Amethyst

by Lauraine Snelling

  The schoolhouse was filling fast when they drove up to the door, and Amethyst and Pearl took the two children and hurried in out of the cold.

  “Do you think he is here yet?” Amethyst whispered.

  “He was coming with Rand, and their sleigh is out there. Rand is playing the guitar, and Mr. McHenry will be on the mouth organ. They do this every Sunday for worship. You know we are getting a church building in the spring?”

  “Thanks to everyone’s letters and Mr. McHenry’s visits, I know most of what has gone on around here.” Amethyst shrugged out of her coat and hung it on a hook along with all the others.

  Chatter slowly died as they stepped into the schoolroom. The three men in the front, who were tuning their instruments, finished and faced the crowd.

  She waited, her heart hammering in her throat. Would he be glad to see her? Or had he really shut the door?

  “Miss O’Shaunasy.” His voice, so used to command, could be heard even in a whisper.

  “Mr. McHenry.” She tipped her head slightly. Her hat stayed in place, her hair remained firmly secured under it.

  “It seems we have an early Christmas present here.” Jacob Chandler caught the wink Rand sent him, and the two played a couple lines of “Joy to the World.”

  Amethyst could feel the heat rise in her neck as Mr. McHenry stared openmouthed at her. What was he thinking? What would he say?

  “Welcome, everyone, to the first annual Christmas pageant here at the Medora School. We would have had one last year, but we were blizzarded out. Let us begin with a word of prayer.” Jacob waited for the shuffling to cease. “Father God, we come together tonight to tell your story, that of the first Christmas, when your son was born. Thank you for bringing us all together tonight, safely and with great joy. Amen.”

  Amethyst fought to keep her mind on the pageant, but her eyes kept going to the man sitting in the front row off to the side. She could see his ear, the way the hair waved around the top of it, the black band that held his eye patch in place. She heard the recitations, the songs with the harmonica sometimes soaring on higher notes, and she watched the children act out the old, old story that never grew too old to hear again and to rejoice in it. Joel played Joseph with nary a smile, and Ada Mae sat at the manger with a doll on her lap, the lone sheep right behind her nuzzling her arm. While she pushed it away, it insisted until she rubbed its ears. Then it lay down in the hay, content. When the shepherds came, they took the sheep back out with them.

  The angels sang hallelujahs, everyone sang well-loved Christmas carols, and the lights were extinguished but for one candle carried by a little girl walking up the aisle. One candle, that’s all it took to banish the darkness. The harmonica led the child forward, and when she turned, the light burnishing her face and hair, Amethyst could barely see for wiping the tears away.

  She heard sniffs from around her, and then Emily played her song on the piano, “The Light of the World is Jesus.” The musical notes fell on a silent room as if all were indeed waiting for the light to come. The little girl looked up from her gaze on the candle, beamed her smile around the room, and said, “Merry Christmas to you all.”

  The applause rocked the walls and the lanterns were relit.

  Amethyst watched as Mr. McHenry tried to come to her, finally making it to the back of the room where she sat beside Pearl with Carly on her lap.

  “You didn’t tell me you were coming.”

  “I wanted to surprise you.”

  “You did that.”

  Others gathered around, calling their greetings to Amethyst, and she watched as someone said something to him. He finally turned back to her. “I’ll come to the Heglands’ after this?”

  She smiled and nodded, her back straight, as Mrs. Grant had taught her. “Sit straight, stand straight, and smile.”

  Pearl leaned closer. “I think you caught his attention.”

  “He’s coming to the house.”

  “I heard him.”

  After the children received their presents of an orange and a peppermint stick, Carl carried the sleeping Joseph out to the sleigh and, when they’d all scrambled in, covered them with a heavy robe.

  “Keep tucked in. We don’t want frozen noses, now, do we?”

  “Pa say froze nose.” Carly giggled and rubbed her button nose.

  “She sure talks more now.” While keeping up with the conversation, Amethyst could feel Mr. McHenry’s presence as he mounted his horse and rode beside them. She swallowed. What would he say? Did the look of joy on his face when he saw her mean what she hoped it meant?

  Her thoughts so consumed her that she was hardly aware they’d arrived home.

  “I’ll put the children to bed,” Pearl said. “Why don’t the two of you visit here in the parlor?”

  “Thank you.”

  He hadn’t taken his eyes off hers ever since they came in the door. Amethyst’s knees shook. Her hands threatened to. Back straight. Smile. But somewhere in there she had to breathe too.

  A beautiful tree sat in front of the window again, the white candles ready to be lit, and wrapped presents lay under its branches. She had slipped hers there before they left for the schoolhouse.

  She sat on the sofa, being careful to tuck her skirt in around her and not crush the small bustle in the back.

  When he sat in the chair, she smiled at him. This was much better than both on the sofa. Now she could watch his dear face for all the changes in expression. If the way he’d greeted her was any indication of how he felt…Please, Lord, make this all work out the way you want it to.

  “Mr. McHenry…”

  “Miss O’Shaunasy…” They spoke at the same time, then shared a smile.

  “You want to go first?” He asked the same question she was about to.

  She hesitated. Did she want to go first, just to get this waiting over with? After all, she’d been waiting since he left Chicago in November. A month can be a long time when you were waiting for something as important as this.

  “Shall we flip a coin?”

  She shook her head. I don’t want the rest of my life based on the flip of a coin, but now that the moment is here, how do I say what I want? She took in a deep breath and let it all out. Calm. That’s right. Be calm above all else.

  “Mr. McHenry, do you love me?” That wasn’t what she’d planned to say at all. If only she could grab the words back. She watched his face. He swallowed, bit his lip, lips that were spreading wider in a smile. Say something.

  “I mean…” She could go no further. Mortification was a painful thing, starting in the chest, clamping off breathing and suffusing the face. Flee! Flee! a voice screamed inside her head.

  His smile broke into a chuckle.

  She drew herself up, not only straight but rigid, and took in a deep breath. But when he put his hand over hers, she nearly collapsed.

  “Please, forgive me, but that is the exact same question I wanted to ask you.”

  “Really?” Now she could at least swallow. This time her breath moved in and out without bothersome little hitches. She wet her lips and felt the look he gave her make them warm. Now, that was an interesting phenomenon. “All right, since I asked the question first, you have to answer first.” She thought the twinkle in his eye might match that which she was certain lurked in her own.

  “Then I shall answer first. Miss O’Shaunasy, I love you with all I know how to love.”

  “Oh.” Tears stung at the back of her eyes and threatened to run out her nose.

  “Now it is your turn.”

  She nodded. It was indeed her turn. “Mr. McHenry, I do love you, and I would call it the greatest honor if I could learn to love you more each day for the rest of my life.”Was that a sheen of tears in his eye? She knew the sheen in hers was trickling down her face.

  “Are you asking me to marry you?”

  “Not exactly, but if you are agreeable, I would consider that you just asked me.”

  “And your answer?”

  “Yes
.”

  “That’s it? Yes?”

  “What more do you want?”

  “I want to love you as broadly as the Dakotah sky and as deeply as God shows me how.”

  “Oh.” She reached out to smooth her fingertips over his cheek. He turned his head, clasped her hand in his, and pressed a kiss into her palm. She closed her eyes, the better to feel his lips against her skin.

  “May I kiss you?”

  “You just did.” Several other tears followed their cousin down her face. He wiped them away with the tenderness of a mother comforting her child. She looked into his eye and saw nothing but love there, deep and rich. “But I would like it if you did so again.”

  “My pleasure, my dear Amethyst.” He leaned forward and placed his lips over hers, gently, with all the love he knew.

  When he pulled back, she sighed. “May I call you Jeremiah now?”

  “I think that would be proper.”

  Hearing approaching footsteps, they pulled back and sat up straight again.

  “Sorry to interrupt, but this little one insisted she wanted to say good night.” Pearl appeared in the doorway, Carly at her side, dressed in an ankle-length red flannel gown with white eyelet trim, the gown Amethyst had laid on her bed when she’d arrived. She held out her arms, and Carly ran into them, wrapping her arms around Amethyst’s neck and squeezing.

  “Thank you,” she whispered in Amethyst’s ear.

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Glad you comed home.”

  “Me too.” Amethyst kissed Carly’s cheek and hugged her again. “ ’Night.”

  “Sorry to interrupt.” Pearl rolled her lips together and gave a little wave as they left.

  “I think she knows.” Jeremiah nodded toward the retreating pair.

  “That will save us telling one person.” Amethyst looked down at their clasped hands. “I have to say something else.”

  “Have to?”

  “Yes.” She looked into his face. “I will be returning to Chicago to discuss how Mrs. Grant and I will handle our business. I have a lot to do if we are to move it to Medora.”

  “Move the lotion business to Medora?” Dawn breaking after a stormy night could not have looked more joyous. “You mean I won’t have to move to Chicago?”

  “Do you want to?”

  “No, not at all, but I would if I had to.”

  Amethyst sighed. “You couldn’t have said anything more perfect.” “Well, that’s a miracle in its own right.” He nodded. “A spring wedding?”

  “How soon do you think the church will be finished?”

  “Not soon enough.” He glanced up to see Carl standing in the arched doorway with a tray in his hands. “How soon can we have the church built?”

  “Well, I was thinking about a year, but I guess we can hurry it up some.”

  Amethyst gazed at her future husband, fairly certain that he would move half the rocks in the badlands if that’s what it took to get the building up sooner. After all, he knew how to organize and win army campaigns. What would building a little church be compared to that?

  EPILOGUE

  June 1888

  “Are you going to be all right for this?” Rand asked.

  “Of course.” Jacob dug his finger into the neckline of his shirt to loosen the fit. “I said I would conduct the wedding for Jeremiah and Miss O’Shaunasy, and I shall.”

  “Right before your own?”

  “No problem.” His voice cracked only slightly. One hour and they would begin. The pastor from Dickinson had arrived on the morning train. The women had about stripped the town of flowers to decorate the church, and even though they didn’t have all the windows in the walls, they didn’t really need them on this glorious end-of-June morning. The breeze spread the fragrance of the lilacs as a welcome to those arriving.

  Together the men had set the altar in place the night before, or rather, early in the morning. Very early. Charlie had his crew lining up the benches from the schoolhouse so the guests would have places to sit. After the weddings, they’d take the benches back to the school, where the afternoon’s festivities would take place. Beans had started the steer on the spit over hot coals before sunrise.

  “How do I look?” Opal glanced over her shoulder to see Ruby wiping away tears. “You can’t cry, or I shall, and I don’t want to cry on my wedding day.” I’ve cried enough the past two years to last a lifetime.

  “Tears of happiness are different.”

  “You didn’t answer me.” Opal turned back to the mirror and smoothed her palm down the front of the pearlescent silk gown Mrs. Brandon had sent from New York. With a sweetheart neckline, puffed sleeves, and full skirt gathered to the waistline that dipped in front, the gown fit perfectly. They’d sent gloves, fan, and shoes to match, so all she had to do was get dressed.

  “You look lovely. I’m just having a hard time believing my little sister is getting married.”

  “Me too. I can remember thinking I’d never get married.” Her smile turned dreamy. “But I found someone as good as Rand, don’t you think?”

  Ruby hugged her sister. “That you did. Or did he find you?”

  Opal shrugged. “Doesn’t matter now, does it?”

  “Are you ready?” Pearl peeked in the doorway. Both brides were dressing at her house because there was no separate room finished at the church where they could dress. “Oh, Opal honey, you are beautiful.” She sniffed and ducked back out.

  “You look lovely, my dear Amethyst.” Mrs. Grant smoothed the shoulder of the straight-fronted gown in a purple hue. Deep pleats fell from the waistline, giving the skirt plenty of fullness for the dancing to come later. Light shimmered in Amethyst’s russet hair, done up in an intricate knot that gave her the look of a queen.

  Amethyst stared at the image in the oval mirror. “It’s hard to believe that is the same woman who came west to find her nephew. Perhaps she did indeed die in the snow and resurrected as someone else.”

  “No, I’d say you were born anew in that snow, and you are stepping into all the happiness you so richly deserve.”

  “You about ready in here?” Pearl asked from the doorway.

  “Any time.”

  Carl helped the two brides and the other women into the carriage borrowed from the de Mores’ house. “I have the best job of all today. I get to bring the two beautiful brides to the church.”

  “I’m glad you’re going first,” Opal whispered. “Then I can see how it is done.”

  “I want to get it over with before I faint from all the excitement.” Amethyst used her fan to cool her face. “I’m so thankful it’s not blazing hot.”

  Opal lifted her chin to let the cooling breeze do its job. She clenched her hands in her lap. She was indeed getting married today.

  The ride to the church went quickly and, once those first to be married were in place, the wedding service began. Opal stood in the back while Jacob performed the ceremony for Jeremiah and Amethyst. Jeremiah seemed to be having a hard time getting the words out, while Amethyst said her vows with a clear voice.

  Please, Lord, let me do this right when it is my turn.

  “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride,” Jacob intoned the age-old words.

  Amethyst smiled into her husband’s face as he leaned toward her. “I love you,” she whispered.

  “Good thing,” Jeremiah whispered back, cupping her cheeks in his hands and kissing her waiting lips.

  Pearl set the piano to dancing as the two made their way back down the aisle, smiling and nodding to all those greeting them.

  “Your turn.” Amethyst gave Opal a hug.

  The minister from Dickinson took his place in front of the church, and Jacob moved to the side, turning to watch as Opal on Rand’s arm made her way down the aisle.

  When they met in front of the minister, Jacob turned and took both her hands in his.

  Amethyst locked her hand through her new husband’s arm and, looking into each other’s eyes, they wh
ispered their vows again as Jacob and Opal said theirs. When they finished, Jeremiah kissed the ring he had placed on her left hand.

  “For as long as God gives us together.”

  She nodded. “I love you, Mr. McHenry.”

  Pearl continued playing the piano as folks gathered around to congratulate the two new couples.

  “I have a question,” Joel said as he shook first his father’s hand and then Opal’s.

  “All right. What is it?” Jacob drew Opal closer to his side.

  Joel shook his head and made a face as he looked to Opal. “What do I call you now? I mean…”

  Opal shrugged. “I guess you can call me whatever you want. Opal sounds good to me. At least I recognize that name.”

  “Good.” Joel started off, then turned back. “I’m glad you two got hitched.”

  “Hitched?” Jacob and Opal said at the same time and then, shaking their heads, smiled at Mr. and Mrs. McHenry.

  “Married surely sounds better than hitched.” Amethyst smiled up at her husband. Ah, what a delightful word, husband.

  “We might want to mosey on over to the schoolhouse. That steer is getting close to being done,” Rand suggested after he congratulated the McHenrys and hugged Opal with one arm while shaking Jacob’s hand with the other.

  “What a way to bless this new church.” Jacob smiled as he looked up at the altar that needed more coats of finish and the walls that needed windows set in. He turned to McHenry. “You think this unfinished church is something like a marriage? The wedding is the framework, but all the living and loving to come fills in what’s missing?”

  “I think we have years to figure all that out.” McHenry turned to his wife. “But I know one thing, I don’t want to miss out on any of it. And I thank God for the jewel He brought to my life.” He smiled into his wife’s eyes. “A real Dakotah treasure.”

  Table of Contents

  COVER PAGE

  TITLE PAGE

  COPYRIGHT PAGE

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR