The Trouble with Patience (30 page)

“With the gown, somehow I can see myself as pretty,” she mused. “I don't think I've ever felt that way. It almost seems like a spiritual experience. Does that make any sense?”

“It does to me. You'll be the bride of Jedediah, and marriage is a sacred ceremony.”

Patience almost didn't want to take the gown off, but eventually with Emily's help she had removed it and was back in her regular clothing. “I so appreciate you doing this altering for me. And I'm sure you'll make the stitches tight and
close together. I don't want to burst out the sides during the ceremony.”

Emily shook her head. “You talk as though you're the size of a horse—which of course you are not. So please quit saying those kinds of things about yourself.”

She shook her head in chagrin. “You're so right. I have a man who believes I'm beautiful, and good friends, and the love of God. That's all that matters.”

The doorbell from downstairs caught their attention. Emily laid the gown across the bed and offered to answer it.

“I'll come down too,” Patience told her. “I have many things to do before fixing supper.”

As they started down the stairs, she said, “We soon must get the house cleaned for the wedding and the reception, so I'm not all worn out that day.”

“I know what that means—shaking the rugs, cleaning the floors, dusting, washing windows. Maybe I can find a couple of girls to help us,” Emily said. “By the way, where will you live once you're married? Surely not the room above the jailhouse.”

They shared a chuckle, and Patience said, “No, we'll live here for a while.” They were at the door by then, and opened it to find Hannah carrying several flowers.

“Please come in, Hannah dear!” Patience greeted her, pulling the woman inside the foyer. “We've just had a fitting with my mother's wedding gown. Emily is going to make it work for me.”

“I wanted to see if you might like something like this to carry as your bouquet, Patience. They bloom till summer's end.” Hannah held out lavender flowers framed with two darker purple ones.

“Oh, Hannah, they are lovely. I know the lavender ones are bitterroot, but what is the other one?” Patience asked, examining the delicate blooms. With only a week to prepare, it would be very difficult to find fresh flowers in a mining town. These would do nicely.

“They're lupine. We could mix the two, making a pretty nosegay. Joe and I went out searching for what we could find in the woods this morning.”

“I think they will be beautiful, Hannah. Don't you, Emily?”

“Oh, yes. Hannah, you're a genius,” Emily exclaimed.

“Good, then leave that to me. It's one less thing you have to worry about—along with the cake.” Hannah turned to leave. “I'll get out of your way—I know you have plenty on your minds.”

“What an endearing woman,” Emily commented as Hannah walked away.

“She surely has been good to me,” Patience said, “and gave me good advice when I really needed it.” She took a deep breath. “What next, Emily? Oh, yes, I must write the invitations.”

“And I'm going to go finish your dress alterations,” Emily said, already on her way back upstairs. “I'll leave your gown hanging up,” she added over her shoulder, “then later, before the wedding, I'll press whatever wrinkles remain.”

With a bubble of excitement filling her chest, Patience went to her desk, pulling paper and pen out, anxious to get the invitations to the guests.

Patience wrote,
Please come to witness the marriage of Jedediah Jones and
Patience Cavanaugh.
She stopped and smiled softly to herself as she picked up her pen once again.

Patience liked to think God had painted the sky a sapphire blue and added a few puffy clouds just for her wedding. She leaned out her bedroom window, feeling like she would burst with joy.
Thank
You
,
Lord
, she whispered as she drew back.
It
'
s
our
wedding
day
—
mine
and
Jed
'
s
.
Thank
You
,
thank
You
for
bringing
Jed
and
me
to
Nevada
City
,
for
letting
us
find
each
other
.

She couldn't help but wish her father could be here to enjoy it all with her. However, she was grateful that God had seen her through all the difficult times in her life without him.

Her mother had arrived, and Patience had lovingly welcomed her and taken time from her wedding preparations to help get her settled into the only vacant room in the boardinghouse. It took both of them to carry the two large bags up to her room. Patience hoisted the case onto the bed and unlatched the straps.

“Mother, do you think you brought enough to get you through the weekend?” she teased with a smile.

Charity opened the other bag and glanced over at her. “I
like to be prepared in case I change my mind and don't return that soon. I'm happy you're going to wear my gown. It'll take me back . . .” Her eyes misted, and she stared into space.

“I miss Father too, especially at this time. I like to think he knows, don't you? And I'm so glad to be able to wear your wedding gown.”

“I hope so.” She reached over to take Patience's hand. “I'm very happy about your wedding. You have my blessing, and I'm praying that you and Jedediah have a bright future. Soon, I hope, you'll give me some grandchildren. I'm getting old, you know.”

Patience patted her mother's hand, noticing the veins visible through the pale skin. “I'm glad you like Jedediah, Mother. We both want children, and I hope you'll be able to visit our family often.”

They both began unpacking the two large cases, and Patience said, “I can't thank you enough for sending the piano. I was so surprised and delighted. We've had some wonderful times singing in the parlor here since it arrived.”

Her mother's smile crinkled the lines around her eyes. “You're so very welcome, dear. I know you'll get more use out of the piano than I will—I have no one to listen to me play.”

“You certainly should play it while you're here,” Patience urged. “I love to play the piano. Sometimes playing it on my own is just enough for me. If I'm having a difficult day, it relaxes me.” Patience went to place her mother's hairbrush and comb on the dressing table.

“You often played when you were angry with me. I feel like we've finally bridged that gap, don't you?”

Patience looked at her mother. “Yes, I do. So we have even more than a wedding to celebrate, don't we?” She moved over
to give her mother a hug, and the pressure of her mother's arms around her brought a lump to her throat.

Charity stepped back and briskly asked, “What's for supper? I hope it's not that tough beef again with the salty gravy.”

Patience took a deep breath. “It's roasted chicken, Mother. I think you'll like it. These days I'm going easy on the salt and putting a salt cellar on the table for guests to add to their own liking.” Some things would never change, but Patience could live with that.

It seems like everything is falling into place
, she mused as she added some of her mother's underthings to a dresser drawer.
Now, if only Emily could find
someone
.

Supper had come and gone with few complaints from her mother, and though Patience had gotten little sleep with all the emotions filling her mind, the big day had finally arrived. Hannah and Emily carefully slipped the wedding gown over her head before helping Patience with her toilette. Emily fixed her hair in an intricate style, assuring Patience that this was the latest fashion in the East, according to the newspapers she'd seen lately. A few tendrils framed her face and the edge of her neckline in back.

“Let's get this hoop in place,” Hannah said. “I think you can just step into it, and I'll pull it up underneath the skirt.” She tugged it into place at Patience's waist, tied it, and smoothed the skirt down over the hoop. She took a step back. “I must say, it's very beautiful. Never had one myself—”

“Oh, I'm so sorry, Hannah.” Patience looked into Hannah's face, each line reflecting her character and compassion. “You can always borrow mine, when you and Joe marry.”

Hannah laughed. “He hasn't asked me yet. Besides, dear, there's no way I'd fit into your gown!”

Charity appeared in the bedroom door, and the three women circled around the bride to take in the lovely vision before them.

The gown was ivory peau de soie satin, fitted at the waist and falling in folds to a deep alencon lace that Emily had added to the border, and ended with a short train. The hoop held the skirt wide and full. The scooped neckline with the same wide lace trim flattered Patience's face.

“It's nearly time, Patience. Let's attach your veil.” Emily placed it over Patience's hair, pinned it in place with a few instructions from Charity, then stood back to admire it. “You look truly radiant, Patience.”

“I think you're biased, Emily,” Patience laughed. “Oh, my shoes. I must not forget them! They're rather tight, but I can manage for an hour or so.”

“I took the liberty of placing your own cream-colored shoes in the pantry, if you should decide you want to change into them for the reception,” Emily said.

“Thank you, Emily. You think of everything.”

“Who's playing the piano?” Emily wanted to know as she adjusted the gown's train.

“Mary Finney graciously agreed when she stopped by this week to find if we had a room for someone coming to visit. I was so happy to find out she can play too.”

“So everything's ready, dear,” Charity said, leaning over to place a kiss on Patience's cheek. “I think Hannah and I had better get ourselves downstairs,” she added, motioning with her hand, and the two ladies departed.

“Are you ready?” Emily asked, patting an errant strand of Patience's hair into place. “Make sure you take your time on the stairs—you don't want to get yourself tangled up and
land in Jedediah's arms too quickly.” Their shared laugh was just what they both needed.

She took a deep breath and expelled it. “Yes, I will be careful, but my hands are shaking. Where's my bouquet?”

“Right here.” Emily lifted it from the dressing table and handed the freshly picked flowers, arranged in a perfect little nosegay, to Patience.

“Oh, and look how nicely it enhances the colors in your gown,” Patience noted, holding it near the lavender and purple silk Emily had made with Patience's help.

Emily reached over for a careful hug, her eyes misting. “Patience, I want to say I'm so happy for you, and will pray that you and Jed find every happiness your hearts desire.”

“I can't thank you enough for all your help. But mostly for your friendship. Now, you'd better start down before we're both crying.” They smiled at each other, and Emily disappeared through the door and down the staircase.

Patience took one last glance in the mirror. She did look pretty, much to her surprise. Emily was right—she even looked radiant. She hoped that Jed would think so too. But remembering what he'd said about her recently, she felt confident that he would.

Time to become Mrs. Jedediah Jones.
And she could hardly wait. With her pulse beating rapidly, Patience slowly descended the wide staircase, eyes fastened on Jedediah smiling at her from the foyer.

The double doors of the parlor were opened wide, and the guests had taken their seats in Creekside's large parlor,
rearranged to make ample room for a small ceremony. Yesterday Jedediah had helped move most of the furniture to one wall. The chairs were borrowed from The Star Bakery, which was closed for the day. He wondered where the potted ferns had come from, but knowing Hannah, she'd probably talked the folks at the bank into making a loan that wasn't of the financial kind.

Will and Liza were sitting there, as well as Charity, Benny from the mercantile along with his wife, Cody, and Jedediah's posse—James, Brady, and Kit. Several other Creekside residents were in attendance—Mark, Conrad, and Michael. Buttercup was sitting on her haunches next to Hannah's chair, watching and cleaning her paws. A meadowlark sitting on the open windowsill tweeted its approval.

Jedediah stood in the foyer in a dark suit that Judith Hargrove had given him before she left. “John would want you to have it, and you just might be needing it soon,” she finished with a twinkle in her eye.

Joe was beside him, wearing his suit, his normally unruly hair combed flat with the use of a double dose of pomade.

First, Emily walked slowly down the stairs as Mary played the piano. She took her place next to the reverend.

Jedediah's palms felt damp, as well as his shirt underneath the coat. And then Patience was there at the top of the staircase. He moved over to the last step, his hand on the bannister as he watched his bride slowly descending. Patience never took her eyes off of him until she was there beside him, slipping her arm through his. He covered her hand with his and gave it a squeeze, smiling into her lovely face behind its veil.
This is really happening!
The thought whirled over and over through Jedediah's incredulous mind.

The little wedding party positioned themselves between the double doors, Reverend King facing Jedediah and Patience, their witnesses on either side. And the service began with the reverend reading familiar words from Genesis about the first wedding.

Jedediah was very glad to have found two matching gold bands in Virginia City. His and Patience's eyes locked with mutual commitment as they exchanged their vows and wedding rings.
Mrs. Jedediah Jones!
His heart felt like it would burst with love and pride as he looked into Patience's lovely green eyes.

———

Patience had handed Emily her bouquet with shaking hands before she'd placed the gold band on Jed's finger. She looked up into his face, amazed and overjoyed that this good, decent, honest, handsome man was now her husband.

She heard someone sniffle behind her. Could it be that Mother was crying? She didn't dare look for fear she would start crying too.

Reverend King blessed the couple with a prayer, then said, “I now pronounce you man and wife. Jedediah, you may kiss your bride.”

Patience's heart was racing as Jedediah lifted her veil to give her a very solemn, tender kiss. Immediately the guests clapped, and the couple turned to face them as man and wife.