by Barbara Goss
Susannah had never seen a house like this one, where the second floor wasn’t the same as the bottom of the house. Instead, roofing tiles and three dormer windows, equal distances apart, graced the second floor. The roof was flat, with a black iron fence around it.
She was anxious for Carter to take care of the horse in the stable behind the house, so they could go inside. Once Pal had been safely stalled, watered, and fed, Carter took her hand and led her into a side door of the house.
They walked up three steps into a foyer where coats and overshoes were removed. They hung their coats there and he led her into the house. First, he took her into the kitchen that was at the very rear of the house, attached to the main house by a long bridge. She was surprised to see a housekeeper there, bent over a boiling pot on the stove. Carter hadn’t told her he had servants. Susannah later found out that this was their only servant. He introduced her as Effie; the housekeeper gasped when he introduced her to his wife, who was now the lady of the house.
Effie took Susannah’s hand and patted it. “Welcome, Mrs. Harding.”
Susannah judged Effie to be about fifty, but her hair was not yet gray. She had a nice smile and Susannah was sure they’d get along famously. She’d never considered ever having a servant and she had mixed feelings about it. She wanted to be the one to care for Carter, cook for him, clean his clothes, and do all the wifely things her mother had done for her father. Then again, not having to do that would give her more time to spend with Carter.
Carter showed her around the downstairs: his office, the sitting room, and the front room, which he called a parlor. He explained that they only used the parlor for special occasions, and the sitting room was where they would entertain and relax.
Then, he took her up a two-level stairway and kissed her on the landing before finishing the climb. He leaned over the railing and spoke loudly to Effie.
“We are not to be disturbed, Effie. We’d also like to take our meals upstairs—we’re on our honeymoon.”
Effie called back, “All right. I’ll be sure to knock, and I’ll leave your…um…luggage outside of your room.” Susannah knew she was referring to their grubby bedrolls.
Carter picked Susannah up and carried her into the master bedroom. “The other two bedrooms are smaller," he said. "This one's ours.”
Susannah looked around after he set her down by the bed. The room was a decent size with a closet. Somewhere along the way she’d lost her carpetbag with all of her clothes. She hoped Meg wouldn't mind lending her some clothes for a while.
Carter had picked mail up from the table by the stairs on his way up, and he sifted through it. “I wonder what the hospital wants.”
He ripped it open, read it, tossed it onto the bed, and pulled Susannah close. “They want me back to work.”
“Will you go?” Susannah asked.
“I might have to for a while, at least until I finish my veterinary courses and can start to earn a living.”
“Well, here we are. There's nothing standing in our way now,” he said.
“Carter, I have no clothes except for these britches, this blouse, and my boots. I don’t even have a frilly nightgown I can wear to consummate our wedding night,” she said, pouting.
Carter sighed. “Stay right in this room and don’t move. I’ll grab a taxi, rush to Meg’s, and bring you back a nice nightgown. Nothing is going to spoil this night for us.”
Carter returned with several boxes in his arms. “Meg went overboard, as usual.”
He opened the first box and withdrew a delicate, white nightgown, with flowers embroidered on the collar and cuffs.
“How lovely, but isn’t it a bit thin?”
“No,” Carter said. “I think it’s perfect.”
She smiled. He tossed the other three boxes aside. “She sent you a few dresses, and the red box has some things of yours that you behind in your haste to leave for Oberlin.”
Susannah held the nightgown draped in front of her body and gazed around the room. “Where can I change?”
“Right here,” he smiled.
“Carter!” she cried.
“I did dress you once, you know—but I preserved your dignity and my sanity.” He winked. “I’ll go downstairs and give Effie some last minute instructions about our meals, which will be your job, later. Then I’ll be back and we can finally get this honeymoon started.”
“Oh, Carter. There’s one more tiny thing I’ll need first.”
Carter sighed. “What would that be?”
“A bath.”
He looked down at them both. “I’d say we both need one.”
“I’ll have Effie set yours up. I have a sort of makeshift sprinkler set-up in the barn that I often use it—It’s much easier than filling the tub. It’s really just a partitioned area where I can strip, soap up, and douse myself with cold water, but it works in a pinch. I often use it when I'm in a hurry. I’ll be back after my wash up, and your bath.”
He opened the door and was almost out of the room, but then he turned and stuck his head back in, “Don’t sit and soak for too long, I’m afraid something else will come around to stand in our way, and we’ll never get this marriage legalized.”
Finally, after a steaming hot bath and slipping into her delicate nightgown, Susannah was sitting before the mirror and towel-drying her hair, waiting for Carter to return. It was a warm April day so Carter hadn’t started a fire in the fireplace, and she hoped it was warm enough in the room to dry her hair.
She contemplated what was to come, anxious and nervous at once. The anxiousness was most predominant—she'd never wanted anything so much in her life. She wanted to give pleasure to the man who’d already done so much for her. She wanted to cement their marriage, and she wanted children with him, and she smiled at the thought.
Carter seldom bathed this way so early in the year—It was usually how he scrubbed up when in a hurry during the summer months—and the cold-water sprinkler made him shudder. He worked quickly, but dried himself off slowly to buy himself time so he wouldn't walk in on Susannah’s bath. He took his time dressing, as well. It felt good to be in clean clothes again.
He went inside and to the kitchen where he spoke with Effie for a while. He told her what he wanted to be served for dinner later and what they wanted for breakfast. He explained that she wouldn’t see much of them for a while as they were on their honeymoon.
Effie smiled. “God bless you, Dr. Carter. You deserve a good wife. Susannah is so pretty and she seems so nice.”
“She is every bit of both,” he said. “Well, I’m sure she’s finished bathing by now.”
He walked slowly up the stairs, wondering how he’d start the act they’d both waited two weeks for. He recalled his mother telling him that the best things were worth waiting for, and he was sure that, in this case, it was true.
He found it a bit humorous to be knocking on his own bedroom door, but he did. She called for him to enter.
After one look at her, sitting demurely in all white, her hair running down her back to her waist, he was more than ready to begin the venture.
He sat down on the edge of the double bed, kicked his shoes off, and patted the mattress beside him. “Come here, Susannah.”
She walked over to him slowly and sat beside him.
He simply stared at her and then he laughed, which he could see puzzled her.
“I’m sorry, Susannah. I know I’m supposed to know exactly how to do this, but I don’t. It’s a first for me too,” he said.
“Really?”
“Really.”
“I can help,” she said.
“You can?” his voice raised a few octaves in surprise.
“Yes. She pushed herself up onto the bed in a laying position with her head on the pillow. “Let’s pretend we’re out under the stars, on our bedrolls,” she said. “What to do next seemed to come to us both so naturally then, when we couldn’t continue.”
“What a good idea. Are you sure you haven’t don
e this before?” he asked.
“You’ll just have to find out,” she purred.
He lay on his back with his head on the pillow, too, and he understood what she'd been thinking. They’d just start kissing and embracing as they had on the trail that night when they almost couldn’t stop themselves. He turned onto his side and faced her, and she did the same.
He cupped her face in his hands. “I love you, Susannah Harding. You have no idea how much.”
“Oh, I think I do, for I feel the same,” she whispered.
“I’ve never done this before, but I do know that it will be a might painful for you the first time, but it'll get better.”
Susannah outlined his lips with her finger. “Get on with it, Carter. Haven’t we waited long enough? I want this marriage sealed so you’ll never be able to get out of it,” she said with a chuckle.
“I was thinking the very same thing. I’m just hesitant because I’m reluctant to hurt you. Can I apologize beforehand?” he asked.
“You’re forgiven. Now, kiss me, darn it all, Carter.”
And he did. They embraced and kissed until neither of them had any modesty or shyness, and their bodies knew exactly what to do. God made married couples that way, after all.
Afterward, he held her closely. “That was wonderful,” he said, breathily into her ear. “Better than I ever dreamed it could be, and well worth the long wait.”
“It didn’t hurt all that much, Carter. Do you think we might try it again later?” she asked, looking up at him with her big, green eyes that were glinting with fulfilled passion.
Carter laughed and hugged her to him. “Sweetheart, God purposely made it wonderful so married couples would want to do it often. It's one of the things that will keep us close and happy, and bring us a houseful of children that are half yours and half mine. I can’t think of anything that could ever keep us bonded closer than that.”
“Hmm,” she purred. “How long will this honeymoon last?”
He kissed her nose. “Forever, Susannah. Forever.”
THE END
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Coming soon: Sunshine in the Rain- Early September 2016 and Mail Order Mishap end of Sept. 2016.
