Meredith took a deep breath. So soon . . . so soon. She thought about what he’d said, though—what would they gain by waiting? Would she change her mind about him in a few months’ time? She didn’t think so—every time she saw him, her feelings only grew, and she supposed that would continue.
“What if I did my very best to convince you, and if you still aren’t sure, we’ll wait?”
“How would you try to convince me?” she asked. “Haven’t you already said everything there is to say?”
“I really don’t have anything else to say. It’s more a matter of . . . something I need to do.” He met her eyes, and without breaking his gaze, he snaked his arms around her waist and brought her in close. She inhaled as her heart sped up again—it was going to be quite exhausted before the day was over. He pulled her in to nestle against his chest, and then he brought his mouth down to cover hers. First, one quick kiss, and then a longer, more passionate one, sending chills down her arms and making her brain buzz and her knees weaken.
When he pulled back, he kept his arms around her waist, and it was a good thing or she might have tumbled to the ground. “I couldn’t have kissed you like that unless I meant it,” he said, his voice a little hoarse. “And I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much I mean it. Will you marry me? Please, Meredith?”
She really couldn’t think of a single thing to say other than, “Yes.”
***
Meredith had waited anxiously in her bedroom while Alex spoke with her father in the parlor. It seemed she’d been in there for a very long time before Jemima came and tapped on her door, bidding her to come downstairs. When she got there, she saw that Alex had left.
“I thought it was best that we discuss this as a family,” Sidney said, looking at his daughter with solemn eyes. “You might think I’ve been a bit high-handed, but I gave the neighbor boy a penny and asked him to ride for Jesse, Kizzie, and Grandma Mary.”
“I don’t understand,” Meredith said. “Why do they need to be involved? What did you say to Alex, Father?”
“They need to be involved because they’re your kin, and this is a big decision.”
Meredith sank into one of the chairs. “Did you invite Uncle Jefferson and all the cousins too?”
“There’s no need for that tone of voice, daughter,” Jemima remonstrated. “You may not agree with what your father has done, but you will respect it.”
“I’m sorry. I just didn’t realize this would involve everyone. I thought it was between me and Alex.”
“I’m sure you’d like it to be, but every marriage involves the entire family, either directly or indirectly, and we need to discuss your plans.” Sidney looked up at the sound of horse hooves outside. “I hear someone coming now.”
“How long ago did you send for them?” Meredith asked, suddenly understanding why it felt like she’d been in her room forever. Apparently, she had been.
“Almost as soon as Mr. Bingham made his request.”
Jemima crossed to the door and opened it wide, admitting Grandma Mary. Jesse and Kizzie entered right behind her.
“Did you all meet up on the road and decide to come in together?” Meredith asked.
“Not quite, but almost,” Kizzie replied. “I was already at Grandma’s, and Jesse wasn’t too far off.”
“Thank you for coming, family,” Sidney said. He took Grandma Mary’s elbow and guided her over to the most comfortable chair in the room. “I’ve asked you to gather here with us this evening because we have something important to discuss. Meredith has received an offer of marriage from Alexander Bingham.”
“Who?” Kizzie asked.
“You met him at my birthday party,” Meredith reminded her.
“But I always thought you were going to marry Luke,” Kizzie said, sitting down next to Meredith.
“I don’t know why everyone has always thought that.” Meredith was becoming rather perturbed. She didn’t like the way people made things up in their own minds and then decided they were truth without seeking out the reality of them for themselves. “Luke and I are good friends, and that’s all we ever will be.”
Jesse stood by the fireplace, his lips pressed together. “Tell us what you know about this Mr. Bingham.”
Meredith recited Alex’s career plans and what she knew about his family, then followed it up with, “He’d like to get married within a few days and take me back to Topeka with him.”
Kizzie all but jumped out of her chair. “What? Meredith, that’s nonsense. You can’t possibly put together a wedding that quickly. And we hardly know him, and . . .” She paused and looked at her sister closely. “Meredith, is there something we should know?”
“Of course not! And he’s been away at college since my birthday, so we haven’t even seen each other for a while, so there wouldn’t be a chance for . . .” Meredith’s cheeks burned so hot, she was sure they could start a fire. “No. You should know me better than that anyway. He just wants me with him when he starts working at his family’s company rather than getting started and then having to drop everything to come back here to get me.”
“But it would certainly be the right thing to do.” Jesse gripped the edge of the fireplace mantel. “He’s not showing a lot of respect for your family by asking for this fast wedding.”
Meredith hadn’t looked at it in that light before. “I suppose so,” she said. “I don’t think he meant to be rude, though.”
“He did speak very respectfully to me just now. I don’t believe he intended to cause us any offense. My greatest concern is how quickly this decision was made. Meredith, he said you’ve been writing since you met. Do you feel as though you came to know him well enough to determine if you want to spend the rest of your life with him?” Her father looked concerned, and Meredith couldn’t blame him. She didn’t know how she’d react if her own daughter were to come up with such a plan.
“Father, I admit that it’s sudden, and that thought has filled up every waking moment for me. But there’s something about him . . .” Meredith thought back to the kiss they’d shared under the oak tree. She’d never felt anything like that before, that sense of belonging to someone. Somehow she knew that if she didn’t marry Alex, a part of her soul would always be missing because he would carry it around with him forever. “I believe I’m supposed to marry him.”
Jesse shook his head. “Not without getting past me. I take my responsibility to this family very seriously, Meredith, and you should know that as my little sister, you fall under my jurisdiction.”
“Are you the sheriff now?” Meredith asked. “I appreciate your concern for me, Jesse, but there’s no need to act as though Alex has committed some kind of crime.”
Kizzie turned to Grandma Mary, who hadn’t said a word since she’d sat down. “What do you think, Grandma?”
The elderly woman didn’t say anything for a few minutes. She was the only one in the room Meredith had confided in—she hoped her grandmother would be on her side because of her advance knowledge that something was going on.
“Meredith has always been a special child, and we’ve always wanted special things for her,” Grandma Mary said at last. “While this isn’t what we had in mind, perhaps we aren’t the ones who should be choosing her path for her.”
“You can’t mean that you support her in this.” Jesse gave her a curious look.
“I don’t support it or oppose it. I’d like to hear what my granddaughter has to say.” She turned and fixed her all-seeing gaze on Meredith. “You’ve chosen this young man, then?”
“Yes, I have.” Meredith couldn’t explain why she was suddenly so sure when she’d had her qualms not all that long before. Of course the kiss had something to do with it, but there was more, something she couldn’t identify. It was just a knowing, a thing with no substance or form.
Her grandmother didn’t speak for another moment, but then nodded. “I’ll need help finishing the quilt if she’s to be married so quickly.”
Kizzie shook her head. “I can’t believe it. I really can’t believe it. I knew Leander for years before we got married.”
“Yes, but you were still a young girl when you met,” Meredith pointed out. “You needed time to grow up and become an adult. I am an adult.”
“I still wish you were taking more time. That’s all I have to say.” Kizzie sat back and looked like she had every intention of being silent now, but Meredith had never known Kizzie to stay quiet for very long at all.
“I’ll go have a talk with Mr. Bingham,” Jesse said. “He’s staying at the Cameron house?”
“That’s right,” Meredith answered, knowing she might as well be forthcoming. If she tried to keep it a secret, Jesse would just find out anyway, and that wouldn’t solve anything.
He gave a nod and strode out.
Jemima walked over and sat next to Meredith, taking her hand. “When you were born, I looked down at your golden curls and your big, beautiful eyes, and I imagined the most wonderful life for you,” she said. “I want all my children to find every happiness they can. I just thought I’d be a little more involved in the process, that’s all.”
“I’m sorry, Mother. I didn’t mean to keep Alex such a secret, but I didn’t want to be like one of those silly girls who goes around gushing about every crush and every boy she thinks is handsome. I wanted something a little more real to talk about.”
“A proposal certainly is real,” Kizzie said, unable to remain quiet. No surprise.
“Have you given any thought to your wedding day?” Jemima asked. “What you’d like to eat, what you’d like to wear?”
Sidney cleared his throat. “I’m not sure we’ve resolved this matter well enough to start planning the wedding, Mima.”
“You should know how a woman’s mind works by now, my dear. Always thinking, always planning.”
He grunted.
“We don’t need anything fancy—Alex said all we need is friends and family, and he’s right. I can wear my pale yellow muslin, and there are plenty of flowers right here in the yard. Maybe just a cake and some punch?”
Jemima shook her head. “Well, there’s simple and then there’s downright Spartan. If you’ll give me three days, you shall have a very nice wedding, and while it won’t be as elaborate as Ginnie Saunders’ was last year, it will be something you can look back on with fond memories.”
“I’ve never wanted anything as elaborate as Ginnie Saunders’. Gracious—twelve matching white horses to pull the wedding carriage when one horse would have done perfectly well?” Meredith shook her head. That’s just how Ginnie always was—the more elaborate her schemes, the happier she was. “Three days should be just fine, Mother. Thank you.”
The door opened a few minutes later, and Jesse came back in. “I found him sitting on the Camerons’ porch, chatting politics with Mr. Cameron. He remembered me from when we talked at the party. He doesn’t seem like an outlaw or any other sort of bad fellow, but I did ask him some questions.” He walked across the room and looked Meredith in the eye. “I’ll tell you this straight up, little sister. I don’t know him, and because of that, I don’t trust him. I’ll try to be happy for you and I’ll dance at your wedding, but it will take me some time before I’ll give him my stamp of approval.”
“I understand,” Meredith replied. She’d hoped that Jesse would be won over and that he’d be glad for her, but she knew she ought to be relieved that he was conceding his point at all. Finally, she turned to Sidney. “What do you think, Father? Everyone else seems to be coming around—how about you?”
Sidney studied the floor for a moment. “I tell you what, daughter. Spend the night in earnest contemplation. If you can tell me at breakfast tomorrow that this is what you want, then so be it.”
“Thank you, Father.” She stood and kissed his cheek. “I’ll do that. I don’t mean to be rash or impulsive.”
“Well, you’re certainly going about that wrong,” Kizzie replied.
Chapter Ten
Meredith didn’t think she’d slept at all. She’d done what her father asked and spent the night thinking. She was sure he meant for her to fall asleep at some point, but it hadn’t happened, and orange streaks were painting the sky before she felt even the slightest bit tired.
The bulk of her thoughts had been filled with imagining her life with Alex, and she liked what she saw. Part of the adventure would be getting to know each other, and that was an adventure she looked forward to.
Then she imagined what it would be like to tell him no and to stay here with her family. She was sure another young man would come along eventually, but would he be all the things she admired about Alex? Was that a risk she was willing to take?
Finally, she pulled on her heavy robe and slippers and went downstairs, then out to the barn, where she knew her father would be at that hour. She found him milking the cow, and she leaned against the stall door.
He glanced up at her, but didn’t speak. Together, they watched the milk squirt into the bucket, forming a bit of froth on top. Once the cow had given all she would, he stood up and poured the milk through a strainer, then hefted the new bucket and carried it across the yard toward the house. Meredith followed him, careful not to step in something that would ruin her slippers.
“And what have you decided?” he asked as they reached the porch, setting the bucket on the bottom step.
“I’ve decided that if I don’t marry Alex, I might regret it for the rest of my life,” she replied. She wished she could somehow let her father see into her heart. Mere words didn’t seem adequate for what she was feeling.
They seemed to be enough, though. Sidney nodded. “I spent a lot of time thinking too, and I realized that I can’t make all your decisions for you. There’s no guarantee that I’d always choose right. Let’s plan your wedding, daughter, and may you be happy all the days of your life.”
Meredith threw her arms around her father. “Thank you,” she said, squeezing him tight. “Thank you so much.”
“Just be sure that your mother makes an orange cake. I haven’t had one of those in quite a while.” He returned her hug before sending her on her way.
***
Meredith had never been so busy in her life as she was for the next three days. Mrs. Crosby and Cissie both came over to help sew the wedding dress Meredith had insisted she didn’t need, and Cissie’s mother fell right to work baking refreshments. Meredith was grateful for all the help—she knew her friends and neighbors cared enough to give her the very best sendoff they could, and that meant everything to her.
There was one thing she couldn’t delegate, however—one thing she would do herself, no matter how much it hurt.
She waited along the road for Luke to walk home from work. He was late enough that she wondered if maybe he had taken a different route or was working for a different farmer that day, but at long last, she saw him. He usually quickened his pace when he saw her, but this time, he didn’t change speed at all.
“Hello,” she said when he finally drew near. “You look tired. Long day?”
“Pretty long. Biggest problem was a cow that wouldn’t budge from the spot where we needed to dig. Spent about twenty minutes pushing on her behind, and let me tell you, pushing on a cow behind is hard work.”
Meredith smiled. “Come for a walk to the bridge with me.”
It wasn’t a long walk, and they were soon seated side by side. This time, Meredith did pull off her shoes and stockings and dangled her feet in the water. It might be quite a while before she had a chance to do something like this again, and she wanted to enjoy it.
“Word spreads quickly around here, and I imagine you’ve already heard,” she said.
“Yep.” Luke picked up a stick that had been tossed on the bridge and used it to make swirls in the water.
“I had to break away and talk to you myself,” she went on. “I needed . . . I needed to make sure . . .”
Luke reached out and caught her hand. “It’s all right, Meredith. We
both knew this was going to happen, and I’ve had a chance to come to terms with it. I want you to be happy, and if this makes you happy, who am I to say anything different?”
He’d already told her this before, but now that that moment was actually upon them, it was so good to hear it again and know that his feelings hadn’t changed, that he was still eager to see her find joy. “Thank you,” she said, giving his hand a squeeze. “I can’t tell you how much that means. If I’d lost your friendship, this wouldn’t be a happy occasion for me.”
“I’m sure you would have found a way to move past it,” he said with a smirk. “A new husband and a new life tend to make up for the loss of old friends.”
“I doubt that, and I’m glad I don’t have to find out.” She swished her feet back and forth, loving the coolness that ran between her toes. Sometimes she really hated shoes. “What are your plans?”
“Well, your brother came to see me this morning,” Luke said.
“Jesse?”
“Do you have another brother no one ever told me about?”
Meredith nudged him with her shoulder. “Don’t be silly. I was just surprised. What did he say?”
“He offered me a job helping with his horses. It would pay a little more than what I’m making now, and I’d enjoy it. I’ve decided to take him up on it.”
“Oh, I’m so glad,” Meredith said, meaning it with all her heart. Luke was a smart man, and a hard worker, and while he managed to help his family with what he earned working on various farms, she knew he yearned to be even more helpful and to have a job that meant something in the long run.
“So you don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
“I wasn’t worried.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Okay, okay, fine,” she said, giving in to his wheedling tone. “I was worried. Can you blame me? You’ve had it kind of rough lately, and if I’m not here to keep an eye on you . . . well, all sorts of bad stuff could happen.”
Meredith's Mistake (Grandma's Wedding Quilts Book 4) Page 6
