Posted May 3, 2021
“Well, Jacob and Clara are repentant, and I believe the Lord will forgive them. Furthermore, they clearly care for each other, enough to risk the ire of their families and community. They might have kept this all a secret, and run off together – it speaks to their dedication to one another, and respect for you, that they would stay, seeking approval and a union in the eyes of the town and God.” Thomas said, keeping his voice level and inoffensive. “As for your refusal to acquiesce, I can only hope it will not come to that.”
"Pardon my possible blasphemy but I do not rightly care if they are repentant and forgiven by God. That's his call isn't it," Aurelian pointed out.
"She and the boy have to deal with the consequences now whether they are sorry or not. Nothing changes. Their lives are going to be..." he paused, not wanting to finish that sentence. This was his beloved Clara and he did not want to see her suffer.
"Our lives are going to be ours, father," Clara interjected, "We both know it's going to be difficult in so many ways but not being married is only going to make it that much harder. And the baby, it deserves a family, married parents. None of this is the baby's doing."
"I know that, Clara. I really don't need a sixteen year old explaining all this to me, thank you," Aurelian sighed.
"Jacob, has your older sister been appraised of this? How did she take it?" He was after all only one half of this equation, there was Jacob's side.
Storyteller / Shared NPC
Posted May 3, 2021 / Thomas written by Boshmi
"Pardon my possible blasphemy but I do not rightly care if they are repentant and forgiven by God. That's his call isn't it?"
Thomas frowned, but said nothing. It would probably be best to let Mr. Redmond get this out of his system, rather than pick at his words and potentially invoke greater anger. He needed to say his piece, and now was not the time to stop him.
"She and the boy have to deal with the consequences now whether they are sorry or not. Nothing changes. Their lives are going to be..."
"Our lives are going to be ours, father. We both know it's going to be difficult in so many ways but not being married is only going to make it that much harder. And the baby, it deserves a family, married parents. None of this is the baby's doing."
"I know that, Clara. I really don't need a sixteen year old explaining all this to me, thank you."
"Jacob, has your older sister been appraised of this? How did she take it?" Mr. Redmond asked with a sigh, and Thomas felt the tension lessen by just a touch. Granny Miggins had been alright with this, and maybe they could win Clara's father over with numbers yet.
"Yes, Dear"
Posted May 4, 2021
"Pardon my possible blasphemy but I do not rightly care if they are repentant and forgiven by God. That's his call isn't it?"
Jacob couldn’t help but agree, but he wasn’t about to say that in front of Father Thomas, they needed the tall churchman’s help. He didn’t say anything either but let the disconsolate father of the bride-to-be carry on.
"She and the boy have to deal with the consequences now whether they are sorry or not. Nothing changes. Their lives are going to be..."
Yes, well, Jacob didn’t particularly like being referred to as ‘The Boy’ but, again, this was no time for interrupting or correcting the wronged father. Well, that’s what he thought but Clara, knowing him better and maybe a little more outspoken than he, begged to differ:
"Our lives are going to be ours, father. We both know it's going to be difficult in so many ways but not being married is only going to make it that much harder. And the baby, it deserves a family, married parents. None of this is the baby's doing."
"I know that, Clara. I really don't need a sixteen year old explaining all this to me, thank you."
He squeezed her hand in silent support. He knew better than to actually get mixed up in an argument between family members, he was still an outsider yet. He remembered an incident when he was at school and he'd tried to break up a fight between the Wigfall Twins; he'd woken up on his back on the school yard with two lovely black eyes forming, unable to remember which of them had hit him first.
"Jacob, has your older sister been appraised of this? How did she take it?" Mr. Redmond asked with a sigh, and Thomas felt the tension lessen by just a touch. Granny Miggins had been alright with this, and maybe they could win Clara's father over with numbers yet.
“Yes Sir” answered the Lutz lad respectfully “I just told her today and she fainted clean away, we had to get the smelling salts to her. Well, and while she was in her delirium, she let it slip to my Grandmother, that’s old Mrs Miggins, Sir. She was pretty good about it, to be honest and wanted to help us but she and Clara had a little disagreement about some, uur, arrangements and…” he had to be diplomatic “…Clara was in the right, of course!” he added, giving her hand another squeeze of love and loyalty. He had secretly decided, like most husbands who survive marriage, that from now on in, Clara was always going to be in the right.
Talking of diplomacy, he neglected to mention that, as well as the Reverend Reed, the farmhand Ned, the pie-maker Emeline Blakesley, and the piano-ponding pot girl Arabella Mudd also knew about the whole affair before he did.
Posted May 4, 2021
"Jacob, has your older sister been appraised of this? How did she take it?" Mr. Redmond asked with a sigh.
“Yes Sir” answered the Lutz lad respectfully “I just told her today and she fainted clean away, we had to get the smelling salts to her. Well, and while she was in her delirium, she let it slip to my Grandmother, that’s old Mrs Miggins, Sir. She was pretty good about it, to be honest and wanted to help us but she and Clara had a little disagreement about some, uur, arrangements and…” he had to be diplomatic “…Clara was in the right, of course!” he added, giving her hand.
Not three months ago Clara would have recoiled at any such touch, why she never even hugged or let herself be hugged by her own father or brother (though with Wyatt, little chance of that), but now the girl treasured every bit of physical contact with her husband to be. And Jacob was going to be her husband alright, regardless of her father's decision. But she desperately hoped he would agree.
Aurelian stood there, clearly perturbed, well angry, and yes, hurt too. But his mind also went back to when he was a young man and fell in love with his now departed Catherine. He would never tell Clara but the truth was they too had slept together before they were ever married. The difference had been, Catherine had not gotten pregnant. Clara was not so lucky. Maybe the apple didn't fall too far from the tree?
"Very well then," he got that much out, paused (it was obviously hard to continue) then focused on Jacob, "Aright boy...Jacob....you have my permission to marry Clara. As much as for the sake of the baby as the both of you."
"Thank you, father," Clara kept it very simple but she was smiling thru tears.
Aurelian glanced then at the minister, "Kindly pretend you didn't hear this next part."
Then it was back to making eye contact with young Lutz, "And just so you know, treat her right. And if you run out on her, you better keep on running because I will come looking for you. Just so you understand."
Storyteller / Shared NPC
Posted May 4, 2021 / Post written by Boshmi
A moment passed, maybe two, and the angry gaze of Clara's father finally seemed to renege.
"Very well then... alright boy... Jacob... you have my permission to marry Clara. As much as for the sake of the baby as the both of you."
Thomas could not help but smile at this outcome; really the best he could have hoped for. A family-supported couple were so much more likely to thrive than one without, and God knew that Jacob and Clara would need plenty of support in the years to come.
"Kindly pretend you didn't hear this next part." Mr. Redmond told Thomas, before addressing Jacob. "and just so you know, treat her right. And if you run out on her, you better keep on running because I will come looking for you. Just so you understand."
Thomas glanced between boy and man, before quickly cutting in to move the balance of conversation to a less unpleasant dynamic; "Right, well, now, I'd say there's a wedding to plan. Clara, Jacob, Mr. Redmond, might you three have any preferences as to how it should be conducted?"
"Yes, Dear"
Posted May 5, 2021
"Very well then... alright boy... Jacob... you have my permission to marry Clara. As much as for the sake of the baby as the both of you."
“Thank you, Sir.” Jacob nodded seriously, although his heart was leaping with joy and he was now squeezing Clara’s hand so hard that she was lucky to come out of the whole scene without broken bones to mend.
"Kindly pretend you didn't hear this next part." Mr. Redmond told Thomas, before addressing Jacob. "and just so you know, treat her right. And if you run out on her, you better keep on running because I will come looking for you. Just so you understand."
Jacob felt sad that the man thought he could be capable of such an action but, after all, he didn’t really know Jacob and the proud father couldn’t be blamed for not trusting him, yet. He knew that he would have to earn the man’s respect, and that this hadn’t been a particularly great beginning to that task.
“Mr Redmond, you have my word.” He intoned and took a risk: looking straight at Aurelian, he let go of Clara’s hand and held out his own toward the man, half expecting himself to be shamed by a refusal, but feeling that if they were to ever get on, man to man, they had to seal the bargain in the age old manner.
Thomas glanced between boy and man, before quickly cutting in to move the balance of conversation to a less unpleasant dynamic; “Right, well, now, I’d say there’s a wedding to plan. Clara, Jacob, Mr. Redmond, might you three have any preferences as to how it should be conducted?”
Yeah - Damn Quickly! thought Jacob, thinking of the increasing size of his fiancé's belly, but out loud said “Well Father, I’m Reformed Mennonite but I’d even have a Baptist Wedding if it meant being with Clara for the rest of my life.” He smiled longingly at her as he took up her hand again. Of course, he was joking about the Baptist wedding! As if!
Posted May 5, 2021
"Mr Redmond, you have my word.” the lad intoned and took a risk: looking straight at Aurelian, he let go of Clara’s hand and held out his own toward the man.
Aurelian accepted the handshake and gave the young man a hard few pumps with his firm grip but certainly was not trying to hurt him, he wasn't that sort of person. He realized he was going to have to learn to accept Jacob at least, maybe even grow to like him. Two things were already going for the lad. First he seemed straight forward and honest, secondly Clara obviously trusted him and he did value her judgement about people.
"Very well then," Aurelian did not crack a smile but did give a nod as the handshake broke off.
“Right, well, now, I’d say there’s a wedding to plan. Clara, Jacob, Mr. Redmond, might you three have any preferences as to how it should be conducted?”
Fr. Thomas then spoke up, “Right, well, now, I’d say there’s a wedding to plan. Clara, Jacob, Mr. Redmond, might you three have any preferences as to how it should be conducted?”
“Well Father, I’m Reformed Mennonite but I’d even have a Baptist Wedding if it meant being with Clara for the rest of my life," Jacob answered.
"Let's not carried away," Clara commented then in that dry humor of hers.
Then she launched into her own wishes for this upcoming wedding, "First of all we do not want any fuss and unnecessary expense. We want it to be a simple service with a select few present. The sooner the better. If it can happen ..........tomorrow, I would be ecstatic (as if Clara was ever ecstatic about anything). "
Aurelian shrugged, "If that's how you want it."
She wasn't his little girl anymore, if he had begun to come to terms with it this past year the events of this day made that absolutely true.
Storyteller / Shared NPC
Posted May 5, 2021 / Written by Boshmi
“Well Father, I’m Reformed Mennonite but I’d even have a Baptist Wedding if it meant being with Clara for the rest of my life."
"Let's not carried away. First of all we do not want any fuss and unnecessary expense. We want it to be a simple service with a select few present. The sooner the better. If it can happen... tomorrow, I would be ecstatic."
"Very well, just a moment, please..." Thomas said, quickly moving back to the lectern to grab a spare note sheet and a pencil, upon which he wrote out; Mennonite(?), minimal expense, select few, sooner the better.
He looked up to the couple, pencil poised. He had begun to run through the marriage sequences in his head, and would need to sort them as he went. Typically Mennonite weddings would be hosted with the full congregation, but that seemed counterintuitive to the young couple's wishes, and Clara didn't seem all that enthused about Jacob's Mennonitic declaration anyway.
"Now, we'll likely open with the procession, in which Jacob, you and I enter first and come to the altar, followed by the best man and maid of honor on the left and right respectively, who will then be followed by Clara and Mr. Redmond, again on the left and right respectively. Once you two reach the altar, traditionally, Mr. Redmond, you will give Clara's hand to Jacob." he told them. "That is, if you intend to conduct the ceremony in the church. Do you have ideas as to your best man and maid of honor? Or even potential groomsmen and bridesmaids?"
"Yes, Dear"
Posted May 6, 2021
Luckily none of them was particularly fussy about the exact doctrinal form of the wedding, only that it be inexpensive, small and fast: like a pocket gopher. To be honest, the tall priest seemed to know more about his nominal religion than Jacob himself: he and his sisters had inherited the mantle from their father who had dies when they were younger: a freak accident where he’d fallen though a trapdoor and broken his neck; building a house or something, they had always supposed.
"Now, we'll likely open with the procession, in which Jacob, you and I enter first and come to the altar, followed by the best man and maid of honor on the left and right respectively, who will then be followed by Clara and Mr. Redmond, again on the left and right respectively. Once you two reach the altar, traditionally, Mr. Redmond, you will give Clara's hand to Jacob." he told them. "That is, if you intend to conduct the ceremony in the church. Do you have ideas as to your best man and maid of honor? Or even potential groomsmen and bridesmaids?"
Jacob’s heart sank. Best man? The only young man he knew really was the bumptious Heck Wigfall from school – he could just imagine that idiot bursting into church, seeing Clara and shouting ‘Jesus Lutz, how’d a ugly plug like you end up with a peach like that? D’ya get her pregnant or something?!’ He shuddered. Ned would have been great, pity he was black - that would be too shocking. Hmm, then an idea struck him that would kill two birds with one stone.
“Reverend, er, everybody…” he looked at them all in turn “Would it be acceptable if I had a best woman instead of a best man?” It was a shocking idea true, but he could always pass it off as being a ‘Reformed Mennonite Thing’ He glanced down at Clara.
“It’s Arabella, see? I think she’s got her heart set on being your bridesmaid, dearest, and, well, I know you can barely just tolerate her. But she’s been a real pal to me and well…ahem…” he actually began to tear up a little, before pulling himself together and carrying on “… she kinda got us two together and, well, she brought us all here together today, even you, Sir,… somehow or other.” He looked at Mr Redmond a little questioningly.
“It’ll stop her pestering you about being a bridesmaid, dearest, and, to be honest, why, I’d be happy to have her by my side to hand me the ring.” Even as he said the last part of this little speech an alarm bell tolled heavily in his head: OH CRAP!! THEY’D NEED A RING!!!!
Others in the room might have been a little more perturbed by the idea of how the Best Man’s Woman’s speech might turn out.
Posted May 6, 2021
"Now, we'll likely open with the procession, in which Jacob, you and I enter first and come to the altar, followed by the best man and maid of honor on the left and right respectively, who will then be followed by Clara and Mr. Redmond, again on the left and right respectively. Once you two reach the altar, traditionally, Mr. Redmond, you will give Clara's hand to Jacob." he told them. "That is, if you intend to conduct the ceremony in the church. Do you have ideas as to your best man and maid of honor? Or even potential groomsmen and bridesmaids?"
"Whoa! Excuse me, Rev. Thomas but ..." Clara started only Jacob then spoke up.
“Reverend, er, everybody…” he looked at them all in turn “Would it be acceptable if I had a best woman instead of a best man?”
"What?" Clara met his glance with an incredulous glance back. Mennonites, women best men?
Aurelian eyed the young man dubiously.
Jacob then started his explanation, "It’s Arabella, see? I think she’s got her heart set on being your bridesmaid, dearest, and, well, I know you can barely just tolerate her."
"That is not true, Jacob," Clare begged to differ.
"But she’s been a real pal to me and well…ahem…” he actually began to tear up a little, before pulling himself together and carrying on “… she kinda got us two together and, well, she brought us all here together today, even you, Sir,… somehow or other.” He looked at Mr Redmond a little questioningly.
Aurelian had no intention of getting involved in this even if he thought it the lad's request a mighty strange one. Besides he knew Clara was desperately wanting to get a word in what with the minister and Jacob each having their say.
“It’ll stop her pestering you about being a bridesmaid, dearest, and, to be honest, why, I’d be happy to have her by my side to hand me the ring.”
"Alright first off all those arguments for Arabella being a best man are hardly valid, more like pure circumstances," Clara pointed out, "other than the last statement I will concede."
She sighed, already her own desires were being tossed aside. But she was trying very hard to be the dutiful wife here and taken his views into account.
"Very well then, I will ask Arabella to be my brides mate but Emeline...." she quickly changed it to, "Mrs. Blakesley is still going to be at the wedding."
Even though in her opinion Emeline was much more deserving, she'd concede to Jacob on this point then but now that she had done so, it was time for her to lay down the law as it were about the rest of the service.
"Now then, Reverend, there will be absolutely no Mennonite service. Make it Presbyterian or Methodist and make it brief, to the point. Again, I wish to stress this will be a small simple service. Immediate family on both sides and just a few guests. Soon as the service is over we shall make our way to the farm," she quickly looked to her father, "If that is acceptable?"
"Yes, it is, daughter," Aurelian nodded.
"I will see to it there is food on the table. If your sister and your grandmother wish to bring some, that would be appreciated."
"Oh and as for rings, we cannot afford any rings. I do believe rings are not a necessity for a proper wedding," she glanced at the clergyman.