Cole keeps thinking there's a way out of this mire, and he clearly doesn't understand your compassion for Livonia. He wonders why you don't hate her, but Adam says you don't have it in you to hate anyone. Why won't you let any of the rest of us come and see you? Livonia's sons can't hurt us, Mama.
I sure would like to hug you.
Your daughter, Mary Rose
Chapter 16
She came armed to her own wedding. Judge Burns didn't cotton to the notion of guns in his courtroom or his marriage parlor, and he therefore insisted she remove the six-shooter from her pocket. He would have frisked her if Adam would have allowed it.
The judge wasn't an altogether unlikable man. He was young by a judge's standards, or so Mary Rose believed, for he wasn't quite fifty years old yet and had been a hanging judge for nearly fifteen years.
He cut a handsome figure. He was tall, only slightly stoop-shouldered from age, and had brilliant green eyes the condemned believed were the very color of Satan's. The judge didn't have horns though. He had a full head of dark auburn hair. He was given to an Irish temper and an English practicality.
He and Harrison got along quite well from the minute the two men met. Burns had distant relatives living outside of Canterbury, and so he felt he had something other than the law in common with Harrison.
The way the intended groom treated Belle softened the judge's heart as well, for Harrison treated the woman with a deference reserved for statesmen. It wasn't an act. Belle had helped in the raising of Mary Rose, and Harrison was therefore as beholden to her as the others were. He didn't care what her occupation was. She had a good heart, and that was all that mattered to him. The older woman's love for Mary Rose was very evident, and when Belle was asked to stand up as a bridesmaid and witness, she burst into tears.
Belle was dressed in blue. Judge Burns told Harrison he'd never seen her in any other color in all the years he'd known her. Why, even her lacy undergarments were blue, he whispered to Harrison while they waited for Mary Rose to join them.
Belle had gone upstairs to help the bride. Her advanced age and her occupation hadn't hardened her features. She was very pretty, with gray-tinged brown hair and warm brown eyes. And when she came back into the parlor with Mary Rose on her arm, the town's pride and joy looked more radiant than the bride.
Mary Rose looked miserable. And beautiful, Harrison thought to himself.
"Eleanor won't be joining us, I'm sorry to say," Adam explained. "She's still burning with fever, though Douglas assures me she's improved somewhat today."
"Belle, can you play at the piano?" the judge asked.
"No, honey, I can't," she answered.
"I'll play," Mary Rose suggested.
"Now, that don't make no sense, child," Belle told her with a laugh. "You've got to say your vows. John, why don't you place us where you want us and get the wedding done. It's warm in here. Boys, you line up behind your sister. Which one of you is giving her away?"
Belle handed Mary Rose a nosegay of wildflowers. Then she took hold of her hand and placed it on Harrison 's arm.
"We're all giving her away," Adam told the judge.
"Well, now, I reckon that's all right."
"Wait. Judge Burns, did you hang anyone this week?"
"Not that I recollect, Mary Rose."
She let out a sigh. "All right then. Harrison, you still haven't proposed. He didn't, Judge. He just told me we were going to get married. He never asked." Her voice sounded downright puny to her. She hoped no one noticed. The flowers were shaking in her hand too. She gripped them tighter and tried to act composed.
"Honey, you ought to ask her nice," Belle insisted.
Harrison turned to his bride. "Will you marry me, Mary Rose?"
"No."
"She means yes," he told the judge.
"She's got to say the word."
Harrison looked at Mary Rose once again. "Do you love me?"
"Yes."
"Do you want to spend the rest of your life with me?"
"Will you try to get over your spells if I say I do?"
"Yes."
"Then, yes, I want to spend the rest of my days with you."
"Sounds like she's agreeing to me, John, honey," Belle said.
The judge cleared his throat, opened his book, and began to read.
Harrison and Mary Rose became husband and wife less than five minutes later.
He looked relieved when it was over. She looked bewildered. Harrison gently drew her into his arms and kissed her. She clutched her flowers to her chest and kissed him back.
"Now you can leave," she whispered. "I'm no longer a disgrace to my brothers."
"That isn't amusing," he whispered against her mouth. He kissed her again, harder, and then draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side.
Two of the brothers, Douglas and Travis, had tears in their eyes. Cole looked pleased, however, and that surprised Harrison.
"You're happy about this?" he asked.
"If she's pregnant, she's married. She might want to stay here, Harrison. You should think about that on your way to England."
"She'll come to me."
Cole frowned. Harrison sounded damned sure of himself.
The rest of the afternoon was spent in celebration, though Mary Rose wasn't given any time alone with her husband. She went upstairs with a piece of the cake Samuel had prepared, but Eleanor didn't have the stomach for food just yet. She cried for a minute or two because she'd missed the wedding and fell asleep almost immediately. Mary Rose left the cake on the dresser and then went back downstairs to thank Belle and the judge.
Harrison was waiting for her on the steps. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her.
"I promise as soon as possible we'll have a preacher bless the union. Will that make you feel better?"
"Yes, thank you."
"I love you, sweetheart."
"I love you too."
"I realize you'll want to spend the night with your bride, Harrison, but there's a matter I'd like to ask your opinion about, seeing as you're an attorney and all. Could you spare me a few minutes in the library?"
Judge Burns made the request from the bottom of the steps. Harrison couldn't deny the request, of course; though, in all honesty, the last thing he wanted to do now was talk about legal matters. He wanted to get Mary Rose naked again.
She would have to wait, however. He winked at his bride and followed the judge into the library.
The judge was a pipe smoker. He took a long while to get a proper fire lit, then leaned back in Adam's chair and smiled at Harrison. He motioned for him to take the other chair.
"This here is the most peculiar family I ever did encounter. Now that you've married into it, I guess you must be peculiar too. Are you, Harrison?"
"I guess I am," Harrison agreed. "They're all good men, Judge, and they're certainly a family. The brothers have done well for their sister."
"Sweet Belle had a little hand in it too. She sewed up dresses for Mary Rose. I don't remember much about her as a young'n. When I called on Belle, it was usually close to nightfall and of course the child was back at home where she belonged. I recall a mop of curls though. She's still got plenty of those, doesn't she? You love her fierce, like you should?"
"Yes, sir, I do."
"I got to hear a trial day after tomorrow in Hammond," the judge remarked. He shifted his position in his chair, folded one leg over the other, and then continued on. "It's a jury trial, and everyone in town is dead set against the defendant. He won't get a fair hearing. I got the feeling he's being railroaded by the vigilantes. Ever hear of a man named Bickley?"