world, sir. Being a married man was a most wonderful thing when my Laura was alive, and I have every hope that Marianne will be as fine a wife as Laura ever was. We seem to have hit it off well, and she is a lady through and through. She even comes equipped with a little boy, her brother, Joshua.” With those words he reached to Marianne and took the baby from her arms. “Between the three of us, I think we’ll make a good marriage and have a fine home together.’
His words stunned Marianne with their forceful enthusiasm, for she had no idea he was so motivated about this marriage to be performed today. She’d felt his approval of her and Joshua, had known he was a good man, willing to put forth any effort to help her, but to have him so thrilled over the wedding itself was a surprise to her.
The judge eyed them for a moment, glancing at Janet and the figure of the mayor who stood next to David, and then began his task. Opening a small book from his pocket, he began reading the familiar words of the marriage ceremony. They floated over Marianne’s head like so many bumblebees, the sound but a buzzing in her ears, and when the judge looked at her pointedly and cleared his throat, she realized he was waiting for a response from her.
“I will,” she said, hoping that those words were the proper ones to have uttered at that point. They seemed to have been what he’d waited for, for he turned to David and asked questions that David listened to intently, and then nodded and repeated the words Marianne had spoken. “I will.”
A brief prayer was spoken then and in a sonorous voice, with great dignity, the judge announced that they were to be considered husband and wife, in the eyes of the Almighty and the laws of this Territory. “You may kiss your bride, sir,” the judge said with a smile.
David gripped Marianne’s shoulders and bent to her, his lips touching hers with a light caress that offered his troth in a simple gesture. He’d slid a narrow gold band onto her finger during the ceremony and it weighed heavily there as she curled her fingers and held it tight, lest it fall to the floor, for it felt a bit large for her.
David apparently had noticed it, for he whispered a message in her ear. “We can go over to the store and pick out one just a bit smaller, if you like. I’m sure Janet has a selection we can look at.”
Marianne nodded, holding Joshua firmly against her breast, watching as David shook hands with the judge, then the mayor and the sheriff, who had been standing by with a wide smile on his face. The judge approached Marianne and spoke kindly words.
“I’m sure you’ll be a happy bride, Mrs. McDermott. You have a good husband, and David will take good care of you and your child.”
Her mouth opened to deny Joshua’s belonging to her, for she wanted to make it clear that he was her brother, not her son, but the moment passed and David ushered her from the building, across the street to the general store, where Janet’s husband was busily tending his customers. He sent a bright smile in their direction as they entered his domain, and hugged his wife as she walked close to where he stood.
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