Heaven Sent (Small Town Swains) Read online

  Reverend Farnam looked a bit more nervous. "I forgot about the ring, Henry Lee. Will you need to make one from a horseshoe nail?"

  Henry Lee pulled his watch out of his pocket. Attached to the fob was a small gold band. "I have my mother's." But, even as he said it, he wasn't sure that he wanted to give it. He hardly knew this woman and certainly didn't want to trust her with his mother's ring. It was a tiny gold circle decorated with a garnet. It wasn't a wedding ring at all. It was given to his mother by her lover, Henry Lee's father. And it had been the only thing that she'd managed to keep away from her husband. Now her son was expected to hand it over to some stranger. But Hannah was to be his wife and it would look curious now, if he didn't give her the ring.

  "Then I guess we're ready," Reverend Farnam said.

  Myrtie was watching from the porch. When she saw the two men enter the church she squealed with excitement.

  "They've gone inside, oh come on, Violet, let's hurry, I can't wait another minute!" Myrtie was dressed in her "Sunday Best" dress, a pale pink confection, and was carrying a little bouquet of flowers she had picked herself. It was her contribution to the wedding, bouquets for the bride and the bridesmaid just like in town weddings.

  Hannah was numb. She had waited all afternoon to hear that she had been "left at the church" but for some reason he hadn't left. She was like a sleepwalker now as they led her up to the church. Her stepmother was giving instructions, but Hannah wasn't listening at all. She stared at the new building as if mesmerized. She couldn't seem to get her mind functioning.

  She was really going to marry a man she barely knew and didn't like.

  The walk up the rise to the little church, now the color of ripe wheat from the unpainted pine boards, seemed to last forever, and at the same time everything seemed to be moving too fast for Hannah.

  Myrtie made a last minute check of Hannah's gown, seeming totally wrapped up in her own chatter. Her excitement was in sharp contrast to Hannah's faraway expression.

  "All right now, are we all ready?" Violet asked.

  Hannah nodded. Violet hugged her and squeezed her hand as if to give her strength, then entered the church.

  Myrtie and Hannah stood together outside. Myrtie hugged her too.

  "Oh, Hannah, I am so happy for you," she said before she too went inside. "It's like all my dreams for you coming true."

  For a moment, she was alone. Then the door opened and there stood Will Sample. "Miss Hannah, your father says you can come in now."

  Hannah stood and stared at him. This was the man she had wanted, the one with whom she could make a life. But, truly, she didn't deserve him. She deserved the punishment of being married to Henry Lee Watson. He was a frivolous, trifling man and she in her own deceitful way was just as bad. This was something that she had brought upon herself and wishing it away would not make it so. She had made her bed and now she would have to lie in it. She cringed slightly at the literal truth.

  She was her father's daughter and would just have to make the best of the situation she had created for herself. She would marry Henry Lee Watson.

  "Thank you, Will, I'm coming right now."

  He held the door for her as she entered the church.

  She stopped immediately. Inside, there seemed to be a solid mass of people all straining to see her. She raised her chin and reminded herself that she was Miss Hannah Bunch and began to march forward.

  Henry Lee was clearly startled at the sight of her. She was pretty today. It was funny that she had never tried to make more of her looks before. He might well have noticed her if she had always taken such care with her appearance. In fact he was betting that a lot of men in this room were wondering why they hadn't noticed her before.

  He glanced quickly around the room and grinned at the surprise on many faces. He knew lots of folks were wondering what this marriage was all about. Well, let them think that he saw beauty in her before they did, it would make for a lot less speculation.

  Hannah kept her eyes on the front of the church until they were drawn to Henry Lee. He was dressed up as fancy as a riverboat gambler. His handsome face was marred by a bruise of two, and there was a small cut beside his lower lip. Looking at his lips, Hannah realized that he was grinning. Grinning in church and during such a terrible twisting of the sanctity of marriage. She was a sinner, there was no doubt, but this man was just plain wicked. Well, she could certainly teach him a few things about living a clean life. Her punishment might well prove to be the salvation of this unworthy sinner.

  When she came up beside him, he took her hand. He meant only to clasp it loosely, but he grasped it and was surprised to find it cold as death, unthinkingly he enfolded it into both of his.

  Hannah wanted to pull her hand from the enveloping warmth of his, but had the good sense not to. Steeling herself, she looked up at her father.

  Farnam Bunch kept the service brief, not in consideration of his daughter, but because the packed church had become unreasonably hot.

  "Do you, Henry Lee Watson, take this woman, Hannah May Bunch, as your lawful wedded wife?"

  Henry Lee spoke his "I do," with conviction. The girl had turned out not to be such a bad looker, and if she was as good a worker as well, he'd have a cook, and laundress, besides an extra hand, and a bed partner. It seemed not a bad trade. He smiled at Hannah. It was not going to be a bad trade at all.

  Having and holding, for better or worse, in sickness and health, until death do part; Hannah accepted her fate with all the courage that she could muster.

  When Reverend Farnam asked for the ring, Henry Lee brought it out of his pocket where he had safeguarded it, and turned to Hannah. Moving it to the third finger of Hannah's left hand he tried to put it on her. It moved past the first knuckle and stopped abruptly. Henry Lee's mother had been a tiny woman who apparently had much smaller hands than Hannah. He slipped it on to her smallest finger and offered a smile of apology. To Hannah it was a symbol. They were mismatched, a marriage that didn't fit.

  But when he spoke the words, "With this ring I thee wed," it didn't matter whether it was meant to be or not, it was, and forever, no going back.

  Henry Lee leaned down and planted his warm lips gently against hers and the deed was done.

  By lit torches and the sounds of fiddle playing, the community of Plainview Church celebrated the wedding. Reverend Farnam didn't wholeheartedly approve of dancing so the folks mostly just listened and talked and swayed in place to the music. Henry Lee was wishing that someone would turn up with some corn liquor; however, he wasn't too hopeful. Preacher Farnam had preached far too many lengthy sermons on the evils of strong drink and no one wanted to be the cause of another one.

  The cake Violet and Myrtie had baked was three layers high and light as a feather. Hannah was obliged to cut it and feed the first piece to Henry Lee. She seemed so nervous that Henry Lee didn't try to joke with her and took his bite of cake without incident. By now the bawdy humor of the men was growing worse. Fortunately for Hannah, most of what they said she didn't understand. That was what was intended. The joking was not meant to upset the bride, but to disconcert the bridegroom.

  Finally, after what seemed to Hannah to be an endless party people began to make ready to leave, but remained as if waiting for the final act. Reverend Farnam had the good sense to prompt Henry Lee, who seemed content to just talk and laugh with the men all night.

  "Henry Lee, you'd best tell your wife to go on up for the night," the preacher told him. Henry Lee knew that he was right. These folks were tired, but were waiting to see the couple to bed before they left.

  Henry Lee moved through the crowd laughing and fending off jokes as he went. He spotted Hannah in a group of women apparently all talking to at once. Hannah was saying nothing and looking like she was not sure what was happening. The women abruptly quieted as he walked up.

  "Evening, ladies. It sure was a lovely wedding, wasn't it?" The women quickly agreed, but before they could get started explaining what they liked ab
out it, he continued. "Miss Hannah, I mean Mrs. Watson, has had a very busy day and I suspect it's time she retired."

  The women all giggled meaningfully and Henry Lee noticed Hannah turned a bit pale. Just what he would have expected from her type. Suddenly, her attention was drawn to something behind him. Before he had time to turn around he was grabbed from behind.

  "Shivaree!" he heard someone cry out and then he saw Clarence Hopkins's laughing face just before the blindfold came down over his eyes.

  Hannah had no time to react. When she realized what was happening someone had already grabbed her. She had heard stories about shivarees. Brides being tied to logs and sent afloat down the river. Grooms being smeared with honey and left in the hills for bears to find. Terrible deeds done in the name of a wedding custom to force the bridegroom to earn the right to his bride.

  "Papa, Papa, help me," Hannah screamed. "Stop this," she told them struggling and kicking. She landed a good blow on the shin of one of her captors. He cried out and the other men laughed heartily.

  "You got yourself a fighter here, Watson," a man said, "I wonder who'll pin who in tonight's wrestling match."

  Laughter and jests continued as they forced Hannah into a wheelbarrow.

  "All right, Henry Lee," a voice said, "we're letting you off easy. You ride your new bride three times around the church and back down to the house and we'll let you take her in."

  Shouts of laughter and agreement were heard as Henry Lee protested. "I can't see a blame thing, I couldn't even find the church!"

  "Your bride's eyes are wide open, she'll tell you which way to go."

  "Yeah," another man added, "that's what you have to learn, to be a married man. Let your wife tell you what to do."

  Henry Lee even laughed at that. Grasping the handles of the wheelbarrow and raising it up he asked, "You ready, Hannah?"

  "This is ridiculous!" she said. "Let me out of here at once!"

  "Seems the bride is in a hurry to go to bed," a voice called out. Hannah felt her face flame with embarrassment.

  "Hannah, just tell me which way to go. They are not going to be talked out of this."

  Hannah resigned herself to being pushed around in the awful wheelbarrow and began to direct Henry Lee around the church. Unfortunately, from inside the wheelbarrow it was impossible to see the ruts in the yard and twice he spilled her out. The men quickly grabbed her and put her back into the barrow with jokes about the bridegroom's clumsiness and the inability of women to give directions.

  Finally they made it back to the porch of the house with much shouting and celebration. Henry Lee tore off his blindfold and before Hannah could climb out of the wheelbarrow he reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of coins that he scattered behind him then pushed the wheelbarrow, with Hannah in it, onto the porch, through the front door, and into her bedroom. He slammed the door behind him and dumped Hannah or the floor, wedging the barrow into the door frame so that the door couldn't be opened. Then racing across the room to the window, he quickly slammed the shutters closed and secured the wooden bar to hold them. Almost immediately, the sounds of banging pans and shouting jests commenced both at the door and the window.

  Hannah, still sitting on the floor, put her hands on her ears.

  "Hopkins! You're no friend of mine!" Henry Lee shouted through the door. This statement was met by hoots of laughter. "Now get away from our door, you've had your fun."

  "Don't mind us, Henry Lee," Hopkins called back. "Go on about your business, the racket is meant to keep us all from hearing the bedsprings rattle!"

  Henry Lee shot a look at Hannah, her eyes widened in shock and her face blazed crimson. She averted her eyes from Henry Lee and helped herself off the floor.

  "Just ignore them," Henry Lee told her. "It's late and everybody is tired. They'll stop in a little bit."

  "I can't imagine why my father didn't put a stop to this," Hannah said angrily.

  "Because you are not his responsibility anymore, you're mine."

  Hannah looked at him, startled at the truth of that statement. He was right. She was his wife now, for better or worse, and her father no longer had any say over her. It was a frightening thought. She hardly knew this man, and suddenly he had complete control over her. Wasn't she just planning yesterday to take control of her own life?

  Hannah turned away from him, but found that there wasn't really any place much to turn. The small bedroom that she shared with Myrtie seemed dwarfed by the huge man now occupying it. The tight space and the closed window served to make the room uncomfortably warm. Hannah wanted to take off the beautiful silk dress that now felt more like a sticky blanket.

  She glanced up at Henry Lee, who leaned indolently against the wall. The sounds had died down and now they were singing "Oh Promise Me." Hannah was surprised at the blending of female voices with the male. She wished that they would all just go home. At least with the women with them, they were not likely to do any more nasty tricks.

  It's so hot," Hannah said, hoping that Henry Lee would take the hint.

  "Yes, ma'am, it surely is," he answered, wondering if talk of the weather was typical of wedding night conversation. He wanted to take off his coat, but he was afraid it would frighten her. He certainly didn't want her screaming with people just outside the window. He decided that the best thing to do would be to try to relax her with a little conversation. He'd always been told that he had the gift of gab and could talk pretty near any woman right off her feet. But for some reason, he couldn't think of one light, amusing story to entertain a nervous bride.

  "At my place we have a big red oak that shades the roof, it helps to keep the heat off the house. And makes it a bit more tolerable in the summertime."

  "Yes, well," Hannah murmured, "it's too bad we don't have some of that shade here." She looked around as if trying to find her courage in the walls or the furniture. "Do you think you could leave now?"

  "What?"

  "Do you think you could leave now? I know they are still singing, but perhaps they wouldn't bother you if you left," Hannah said.

  Henry Lee's expression was condescending. "Where exactly am I supposed to go, ma'am?"

  "Why, I don't know," Hannah answered uncertainly "but surely you can find some place to spend some time so that I might have some privacy."

  Henry Lee roused himself from the wall and running a hand impatiently through his hair he came over and sat down on the bed. Unconsciously Hannah moved away from him. He rubbed his temples as if to soothe a pain.

  "I can't go anywhere tonight, I have to spend the night with you. It's expected. You do understand that married people sleep together?"

  "Well, of course I understand that." Hannah's face flamed red. Did this man think that she was totally ignorant? “Could you just go somewhere for a while, this dress is so hot, I've just got to take it off."

  "I can turn my back."

  "No, I'll have to have help, my mother or my sister."

  "Hannah, I can't leave and your mother or sister can't come in, that's why they are singing out there, this is our wedding night." Henry Lee cursed silently. How had he become stuck with such a naive girl? "We aren't supposed to have any privacy, this is how married people get to know each other."

  Hannah, who prided herself on her usual maturity and bravery, found herself feeling very young and afraid.

  "Couldn't we start getting to know each other tomorrow?"

  Her request sounded like a plea. Henry Lee, looking around at the closeness of the room, could not help but commiserate with her. It was an impossible arrangement. Half the territory was standing just outside their window, and they just total strangers. Nothing good could ever come of such a wedding night.

  "Turn around, I'll unbutton you."

  "You can't!"

  "Of course I can. Turn around or you'll have to wear this dress all night." Shaking his head in exasperation, he added, "You were wearing less out by the wellhouse this morning."

  Blushing at the truth, Han
nah bravely offered her sack to him and Henry Lee, still sitting on the bed, pulled Hannah between his spread thighs facing her away from him and commenced undoing the buttons on the wedding dress. Hannah cringed at the close contact. She could smell the clean male scent of him and his big hands gently touching the silk of her mother’s gown. It gave her a curious light-headed sensation. It must be even hotter in this room than she thought.

  "This thing sure has a lot of buttons," he said.

  "Fifty-two," Hannah answered. "One for each week hat my parents were engaged."

  "That's a pretty long engagement."

  "Long engagements allow people to really get to know each other and to make sure that they can make the other person happy," Hannah unthinkingly repeated the position that she frequently had explained to Myrtie.

  "You like long engagements?" he asked teasing her. "I wouldn't have known. Ours wasn't even fifty-two hours!"

  "But ours was a . . ." Hannah's voice trailed off.

  "A what?" he asked, completely stopping his progress with the buttons and concentrating on what she was about to say. He wanted to know, what she had thought she was doing forcing him to marry her.

  Hannah wanted to say that theirs was a mistake, but she knew that she couldn't say that. She didn't really know this man, and she wasn't sure what his reaction would be. Suppose he got violent?

  "It was," she answered lamely, "an unusual engagement."

  Henry Lee gave a kind of half laugh, half shrug and resumed his work on the buttons. "Yes, I guess you could say that. Unusual. A very good word for it."

  His progress on the buttons had reached almost to her waist. The lower his fingers moved, the more uncomfortable and exposed she felt. Henry Lee was concentrating on the buttons, trying not to think how long it had been since he'd undone a woman's dress.

  When he got past the waist he could see the laces of her corset and ties for her underskirt. His mind conjured up the image of firm young flesh underneath these layers and his body responded accordingly. He squirmed slightly adjusting his posture to accommodate the change in his anatomy. His thigh, now resting comfortably against Hannah's hip, had a disquieting effect on her.