Page 21 of Scarlett

The women spurred into action. They hustled Scarlett to take a bath. Aurora and Wilhelmina left to go to the church while Lucille remained to make bouquets from flowers placed in pitchers in the kitchen.

Scarlett was too nervous to do much more than be a puppet and allow the trio to pull her from one room to another, dress her, do her hair and even instruct her to eat something prior to the ceremony.

The entire time not one male was visible and although to her it was funny that Emmett was banished from his own home, she wasn’t about to ask his whereabouts.

The hours passed quicklyas women came and went. Gemina, the owner of the mercantile and both Fern and her mother Harriett had been recruited to help out. They dashed in and out with instructions or announcements of what happened in town.

When her soon to be sister-in-law Esther arrived, Scarlett was too overwhelmed to do more than accept the blonde woman’s hug.

What seemed like only seconds later, Scarlett was led out of the house. Flanked by Aurora, Wilhelmina, Esther and Lucille, they helped her into a coach that would take them all to the church.

Scarlett leaned back and looked down to the bouquet in her hands before meeting her new friends’ gazes. “Thank you so much everyone for doing all this. I didn’t expect more than a simple wedding ceremony at the pastor’s home.”

“We’re excited to have something to do. Besides, it gives us an opportunity to come together and visit and get to know you for a bit.” Esther pressed her hand over Scarlett’s. “Welcome to the family.”

The chapel was a simple small building. There were several wagons there and horses loosed in a small corral. Scarlett and her accompaniment remained in the carriage waiting for the last of the guests to enter. From what she could see there were quite a bit of people.

She figured most came out of curiosity and because there wasn’t much to do in the small town.

Emmett stoodat the front of the church fighting to keep a frown from his face. Why were so many people there? If he’d known his wedding was to be a spectacle, he would have insisted it be a private ceremony in his house.

Not only was the small church filled with townspeople, but he also saw faces of some who lived outside of town.

“Who invited all these people?” he mumbled to Elias, who was standing next to him.

“I assume the wives did.” His brother had the audacity to grin. “Very nice isn’t it of them to come and celebrate with you today?”

He didn’t reply but instead looked to the front bench where Gladys sat, with an eager expression and a bright smile splitting her normally stern face. Even she had fallen under the wedding spell.

At least Gladys’ husband had the presence of mind to look bothered by the entire event.

A pianist began to play a song as Wilhelmina, Lucille, Esther and Aurora rushed to their seats at the front pew. Bright eyes met his and he realized Esther looked about to cry.

“Why is your wife on the brink of tears?” he whispered to Elias. “Is there something I need to know?”

“Nope, happy tears,” Elias said, nudging him and motioning to the back of the church.

Dressed in a long gown and holding a bouquet of pale roses, Scarlett made her way down the aisle on Evan’s arm.

She was without expression, neither looking sad nor happy for that matter. He couldn’t look away from her face. Her brows slightly lifted and her mouth in a pleasant soft smile, she held her head high and her shoulders back.

If he didn’t know it was her, it would have been hard to recognize her at the moment. Regal and unwavering, her gaze met his for a beat before she looked side to side seeming to greet every single guest with but a glance.

There was a hush about the room as everyone craned their neck to get a glimpse of the beauty and once doing so smiling in approval.

He’d never seen someone take attention like his bride did at the moment. The only sound in the room was the soft hesitant notes from the piano, as the pianist herself seemed to be taken by the bride.

When she finally stood at the front, the preacher’s announcement of who gave her to him broke the spell in the room and whispers sounded.

“Beautiful.”

“Lovely.”

Evan replied to the pastor’s question with a strong voice, “I do.”

Finally, Scarlett came to stand beside Emmett, never meeting his gaze while Evan stood on the other side of Elias, as he’d wanted both his brothers to stand next to him.

Someone said something and Aurora along with Esther hurried to stand beside Scarlett in sisterly solidarity.