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?”
Daniel knew it was his place to speak. “Sir, she... Annie... I mean, we...”
“Spit it out, son.”
“She’s picked a date. May Day,” he said in a voice full of wonder. “We’re getting married. May first.”
Trying hard to keep a straight face, Owen glared at Daniel for a long moment. It was only when he saw the younger man’s confusion that he blurted out, “It’s about time!” His round face broke into smiles and he held his arms open to his only daughter.
“Papa!” She ran to him, hugged him tight, then pounded on his chest with a fist. “You old tease!”
He laughed at her and kissed her forehead, then extended his hand to the woodsman. “Congratulations.” He pumped Daniel’s hand hard. “It’s about damn time.”
The woodsman reached out to touch the golden head that rested on Owen’s shoulder.
“It was worth the wait,” he said. She turned to him, her smile bright and soft, and was folded into his arms again.
“She’s a beautiful girl, isn’t she?” Owen asked. “You treat her right, boy, or you’ll answer to me.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You don’t have to worry, Papa. He’d never hurt me.”
She’s still so sure. Maybe I’m wrong. But he looked again and saw the worship in Daniel’s eyes. No, I know what they’ve done. How can I be angry with her—with them? When she is so happy? What a wonderful thing love is.
Later that night, Owen sat in the cottage with his daughter’s head upon his knee. She looked up once, then turned back to the fire.
“Papa...”
But he didn’t want to hear her confession. “Are you happy, fy merch fach?”
“Oh, yes.” Low and reverent the answer came, almost a prayer.
“That’s all that matters.” Her cheek rubbed against his knee, as he thought of a sun-drenched cove on the coast of Wales. Ah, Megan. My little witch. She is so much like you. For you needed to know also, and you took my hand and led me there and shamelessly seduced me. You took my soul right out of my body and kissed it. And now she has done the same to him. He stroked the golden hair and loved his daughter more than he ever had. She’ll be safe now, and I need worry no more. He’ll take care of her.
Chapter 40
Before he left her, Daniel raised Annie’s hands to his lips. Evelyn had demanded the details of the wedding, but they’d had none to give her. “I’d like to make the plans, aroon. Will you trust me?”
“Of course.”
“Is there any special thing you want?”
“No. Just something quiet—simple.” She crinkled up her nose. “Not a thousand people.”
“Not like Frank and Patricia?”
“No. It... it just wouldn’t feel right.”
“I love you, Annie. I want to do this for you.”
Her kiss gave him all the permission he needed. He left her reluctantly, knowing he wouldn’t be alone with her again until they married. His desire was as strong as ever, but the edge had been taken from his need. He didn’t regret the day, but he’d wait until she was rightfully his to touch her again.
His heart was full as he walked home and he found he was singing aloud—the same song over and over and over—until he reached the gates of his family’s ranch. Then he stood and watched a silver crescent peek from behind the trees and he sang it once again,
The farmer rides proudly to market and fair,
And the clerk at the ale house still claims the great chair,
But of all the proud fellows, the proudest I’ll be
While the Maid of Llanwellyn smiles sweetly on me.
He checked the fuel level in the lamp and went into the house. His steps made no sound as he entered the back parlor. Molly was reading to Jake. John Patrick was smoking and staring into the fire with Irene sitting at his feet, and Brian was dozing in the armchair. Daniel stood before his mother, took the book from her hands. He pulled her up and held her close, unprepared for the strength of his own emotion.
“What is it, my son?”
“May Day.” His voice was barely more than a gurgle. “She’ll marry me. May first.”
Their words hadn’t been heard by the others in the room. John Patrick exchanged a glance with Jake, who shrugged helplessly. Brian was still sleeping and Irene seemed not to know of the woodsman’s presence until her father nudged her away. John Patrick left his pipe behind, went to them and drew them both into his embrace, saw that Molly’s face shone with happiness.
It’s all right, then. I was afraid for a moment that he’d lost her. His voice was louder than he intended, and gruff. “I take it you’ll be married.”
Daniel’s head bobbed up and down erratically.
“The first of May,” said Molly. She hugged her son again, then turned to her husband. “The first of May.”
“Yippee!” cried Jake.
Brian started up. “What? What?”
“Daniel’s getting married!” Irene sang out. “Oh, let’s go tell the boys!” She ran upstairs, shouting for Frank and Patricia, while Jake took off for Geordie and Suzette’s cabin. Soon the room was filled with laughter as they congratulated and teased their quiet brother, pounding him on the back.
John Patrick broached a keg of porter and handed glasses around. He offered his mother’s Homeric blessing:
“There is no fairer thing,
Than when the lord and lady with one soul
One home possess.”
They raised their glasses to him and drank, remembering the lilting, ancient voice that had first spoken the words. They could all feel her presence, knew that she shared their joy. They fell again into each other’s arms, laughing and crying, happy and sad, demanding the details he couldn’t yet give them, and offering their help and anything else he wanted.
WHEN THE OTHERS HAD all gone up to bed, the woodsman sat with Irene curled up against his shoulder like a kitten.
“Daniel,” she asked, “do you think I’ll ever get married?”
He chuckled inwardly—it seemed no time at all since Jake had asked him the same question. “Of course, mavourneen. You’ll have your pick of men. You’re the prettiest girl in the Territory. Aside from Annie, of course.”
“Of course.” She rolled her eyes and Daniel poked her in the side. Laughing, she said, “I wonder who it will be.”
“Well, I know of at least two possible candidates.”
“Who? Tell me who!”
“Nope. It’s up to them. But Irene, don’t rush into anything. Be very sure you love the man you accept. ’Cause you’ll be stuck with him for a good long time.”
“I know,” she sighed. “I think I want a man like Adam. Or like you.”
“Thank you, mavourneen. That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me. Now I think it’s time for you to be in bed.”
She turned back to him at the door. “I’m happy for you, Daniel. I think Annie’s a very lucky girl.”
IN THE MORNING DANIEL took himself to the Rocking Chair Ranch, hoping he’d find Jesse in good health. Hoping Brian had honored his wish to be the one to break the news. He was astonished to find her with rosy cheeks as she greeted him with a hug.
“The boys aren’t home,” she told him. “Adam went out to the lake to see if there are any new calves and Brian went to town for supplies. Come and see Fancy—you won't believe how fat she got over the winter!”
He let her pull him into the barn where he admired not only the filly, but her pet calf Li’l Feller. As they walked out into the sunshine again, a huge tawny cat presented his mistress with a dead mouse.
“Thanks, Boy-o,” she crooned at him. She dangled the mouse by its tail in front of Daniel’s face. “See what kind of presents you get when somebody loves you?”
He laughed as he tossed the creature into the sycamore grove. The cat gave him a look of pure disgust, turned his back and began washing his tail.
Jesse giggled. “Got quite a way with animals, haven’t you? But let’s go have some tea. Then maybe Adam will be home. I want to hear all the news. How’s Evelyn feeling? And what about Annie?”
“Evelyn’s fine, but the doctor’s got her resting most of the day. Lowell says she’s getting kind of restless, but she’s feeling good.”
“Oh, I’m glad.”
“You’re looking fine, too. How do you feel?”
“Fine. Mother made me a new tisane when the other one didn’t work. It’s taken most of the sickness away.”
“That’s great.”
“Want another cup of tea?” Jesse asked. “We could take it out to the porch—it’s too nice a day to spend indoors.”
“Sure.”
Jesse settled herself on the swing. “Daniel, you haven’t said one single word about Annie since you got here. Is something wrong?”
“No, mavourneen, I was just waiting until Adam got back to tell you the news.”
“Tell me. Oh, Daniel, are you getting married? Tell me now.”
“First of May.”
He barely had time to put his cup down before she jumped into his arms, hugging him, laughing and crying, kissing his cheeks, then hugging him again.
“Oh, I’m so happy for you! Oh, I know you’ll be so happy!”
“Thank you, mavourneen. I’d like to ask you for a favor.”
“Anything,” she promised rashly. “Anything at all.”
“Annie’s left all the plans to me. We’ll be married at the house. I think she’d like you and Evelyn to stand up with her.”
“Oh, Daniel...” Her face was radiant through her tears. “Oh, thank you. I’d be so proud.” He caught her up in his arms again as she began to cry in earnest.
He turned his head at the sound of a horse, saw his brother’s appaloosa approaching. Adam dismounted, a frown creasing his brow. “Not bad news, is it?”
The woodsman shook his head.
“Oh, Adam,” Jesse said, reaching for his hand. “Daniel’s getting married! On May first. Next week!” Shyly she added, “He just asked me to stand up with Annie.”
Adam wrapped a long arm around Jesse’s shoulders and leaned back against the porch rail, and regarded Daniel seriously.
“About damn time!” he said. “You’re a lucky man. Why she’d want you, I sure don’t know, but then I’ve never understood women.”
Daniel gripped his brother’s hand and drawled, “Don’t guess I ever will. But I’ll tell you somethin’, brother.” Adam raised a single eyebrow in question. “I’m sure not complainin’.”
Chapter 41
Annie had a length of Japanese silk in the palest of jade greens. It had been a christening gift.
“My mother’s cousin’s husband,” she told Evelyn, “was a merchant in Oriental goods. They lived in London and sent this to me when I was born. I never met them, but I saved this because it always seemed like such a special gift.”
“It’s beautiful,” Evelyn agreed, feeling the delicate texture. “And it’ll be perfect with your eyes and your hair.”
She knew Annie was disappointed not to be able to wear her mother’s wedding dress, which Owen had saved for her. But her mother had been a tiny woman, no taller than Jesse, and there wasn’t enough material in the dress to make it long enough.
“It’ll be perfect,” Evelyn repeated. “Besides, you should wear green on the first of May.” She began to sing, “Green is the color of my true love’s dress...”
“Isn’t it ‘robe’? ‘My true love’s robe’?”
“The important thing is, it’s green and you wear it!” Evelyn held the fabric up and measured it against her arm. “There’s about three yards here, and it’s not too wide. It’ll have to be a fairly simple pattern. I don’t think I have anything we can use. Why don’t we go up to the house and look at some of Gran’s old books? I remember there was a dress in one of them—oh, it was so pretty.” Her hands began to move in excitement. “It had a high waist, and a long, slim skirt, and something I don’t know—braid or something, all here and here.
“It was Egyptian, I think, or maybe Greek. Simple, but oh, so elegant.” She regarded her sister-in-law. “Just like you.”
Annie cocked an eyebrow. “So now I’m simple, am I?”
“No, no, I just meant you like things that aren’t all fancy and full of doo-dads.” Evelyn flushed with embarrassment, then caught the gleam in Annie’s eye. “All right, so the truth is out. Who but a simpleton would marry my brother anyway?”
“Who would marry mine?”
“Guess it makes us both pretty simple, doesn’t it? But come on, what do you say? Let’s go look at those books and see what we can find.”
At the ranch, they spent the afternoon with Jake in the back parlor. The boy had taken a fall off his horse earlier in the week and reinjured the ankle he’d broken the past winter. He threw himself into the dress hunt with the alacrity of the extremely bored. Eventually Evelyn found the pattern she remembered.
“It’s beautiful,” Annie said, “but it’s got no sleeves or anything. I’d be embarrassed.”
“Okay,” Evelyn said, “let’s see what else there is.”
They were on the verge of resignation when Jake called for Annie. He’d picked up a book after they’d discarded it and was flipping pages when a picture caught his eye. He held the book up for her to see. “Look at this here. It looks pretty elegant to me.”
A slender woman stood alone on the page. There were flowers in the black hair piled on her head, held i
n place by a wooden comb. Her dark eyes tilted up at the comers.
Annie caught her breath as she gazed. “Isn’t she beautiful?”
“It says she’s from Siam,” Jake said. “Isn’t that somewhere near Japan?”
“I think so. Somewhere in the Orient, anyway. Evelyn, come look at this.”
“Oh, that’s pretty,” Evelyn said. “I think it’s in two pieces. A dress with a long skirt—it would be almost like the Greek dress we saw. But the jacket would cover your shoulders. The sleeves are long but the bodice is short.” She looked at Annie with a dressmaker’s eye. “We might have enough. Or we might have to make a shorter sleeve. One that just covers your elbows.” She pored over the picture again. “I don’t see how it closes. The jacket must have a placket with the buttons hidden inside.
“I’ve got some muslin at home—let’s see if we can make one out of that. If we run into trouble, I bet Rebecca will help us out.”
Annie leaned over to kiss Jake on the cheek, then laughed as his cheeks flooded with color. “Thank you, brother-to-be. I think you may have found my wedding dress for me.”
TWO DAYS BEFORE THE wedding, Evelyn delivered the dress to Annie. It had turned out perfectly. By foregoing the triple folds of a placket in favor of white frog closures, Evelyn was able to fashion sleeves that came nearly to the wrist. And there were enough scraps of fabric left for Owen to make matching slippers. Annie tried on the dress and slippers, and wept with delight.
“Oh, my baby girl,” sighed Owen, “you are so beautiful.”
“Oh, Papa, thank you. I’m just so happy.” She flew up the stairs again to remove the dress.
Evelyn spoke carefully. “Have you decided what to do, Papa? You know you’re welcome to come to the farm.”
“I know, girl, and it’s not that I don’t appreciate it. But you’ve got your own lives, Evelyn, and soon you’ll have your little one to worry about. I don’t want to be in the way.”
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