It felt like an eternity before the doctor finally showed up. He carefully examined Carrie and the other kids in the camp that had fallen ill. “Malaria. The rain storm must’ve provided the perfect breeding ground for those mosquitos to lay their eggs,” said the doctor. “Watch her closely; her case is certainly severe, but there’s a chance that she’ll pull through if you keep her fluids up and let her rest.” The doctor apologetically tipped his hat and went on with his rounds. It seemed that all of the children that had been infected were the ones that had been playing down in the swamp earlier that day.
Elizabeth felt guilty, though she knew it wasn’t her fault. She’d noticed that her sister had been more tired than usual that day. And being all wrapped up in a blanket by the fire?--that should have been a clear giveaway. Carrie still hadn’t woken up, and at times, Elizabeth was afraid she never would. She told herself to stay positive, but it was hard to stay optimistic seeing her sister unresponsive, drenched in sweat.
****
A week passed without any progress. Elizabeth couldn’t take seeing her sister like this any longer. She wanted to scream, but couldn’t, and crying would only send her mother into hysteria. She had to get away from the camp for a while.
Elizabeth wandered into town, solemnly watching her feet as she walked. The fire had gone out of her life, even though her best friend and love was on his way. Carrie meant the world to her; she couldn’t imagine a life without her in it. Her father blamed himself, making everything even bleaker than it already was. If he hadn’t lead his family out to this disease-filled land, then he wouldn’t be faced with losing his daughter right now. That very morning, he told Elizabeth he’d rather take Carrie home with twisted legs than watch her fade away at the expense of such a horrible disease.
Elizabeth didn’t know how long she had been walking. It began to rain, and she didn’t even bother to pull her bonnet up--she felt absolutely numb to everything at that moment. She dropped to her knees beside a tree and wept uncontrollably. Would she have to tell her sister goodbye here? The thought of it was unbearable.
Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. As if time itself had stopped, there he was. Ben stood above her with the warmest smile on his face, melting her sorrow instantly. She swiftly leapt into his arms. He brushed the tears from her cheek and held her in an embrace that was like no other they’d shared. Elizabeth looked up at Ben in disbelief and stammered, “I--I can’t believe you’re here…” They stood in the rain and shared a kiss that neither of them would ever forget.
“What’s wrong, my love? Why are you out here all alone in the rain?” He put his hand to her cheek and scanned the landscape. Elizabeth told him everything: how her father had found some gold, and how many of the children in the camp had been stricken with malaria—including Carrie. Worry quickly spread over his face at the mention of her little sister being so ill. Ben immediately retrieved his horse and helped Elizabeth up onto the saddle behind him. “Don’t worry, my love. Everything will turn out just fine--I promise.” With just a nudge from Ben’s spur, the horse bolted forward at top speed toward the mining camp.
Her parents were thrilled to see Ben, but Mary still refused to leave Carrie’s side. “There has been some improvement,” she told them. “She opened her eyes this morning and asked me what was happening. I told her that she is very sick and to lie still.”
“I’ll take over watching her for now, Mother. You should go get some sleep.” Her mother nodded and Elizabeth sat down next to her sister’s side. Ben sat down behind her and put his arms around her waist.
“Carrie is strong and full of life. She’s going to pull through—I can just feel it.” Ben seemed so confident and certain. Elizabeth wanted to believe him, but not one of the stricken children had survived up until now; she feared that it was only a matter of time before her sister passed, too.
Just then, Carrie’s eyes slowly fluttered open. She looked up at her sister and Ben, her eyes widening with delight. Although she was very weak, she slowly extended her hand to Ben, who took it tenderly.
“What’s this I hear about my little ray of sunshine being sick?” he teased her as she smiled sweetly. She was too weak to speak, but her eyes clearly showed how happy she was.
In the days that followed, Ben did everything he could to help the family. They looked after Carrie as much as possible, and when they had spare time, they went to the river to look for gold. Carrie was gaining strength remarkably, despite the odds. Elizabeth would sit at her bedside, talking for hours and hours every day.
“Now that Ben’s here, you two can get married!” Carrie cheered, throwing her quilt aside. “Please tell me you’ll wed soon; I don’t want us to ever have to leave Ben behind again!”
Elizabeth appreciated her sister’s optimism, and tried to keep it in her own mind as well. She didn’t want to make too many plans until they knew for sure that Carrie was going to be okay, though; she was too uncertain about what the future would hold.
The weeks that followed seemed to fly by for Elizabeth. All of the pieces were coming together: Ben was finally here at her side and Carrie’s vitality was steadily coming back. She began to feel whole again. Elizabeth’s heart flooded with hope and excitement when she imagined what the future might hold. It was as if a ray of sunshine had finally managed to break through and vanquish what had once felt like an unrelenting storm.
Haywood, Tennessee - 1852
"You are going to look so beautiful."
Carrie's eyes glittered as she looked at her older sister standing in front of the mirror, one slim hand holding a bridal veil in place on top of her head. It was the same veil that her mother and grandmother had worn and Elizabeth looked radiant with the fine layers of cloth rippling down around her pretty face.
"I can't believe it is finally happening," Elizabeth said, "I feel like I have been waiting my entire life for this day."
"You have been," Carrie said with a soft laugh.
At nearly twenty-three years old, Elizabeth Ryder was well into her marriageable years and most of the women that she knew of her age were not only married, but had a child or two already. It is not that she hadn’t had the option of marrying; she had been engaged to her beau Ben for more than four years, and they had simply been putting off their wedding until the right time.
Much had happened in the four years since they had decided to marry. They had been childhood sweethearts from the time they were very young and everyone seemed to know that they were going to be wed one day. After getting engaged, however, they decided to wait to marry until Ben had saved enough money to support them in their new life together. Before that could happen, Elizabeth's father had decided that the family would go to California to be a part of the feverish gold rush that was drawing men from all over the nation, and even as far as China, to seek their fortune.
John hadn't whisked the family away because of greed. Instead, it was love for his daughter Carrie that had inspired him to take the dangerous journey in the hopes that they would discover gold. Carrie, nine years old at the time, had been born with deformed legs that twisted even further as she got older, making it impossible for her to walk without the aid of crutches. A doctor in New York advertised surgery that could repair her legs and make it possible for her to live normally, but the procedure was extremely expensive. It was the desire and determination to find enough gold to pay for the surgery that had given John the strength to pack his family into their tiny wagon and head to San Francisco.
It had been the most difficult decision that Elizabeth had ever had to make choosing to go with her family rather than stay behind in Tennessee and marry Ben. She had made a promise to Carrie, however, that she would not leave her side and that she would always be there to help her. Ben understood that she couldn't break that promise and had vowed that as soon as his contract with the saw mill was finished, he would be on his way to her.
When he arrived in California, everyone had encouraged the pair to marry, but Elizabeth
wanted to wait until after Carrie's surgery to plan her wedding. It simply wouldn't be right if her dear little sister wasn't able to walk down the aisle as her flower girl.
Now, three years later, the family had made the trip from California to New York; Carrie had received the surgery and, after months recovering, they had all made it back to Tennessee whole, happy, and ready for the future. It was finally time for her to take that step forward and become Ben's wife.
The door to the bedroom opened and Mary Ryder stepped in with the youngest sister Maggie, now nearly five years old, running around her feet. Mary's hand was rested protectively over her slightly swollen belly and her eyes held the secretive sparkle that Elizabeth had not seen since she was carrying Maggie.
"Oh, Elizabeth," she said with a hint of tearfulness in her voice, "You look so beautiful."
"That is exactly what I just said," Carrie said, giggling.
Now twelve years old, Carrie had blossomed more than Elizabeth could ever have hoped. The surgery had been a tremendous success and even through the agonizing weeks of recovery, the girl had never once complained or showed any sign of the pain and challenge that she was going through. It was as if she knew not only how much her family had gone through to surprise her with the surgery, but what it could mean for her if she just got through the recovery.
Her legs still did not have the strength that other girls her age had, but Carrie continued to work hard to build them; when she walked, there was only a slight slowness and wobble to indicate that there was anything different about her. She moved toward Elizabeth now with confidence and delight; her big, round eyes seeming to glow at her from the reflection in the mirror as she took her place next to her older sister and rested her head on her shoulder.
"I am so happy for you," she said softly and Elizabeth wrapped an arm around her to hug her close.
"You know nothing is going to change, right?"
Carrie nodded and returned the hug around Elizabeth's waist.
"I know."
There was a touch of uncertainty in her voice and Elizabeth felt her heart squeeze.
"I am still going to meet you at the schoolhouse to walk you home, and Ben and I will be living so close by that we will be able to be together all the time. We will come over here for supper, and you can come to our house and spend the night just like when we were little."
"I will miss you."
"I will miss you, too. Just think, though. You will have so much more space in the loft now that I won't be sleeping up there."
Carrie laughed and the sisters hugged tighter. Both knew that life was about to change dramatically, but they were happy at what had finally come and were excited for what the future might hold. It had been so long since Ben had felt like part of the family, and now he would be officially. Things were finally falling into place and life had never seemed more beautiful.
****
Dear Diary,
I cannot believe it. Soon the sun will rise and shine down on my wedding day. The day has finally come when I will walk down the aisle and become Mrs. Benjamin Shaw. It still gives me a thrill to even write that. I have been waiting so long, so many years, and my dream is finally coming true.
It is amazing to look back on everything that has happened and know that we have finally gotten to this place. It was around this time of year that Father announced we would be going to California. I still remember how shocked we all were and how terrifying and heartbreaking it was to think of leaving my beloved Ben behind. I knew, though, that if I was strong and steadfast, our time apart would not hurt us, but only secure our resolve to be together.
Now my faith and perseverance have triumphed and the Lord's plan has been laid at my feet. I will finally take my place as Ben's wife and we will have the glory of life to celebrate and enjoy together. I only hope that I will be a good wife to him. He is such a wonderful man; so strong, determined, and hardworking. I know that he will be the best husband that I could ever want. He will take care of me and together we will create the life that we have dreamed of since we were children.
I know that Carrie is having a difficult time with me leaving. She is so happy for me, and she loves Ben almost as dearly, I think, as I do. I have always been here with her, though, and I worry that she is afraid of being able to get along without me. I have no fear that she will, however. She is stronger than anyone I have ever known. She has a spirit that nothing could break and power within her that is truly breathtaking. I would never be able to get through the challenges that she has faced with the grace and bravery that she has. I know that the future ahead of her is so bright.
The sun has just come up, Diary. Soon Mama will start breakfast and I will get ready for my wedding. My dress and veil are hanging on the wall like they are waiting for me, nearly as excited as I am.
I want to cherish every moment of this so that I never forget the joy that I am feeling right now. All too soon, it will just be memories and fading dried flowers, and I want to hold on to the wonder and excitement that I have in these last hours before I marry my greatest love, and the first hours of my marriage.
--Elizabeth
****
Elizabeth took another look in the mirror and smoothed her hands down over the front of her dress. Her mother had carefully stitched the white dress for her over the last few months, using bits of lace and painstaking embroidery to embellish the simple silhouette. It was not elaborate, but it was the most beautiful wedding dress that Elizabeth had ever seen and she could not have imagined wanting anything different for her wedding day. She dreamed of tucking it away in her cedar hope chest after the wedding and protecting it until the day her daughter would marry so that she could offer it to her.
There was a soft knock on the door and she walked toward it curiously.
"Yes?" she called through the door.
"It's me, my love," Ben's voice said to her.
Though the door was still closed, she stepped back from it.
"Benjamin Shaw!" she said, "You know that you are not supposed to see me before the ceremony! What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to give you something," he said, "I have my eyes closed. Just open the door a little bit."
Elizabeth laughed and stood to the side of the door, trying to make it block her as she opened it just a few inches in case he hadn't actually closed his eyes. Ben's hand appeared through the gap and she saw that he was clutching a stack of envelopes tied with a length of blue satin ribbon. She took them from him and his hand disappeared back into the hallway.
"Wait," she said as she heard his footsteps start to retreat from the door, "I have something for you, too."
She walked over to the bed and picked up a small bundle of cloth. Opening the door slightly more, she handed it through to him.
"Oh, Elizabeth," he said and she knew that he had unfolded the cloth.
"It's our wedding quilt," she told him, "I've been working on it for four years. I put the very last stitch in it this morning."
She had poured all of her love and devotion into that quilt over the years, starting it just after he asked her to marry him and continuing to work on it throughout their engagement. Working so long on it had allowed her to create complex patterns for her squares and then design quilting that was fine and detailed. The tiny stitches were like miniscule love notes to him, showing the time and effort she had put into crafting this symbol of their marriage and her hope for their future.
"I am so happy to be marrying you today," he said.
The emotion in his voice made her heart swell and she felt tears pricking her eyes. She felt so incredibly blessed by Ben. He had stood by her, loving her steadfastly, through everything that her family had faced and never once had she questioned his devotion to her.
"I love you, Ben," she said.
"I love you, too. I will see you very soon."
He walked away from the door and Elizabeth closed it slowly, walking over to the bed and sitting carefully before she looked down at the e
nvelopes in her hand. Immediately she recognized the handwriting on the top envelope as her own. Curious, she loosened the ribbon and opened the envelope. Inside was a letter she had written to him years before when they had first started courting and he had gone to visit his grandmother for the summer.
Tucked in beside the letter was another, this one in Ben's handwriting. The second letter was dated from just a month before, but it responded to her letter, sharing his memories of that summer and then telling her how he felt when he had received that first message from her. Elizabeth folded the letters and put them back in their envelope before picking up the next. It was another letter from her, this one from later in the summer as she anticipated his arrival home and told him how much she missed him. His response revealed that this had been the first moment he wanted to ask her to marry him.
Elizabeth continued through the stack of envelopes, re-reading all of the letters that she had written to him throughout their relationship and his new responses to them. She knew that she still had all of the letters that he had written to her, but now she had more and somehow these meant even more to her.
When she reached the bottom of the stack, she found one final letter.
Dear Elizabeth,
I wanted to show you that you have always been in my heart and on my mind, even when we were apart. You have been the love of my life for my entire life, and I know that you will be for the rest of it. Perhaps you can turn these into a scrapbook and one day share our love story with our children and grandchildren. Our wedding day will be the happiest day of my life until now, but I will spend the rest of our marriage doing everything that I can to ensure that the days only get better.
Annie: A Bride For The Farmhand - A Clean Historical Western Romance (Stewart House Brides Book 3) Page 88
