These Tangled Threads

by Tracie Peterson

  Daughtie turned to Liam as the party dismounted. “Oh, my. I had no idea they were coming. Did you?” She frantically tried to check her dress for dirt.

  “No, to be sure I didn’t.”

  After Taylor helped Bella to the ground, she came rushing to see Daughtie. “I feel like you’ve been gone forever. We decided it was time to come for a visit.”

  “Absolutely,” Addie said, coming to join them. “The Ladies Aid Society has missed you at the sewing circles, but they sent along some little gifts to remind you to join us again soon.”

  Daughtie looked to her husband and then to the ladies. Lilly Cheever had now joined them. “I didn’t think . . . well . . .” Daughtie paused and looked again to Liam. She didn’t want to hurt him. “I didn’t know if I’d be welcome to come sew with the ladies . . . now that I’ve married.”

  “Pshaw!” Addie said with a wave of her hand.

  Lilly reached out to take hold of Daughtie’s hand. “I second that. You are always welcome in my home. If the other ladies have a problem with that, then it is something they will have to deal with. Not you.”

  “We feel the same way, Liam,” John Farnsworth declared as he joined the party. Matthew and Taylor were at his side. They nodded in complete agreement.

  “I must be sayin’ this comes as some surprise. I didn’t think any of ya approved,” Liam said, speaking his mind.

  “Well, we must admit,” Taylor began, “there was concern because of the situation being what it is. We know you’ve not been treated well at times, Liam. And you aren’t even poor Irish. You have money and a good job skill. Still people ostracize you.”

  “We didn’t want that for either you or Daughtie,” Lilly Cheever threw in. “However, now that the deed is done and we were cheated out of a wedding, we’ve decided to come and celebrate with you. We’ve brought supper, gifts, and a few surprises.”

  “Surprises?” Liam questioned.

  “Definitely,” Matthew said, grinning.

  Daughtie looked beyond them to the wagon and carriages. “Where are your children, Mrs. Cheever? I must admit I’ve been quite longing to see that new baby. Has he grown very big?”

  Matthew laughed, but it was John who spoke. “Michael Cheever is a fine specimen of a young man. He will no doubt rival his father in height and intelligence.”

  “He’s definitely worth the trip to see,” Addie teased.

  “Yes, you must come,” Lilly agreed. “Maybe you and Liam would take dinner with us after church tomorrow.”

  Daughtie looked to her husband. Liam nodded. “That sounds quite nice.”

  “What does Violet think of her new little brother?” Daughtie asked. She began to relax a bit in the circle of friends.

  “She is completely delighted—spends her afternoons mooning over him,” Matthew declared.

  “Say there, is that straw in your hair?” Bella questioned, reaching up to pluck a piece from Daughtie’s hair.

  Daughtie looked at Liam, who instantly looked away, as if embarrassed. He attempted to casually run his hand through his own hair while Daughtie stammered to answer. “I . . . well, we were . . .” She didn’t know how to finish the sentence. The group began to laugh uproariously until John Farnsworth finally put an end to it.

  “Well, in spite of what we may have interrupted, I think we need to unload the wagon, gentlemen.”

  “I’ll take care of this,” Liam whispered in Daughtie’s ear. “You visit with your friends.” He turned to the men. “Let’s go. Oh, by the way, how did that uprising with the farmers at the Pawtucket dam turn out?”

  “Well,” Matthew began while striding toward the wagon, “it’s under control for now. We don’t anticipate any more problems for the time.”

  Daughtie watched as they walked away talking and enjoying the news to be had. She felt silly for the way Liam’s absence from her side was almost a loss. They spent so much time together of late, it was as if they were two sides of the same coin.

  “I hope we didn’t come at a bad time,” Bella said, interrupting Daughtie’s thoughts.

  “No, not at all. Since it’s Saturday evening we were working to get some of our chores done. These September evenings have been quite pleasant.” She paused and offered them all a smile. “I’m so touched that you would come here today,” she told her friends. “I know this is difficult. I know the world doesn’t think highly of what I’ve done, but . . .” She paused as the men moved past them with various parcels and crates. “But I love him and I know he is the man God gave me to marry.”

  Bella nodded and wiped at a tear in her eye. “I’m sorry we weren’t more supportive. I spoke with Ruth the other day and she was so very ugly about the entire matter. The things she said were echoes of some of the very things I had spoken to you of, but coming from her mouth they seemed so much harsher—less Christian. I suppose I let my fears for you cloud my judgment. Please forgive me.”

  Daughtie hugged Bella close. “Of course.”

  They pulled away, this time laughing at each other’s tears. “Here this is a happy occasion,” Daughtie sniffed.

  “It is a happy occasion,” Lilly declared. “We want to celebrate and set things off on the right foot.” Addie nodded in agreement.

  Daughtie reached out to hug all three women. “Oh, I’m so grateful to have good friends like you.”

  The men made one more trip to empty the wagon and disappeared into the house. Daughtie pulled away and smiled. “So shall we join the men in the house?”

  “I think that would be splendid,” Addie declared. “We can . . .” Her words faded as the sound of yet another carriage came from far down the lane.

  “Who could that be?” Daughtie asked, straining to see.

  “Well, I’ll be,” Addie said with a gasp of surprise. “It’s Lawrence and Mintie.”

  “Oh my,” Lilly Cheever said softly.

  “Whatever is she doing here?” Bella asked.

  The carriage pulled up and a very prim and proper Miss Mintie allowed her escort to help her from the carriage. Her walking-out suit of dark burgundy seemed almost flamboyant on the woman who rarely wore anything more lively than blue.

  “Mintie, I didn’t think you were going to come here today,” Addie said as her sister and friend joined them. “Hello, Mr. Gault.” He gave a slight bow. Addie turned back to Mintie for an explanation.

  Daughtie wondered if the old woman had come to criticize her choice of husbands. Mintie Beecher had been known for her hatred of the British. Did she feel the same way about the Irish?

  “I told you that I couldn’t be ready by four. I did not say that I wouldn’t come,” Mintie announced. She turned to Daughtie, her pinched features as stern as ever. “So they tell me you have married.”

  Daughtie stiffened. “Yes. Yes, I have. His name is Liam Donohue.”

  “I see,” Mintie said, eyeing the girl as though weighing each word. “So you did marry the Irishman.”

  “Sister!”

  Lilly started to protest. “Miss Beecher, that’s hardly—” “Silence!” Miss Mintie declared. “I’m speaking with Mrs. Donohue.”

  Daughtie swallowed hard. Miss Mintie could be most difficult to deal with, and this occasion was certainly no exception. “Yes,” she finally answered. “I married an Irishman.” Mintie hurrumphed and nodded. “Well, it’s better than marrying an Englishman.”

  “But John’s English!” Addie protested.

  “No,” Mintie said quite stoically, “he’s an American.”

  For a moment there was no sound, but only for a moment. After that, Bella began to snicker and Addie to laugh with a great wheezing gusto. Lilly bent double in laughter, while Daughtie and Mintie faced off like two lionesses over a kill.

  Slowly Mintie and Daughtie looked to the others. “A great bunch of ninnies,” Mintie declared.

  Daughtie looped her arm through Mintie’s. “I quite agree, Miss Beecher. I think we should leave them here and let them laugh themselves silly.”

&n
bsp; The old woman looked up to meet Daughtie’s gaze. She gave the slightest hint of a grin and declared, “On that matter, my dear, we are already too late.”

  As they approached the house, Daughtie and Mintie were nearly knocked aside by the men. They bounded out the front door holding Liam high in the air. Liam, kicking and hollering, seemed not at all impressed with their revelry.

  “What are you doing?” Lilly questioned from behind Daughtie.

  Matthew called over his shoulder, “We’re celebrating with the groom. We’ll be back shortly—after we’ve dunked his highness in the pond.”

  The men laughed and Lawrence Gault hurried to join the fun.

  Liam called out as they passed, “Don’t ya dare be givin’ ’em even a spot of tea. They’ve come to make mischief on this house—I’m thinkin’ they’re all leprechauns in the guise of our good friends.” And then they were gone, disappearing behind the barn on their journey to the cattle pond.

  Daughtie got over her surprise and gave a contented sigh. She knew exactly what this kind of camaraderie meant to her husband. Turning to Mintie, she smiled. “Would you care to take tea with an Irishman’s lady?”

  Mintie straightened and gave a very curt nod. “I have come with no other idea in mind.”

  Daughtie felt the warmth of the old woman’s approving words. To imagine Miss Mintie offering her support was more than she could have ever hoped for. If Miss Mintie and her sister and Lilly Cheever and Bella could all accept her marriage to Liam, then maybe others would come around in time. And if not, then these ladies were sufficient to bless Daughtie with enough friendship and love to last the rest of time.

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