“Something that sparkles, some flowers, and something blue.”
“I have a few things that sparkle. Not sure why I brought them, but it has become a habit to keep them with me.” She pulled a small case out of the drawer she was using in the bureau.
Setting it on the bed, she opened it and found the things her mother had left to her. There was a necklace of shells and stones all nicely polished, with a set of earrings to match. Mrs. O’Neal oohed and aahed over a wide, etched silver bracelet, then quickly put it on Belle’s wrist, making Belle think she would have to do her best to find one for the woman. She sat on the bed as Mrs. O’Neal placed a small wreath of flowers on her hair. Then Belle stood up to carefully don her necklace and earrings. She took a look at herself in the mirror and blushed, for she felt she looked beautiful and believed that to be very vain.
“Child, you do look pretty. For just a little while I worried about the necklace of stones and shells, but, no, it sits on the ivory dress perfectly.”
“They were what my mother left me when she died. She never much liked jewelry, but these things she clung to.”
“And that makes them even more perfect. One should always wear some family heirloom if one can. Emily wore a locket of her sister’s. I cannot recall what Abbie wore, but it will come to me. Well, ready to get married?”
“You like doing this, don’t you?”
“I do. I really do, and when you walked in with Geordie and those two babies, I knew I would get to do it again. He had that look.”
“What look?”
“Thatthis one is minelook. Iain had it, as did Matthew. And both of them came with children, too. Beginning to wonder if that should be my sign.”
“Ah, well, that fool war left a lot of children needing someone. A lot of women, too.”
“It did indeed. Enough sad talk for a wedding day. Ready?”
“Ready.”
* * *
Geordie tried to stand still, to not reveal the attack of nerves he was suffering from. He knew Belle would not humiliate him with any public desertion or refusal, but now the fact that he had not formally proposed troubled him. Women expected one, not just agreeing with someone else’s plan for them. Then he saw Belle walk in through the door and caught his breath. He had seen her many guises, but he did not think he had ever seen her in her full beauty. He slowly walked over to her.
“Belle,” he said as he took her hands in his. “Ye look stunning. I ken Mrs. O’Neal pushed this, as she is prone to. Are ye sure?”
She stretched up on her tiptoes and gave him a light kiss. “Yes, I am sure. And when we get back home, remind me that I want to try to find Mrs. O’Neal something like my bracelet.”
“No more of that, you two,” said the pastor as he took them by the arms and led them to the spot where he would perform the marriage. “Let us get on with making it all proper and legal.”
“The rings,” Belle whispered to Geordie. “We do not have the rings.”
“Oh, aye. Taken care of.”
She started to wonder about that, but then set all her attention on the pastor and his words. Strangely, she calmed with each vow they had to repeat. It made her more certain that she was doing the right thing. Then Abel, dressed up neatly, stepped up with the rings resting on a fancy little pillow. Belle found herself shaking a little as Geordie slid hers on her finger.
When she slid a wide gold band on his finger, she suddenly thought of her father’s ring at home, and decided she would see if he would allow a switch. Then Geordie kissed her, and despite some of the hoots from the small crowd, she did not shy away from his response.
Wrapping his arm around Belle, he led her to the dining room where all the food was laid out. Mrs. O’Neal had done them proud yet again. As expected, the table was swarmed and he allowed Belle to pull away to make sure Abel and Morgan got some things they wanted and were seated in the kitchen with the other children. He found himself with the Powells.
“She should be back soon,” he told the women. “She was just getting Abel and Morgan settled in with all the other children and grabbing some food before it disappears.”
“A big possibility. The people round here do love it when you have a gathering. And they ain’t coming just to look at your pretty faces.”
Belle was headed back to the room where everyone was gathered, when two women approached her. It took her a moment but then she recalled they were the Powell brothers’ wives. She had a feeling she knew what they wished to discuss. So she led them to seats so they could all sit as they talked and, in this corner of the room, be relatively private. Just as she was about to say something, one of the women leaned forward and ran her finger over Belle’s necklace.
“This has some age to it.”
“It does. It belonged to my mother’s mother.” She turned the bracelet on her wrist. “So did this.”
The other woman smoothed her fingers over the animal carved into the silver. “What is this animal?”
“A seal.”
