Heaven Sent (7 page)
"Henry Lee," Reverend Farnam hailed him as he approached his future son-in-law. "I wanted to have a few words with you before the service."
The preacher waited a minute, drawing together his thoughts. Henry Lee was discomfited by the silence, and tried to start the discussion on an agreeable track. "It's looking real pretty, don't you think? I've seen a few small things that I want to redo, and then of course, it needs pews. I won't have much time to do them before winter, but by next year at this time, it'll be as nice as any church in the territory."
The preacher nodded in agreement, looking around proudly. Then he focused his attention on Henry Lee. "I didn't come here to talk about the church, Henry Lee. I came to talk about Hannah."
"Yes, sir." He was ready to be taken to task. His swollen lip was still visible, but he knew that a couple of punches wouldn't dispel the trouble between them.
The reverend seemed to be waiting for him to speak, but for once Henry Lee didn't know what to say. A full minute of silence was louder than any sound Henry Lee had ever heard.
"If it helps to know this," he said finally, "nothing passed between Miss Hannah and me last night or any other night for that matter."
The older man looked at him speculatively. He remembered the sight of the two of them curled up together on the floor of the wellhouse, Henry Lee's arm around his daughter's waist and his hand splayed open on her abdomen. Yet he had some inner sense that his daughter had not been changed, that there was still an innocence in her eyes. He looked at Henry Lee and realized that he was not lying. "I think I already knew that," he said. "I want you to understand something about Hannah," he told Henry Lee. "When my first wife took sick, little Hannah was not much more than a girl. Without anyone so much as saying a 'would you please,' Hannah just took over the keeping of the house and the raising of the little ones. She scrubbed and cooked and taught the children their lessons, all the while that she was watching her mama die. I wasn't any help to her at all. I was just bowed down in my own grief, couldn't even see at the time what was going on. She took on burdens that would have crushed many women."
The reverend looked directly at Henry Lee, as if trying to underscore his point.
"My Hannah is a fine, strong woman that any man would be lucky to have for a wife. I hope that you know that."
His voice became lower and almost threatening. "I don't claim to understand what is between you two, and truth to tell, I guess most would say it's no longer my business, but I value my girls very highly and I never intend to give them up completely. If I ever see a bruise on her or hear that she or her children are going hungry, you'll be having a reckoning with me."
Henry Lee was stung by the words. He felt anger roll through him like a wave. Hadn't he already saved this stupid female from public embarrassment and her family from shame? How could the preacher think that he would mistreat her? But then, the preacher didn't really know what he had done for him and probably never would. The reverend still thought that Henry Lee had lured her outside to take advantage of her.
As quickly as the anger had come, it left him. Henry Lee almost smiled. Doing a favor for someone, and having them not know it, or be able to thank you, made it seem more right somehow, more selfless. It was a novel experience for the moonshiner.
"Don't worry, Reverend," Henry Lee said, "Hannah and I may have some problems, but I've never hit a woman in my life and I couldn't starve a polecat."
Henry Lee extended his hand to his future father-in-law and, after an instant of hesitation, the older man took
it.
"Now the real problem, Preacher Farnam, is how are we going to get all those people who've come to see the most talked-about wedding of the year into this church?"
The two men laughed together.
Less than an hour later the church was filled to capacity. The families of the church builders had stayed for the ceremony. Curious folks from all over had come to see what was going on, and as it turned out it was good that there were no pews. With all the guests standing there was still little room for an aisle.
Henry Lee stood at the door, talking and greeting everyone and acting the role of cheerful bridegroom.
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 or 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
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 Hannah. 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 about 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.