Isabella_Bride of Ohio

by Debra Parmley

  He was so handsome, and that look. Oh my. What a lucky girl I am to be marrying such a handsome man.

  “Now gloves,” Madame spoke breaking the moment. “Let me see your hands.”

  Isabella held them out.

  “These will fit I believe.”

  Isabella took the white kid gloves and slid them on. They did fit perfectly but were the strangest gloves she had ever seen. There was a slit near her ring finger. She pointed to it. “Madame, I do not understand this opening.”

  “For the ring of course.”

  “I see.”

  How perfectly impractical. Such gloves would be for a one-time use only.

  “My bride has not lived in the city. She is less familiar with the latest fashions,” Donald explained. It sounded as if he was apologizing for her ignorance and once again she was embarrassed and feeling like a country bumpkin.

  “Not to worry her sweet head about it,” Madame spoke to him as if Isabella were not standing right there. “This is of course why you come to me. When I am finished with her, none will be able to tell. Now your slippers.” Madame pointed to Isabella’s feet. “We must take the measure of your feet.”

  Her assistant brought a chair and placed it behind Isabella. Taking a measuring instrument the assistant measured one foot and then the other. Then she stood and whispered into Madame’s ear. Madame nodded. The assistant went into the back room and returned carrying a pair of white kid slippers with a one-inch heel. The perfect height for a genteel young lady.

  She placed the slippers upon Isabella’s feet and they fit perfectly. “Just so,” the assistant said and nodded, satisfied.

  Isabella stood and walked in the slippers. “Yes, they fit fine,” she said.

  “Now your initials are?” Madame Boulange asked.

  “I. B. S., Isabella Britta Stolt,” Isabella said.

  “A lovely name,” Madame Boulange said, but with such an air of boredom it felt to Isabella as if she said that to every bride. “Now select your handkerchief trim color.”

  “Green. It is my favorite color.”

  “She will have red,” Mr, Donald Jenks interrupted. “That is my favorite color.”

  Madame nodded and wrote that down. “Red it is.” She looked up again. “We are complete.”

  Isabella breathed a sigh of relief. All the trying on and fitting and selecting of things was done. She had never been more tired after a day of shopping in her life. All she wanted now was to be back at the Neff House where she could slip into her warm soft nightgown and curl beneath the blankets and sleep.

  They exited Madame Boulange’s shop and Donald said, “We’ll drive past the Altschul Distilling Company before we head back to Yellow Springs and I will show you the distillery I work for.”

  “I would love to see it,” Isabella said. “You haven’t said much about your work. What does your company distill?”

  “Whiskeys, bourbon, rye, gin, brandy and wine.”

  “My goodness that’s quite a selection for one distillery.” She laughed. “I only drink wine.”

  “You must tell me the type of wine you like so I can order it in for you. Was there any particular kind you would like to have for our wedding?”

  “Just champagne, for the toasts.”

  Donald nodded. “Very good.”

  “Do you commute to Springfield every day for work?”

  “The distillery I am going to show you is in Springfield, but the offices are in Dayton, which is in the other direction.”

  “Oh I see. So your home in Yellow Springs is in the middle, which makes it easier for you when you have to commute both places.”

  “Yes, my home in Yellow Springs is making everything much easier.” Donald smiled a deep smile, almost as if he were having a thought he was not sharing with her.

  Whatever can he be thinking?

  But then his eyes lit up as he turned to look on her and he said, “I used to keep a townhome, but was drawn to a country home just as your dream was to live in one, so now I will only go into the office when I need to.”

  “I see. I had wondered with your work, how often you would be home.”

  “You mustn’t worry that I will be leaving you so soon. I can bring the account books home to work on them there. And I have arranged to do that for a while as we are settling into married life. So you shall have my company all day and all evening, though I may be in at my desk working.”

  “How generous of your employers to allow that.”

  “As I said, I have a position to maintain and I am well respected among the management of the company. And now, here we are.”

  They had pulled up in front of the brick building and sat looking at it. “This is where any shipments to our house would come from. I am not here often as I handle the accounts from the offices in Dayton, but we do audits twice a year at this facility.”

  Isabella nodded as she watched shipments being loaded to go out in large wagons. “It’s a busy place.”

  “Yes it is. Now if you will wait here, I will go in and place an order for our wedding reception.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Donald went into the building and she sat waiting, wondering exactly what he had planned for the reception. Things were moving so fast and he had it all in hand, but she did wish she knew more what was going on as far as his plans.

  It is obvious he is not used to consulting or informing anyone about his decisions. He has been a single man for so long. I must be patient with him.

  When Donald returned, they began to travel back to Yellow Springs.

  “I will show you Dayton another time. And you will meet many of my business associates at the wedding reception.”

  “I will look forward to both,” she said, “And I am glad you have a good job in such thriving cities as Springfield and Dayton, but I am also glad we are to live in Yellow Springs. I am not so much a city girl.”

  “I gathered as much from your letters.”

  “Still, it is a nice city and I like that there are so many trees here. It makes a place feel more welcoming when there are trees.”

  “Indeed it does my dear and I am glad you feel welcome here.” Donald winked. “I knew you would and just wait until I show you the walking paths near our house. You will love them I am sure of it.”

  “It sounds lovely.”

  ****

  When Donald came to pick her up and take her to Springfield to collect her finished dress, he said, “I have a surprise for you.”

  “Oh,” her eyes lit up. “Thank you.”

  Proudly, he handed her a new leather Bible with gilt lettering.

  She held it for a moment, looking at the beautiful Bible and then said, “Well this is a lovely Bible, really it is, but I was already planning to carry father’s Bible since he is not here to walk me down the aisle.”

  “Isabella.” Donald’s tone rebuked her. “Whatever can you be thinking? That worn out old Bible isn’t suitable for our wedding. What would our new friends and neighbors think?”

  The old, cracked leather showed signs of wear and the gold of the gilt lettering had worn off in many places. Still, the Bible had great value and meaning to her and in her eyes it was beautiful.

  He shook his head. “No. You weren’t thinking again. This one will replace it.” At her continued look of reluctance, Donald appeared hurt by her rejection of the gift. “I thought...” He spoke quietly and paused. “You might read a verse or two from it in the evenings.”

  Oh the poor man. I have hurt his feelings. He does not even attend church and he has given me this Bible which he wants me to read to him. Oh how can I ever say no.

  “Oh. Yes, of course. I’d be happy to.”

  “Thank you.” His facial expression relaxed into the pleasant one she liked so much.

  He has done nothing but try to give me nice things he thinks I might want or need. I mustn’t appear so ungrateful for all he has done and is trying to do. He is trying, so I must try too.

  �
�It is I who should thank you. It is lovely and I will treasure your gift. Thank you.”

  “You are quite welcome my dear. I only wish to make you happy. Now let’s go and collect your dress.”

  Chapter Seven

  They drove back to Springfield to pick up her dress. Madame Boulange, pleased with her work, announced that Isabella was one of the loveliest brides she had ever seen. Isabella suspected Madame said the same thing to every bride to be.

  There was, of course, the secrecy of not letting Donald see his bride in her gown. Soon it was packed and they were on their way back to Yellow Springs. On the way Donald explained who each of the guests invited to the wedding were, as Isabella tried to make mental notes of so that she did not commit any faux pas which would affect his position. From the way he spoke, he must have a very important job.

  ****

  Tomorrow I shall be married. Oh, how I wish Lilly could be here. There is not one person I know who will be at our wedding. Not one friend or person I know other than Donald.

  She moved to the window to look out and thought of Lilly, wondering how she was.

  I promised to write to her to let her know I arrived safely. Everything has happened so fast there has been little time. Donald has not even given me a full week to prepare myself for the wedding. How anxious he is to marry me. In time surely we will grow to love each other deeply. This nervousness I feel around him when my stomach goes all aflutter must be what it is to fall in love. I shall be glad when we are married and it settles. Why, I have not had a moment of relaxation since I arrived.

  She wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed her arms. What she would have given to be able to talk to Lilly this night before the wedding.

  I shall write to her now and then perhaps she will not seem so far away.

  Taking out pen and paper, Isabella sat down to write a letter to each of her friends from Lawrence, Massachusetts. She would begin with her closest friend and former roommate, Lilly.

  My dearest Lilly,

  I hope my letter finds you blissfully happy and beginning to settle in to your new life with your new husband. I am looking forward to hearing all about your wedding. I hope it is all you have dreamed of and that he is kind to you. I miss talking to you before going to sleep and sharing our stories and our hopes and dreams.

  Ohio is more lovely than I dreamed with all its trees and I know it will be beautiful, come Spring. There are red birds here called cardinals who are the most colorful and cheerful of any birds I have seen. They are a dash of cheer on these gray wintery days as the colorful leaves are falling so rapidly and reminding me of how everything must end. But I must keep my spirits up and now I have these little birds to cheer me and welcome me to my new home.

  I am so far removed from a big city that I feel I shall be most happy in my new home here in Yellow Springs. It is a small village, which was founded only sixty-five years ago in 1825. This may not seem like such a new village to most Americans but compared to Europe it is quite different and the village itself is also quite different. One hundred families settled here in that year following Mr. Robert Owen in a communitarian effort so it is quite different than any place I have ever visited or even heard of. There is racial tolerance and a friendliness the villagers have. Everyone is so nice to me.

  There are many farms here and Antioch, which is a small college, has only been here for forty-eight years. Everything here seems new and shiny yet there are also the beautiful country sides, the fields and the forests nearby. There will be much to discover on my walks. I do hope my new husband will enjoy taking walks with me once we are settled in and I start exploring.

  Donald is so handsome I cannot imagine why he is not married already. He is tall and when I look up at him he makes me feel small and delicate. He treats me like a delicate flower he is afraid of crushing and that makes me feel beloved. There is such an intensity to his dark brown eyes that I can hardly look away from him and you know how shy I can be. His hair is dark and thick and so different from my own blonde wisps. We seem to be opposites in every way. What a pair we shall make when people see us together.

  He has been quite generous with me, beyond what he sent before my journey. I’m afraid all did not go well for me after you and I parted at the station. Two men nearly abducted me and would have succeeded, if not for the man who saved me from a fate I do not wish to imagine. Tom saved me but was unable to save my purse, which contained all of my money, so that when I arrived to meet Donald I arrived penniless. I was afraid he would not take it well for a moment but his response quickly reassured me.

  As you know, I had hoped to wear mother’s wedding dress and felt this even more so after the money he sent me was stolen, but he wouldn’t hear of it. He insisted on buying me a new and more modern gown for he insists on the best of everything for me and he cares much about his position. I wish you could see how elaborate this gown and all its accompaniments are. I feel like a small doll in it or perhaps a princess from another land. One day I shall pass this dress on to my daughter if we are blessed to have one. Beautiful as this one is, I still wish I could wear mother’s dress and feel the comfort of my family heritage and their love around me. But I must do all I can to be a proper wife for him and make him proud.

  His manners are impeccable and he has a way of flustering me so that I cannot think for the confusion. Perhaps this is what it is to be in love. Having never been in love before I do not know, but surely this is what the poets write of. Everything has happened so fast since we parted, Lilly, so much you cannot imagine. I hope to be settling down soon into my new home with my new husband and a peaceful, quiet life.

  Everything about him is perfect. I don’t know why I am so nervous about getting married. Sometimes my stomach lurches at the thought and I can barely eat so much as a nibble. But perhaps all new brides feel this way, before the wedding, especially when they have just met their groom just a few days before the wedding.

  Oh, do please write to me soon and let me know how things are with you. I miss you and our long talks into the night. While Mr. Donald Jenks is the kind of husband a young girl might dream of, I cannot speak as freely to him as I can to you. No matter how far we are, you shall always remain the sister of my heart.

  Yours truly,

  Isabella Britta Stolt

  P.S. Soon to be Mrs. Donald Jenks. Isabella Britta Stolt Jenks does seem a bit long. Isabella Jenks has an unusual sound to my ear, but I suppose I shall get used to it.

  Finishing her letters to Lilly, Tabitha, Hope, and Trinity, she sent one of the resort employees to post them. Wondering how her friends were faring, she hoped to hear from them soon and hoped they were as fortunate in their new husbands as she was.

  ****

  Red roses and white ribbons filled the Yellow Springs United Methodist Church. An elderly man Isabella had never met played the organ and the wedding march began.

  Isabella stood looking at the church pews full of people she had not met before she started down the aisle.

  She walked down the aisle alone. Slow step by slow step.

  She wished she had her father’s Bible in her hand along with the simple rose bouquet. Instead she had the fancy new Bible Donald had given her. Because everyone was watching.

  I have no family or friends that can attend. Everything and everyone here is his. There’s nothing of me, nothing of my family here with me.

  Every person gathered here was someone Donald knew and most seemed to be business associates. Upper society types and their wives. There were more people sitting inside the church looking at her than Isabella had expected and suddenly her shyness became overwhelming. Her face heated and she had to fight the urge to look down.

  Instead she moved her gaze to Donald and tried not to look at anyone else. All these strangers she did not know were watching.

  Donald’s eyes carried a heat and he kept an encouraging smile on his face as he looked back at her.

  Oh he is so handsome. Everything is happening so
fast.

  Her belly gave a flutter of nerves and for one fleeting moment she almost stopped and turned away from him, the doors of the church right behind her closer than her groom who stood waiting.

  She paused.

  Everything and everyone here is his. There is nothing of me here. Not even the smallest thing. Everyone and everything here is his and soon I will be his too.

  She started to panic.

  I don’t have to do this. I don’t have to go through with the wedding. I could turn and run, right out those doors.

  But then he smiled at her and held out his hand and within that moment, she did have to go through with it.

  I told him yes. I promised to marry him.

  And so she took that next step forward. The moment of doubt was gone as she pressed on, one step forward after another, fighting her nervousness and uncertainty.

  It simply made sense to do this. Everything would work out. It was only nerves.

  She barely heard the organ as it played. His smile broadened as she neared him and she smiled in return, lost in his smile.

  The ceremony went by in a blur of words spoken and rings exchanged. Everything was happening fast, as if within a dream and tonight they would consummate their marriage.

  Then they had each said “I do” and been pronounced husband and wife.

  Suddenly the rush was on to their house for the reception where there would be cake and champagne toasts.

  ****

  At last all the guests had gone and Isabella could step out of the wedding slippers which had begun to pinch her feet. Dolcinda, Isabella’s lady’s maid, helped Isabella remove the heavy wedding gown and then carried the gown out, leaving her only in her underclothing.

  Donald entered the room, his eyes bright and a glass of brandy in his hand. He stopped just inside the door, closed it and locked it. Then, pocketing the key, he approached her with a smile.