“Why, a wedding, of course.”
“A wedding but for whom?” Mary looked around the cafe wondering if the bride and groom were in the establishment.
“Yes, a wedding. What else is a wealth of shortcake best used for, other than weddings? And only the most special of weddings, my dear, Minnie.”
“And what wedding would that be?” Minnie asked, half distracted as she accepted the money Mrs. Lily was handing back to her.
“Why ours, of course.”
Mary dropped the coins, but not the cakes, and for that she would always be grateful.
* * *
The past halfhour of Mary’s life had been nothing short of a frenzy.
No, a flurry of activity.
Was a flurry more disorienting than a frenzy? Mary pursed her lips and thought it over for a moment before she gave herself a mental shake. She couldn’t dither now, not when she had to get to the chapel. She smoothed her hands over the plain dress she wore.
When Alex had sprung her plan on her, Mary had balked at the idea of them marrying on such short notice.
“We can’t,” she whispered, trying to keep her voice low, but Mrs. Lily was grinning ear-to-ear as she had already heard Alex’s words. The older woman merely tipped her head at them before she busied herself wiping down a nonexistent spot at the far end of the pristine counter. Mary was thankful for the bit of privacy.
“Why not?”
“Because, well, because marriages are not so hastily done!”
“But we have already planned to wed, what was it?” Alex tilted her head back and began to count on her fingers, “two, no three days prior. I would say that we have planned as much as any frontier arranged marriage.”
Mary’s throat tightened. Arranged marriage. She did not like to think of it as such, but Alex was right. She paused and cleared away the lump growing there.
“We would require more than cakes to marry, Alex.”
“Yes, there is a dress to think of but what you are wearing currently is fine as anything, so long as you are in it.” She winked at Mary, making her flush, and continued on merrily. “There is the matter of a pastor, but I have first-hand knowledge that Pastor Bruce is hard at work cleaning the pews today and wouldn’t mind the break.”
“And what about a witness?” Mary asked, she looked down at the package still tucked under her arm and realized she had her wedding dress with her. Perhaps they did not lack as much as she thought to marry so suddenly.
Alex waved a hand. “That is easily done. I have friends all over town. Any one of them would be more than happy to stand in for us if I ask. There is nothing holding us from marrying.”
Mary held up her package. “I have my dress here. I was just at a fitting. My mother is there now.”
Alex raised an eyebrow at her and leaned an elbow against the counter. “Then we are free to make your escape, are we not?”
“We are,” Mary said and chewed on her bottom lip with a furrowed brow. “But then what will we do?”
“Why, move your things to my home. Begin your new life in Gold Sky! But we can wait if you are unsure...or if you prefer to tell your mother?”
Mary shook her head and laughed. “No, no. The plan was never to tell her. She wouldn’t allow us to go through with it. I, ah, I just hadn’t thought the opportunity would present itself so quickly or easily. It’s been such a trying time. It seemed the days leading up to our marriage would be more of the same.”
“I understand, but life need not always be difficult. There are moments of joy, peace, and ease. We can have that now, but only if you are ready. I don't mean to rush you. The thought of all those shortcakes excited me.” Alex reached out and touched her arm and Mary was undone by that gentle brush of fingers.
Alex was strong and wild, but the woman was also gentle, soft and sweet.
Mary wanted moresweetin her life.
The pair had left the cafe arm-in-arm, heads bent close as they worked out the particulars of conveying Mary’s meager belongings to Alex’s home, a respectable homestead on plenty of acreage containing everything a family would need to thrive. There was a barn, stables, a paddock, and chicken coops to occupy Mary, though she hadn’t the first clue of what to do with the livestock that lived within each. Never the matter, she would figure it all out in the days to come. What mattered now was the wedding, the wedding her mother must not know about until it was far too late.
She moved to the window and peeked out nervously. She stood in the boarding house she had once been thrown out of. Ms. Alice Hill had taken her back with little fuss and a bemused smile when she opened the door at Alex’s knock.
