Storyteller / Shared NPC
"In the name of God, I, Jacob Lutz take you, Clara Redmond, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow."
"In the name of God, I, Clara Redmond take you, Jacob Lutz, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow."
It was perfect, or about as good as he could have hoped, considering the choice to recite from memory and only having actually learned the vows some twenty-six hours ago. He could recall a few occasions where overzealous couples had arrived at the altar only to forget their lines entirely. Those marriages tended to be fairly short.
"Jacob." Thomas said, gesturing to the boy. "You may now exchange a ring or other token, to signify the union of yourself and Clara in holy marriage."
He only hoped that Jacob had managed to procure a ring, as he had declared he would, for otherwise this would be quite embarrassing.
Jacob knew his part too, well he better have because the recital from memory was his idea not hers. But he said the words with conviction. It was that sincerity that first attracted Clara to the boy, though he wasn't a boy anymore. She just gazed at him thru it all, yes he was the one for her. This was no mistake on their part. They were going to obey those vows, she was sure of it.
"Jacob." Thomas said, gesturing to the boy. "You may now exchange a ring or other token, to signify the union of yourself and Clara in holy marriage."
Clara blinked..... did he say "exchange" ? She had no ring for Jacob. Where would she have been able to get a ring that fast. So be it. The success of a marriage did not hinge on the possession or not of a small piece of metal. She then glanced to her husband to be.
"Yes, Dear"
Jacob." Thomas said, gesturing to the boy. "You may now exchange a ring or other token, to signify the union of yourself and Clara in holy marriage."
Hector Wigfall, being Hector Wigfall, made a joke of patting his pockets as if he’d lost the beautiful old gold ring he was supposed to hand to the Groom, then suddenly producing it, it being in his hand all the time. Nobody much thought this age-old jape was funny except Arabella, who gave her usual hooping laugh at the joke. But then she was easily tickled. Frowning brows soon shut her up, but it did remind her of an unexpected part she had been bidden to play in this marriage. The Clinch Mountain girl in the nice bridesmaid’s dress and the unruly black tresses, moved forward a little and tapped the bride on the shoulder.
Nobody expects to be tapped on the shoulder when they are getting married.
When Clara turned, Arabella was holding up the miracle of a shiny silver ring. It was plain but perfect and exactly the right size for Jacob’s finger. “Sorry it’s only silver!” hissed the bride’s maid as she handed it over. She herself didn’t have a clue where it had come from: it had just been left in an envelope at the Saloon this morning, addressed to ‘The Bridesmaid’.
Only one person in that congregation knew the provenance of that mysterious ‘miracle ring’ as Arabella was apt to call it in future retellings of the tale. That person knew that this time yesterday, the ring had actually been quite tarnished on one side, where it had lain on naked skin on a chain close to somebody’s heart for the last two years. But said person also knew all about how to clean silver properly, so that the black of two years waiting was wiped away and the silver looked as new as the day she had bought it, thanks to a loan from her employer.
Mr Pettigrew had given her extra hours and piece work to help pay back for the loan, for her usual wages from the many jobs she did all went straight back to her Mother. The final part of the money, the kind man had wiped from the ledger, seeing the girl become so worn out with work that to demand more of her was beyond human pity. He had told her that it was in recompense for how she and her brother, working in harmony for once, had worked out how that ‘dashed infernal sewing machine’ was to be run and operated.
Dark eyes watched from the little congregation as the happy couple slipped those rings onto each others fingers. A perfect fit, the two of them deeply in love and facing a tough, perhaps, but hope-filled future together, their eyes for each other only, all trammels of any past love affairs forgotten and left to die in the dust of yesterday.
And as Jemima watched Clara slip her ring on Jacob’s finger, out beyond the little Methodist chapel, out beyond the town of Kalispell itself, out on some romantic little trail in the hills, a final bit of moss grew, completely covering over two hearts carved on a lonesome pine.
Storyteller / Shared NPC
All was quiet while Hector searched for the ring, which was why Arabella's sudden outburst was so incredibly jarring. She was soon silenced though, and the couple exchanged rings; the final signification of their marriage.
"These rings are the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, signifying to all the uniting of Jacob and Clara in holy marriage. Bless, O Lord, the giving of these rings, that they who wear them may live in your peace and continue in your favor all the days of their life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." Thomas recited, giving the couple a moment of togetherness before facing the assembly one last time.
"Now that Jacob and Clara have given themselves to each other by solemn vows, with the joining of hands, and the giving and receiving of rings, I announce to you that they are husband and wife; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Those whom God has joined together, let no one put asunder. Amen."
He stepped back, giving the newlyweds a bit of space.
"You may now kiss."
Pike smiled,it was the beginning of their future together, just as he and Em had done not long before. Different ceremony, different words, but the same meaning. That pledge that he had made to Em, Jacob had made to Clara.
Only time would tell where it would lead, and that is what Pike liked to call 'The Mystery of Life.'
Finally relaxing her grip on Barnabas' arm, Emeline watched the proceedings, seeing the devotion that the young couple had for each other and knowing that that was a good foundation on which to start, even if the initial cause hadn't been the best start! And she could see Mr. Redmund's caring, he would support the newlyweds as much as he could, and Emeline would do what she could. So, short of their own doing, the couple had a good chance at a happy life.
Well, as long as Granny MIggins stayed out of it and they didn't listen to any advice that Miss Mudd might feel the need to offer!
Clara was taken aback when Arabella suddenly interrupted the ceremony (yet why was that so surprising really, if anyone would do such a thing, it would be her) but it turned out for the better as she produced an actual ring, a silver ring for Clara to give to Jacob. She had questions of course about how exactly Arabella got this ring and others too but that could all be discussed at the wedding reception. Clara mouthed the simple words 'thank you' to Arabella and then did her part in this moment of the ceremony.
"These rings are the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, signifying to all the uniting of Jacob and Clara in holy marriage. Bless, O Lord, the giving of these rings, that they who wear them may live in your peace and continue in your favor all the days of their life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." Thomas recited, giving the couple a moment of togetherness before facing the assembly one last time.
"Amen," Aurelian echoed, smiling at the beautiful bride and despite all his misgivings, happy for her.
"Now that Jacob and Clara have given themselves to each other by solemn vows, with the joining of hands, and the giving and receiving of rings, I announce to you that they are husband and wife; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Those whom God has joined together, let no one put asunder. Amen."
And there it was! It was for real now, they really truly were married! Clara faced Jacob then, actually beaming with joy. It was truly the best day of her life.
The minister stepped back, giving the newlyweds a bit of space.
"You may now kiss."
Much as Clara wanted to just plant an enthusiastic kiss on him, she decided it was probably more proper if he initiated the moment and so she paused however impatiently.
"Yes, Dear"
The minister stepped back, giving the newlyweds a bit of space.
"You may now kiss."
And so it was back to the two of them. The gamut of emotions that had run through the hearts of the different members of the congregation, their witnesses, were unimportant now. Jealousy, heartfelt good wishes, sorrow, even good old, plain old boredom all played second fiddle now to Love, the perfect blend of physical, emotional, and mental attraction that existed between the young man and woman.
Some saw marriage as a prison sentence, two people shackled together for life, with no chance of a reprieve or Governor’s pardon. But for Jacob, this was a sudden and wonderful freedom. The eyes of all those people, from whom they had been at pains to hide their love away, were upon them now. The scariest of all, Aurelian, was within touching distance; yet all, but one, gazed on approvingly at this moment: this very public kiss.
But he did not notice them, all he saw was Clara; wonderful radiant Clara – too perfect a goddess to sully with his mere mortal lips, yet too delicious and pretty a girl not to. Taking her in his arms, the kiss he bestowed upon that perfect mouth was neither salacious not perfunctory, it was a soft full kiss of love. He didn’t hear Arabella’s sobbing wail of ‘Oh it’s so beautiful!’ or Hector’s muttered comment of ‘Jesus, she’s in for a rough night.’ or even Granny Miggins cackle of ‘Oh Lord these young ‘uns!’ He heard nothing, he saw only Clara and her luminous eyes as they came out of the clinch.
It was a few seconds still before he came out of the daze and gave those around him a sort of embarrassed smile
Storyteller / Shared NPC
Ah, young love.
"Well then, I give you all Mr. & Mrs. Lutz!" Thomas announced, as he set down his bible upon the lectern, shut. The Lord's word would be quiet for now. It would be up to Clara and Jacob to see if they had warranted His blessing, though Thomas himself had faith that they would.
"Mr. Redmond, would do us the honor of leading the guests out? I understand the reception is to be hosted at your farmstead." he asked Aurelian as an aside, while the newlyweds remained seemingly enraptured in that dreamlike state brought on by the occasion. Even as the guests murmured their pieces both of both good and ill will, they remained transfixed by each other. That was love, or at least how he remembered it.
The stiff atmosphere in the church seemed alleviated somewhat by the conclusion of the ceremony, as though their kiss had melted away the formality and replaced it with a sort of happy laissez-faire. Mr. & Mrs. Lutz, that's who they were, and that's how the town would see them from this day onward.