by C.P. Murphy
Chapter Twelve
Henry reached into his closet and pulled out a box that had been sitting in there since their arrival in Millersport. He turned and placed the box on his bed as he swallowed a lump in his throat, overwhelmed with guilt knowing that the owner of the box wouldn’t want Amelia to wed the young Van Martin boy. He felt his eyes water because he too didn’t want the union but he wiped the moisture away. His family was angry with him for what he was putting Amelia through but he had to stand strong. He knew that Daniel would run straight to the authorities if he backed out of the arrangement. He straightened himself out and took the box down to the girls’ room where he had instructed Amelia to meet him.
The door was open, and he walked in unheard. She was sitting with her back to him and had not realized that he was there. She looked so unhappy and his heart wanted to reach out to her. He knew that she had to marry Thomas, for his sake, but also knew that with the right words she might understand. Again he cleared his throat, and she turned and looked at him.
“Father, I didn’t hear you come in,” Amelia said as she jumped up from her bed and turned to face him. Immediately she saw the box in his hands and wondered what was going on. “What is in the box?”
Henry placed the box down onto her bed and brushed the dust off of his hands. What was in the box had been in there for years and he had been instructed for it to be never opened until Amelia wed. Although the wedding was still not for some time, he knew it was the best way to break the ice with his daughter. “This is for you,” he said to her as he pulled his wife’s wedding dress out of the box. “It was your mother’s.”
Amelia gasped. Never in her life had she seen such a beautiful dress. Her father held it up and its beauty flowed down to the floor. Ivory lace covered white satin from top to bottom. The sleeves, though short, were also made of ivory lace. Looking at the dress, Amelia saw purity and an endless love. Until now the dress had represented honest and continued commitment. She couldn’t uphold the standards that came with it. “Oh, it’s so beautiful,” she said as she reached out to touch the fabric that once touched her mother’s skin.
“You should fit into it fine,” Henry proudly stated. His daughter resembled his late wife so much: he knew that she would look outstanding in it.
As Amelia pulled the dress close to her own body she asked, “But if this is Mother’s, why didn’t Minnie wear it?”
“She insisted, before you were even born, that you wear it.” Henry was silent for a moment as he remembered the day she gave him the instructions. It was the day they moved into their first house together. She had put it in the box and told him she wanted her first daughter to wear the dress. Now looking at Amelia, he smiled as he thought about how much his wife had loved her. “You are her eldest daughter, the one she dreamt would wear this,” Henry explained. “I couldn’t have let Minnie wear it.”
The emotions, that Amelia was feeling, overflowed. She sat on the bed as she held the dress over her lap and cried. Amelia didn’t look in his direction but felt Henry sit on the bed next to her. She thought maybe this emotional moment would make him realize how unhappy she was. “I wish Mother was still here,” she sobbed. “She wouldn’t let you force me into this marriage. She would understand me, she would understand,” she wanted to tell him that her mother would understand that she loved someone else but knew that she would have to reveal those feelings to Patrick before she could to her father.
Henry tried to comfort her. He placed his arm around her shoulders but she pulled herself away. Bringing the dress out wasn’t helping him at all like he thought it would. “Your mother might object, you are right,” he started. “But, she would have told you to obey me and Amelia, I can’t believe that you have to be reminded about respect.”
Amelia wiped the tears from her eyes. She wondered what he knew about respect when he treated her like one of his business deals; signed and sealed. He never once asked her how she felt. “I respect you. Oh but Father,” she tried once again to get him to see things her way, “She would have wanted me to marry someone I love. She would remind you how important that is to a marriage.”
Henry couldn’t take it anymore. What Amelia said was wrong, and she didn’t even know it. It was time to make her understand. “Our marriage was prearranged too,” he blurted out. He never thought he would tell his children this, but it seemed to be the only way to get her to accept her union. Besides, perhaps it was for the best because in time he would want to tell his children about his love for Ruth.
Amelia held the dress tight in her hands and was shocked to hear him say such a thing. “No, that isn’t true. Mother told me how much she loved you.”
Henry knew that telling her about his own marriage would be very difficult but it was something he had to do. He had turned towards her and pulled her shoulders until she faced him. “In time, she loved me and I her, but it wasn’t always the case.”
Amelia was in disbelief. She remembered how they used to look at each other, the way they were always so happy to be together. She knew that he was just telling her this to make her think that her marriage to Thomas would be nice too. “That isn’t true,” she cried and wondered why he would go to such extremes.
“It’s true,” Henry said as he recalled the days when his own world was turned upside down. He thought he would never forgive his parents for what they’ve done to him but in time he loved his wife and she did the same. “Amelia, I was in love with someone else,” he searched for the right thing to say and continued, “But our parents split us up. They thought it was better their way and the one I loved with all my heart was given to someone else and I never thought I would recover.”
She didn’t know what to think. She realized that it wouldn’t matter if she told him about Patrick. He claimed to be proof that love didn’t always win. He would still keep his promise to the Van Martins’. She felt helpless. The two of them were silent for a while until curiosity came over Amelia and she questioned, “Who were you in love with?”
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” he said to her and noticed the hurt in her blue eyes. Henry had been using the silent moment to recall the days when he was split from Ruth for good. Henry didn’t want to tell her though. He had revealed enough for one day, telling her about his love for Ruth would set her over the edge. He needed to get his point through to her though so he went on. “And your mother, oh now that is a different story. You look like her but the child named after her holds her personality.” Amelia cocked her head to the side as he continued. “She wasn’t interested in marriage at all. She was a spitfire and defiant. Your mother fought tooth and nail and even on our wedding day she was out climbing trees instead of preparing herself for the ceremony.” He took his fingers and wiped the rest of her tears away. He loved his daughter so much and hoped that she would come around and forgive him. “So things have a way of working themselves out. I know for a fact that Thomas is already becoming fond of you and in time you will love him too.”
When she was told that he wanted to meet her, she thought he would punish her for something. Now, she knew it was true. Telling her all those awful things about her parents was the biggest punishment she could think of. She didn’t know what else to do but lay her head on his shoulders and cry. She felt his arms wrap around her but she became too numb to return the embrace.
