Joseph dragged his eyes from her mouth and smiled. “I have a feeling I’ll teach you a lot of new skills. And I’ll build you whatever you want and drag servants up the mountain to help you if you’d rather.”
Victoria threw back her head and laughed. The sound traveled up through Joseph, bringing with it a light he’d never experienced before. It spread and warmed him with joy until he worried he might shame himself and cry.
“I suppose you’ll teach me just as much though,” he offered, rubbing a hand over his chest and clearing his throat.
Victoria beamed. Joseph watched as she stood and strode around the worktable, stopping inches from him with a gleam in her eyes. She boldly ran her hand down his arm and clenched his hand, causing Joseph’s heartbeat to fly as fast as a hummingbird’s wings. She leaned forward, her cake-sweetened breath tickling his senses, and kissed him on the cheek.
“I’m much better and believe I’ll turn in for what’s left of the night,” she declared as she stepped away from him. “Thank you, Joseph, for talking with me. I’m looking forward to the adventure God has for us.”
Joseph watched her leave and continued to stare at the space she’d vacated well past when she’d probably made it to her bed and slept. He huffed and rubbed his face, stabbing a large bite of cake. Life with Victoria was bound to be exciting, Joseph thought as he smiled and shoved the cake into his mouth. He was quite up to the adventure, indeed.
Chapter 8
Victoria always imagined her wedding day filled with rushing about, squeezed and tucked into the most fashionable gown sewn by the best shop, friends running willy-nilly like a bunch of hens in a coop, and the church decorated with more flowers than an English garden. Her actual wedding day appeared to be shaping up much different from her childhood dreams.
Victoria looked at her reflection in the dresser mirror and sighed. Her gown was her favorite from the last Christmas season. It was a deep purple silk that sat off her shoulders and tiered down the skirt in subtle ruffles. A contrasting emerald velvet belt wrapped across her stomach and down her hips, emphasizing her small waist. When she’d first worn it, her father had said she looked like a present all wrapped in its finest. Victoria hoped Joseph thought so, too. She took one last look at her hair that the maid had tucked, twisted, and curled upon her head, then surrounded it by little flowers and a jeweled pin that her father gave her of her mother’s.
A knock sounded at the door followed by her father’s inquiry. “Darling, are you ready?”
Victoria walked to the door and opened it with a jaunty, “Well, what do you think, Father?”
She watched as her father’s eyes filled with tears and he sniffed. “You’re just as beautiful as your mother. How am I going to live without you here?”
Her eyes stung and her stomach dropped to her toes. “We can find another way. I don’t have to do this. I don’t have to leave.”
“No, no. That’s just my selfishness coming through. I could never keep you safe. You’d end up sequestered to the house, unable to live. God made you for adventure, Victoria. I knew it from when you were a child and also believe He made you for this Joseph. I left to my room last night intent on spending the night in prayer, beseeching the Lord for wisdom for your future. I tell you, I got down on my knees, started thanking God for your protection and by the time I got to asking about Joseph and your wedding to him, I had such peace, more peace than I’ve ever felt, that I went right to bed and slept the night through. If God’s hand is in this marriage, who am I to worry about it?”
Victoria dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief and smiled at her father. He’d always wanted her to have the best life imaginable. He allowed her to follow her unconventional dreams with only a slight raising of his eyebrows. She knew the fathers of her friends refused to allow their daughters much freedom. She thanked God her father saw her worth more than the vestige of power a beneficial marriage would afford.
Victoria threw her arms around her father’s neck and whispered, “I love you, Father.”
“I love you too, sweetheart,” he replied, pulling her in tight. “Now, let’s go get you married before you mess up your hair or gown.”
Victoria allowed her father to thread her hand into his arm and lead her down the stairs. She could hear a boisterous voice talking and the low, steady voice of her soon-to-be-husband responding. A gasp from Mrs. Leeter, the first to see them, followed their step into the parlor. Victoria watched as Joseph and a pastor she’d never met turned towards her. Joseph’s eyes flared with appreciation and his throat bobbed in a gulp. She chuckled as the pastor elbowed Joseph in the side, which prompted him to cross the room in a dazed walk.
“You look mesmerizing,” Joseph breathed, unable to take his eyes off her.
Victoria felt her cheeks warm as her father chuckled, kissed her on the cheek, and handed her over to Joseph.
“If we plan on getting this adventure on the way, we better get you two married,” her father said as he clapped Joseph on the shoulder.
Joseph turned to the pastor. “Victoria, I’d like to introduce Pastor Timothy Hudson of the First English Evangelical Lutheran Church. Pastor Hudson, I’d like to introduce my bride, Victoria Remming.”
“The pleasure is all mine, I assure you. After Joseph’s unusual arrival here, it intrigued me to see what God had in store for him. Imagine my surprise when I received a message requesting to perform his wedding, to Miss Remming no less,” the man replied with a chuckle.
Victoria looked at Joseph in question and he shrugged. “I’ll tell you about it later.”
“Shall we?” Pastor Hudson asked.
Before Victoria could blink, Mrs. Letter cried delicately into her handkerchief, her father smiled from beside her and the strange, little pastor pronounced them husband and wife. She faced Joseph and wondered if this handsome man was truly hers. He placed his hand on her cheek and leaned down. While the kiss they shared was chaste and once again over much quicker than Victoria wanted, the tingles felt the night before zinged through her body again.
Joseph placed his forehead to hers and whispered, “Victoria Thomas, you are incredible.”
She chuckled as Mrs. Leeter bustled up and squished her into a tight hug. The dear lady then rushed away, saying something about a wedding cake. Victoria looked at Joseph and stifled a laugh.
“What is the plan now?” Victoria asked, taking Joseph’s hand.
He brought it up to his mouth and kissed it before answering, “We have little time. We plan on dressing you as your maid, having you leave as if on an errand. I’ll sneak out the back and meet you around the corner. I have already sent your trunk to a hotel in Allegheny City. From there, we’ll leave on a steamboat heading west first thing tomorrow morning. No one should recognize you since you’ll be wearing the simple clothes the housekeeper purchased earlier this morning. No one will expect you to leave, so no one should be looking.”
“And that will be the end of Victoria Remming,” Victoria lamented.
“Not the end, dear,” Father said, pulling her into his arms. “This is merely the next chapter. There is so much of your story still left to write. What adventures will you have? How many grandchildren will you give me? This is a whole new life for you to embrace and flourish in. If it’s any consolation, I believe you will do splendid. Now go change. Adventure awaits.”
Victoria wiped the tears from her eyes and turned to her husband. Her father was right. She wasn’t naive enough to believe hardships wouldn’t come, but the adventure shining brightly in the future beckoned her. She walked into Joseph’s opened arms.
Epilogue
May 13, 1855
Joseph stared at the beautiful baby girl bundled up against her mother’s chest. He had difficulty accepting how blessed he was, swiping the tear that escaped down his cheek. He peered into the corner of the cabin where their two-year-old son, Orlando, slept the night away, oblivious to the excitement that had taken place. The cabin had become crowded since he’d b
rought his wife home. She had a penchant for books and had begged him to build shelves that now covered the walls with the histories, plays and novels she was so fond of.
“Looks like I need to add onto the cabin this summer,” Joseph whispered as he stroked his finger down the feather-soft cheek of his daughter.
“There’s no rush. I kind of enjoy how cozy it is when we’re all together,” Victoria murmured, snuggling closer to Joseph’s side.
“Can you believe you’ve been here three years? It seems as if you’ve always been by my side.”
“I still can’t believe how easy it was to leave Pittsburgh unseen. No one even looked at us as we were boarding, even though I’d never felt so conspicuous without my hoops and proper bonnet.”
“Do you miss those silly things?” Joseph asked, twirling a strand of her long chestnut hair around his finger.
She barked a laugh, startling the baby. “Absolutely not.”
Victoria settled her and sighed as she leaned back into Joseph’s side. If it was up to him, this is where he’d stay forever, nestled within his family’s love.
“What are we going to name her?” he asked before he did something as ridiculous as blubbering like a baby.
“Well, I’m fond of Viola, from Shakespeare. How about Viola Grace?” she asked as she peered up at him.
He kissed her on the lips, the touch still sending a rush to his toes. He looked back down at the baby’s sweet face where it scrunched in dreams.
“Viola Grace, I believe God’s got some exciting plans for you,” Joseph proclaimed.
Joseph gently took Viola out of Victoria’s arms as Victoria nodded off to sleep. He prayed Viola would find a husband that loved her as much as he loved her mother. He knew his children’s life wouldn’t be easy, but he promised God that he would show them to the Path of Light in this vast wilderness called home.
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Also by Sara Blackard
Vestige in Time Series
Vestige of Power
Vestige of Hope
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About the Author
Sara Blackard has been a writer since she was able to hold a pencil. When she's not crafting wild adventures and sweet romances, she's homeschooling her five children, keeping their off-grid house running, or enjoying the Alaskan lifestyle she and her husband love.
Contents
FREE Vestige in Time prequel
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Epilogue
Also by Sara Blackard
About the Author
Vestige of Power Page 6
