Edge of the Wilderness - By Stephanie Grace Whitson Page 0,83
a glimpse of Aaron grinning at her. And beyond Aaron, Elliot Leighton stood nodding his approval.
“Will you, Simon Dane, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?” Samuel Whitney intoned.
“I do,” Simon said, then corrected himself, “I will.” The small crowd gathered in the Whitneys’ parlor laughed.
Samuel pronounced Genevieve LaCroix and Simon Dane to be man and wife. “Let us all join in a prayer of blessing for our friends,” Samuel said. He raised his right hand. “The Lord bless thee and keep thee, the Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee, the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” He opened his eyes. “And now, Simon, you may kiss your bride.”
Meg giggled, Aaron blushed, and Hope broke away from Nina and ran to Gen, pulling on her skirt and shouting “Up, Ma! Up!”
Laughing, Simon leaned over and planted a chaste kiss on his bride’s cheek before sweeping Hope into his arms. Settling Hope on one side, he put his left arm around Gen and hugged her close, inhaling the fragrance of the wildflowers woven into her hair.
For a moment, all movement and sound in the parlor was suspended, then Aaron said, “We’d better get going, Father. We have a train to catch!” The rest of the day was bedlam. While Gen hurried upstairs to change, Elliot and Simon loaded one buggy with valises and boxes and hauled them to the train station. They returned just in time to meet Gen, who had walked up to the church for an informal wedding luncheon hosted by the Whitneys’ at the church.
By late afternoon, everyone crowded back into the buggy and rode to the train station. Amid hugs and wishes for happiness, Gen and Simon, Aaron and Meg, Hope, and Elliot Leighton climbed aboard the Chicago and Northwestern Railway’s Iowa–Minnesota Division headed south.
“What’s dat, Unka Lee?” Hope demanded, bouncing on Elliot’s lap and pointing out the window.
As soon as one question was answered, another arose, until Gen reached over and tugged on Hope’s dress. “Come here, little miss. You’re going to wear your Uncle Elliot out.”
Elliot shifted Hope to his other shoulder. “She’s fine,” he protested. “She just fits right here.” He sat Hope on his knee so that her eyes could just barely peer out the window and watch the landscape pass. As if on cue, Hope snuggled against Elliot’s arm.
She cast a triumphant smile toward Gen, who laughed and shook her head. “Not even two yet, and already bossing the men around.”
“Takes after her mother that way,” Simon interjected.
Gen slapped his knee. “I beg your pardon! When have I ever bossed you around, Reverend Dane?”
“Oh, let’s see . . . convincing me to accept Dr. Riggs’s invitation to help him proofread the new Dakota Bible at the printers in New York instead of returning to the reservation—”
“The doctor said you need a good long rest before you even think of going back to the reservation!” Gen protested mildly.
“Conspiring with Elliot to take the entire family for a visit to their grandmother’s . . .”
“That was Mr. Leighton’s idea!” Gen pleaded with Elliot, “Give a little help here, ‘Unka Lee’!”
Elliot raised both hands palm up and shook his head. “Sorry, Genevieve. You’re on your own.”
Simon looked down at her, “And proposing marriage when I was on my deathbed!”
“I did no such thing!” Gen said indignantly.
“You did,” Simon insisted. “Praise God.”
Aaron slid onto the bench occupied by Meg, Elliot, and Hope, facing Simon and Gen. “It may be faster than the steamboat,” he said grumpily, “but it’s noisy and dirty. Give me steamships any day.” He hunkered down and, pulling a book out of his pocket, put his feet on the bench next to his father and began to read.
Meg yawned and leaned against her brother.
Simon leaned over and whispered, “It looks like getting up at dawn is catching up with everyone.”
“Mm-hmm,” Gen murmured, resting her head on his shoulder. It wasn’t long before the rhythm of the rails lulled them all to sleep.
The train car jerked and everyone stirred. Elliot shifted Hope to his other arm; Meg slumped down onto Aaron’s lap. Almost without opening his eyes, Aaron removed his coat, rolled it up, and tucked it under his sister’s head. Looking up at Simon, Gen smiled.
“I look old enough to be your father,” he had grumbled that morning when he met her at the base of the stairs just before the ceremony.