In late October, Sadie and Elijah were married. The day started at four o’clock in the morning like any other—with chores to be done, and food to be cooked. Frost sparkled on the grass and crept up the fence posts—the chill of autumn bringing with it the promise of a long and cozy winter for a newlywed couple.
And then the flurry of activity began. Sadie had made her own wedding dress—this time a pale purple. She wanted it to be different from her first wedding, because this time she was marrying the man who filled her heart. Was he a risk? No, she realized. He wasn’t. He was the safest choice she’d ever made because he loved her with heart and soul.
They were married outdoors, the guests seated on the Sunday service benches, and the blazing yellows and oranges of the leaves filled Sadie’s heart with joy as she stood before her family and friends, facing the man who would be her husband.
“Will you support each other all your lives, respecting each other as God directs?” her father asked solemnly. “Will you cling to each other and no other, and stand by each other no matter what hard times may befall you?”
They responded with “We will,” and Bishop Graber smiled tenderly at his daughter.
“Then I bless you as God blessed Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Rachel. May your marriage be filled with love.”
It was done—they were wed!
The ceremony was much longer, of course. Sadie and Elijah sat down in chairs set a respectable twelve inches apart in a pool of warm autumn sunlight, and the married men and fathers took turns speaking about the joys and blessings of marriage. The minister preached a lengthy sermon, and Sadie could hardly even hear it, because seated next to her was her husband—he was well and truly her own—and she was so filled with happiness that she could focus on nothing else.
There would be a reception to follow, with tables set out on the lawn, matchmaking games for the single people, and much laughter and fun. And then later that evening, Sadie and Elijah would retire to her bedroom upstairs in her parents’ home. Samuel and Chase would have a “sleepover” with her parents. Rosmanda would care for baby Sarah, which was good practice for a girl who still believed she was ready for married life, regardless of everything she’d been through lately. Married life for Sadie and Elijah would begin with exactly one night of privacy.
It was how all marriages started—in the home of the bride’s family—and the Graber house would be filled with children once more. They would be with her parents until spring, when Elijah and Sadie would set up house together for the first time. As for privacy—it would have to be stolen as everyone else looked away and pretended not to notice when they slipped off together . . . making Sadie’s moments with her husband all the more exciting.
But as Sadie sat on that straight-backed chair, with Elijah at her side and the sermon floating around her with a swirl of autumn leaves, her thoughts were for her brand new family, including the three children they’d be raising together. Chase was already learning to do chores, and his tantrums had ceased without one spanking. Little Sarah was growing chubby and alert, and everyone loved caring for a new baby.
They were hers, this family stitched together with love.
The sermon drew to a close, and everyone bowed for prayer. Elijah slid his warm hand over hers, and her eyes popped back open. He shot her that boyish grin of his. He wasn’t supposed to be touching her yet, and she couldn’t help the smile that came to her lips.
Her husband, Elijah, a rebel to the last.
The Bishop's Daughter Page 28
