Ready to Wed (18 page)

Jane glanced at Belle, who seemed embarrassed. “What did you think of Mrs. Wood?”

“She seemed nice.”

Jane turned back to her aunt. “And how did Mrs. Wood react to Belle?”

“She was very kind to Belle.” Ethel nodded so firmly that her chins gave a shake. “She seemed to approve, Jane.”

Jane thought that unlikely, since Wilhelm’s mother seemed quite content for her son to remain a bachelor for the rest of his days. Still, several people had noticed the interest Wilhelm seemed to have taken in Belle. Unless he was simply being polite. It was hard to know. Jane turned her attention back to Belle.

“How do you feel about Wilhelm?” she asked.

For the first time, Belle seemed unsure. “I’d like to get to know him better.”

Suddenly Jane felt sorry for Belle. She was getting in over her head with all this wedding nonsense. And with Ethel in charge, Belle might be drowning before long. Still, Jane was not about to let herself be dragged around Potterston, trying on bridesmaid dresses today. She would put her foot down.

“It seems to me,” she began, directing this more to Belle than her aunt, “your time might be better spent narrowing down who your groom is going to be, rather than
running around trying to pick out dresses. After all, a marriage is supposed to last a lifetime, and a wedding dress is just for one day.”

Belle’s eyes lit up. “You are absolutely right, Jane.” She turned to Ethel. “I think I should take your niece’s advice, Ethel.”

“You don’t want to pick out your wedding gown?” asked Ethel.

“Oh, I do,” said Belle, “in good time. But at the moment, I think I should focus my attention on my prospective husband.”

Ethel was clearly at a loss. She switched her purse to the other arm. “So, then, shall we go pay Wilhelm a little visit? I could use some tea.”

“How about if we go visit the pastor first?” suggested Belle.

Aunt Ethel’s eyebrows arched, then she glanced uneasily at Jane. “Do you know where he was going?”

“I couldn’t say,” admitted Jane.

“Well, I would like to get another little peek at the chapel,” said Belle as she linked arms with Ethel. “I’ve been trying to imagine big pink bows at the end of each row, but I’d really like to see it again just to be sure.”

“Good idea,” said Ethel. “We’ll make notes of these details.”

And off they headed toward the chapel. Jane hoped that Kenneth would have the good sense to stay out of their way. Or perhaps he should just nicely but firmly let Belle know that he did not wish to be on her list.

Jane briefly toyed with the thought of paying Wilhelm a visit too. She wasn’t sure if he was fully aware of Belle’s intentions. On the other hand, how could he not be aware? Everyone in Acorn Hill must be aware by now. Finally, she told herself that Wilhelm was a big boy. Goodness, he’d been a bachelor since forever. What were the chances of him accidentally stumbling into marriage now? And certainly his mother would put her foot down if he seemed the least bit inclined to make a mistake. Besides, what if he was seriously interested in Belle? No, she decided, Wilhelm did not need her protection.

Instead she went inside, then slipped into her overalls and Crocs. She grabbed her garden gloves and her straw hat before she headed back out to lose herself in the sunshine and growing things. She could not imagine a better distraction from disturbing thoughts of marriage, ex-husbands and ill-conceived weddings.

Chapter Fifteen

S
unday may have been a day of rest for most folks in Acorn Hill, but it was clear that Belle and Ethel had big plans for their day. For starters, Ethel joined Belle for breakfast at the inn, carrying a little notebook full of wedding ideas that she and Belle discussed freely in front of the discreetly amused guests. It also seemed Ethel wished to get a better look at the Johnson twins. Perhaps she thought she might have the power to break up the set and present Belle with the “better” half. But it was clear that the brothers were not interested in matrimony. In fact, Jane thought she detected real fear in their eyes as they finished up breakfast. And when Louise invited them to church, they politely excused themselves by saying that they wanted to get on the road as quickly as possible.

“Florida awaits,” proclaimed Don, giving Belle an uneasy glance.

“That’s right,” agreed Ron. “One more stop in South Carolina to visit our aunt Rae, and then it’s straight to Miami.”

“By Tuesday, we’ll be hitting the beach.”

“After that we’ll head out for some fishing and exploring.”

The others wished the men well. More than ever, it seemed that Ethel was doggedly determined to find a match for Belle, although Belle seemed unaffected by the twins’ hasty departure. Perhaps they had not been to her liking. But as the sisters were cleaning up in the kitchen, they overheard their aunt going over the list of potential targets. It seemed she had broken the list into sections. The sisters had no idea what these sections represented. Perhaps simply their aunt’s own personal likes and dislikes.

Later in church, Ethel and Belle sat next to Wilhelm and his mother. After the service, Belle and Ethel monopolized Kenneth’s attention.

Finally it was afternoon, and all the guests except Belle had checked out. The inn was quiet, and the sisters gathered on the front porch with iced tea and gingersnaps. Belle was spending the day with Ethel.

“One of the reservations for next weekend is a rather intriguing fellow,” said Louise as she refilled her glass with tea.

“You mean someone besides Justin?” asked Jane wryly.

Louise frowned, but she ignored Jane and continued, “Do either of you ever read Clive Fagler in the
Philadelphia Inquirer?”

“Sure. I read his column all the time.” Jane bent down to pick up Wendell, situating him comfortably in her lap. “I like his writing. He’s very witty.”

“I’ve read the column a few times myself,” said Alice.

“I thought you might be interested to know that he’ll be staying here from Wednesday through Memorial Day weekend.”

“Really?” Jane brightened as she stroked Wendell’s furry coat. “That should be fun.”

“Yes. He said that he’s looking forward to a restful break from the city.”

“He’ll find it here.” Alice waved her hand toward the quiet street. “I haven’t seen a car go by since church.”

Louise cleared her throat. “However, it occurs to me that there is a minor problem, or at least the potential for one.”

“What?” asked Alice as she reached for a cookie.

“Mr. Fagler is a bachelor.”

Jane let out a groan. “Belle.”

“And Aunt Ethel,” said Louise.

“What do we do?” asked Jane.

“I don’t want either of them to terrorize the poor man.”

“Oh, Louise,” said Alice in a good-natured tone. “All you need to do is warn Auntie, and I’m sure she’ll respect your wishes. And you know, Belle never terrorizes anyone. She’s really very sweet.”

“You know what the Bible says about too much honey,” said Louise.

“That it can make you sick,” Jane finished for her.

“Perhaps if you mentioned our new guest a little ahead of time. Tell Belle that Clive Fagler is coming,” suggested Alice. “Simply be up front with her and tell her that Clive is a bachelor, but that he expects to have a restful vacation in Acorn Hill.”

“I suppose you’re right. Honesty really is the best policy,” agreed Louise. “And I do think Belle is a good person. I just feel she is carried away with her unfortunate dream.”

“And Aunt Ethel encourages her,” said Jane.

“Auntie is simply caught up in the idea of a wedding,” said Alice. “You know how she can be, and she felt she missed out on some of the fun while she was cooped up with her rash. Give her a few days, and I’m sure she’ll come to her senses.”

“Still, I wish we could put a stop to this nonsense.” Louise picked up her knitting bag and adjusted her glasses. “I can’t tell you how glad I’ll be after the first Saturday of June is finally past.”

“I was even feeling sorry for our pastor after the service this morning,” said Jane. “It seemed that Aunt Ethel and Belle had the poor man cornered.”

“Well, if you had been closer, you might have observed
that our pastor handled the whole thing quite nicely.” Louise’s knitting needles began to click together, making a rhythmic sound. “I couldn’t help but overhear.”

“What?” demanded Jane eagerly. “What did he say?”

“He told Belle that he wished her well. And that, while he respected her wedding dream and that it may very well have come from God, he knew for a fact that he was not meant to be a part in it.”

“Except to perform the wedding,” added Alice with a smile. “He did promise her he would do that when the time came. Very nicely, I might add.”

“It seemed to settle it for her,” said Louise. Then she shook her head. “But I noticed Wilhelm observing from a distance, pretending to visit with Clara Horn, but keeping his eyes on Belle the whole time. I do believe he was jealous.”

“Really?” Jane chuckled. “Perhaps Wilhelm is interested after all.”

“Belle is a charming young woman,” said Alice. “Don’t you think she’ll make a wonderful wife?”

Neither Louise nor Jane responded.

“Anyway,” said Louise. “Belle and Wilhelm and Lloyd and Auntie seem to have plans for the evening. After Belle and Aunt Ethel do some things in Potterston, they will meet up with the men to see a matinee, followed by dinner.”

“Wouldn’t it be wonderful for Wilhelm if Belle really was the woman for him?” asked Alice.

“Despite the age difference?” questioned Louise.

“Age shouldn’t matter,” said Alice. “Not if they’re truly in love.”

“And Wilhelm’s mother?” ventured Jane.

“I’m sure she’d be happy for Wilhelm.”

Louise cleared her throat in a way that suggested she did not agree. And Jane looked dubious.

By Tuesday morning, Belle seemed to have a serious case of the wedding blues. It seemed that Wilhelm was officially off her list. He had made it clear to Belle that, while he found her charming and fun, he had no interest in settling down. Not only that, but Craig Tracy had been forced to take Ethel aside yesterday. He quickly told Jane the whole story when he stopped by to drop off some annuals for her garden Monday afternoon.

“I didn’t like being so hard on your aunt,” he’d explained, glancing over his shoulder to make sure that neither Belle nor Ethel were about. “But she just kept pestering me.”

“She is persistent.”

“I’ll say. I knew as soon as they entered my shop that I was in for trouble. Naturally, they acted as if they’d come to
discuss floral arrangements for this farce of a wedding. But it was obvious something else was going on. So I invited Ethel to come into the back, supposedly to see something I was working on for you and the inn. But in the privacy of the back room, I told her in no uncertain terms that I am not to be considered as a matrimonial candidate. And if they really wanted me to do their flowers, I’d be happy to. But that’s where it would end.”

Jane had commended him on being so straightforward, then thanked him for the flat of multicolored petunias. He explained that he’d started far more of them than he needed and was surprised when they fared so well in the greenhouse during their extended winter. “Hardy little things.”

“Well, they’ll really perk up the beds along the front walk. Now, what do I owe you?”

“Just a couple hours of your time this week.”

“Doing what?”

“I volunteered to get the planters in front of Town Hall spruced up in time for the Memorial Day celebration. I’m going with a patriotic color scheme. I thought I might be able to talk you into helping out.”

Of course, she agreed, and he promised to pick her up Thursday morning. “That’s the soonest I can get to it.” Just then they both noticed Belle strolling their way, probably on her way to Ethel’s, and Craig excused himself, making a quick
exit. As he left, Jane felt sorry for him. It was a sad day when a good friend like Craig Tracy felt the need to escape the sanctuary of Jane’s garden.

But this morning, a day later, she now felt sorry for Belle. Her expression was pitifully sad, and she just didn’t look herself. She was wearing a wrinkled white blouse, warm-up pants, and pink fuzzy house slippers. In addition, she had come down to breakfast without a speck of makeup. The poor thing was obviously downhearted.