The Preacher's Bride: A Golden Valley Story (Brides of Birch Creek Book 6)

by Laura D. Bastian

  Before she could ask about the kitchen and what was in there, he pointed toward the rooms. “I’ve used this as my room, and the other has been my study. I will move some of my things out so you can have your own room.”

  Amelia felt the weight of his words slowly crushing her hopes. He would provide her with a separate room. He may have agreed to marry her, but it was obviously done out of duty and not with the intention of being a married couple or an eventual family.

  “That is kind of you,” Amelia whispered, but couldn’t bring herself to even look at the room she’d be sent to.

  “This is the kitchen,” Benjamin said in a normal tone of voice. “It hasn’t been used often for more than a quick and simple meal. After enjoying your cooking tonight, I am looking forward to seeing it used regularly.”

  Amelia smiled. At least that was something she could do. She would feed him. Help him keep the house clean and comfortable, make sure the yard was open and welcoming to those who may need to come to him for help. She would do her best to help him at the church by cleaning it and keeping the exterior inviting as well. Anything that she could do to make his life easier was what she’d give him.

  It was a much better life than what she’d have had in Ohio if she had stayed there. Eventually, she might reconcile herself to the idea that her dream marriage to her childhood idol, Benjamin Morrison, was going to be a lot different than a marriage to Reverend Morrison.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Benjamin allowed Amelia to step outside the building before he closed the door behind them and joined her on the front porch with Mr. Howard and his wife.

  “It’s getting late,” Benjamin said. “I suppose I should say goodnight.”

  He hoped the Howards would take her back to their place so he wouldn’t have to feel awkward with her still, but Mrs. Howard ruined that for him.

  “Actually, Reverend,” Mrs. Howard said. “I do need to run over to Mrs. Lewis’ for a quick moment. If you would escort Amelia back to my place, Mr. Howard can accompany me to the Lewis’ and back.” She took her husband by the arm and started to walk off without another word leaving Benjamin and Amelia alone on his front porch.

  That didn’t seem like the most proper thing to do, but with them standing outdoors where anyone could see, he knew no one should really talk about it. Especially if they just walked side by side without touching.

  “Shall we?” Benjamin said, tilting his head to the side, hoping she’d take the hint to start walking.

  Amelia moved away from the house and out to the road while Benjamin followed at a safe and proper distance. He then walked at her side and kept an eye out for anyone who might be watching them.

  So far, he could see no one on the street. Most of the houses still had their curtains open for the light from the setting sun. As far as he could tell, no one was watching out their windows either.

  “Are you all right?” Amelia asked, her voice low and with a hint of concern. “Is it dangerous here at night?”

  “No,” Benjamin said. “It’s not dangerous at all. Why do you ask?”

  “You seem concerned about what might greet us out here. I hoped there aren’t any unkind people here who might want to bother us as we are walking tonight.”

  “Birch Creek is a very safe place,” Benjamin said. His behavior of watching for anyone who might see them had frightened the poor girl. “I apologize if I made you feel uncomfortable. I have just never walked with a woman alone in the evening. I don’t want anyone to think you are being mistreated.”

  Amelia’s eyes widened a little, then one corner of her mouth raised before she smoothed out her expression. “You are being a perfect gentleman.” She gave a pointed look at the distance between them and continued to walk forward without another glance at him. “If it would make you feel better, you can now stand right there since the Howard’s place is only a dozen yards away. You can be assured of doing nothing wrong.”

  “That would be unkind of me to make you walk the rest of the way alone. I’ll continue on with you.”

  “Suit yourself.” Amelia continued her pace and before long they were at the front door of the house. She tested the door and when she found it open, she walked in, glanced back and said, “Thank you for the protection. Good night.”

  As the door closed behind her, Benjamin realized he wouldn’t have to say anything more. She had solved his problem of a farewell, and he was surprised he felt so unsettled.

  He had worked up all kinds of things to say to her. He’d planned to wish her a good night, though he wasn’t sure if he should bow, or shake her hand, or do nothing. He also wanted to tell her he would see her in the morning when the preacher arrived so they could sign the marriage certificate. He wanted to thank her for the meal earlier and compliment her on how good it was. Instead, she had completely shut him out and didn’t seem as if she was interested in him at all.

  So why was she here if she didn’t care to marry him or take the time to get to know him? Why was he the one that would have to marry her? If he hadn’t already agreed to it and sent the sheriff after another preacher, he could have taken time to figure things out. With the Clark’s place unavailable, he’d panicked and just said he’d do it. Too bad Mrs. Howard had already set things up and now the information was all over town.

  Oh he wished he would have thought this through more thoroughly. He could have just gotten Amelia situated here with the Howards until the Clark’s place was open again while he looked for a husband for Amelia. Now that he knew she was pretty, could cook, and was a God-fearing woman, there would be plenty of men who would be willing to marry her on short notice.

  While thinking of the other options, Benjamin realized he didn’t want to back out of this marriage. He didn’t know why she felt important to him, or why it felt right that he’d decided to marry her. Even the idea of trying to look for some other groom for her sounded wrong.

  He would need a lot of help in knowing how best to take care of a wife. Amelia was so different than any of the women he’d met here in Birch Creek. She would be his and his alone and he would know more about her than any other person in the area. Too bad he had no clue on what he was supposed to do as a husband.

  ***

  Amelia woke up bright and early and lay in the bed for a few minutes, trying to convince herself that she had the courage needed for something of this magnitude. She was twenty-two and had always been a daughter and a sister. Had always known her role as part of her parents’ household. She knew what to do as a neighbor and what to do as a friend. She even knew what to do as a caregiver when people were sick or injured.

  But a wife?

  That was something she wasn’t sure about at all. At least Reverend Morrison wasn’t interested in sharing all things with a wife. She would have her own room apparently. Maybe it would be just as easy to slip into this role as it had been to be a daughter. She could become a friend to Benjamin, she was certain of that. It would take a while, especially since he seemed to be unsure of how to interact with her. She could also take on the role of a caregiver, cook, cleaner, and companion.

  His house and yard would give her enough to keep occupied. It looked as if she’d need to set up a flower garden on her own. Not that flowers were necessary; she just loved the way colors added something special to a place.

  As for the vegetable garden, there were all sorts of things already planted, but she would need to check into how he did things. A single preacher would have been invited by different families to share meals. Now that they’d be married, she was certain there would be a lot of work in providing for themselves. His garden was large enough she was certain he had shared a lot of the fresh produce with his congregation. She hadn’t seen any sign of the food being preserved and put away for the future inside the house when they’d been there briefly the night before. It would take a lot of hard work, but she was sure they could take care of things so there would be food this winter.

  Any money he was paid by his parishi
oners would be special and need to go a long way. Being frugal was already part of Amelia’s own habits and she was thankful her parents had taught her well.

  Feeling much better about her future role as the reverend’s wife, she got out of bed and began washing with the wash basin and cloth. She opened her luggage and pulled out the dress she would wear for her wedding. It had a lovely white top with a light blue skirt and a few fancy ruffles. Hopefully no one would think it inappropriate for a preacher’s bride to wear. It was the last thing she’d received from her parents before they’d fallen ill. Wearing it would allow her to feel as if her parents were there at the wedding with her.

  A soft knock was followed by the words, “Miss Amelia?”

  “Come in, Mrs. Howard,” Amelia said.

  “I brought you up some breakfast. Figured you might want to have a little something to eat to calm any nerves.”

  “Thank you,” Amelia said with a smile. “So far, I am not feeling too nervous. Reverend Morrison is a good man. Things will be fine.”

  Mrs. Howard gave her an understanding smile, but didn’t say anything more about it. Instead, she saw the dress where Amelia had laid it out to straighten any of the folds from being in the trunk.

  “This is lovely.” Mrs. Howard smoothed out a section of the skirt. “It will compliment your dark hair and complexion so well. I have some flowers in my back garden that we can let you hold. Do you have any jewelry?”

  Amelia shook her head. “I needed to sell most all of that kind of stuff to pay off things after my parents’ passing. I have a small pocket watch from my father.”

  “I have a lovely strand of pearls if you’d like to borrow it. But of course, it’s up to you. This is lovely enough without any jewels.”

  Amelia smiled as she watched Mrs. Howard. “Did you have any daughters?” Amelia asked.

  “No,” Mrs. Howard sighed. “Just a son. Though he married a sweet girl who is my daughter for certain. Maybe that’s why I have so much fun doing all these wedding celebrations. I just can’t help myself.”

  Amelia smiled. “I’m so glad you do. It will be wonderful to meet all the folks in town right away. I’m sure I’d meet them all on Sunday after the services, but this way helps me get it done sooner and I can be more relaxed once the day is over. But I do hope you don’t put yourself to too much trouble over this get together.”

  Mrs. Howard leaned a little closer and spoke in a mock whisper. “You know, I love doing these, and if truth be told, everyone in town loves these as well. Not all our weddings happen this quickly. Some have a month or more in planning, but we all embrace the chance to throw a quick get together and break away from all the hard work of a regular day.”

  “Are you certain folks here aren’t put out by needing to provide enough food to feed the whole town?”

  “Of course not,” Mrs. Howard said. “Everyone provides about as much food as they normally would have eaten with just their family anyway. Getting a chance to taste someone else’s cooking every now and then is a treat for all. Some will make a couple extra pies but not any bread, while another brings three or four loaves. It all works out.”

  Amelia grinned, feeling the excitement just radiating from Mrs. Howard. “It sounds wonderful. What a lovely town I’ve moved to. I’m glad Benjamin has been with such good people for so long. I just hope I can be a worthy addition to Birch Creek.”

  “You most definitely will be, my dear,” Mrs. Howard said. “I can already tell just by knowing you for only a day. You’ve got a good work ethic and a fine personality. Reverend Morrison is blessed to have you.”

  “I hope so,” Amelia said, though she wasn’t sure how he would really feel about all of this. From his surprise at discovering she had been sent here to be his wife, and then with his insistence that she have a room of her own, her entire thought process had been turned upside down. Of course, it was a relief to know she would have time to adjust to married life before she had to worry about anything relating to intimacy with her husband.

  “So,” Mrs. Howard said, clapping her hands together, “let’s get you fed, then dressed and ready for your wedding. From what I heard from the sheriff’s wife last night, Dr. Mills said he’ll likely be back with the preacher in the early afternoon. I’d like to introduce you to my son and daughter-in-law. They’ve got the shop right next door. Annabelle is incredible with a needle and thread so if you ever need any help that way, she’s the one to talk to. Then we can go through the mercantile and look things over. I noticed the good reverend didn’t have a lot of things in his house that you’ll need for setting up a good kitchen. We’ll make a tab for you and get you things to start out with right away.”

  “Will Benjamin be all right with that?” Amelia asked. “I wouldn’t want to upset him.”

  “He’ll be fine with it. Besides, part of it will be a gift from us to the new couple. Often times, folks in town will chip in some spare change to help a new marriage to start out right. Of course, we are far from most of our warehouses, so there might be a few things we don’t have, but you can look through the catalog. Once you get home and get a chance to look through his cupboards, we’ll get you some canned goods to get you started.”

  “Really?” Amelia asked. “That is so kind of everyone. I don’t know how to thank you, Mrs. Howard.”

  “You just take care of the good reverend. He’s been in need of someone to watch over him as he’s watched over us. You are exactly what he has needed and I’m glad you’re here.”

  Amelia hugged Mrs. Howard tightly, feeling better about the whole situation.

  ***

  Benjamin stood at the front of his chapel feeling completely out of place. He’d only spoken with Mr. Poulton once before. Now, as the preacher asked him the regular questions about the full names of the bride and groom as well as making sure everything was proper and written correctly on the marriage certificate, Benjamin wondered how many of the grooms he’d spoken with felt this uncomfortable.

  It was still half an hour until the actual ceremony at three and Amelia had not yet arrived. They would need to make sure she signed the documents and Benjamin wanted that part out to the way before the vows were said.

  The door of the church opened and a few of the guests began to walk in, finding their favorite spots to sit. Most chose the same location they sat in for Sunday services. A few smiled and waved to Benjamin, but he hoped no one felt the need to come up and talk to him personally.

  Benjamin looked back at the preacher. “Should I go find Miss Clover?”

  “She can sign it after the wedding. Unless you’d really like it to be done before.”

  “Don’t you want to talk with her first?” Benjamin asked.

  Mr. Poulton studied Benjamin for a moment. “If you feel it important that I do, I can. I figured you would have taken care of the conversations already.”

  “Oh,” Benjamin said, “Of course. We’ve talked and know what is involved. I just didn’t want to take away anything from what you would have done. But we can skip that part, if you’d like.”

  “It is all right to be nervous,” Mr. Poulton said. “You’ve never done this before and though logically you know how it all should work, I’m sure there is a lot of uncertainty tied to this. Just think of all the advice you’ve given other couples. See if that helps you feel more at ease.”

  Benjamin nodded. Mr. Poulton knew this wedding was taking place rather suddenly, but he had accepted Benjamin’s explanation that she was a family friend and that the two had known each other as children. Thankfully he hadn’t asked any questions about the lack of preparation on Benjamin’s part or the quick rush of the sheriff to go fetch him.

  More and more people walked through the doors and one of the ladies in the congregation walked over to the old piano and began to play soft music to help set the tone.

  The guests continued to talk, but in more muted and whispered tones which helped Benjamin feel more at peace. Most all of the seats were filled and a few
children fussed and tried climbing off their parent’s laps, but thankfully none got free enough to wander around.

  He glanced at the clock and reminded himself that it would all be over soon. She was a nice young woman. This marriage would be just fine.

  When the door opened once more, Benjamin’s heart slammed against his chest at the sight of her. The light from outside framed her perfectly and the gasp from a few in the congregation matched his own emotion. The door closed and he could see her more clearly without the sunlight distracting him. She was a beauty and he didn’t feel he could look at her long without getting lost, but when he tried to look away, he couldn’t.

  She smiled sweetly and Benjamin returned her smile, knowing whatever this marriage entailed, he would do his best to be worthy of her. She walked down the aisle with Mr. Howard as her escort and never took her eyes off Benjamin. Her calmness in the situation helped him feel more at ease.

  When she reached the front and stood beside him, facing the preacher, he took her hand in his and she glanced at him. He squeezed her hand to give her reassurance, and her returning pressure eased his concerns.

  The words the preacher said were just the same as what Benjamin would have used, but this time they meant so much more. He felt the weight of the admonition to love, honor, and cherish. He knew they would have to care for each other in sickness and in health, but before, that instruction had always been for someone else. Now, if she were to fall ill or be injured, it would be up to Benjamin to care for her completely. All the concern for another’s wellbeing would rest on him and he worried he wouldn’t be able to do her justice.

  Her promise to be his wife was given with surety and Benjamin loved the courage and strength she showed in accepting him as her husband.

  The next time he performed a wedding ceremony, would it ever feel the same?