Part 19 (2/2)
”Plenty of people marry for reasons of economy and politics,” Luke told her. ”It's been happening for centuries.”
”I wonder if my father even knew. I believe he truly loves her.”
Luke took her hand. ”You can be sure that your husband will love you.”
She leaned her shoulder against his. ”And you can be sure I'm marrying you because wild horses couldn't stop me.”
He grinned. ”Are you sure you want to end this courting stuff? We're getting pretty good at it.”
Remembering her mother's words, she asked, ”We're supposed to be getting to know each other better. Do you think it's working?”
”Sure. I know you can talk about the wedding for thirty minutes straight without a breath. I didn't know that before.”
”And I know you must have promised my father something, because we haven't had a moment alone together since he found out about us. I mean alone, like we were at your place.”
”I did promise him something, and I'm a man of my word.”
”Does it have anything to do with my virtue?”
”It does.”
She pressed against him and he wrapped his arm around her. ”How many weeks until the end of October?”
”I don't know.” He kissed her gently. ”But it's seventy-three days.”
She smiled against his lips.
Sometimes those days crept by, especially when a week pa.s.sed without seeing Luke, and other weeks it seemed as if the time had flown by and there was always something that needed to be done. Without her mother's a.s.sistance, Annie relied on Charmaine and Aunt Vera and Glenda to help with the wedding plans.
After all the ruffled dresses she'd taken apart and remade for Gerta and Gwen, her own wedding dress was a simple piece of work: white satin with lace trim, capped sleeves and a pinaforelike lace flounce in a V-shape with the edge of the lace hanging from the side of her waist like a scarf.
Lizzy's mother showed her how to st.i.tch ruching of the same fabric as the gown along the hem, and Lizzy made her a coronet of crystal-beaded flowers and leaves, to which Annie secured the floor-length sheer veil.
”If this is a dream come true, it might as well be the best dream I can come up with,” Annie told Charmaine and Lizzy one afternoon as they made the finis.h.i.+ng touches to the dress. A sultry breeze barely fluttered the curtains in Annie's room.
”You could earn a living with your sewing,” Charmaine told her. ”This is the most beautiful gown I've ever seen.”
”Remember I have an account in my father's name at the milliner's and the mercantile,” Annie said wryly. ”He paid for this gown.”
”But you saved him a fortune by making it yourself!” Charmaine touched a satin sleeve reverently.
”I promise to help make yours, too,” Annie told her. ”When that too-good-to-be-true fellow comes along.”
”You will? Oh, Annie, you're a dear!”
”Guy helped at the house the last two evenings, Annie,” Lizzy said. ”He said it's close to being finished.”
”Luke tells me of the progress,” Annie replied. ”It's terribly frustrating not being able to go see it myself.”
”You haven't seen it?” Charmaine asked.
She shook her head. ”It's out of the question for me to leave with him without being chaperoned, and neither Mother nor Daddy will accompany me.”
”I'll go with you!” Charmaine said. ”Why haven't you asked?”
Annie shrugged.
”You know I'm not upset that he wanted you instead of me, don't you? No one could be happier for you than I am.”
”I know that. You're a treasure. I suppose I didn't want to be any more of a burden than I've already been.”
”Fiddlesticks!” Charmaine said in a huff. ”I'll go with you. Plan a date.”
Annie gave her a heartfelt smile. ”I will.”
Charmaine turned to Lizzy. ”Shall we show her now?”
Eyes sparkling, Lizzy nodded.
”What?” Annie asked.
”We have something for you.” Charmaine left the room and returned with a flat carton.
”What is it?”
”You're going to have to open it.”
Annie sat on the bed with the box beside her and lifted the lid. Beneath layers of tissue lay a gauzy white silk gown. She lifted it from the box. ”Why, it's beautiful!” The garment unfolded as she raised it. ”It's a nightgown.”
”Yes,” Charmaine said, bouncing on the bed beside her. ”We ordered it from a store in Chicago. Lizzy's aunt bought one for her for her wedding night.”
”Not exactly like this one,” Lizzy said.
”Goodness, you can see right through it!” Annie exclaimed, and her face grew warm.
”That's the idea.” Charmaine giggled.
Lizzy added, ”He will love it.”
Annie stared at the gown and touched a hand to her hot cheek. Her pitifully few encounters with Luke had all seemed so natural and she had welcomed them. But now thinking about her wedding and the nights to follow, her nerves fluttered. Those had been spontaneous heated kisses and touches, but a wedding night was planned. Expected. Antic.i.p.ated.
If Luke was going to see her in this nightgown, he would see that her body wasn't perfect. Whatever was wrong with the joint in her right hip gave it a different proportion than the other. She'd never before thought of him actually seeing that. Seeing her! ”Oh, my goodness.”
Mildred's steps sounded in the hallway. ”I've prepared lemonade, girls.”
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