| |
Adelaide continued on in a vein of her own. “But Mama says that, now that you are coming to live on the farm, we might not see as much of Uncle Luke as we used to. She says we have to understand if he starts spending his time at home instead of up at the house with us.”
“Is that what she says?” Kathy asked.
“Yes,” Adelaide answered. “She told me I shouldn’t just drop in on Uncle Luke’s house the way I usually do. She says I shouldn’t go there unless I’m invited.”
“Hmm,” Kathy replied. “Well, I hope that you’ll keep seeing a lot of your Uncle Luke, the same way you always have in the past. I hope that, after I get settled in a little bit, you can come over whenever you want.”
“That’s nice of you to say so,” Adelaide returned. “But I don’t think Mama would like it if I did.”
“We’ll just see how it goes, okay?” Kathy suggested. “We have a long time to figure out what works the best for everyone. I wouldn’t want to do anything your Mama wouldn’t approve of.”
“Me, either,” Adelaide replied.
“I think my hair’s done,” Kathy stood up and smoothed out her hair. It fell away soft and smooth under her hand. She pulled her looking glass out of her trunk. “Now, if you will hold this glass while I put my hair up, I would appreciate it.”
Adelaide held the looking glass up for her as she wound her hair into coils and arranged them around her head. She just finished pinning the last strand in place when a gentle rap knocked at the door.
“That’ll be Mama,” Adelaide exclaimed. She opened the door and Annabel came in.
“I hope you’re not making a nuisance of yourself, Adelaide,” Annabel murmured.
“Not at all,” Kathy put in. “She was just helping me do my hair. But I’m glad you’re here. Could you help me with my corset now?”
“Certainly.” Annabel took hold of Kathy’s laces and tugged them tight. Kathy held onto the corner of the bed rail and sucked in her ribs.
“I think that’s as good as it’s going to get,” Annabel brushed the back of her wrist across her forehead.
“Now I’ll just put my dress on,” Kathy told them. “Would you please button me up?”
“Of course,” returned Annabel.
Kathy put on her white shoes and buttoned them up. Then she put on her jewelry.
“Now, Adelaide,” Kathy said at last. “I need your help to put on my veil.” She took it out of the trunk and held it up in front of the girl. “You see this flower here? Underneath are two hairpins that go into my hair—right here. Do you see?”
Adelaide nodded and held out her hands for the veil. Her eyes stared out of her head like two saucers, so entranced was she with the office of veiling the bride. Kathy turned her back on Adelaide and sank down a little bit in front of her.
“Now, put the pins into my hair.” Adelaide slid the pins into place, and Kathy checked her appearance in the looking glass. “That’s very good. I think I’m ready.”
Annabel held up her hand. “Just wait here a moment. I’ll run over to the church and make sure Max and Luke are ready for you.”
“All right,” Kathy replied.
Annabel closed the door after her, leaving Kathy and Adelaide alone again. Kathy smiled at the girl, unsure how to engage her. But Adelaide had other ideas. “You’re still going to let me carry your train, aren’t you?”
Kathy grinned. “Of course. After the wonderful job you did helping me get ready, I wouldn’t think of letting anyone else help me but you.”
Adelaide blushed to the roots of her straw-blonde hair and smiled down at her shoes. Just then, Annabel came back, panting. “They’re ready for you. Let’s go.”
“Wait a minute,” Kathy replied. “I need you to put my veil over my head.”
“Oh, right.” Annabel stood in front of Kathy. She stood several inches taller than Kathy, so she could reach over her head without much effort. She brought the veil forward, making sure not to disturb Kathy’s hair.
But just as she prepared to draw the veil over Kathy’s face, she paused and looked intently into Kathy’s eyes. Kathy noticed the trace of a tear in Annabel’s eyes.
Annabel sniffed. “You look absolutely beautiful. You’re going to make a sensation when you get to the church. I know Luke will think you’re absolutely breath-taking.”
“Thank you,” Kathy breathed. “Thank you for all your help, and for going to such trouble to make me welcome.” Her voice cracked with emotion. “I can’t tell you how important it is to me to find kind people who opened their hearts and their lives to me. I was so worried about what I would find here...” She trailed off.
But Annabel understood her perfectly. “I can’t imagine how you managed to leave your home to travel all this way to marry a stranger. I never could have done it. It must have taken incredible courage. But I’m so delighted that you did come. I know we’re going to be like sisters to each other.”
“Me, too.” Kathy couldn’t keep her tears from welling up in her eyes and overflowing onto her cheeks. Thank goodness, she would have the veil over her face so no one would see her puffy, red eyes.
“Ever since Luke told us he was getting a mail-order bride,” Annabel continued, “I’ve dreamed about the woman who would come out here to marry him. I knew I would be closer to whoever came than my own sisters, because we’re married to two brothers and we’ll live together on the same farm. We’ll be in and out of each other’s lives all the time.”
“I’m so happy to be your sister,” Kathy sobbed. “I’m so relieved that you’re happy to have me.”
“I just want you to know,” Annabel told her. “That you are everything I dreamed of in a sister-in-law. You are as kind and thoughtful and caring and gentle as I ever hoped you would be. I’ve seen the way you treat Adelaide, and I’m so glad you’ve come to live with us. I know you’re going to make Luke a wonderful wife. I know you two are going to be happy together.”
“Oh, thank you!” Kathy exclaimed. “Thank you so much! I feel exactly the same way about you, and I hope we can be in and out of each other’s lives for many years to come. I hope I can be as helpful to you as I know you’re going to be to me. I’m so thankful that I’ll have you to help me when my time comes to have children, and I hope I can help you when you have your next child.”
Annabel stared at her, and the tears flowed out of her eyes. “I know you’re trying to be kind, but you might as well know now that I can’t have any more children.”
