Chapter 2: An Awkward Wedding

When the farm was sold and everything was in order, Ruth, her cousin, and her aunt Anna made their way to Pembroke on their old rickety wagon, which was pulled by a worn out donkey they couldn't sell. It would be a day's journey without rest but they made the trip quite easily. Ruth's heart raced when she knew they were close. She felt nervous and worried about what was going to happen. The wheels creaked and every bump in the road almost sent Ruth flying, making her feel worse. Her cousin John was actually sober and was able to steer the donkey well. He wasn't able to talk much, however. He was in a horrid mood and she knew it was because of the surfacing memories he had pushed down with alcohol for the past two years. They were all silent and when the smoke stacks of the chimneys were visible, they knew they were very close. To Ruth's surprise the town was busy again. She didn't recognize anyone until she saw her cousin Dan Scott. They stopped the wagon in front of his home and he rushed towards them, helping her down.

"Aunt Mary has been busy today," he enthusiastically said, "she has something for you."

Ruth's great aunt was standing at the top of the stairs. She motioned for her to come up and Ruth slowly ascended the narrow stairway. She heard commotion in the kitchen. Women were rushing around in the house cooking for the wedding. When she finally made it upstairs, she saw her aunt in a small bedroom. Light flooded into the room and a dress was sprawled out on the bed.

"It was your mother's," her Aunt Mary said as she watched Ruth carefully examine it, "She wore it on her wedding day. I found it in a chest when you sent your valuables ahead with me to Pembroke."

Ruth sat on the edge of the bed and picked up the dress, draping it over her lap as she sat down.

"Are you alright, dear?" her aunt asked. She leaned on her cane and looked down at Ruth.

"Oh-" Ruth tried to collect herself but she couldn't lie to her aunt, "no."

"He is a good man," her aunt said.

"I hope."

"What is bothering you?" she asked her niece as she sat next to her. She saw a tear on her cheek.

"I'm trying to be alright with this, I am," she cried, "it just seems so strange to me."

"My marriage was arranged," her great aunt informed her, "It isn't so terrible. It may work out."

"Why is he agreeing to this?" Ruth finally asked. It made her wonder.

"He thought it would be the best thing to do," she answered, "he wants to help."

"He couldn't find a wife for himself?"

"He did find a wife," her aunt chuckled, "he went about it in a different way. Now, lets get you cleaned up and dressed."

Ruth placed the dress aside and stood up. A couple of women came upstairs with buckets of hot water and began pouring it into a deep, round wooden tub which had been dragged into the room. It looked more like a giant bucket, in Ruth's opinion. It wasn't exactly glamorous.

One of the women was Dan's new wife. He had married three years after Pembroke. They didn't have children yet but Dan's being away during the war kept that from happening sooner. They helped her undress and took her clothes downstairs. She heard her cousin's husband whispering about throwing it into the fire. It was her last dress. Ruth had tried to keep it up with her sewing but farm work had worn it rough. She saw a new corset and underskirts draped on a chair and breathed a sigh of relief. She stepped into the tub and the women left. She looked out the window and watched the clouds pass by.

She was nervous, as was expected, and tried to calm her nerves. She slumped into the water and submerged herself. She held her breath. Under the surface, she couldn't hear anything and it helped her collect her thoughts. She heard her heart beat begin to slow down and she began to see things in perspective. The task ahead of her was necessary. She couldn't be a burden to her aunt. Her cousin John was a drunk and needed to make his own way and her great aunt couldn't take two new people into her home. Ruth resurfaced, wiped the water off her face and pushed her red hair back. She felt cleaner and a bit lighter. Her Aunt Anna came in and held up a thick blanket for Ruth to wrap herself in as she dried off by the fireplace. Her Aunt Mary combed through her mass of thick curls and waited for Ruth's hair to dry before she pulled it back into a simple bun. Ruth was dressed in her new underskirts and corset and her aunts helped to put the dress on.

It was made of a cream silk. Little flowers and leaves were embroidered all about and a small amount of delicate lace adorned the sleeves and the collar. The stomacher had an elaborate embroidered scene of two birds.

Her mother had brought it from England. Her marriage to Ruth's father had happened in the same way. Their families wrote letters back and forth until her father finally wrote a letter to her mother, asking for her hand in marriage. It did seem to be a bit odd but it was how most of her family ended up marrying. However, Ruth's half brother married for love. He had met his wife when he was in Charlestown. His marriage had always been an example to Ruth. She had always wanted to meet her husband and fall in love before marriage but the war changed a lot of things. After she lost her brother in the fire, Ruth figured it was best to place her fanciful and girlish dreams aside.

…

Jean Villeneuve thought he was insane for going along with it. He had decided, when the war ended, to return to France. However, a year later, he returned to America, having sold his family estate. He had heard on the wind rumors of a revolution in France and being a member of an aristocratic family, he decided it might be wise to leave. He didn't like France any longer. He had nothing to cling to there. He bought land from Ben Martin and built a home. It was after a little while that it felt very empty. When Ben got the impression that Jean was actually lonely, he decided to take action. Charlotte knew Mary Sanders, an old woman who lived a few miles away. When Mary was visiting one day, Charlotte heard about Ruth. When Jean heard their little plan he thought it was insanity. He knew it wasn't uncommon for such marriages to happen but he didn't think it was fair for her. However, he heard about her situation again and decided that he would go along with it if she agreed.

Ben smirked when he saw Jean fumbling a bit with his cravat. He was nervous too. Ruth was most likely more on edge than him but it wasn't a situation that merited being calm.

"You're fine," Ben said in agitation when Jean readjusted his cravat again. Jean didn't say anything in return and sat down. Dan Scott came into the house and joined them at the table.

"The women are taking their time," he chuckled, "you know how they are about these things."

"What on earth could be taking so long?" Ben asked, "Is Charlotte fussing over her?"

"How did you know?" Dan laughed. Charlotte had in fact fussed over Ruth when she went downstairs after being dressed. She was straightening and polishing Ruth's appearance. She even undid Ruth's hair and braided it into a more complicated style, pinning it back.

"I know my wife," Ben said. The men looked over at Jean, who was sweating.

"My cousin is a good woman," Dan reassured him, "you're more nervous than her I think."

….

Ruth sat in a chair at the dining table as her aunts sat at the table. All the married women rushed to join. Ruth knew what was coming. It was a tradition she had only witnessed from the outside as a young girl.

"Just so you're not surprised," one woman said. They all had huge smiles. Ruth shook her head, "I know this already, Aunt Mary."

"Oh?" her aunt asked. All the women looked at one another and shuffled uncomfortably. Their hearts skipped a beat. It may have been possible with all those visits from soldiers that Ruth had not held onto her chastity.

"I worked on a farm for six years," she said blushing, "you don't exactly remain innocent about the ways of life when you help birth calves."

"Those are animals, dear," her aunt laughed in relief. Ruth wasn't ignorant about that one part of life. Her sister-in-law had explained it to her when she was younger. She never really thought of it but she knew it was important. However, she imagined that it would be with a man she loved. The beauty of life just seemed dull without love. Ruth did feel a bit nervous about it because it wasn't how she imagined her life being. She didn't even know at that point if she would wish for him to touch her. She did know it was imminent. Ruth thought this custom was insane. All the married women gathering around to tell the virgin bride about what to expect seemed a bit too personal.

After everything was said and done Ruth was led outside. She was handed a small bouquet of wild flowers that had most likely been picked from a nearby field. Her aunts led her to the newly rebuilt church as the women followed. Ruth stopped and looked at it. It was just as it had been before that awful tragedy but it made her realize how fortunate she had been not to be in the town that day. However, it made her wonder if it was truly how things should have been. She almost felt as if it was a bad omen to be married over the ashes of the church. It felt strange, even though it was new.

….

Jean leaned forward to see her through the open doors. His heart nearly stopped. He could see her standing amongst the large group of women as some of them fussed over her appearance. She was pleasantly plump, had bright red hair, and very pale skin. She was beautiful but younger than he expected her to be. No one told him her age. He didn't think to ask. It hardly seemed like the biggest concern, given the situation. However, it struck him that there might be an issue on her part when she saw him. He suddenly wondered if she had been informed that he was twice her age.

…..

Ruth nervously looked into the church. She could barely see in since the sun was too bright. She reluctantly stepped inside and looked at the man she was to marry. She then knew what her aunt hadn't told her. He was twice her age at least. His hair was dark grey and silver. He wasn't horrid looking. He was surprisingly handsome. She had thought that he would probably be unattractive but she was still willing to marry even if that were the case. However, his age, probably being near fifty, seemed a bit daunting to her.

She saw a few familiar faces speckled throughout the pews. It comforted her a bit. Her cousin Dan was sitting on the first row with his new wife. Her aunts took a seat next to them as Ruth reached the front. The preacher knew the situation and watched as the soon to be husband and wife nervously took each other's hands. Ruth looked out the doors of the church as the preacher began to read scriptures. The option to run was very presentable at that moment. She didn't know that the same thoughts were rushing through Jean's mind. When she made her vow, she looked out at the crowd. They both finally made eye contact with one another when the minister finished and Jean gave her an awkward peck on the cheek. The clapping that ensued from the crowd brought Ruth back into the moment but Jean could feel her hands shaking a bit.

…

The music was loud and the mood was merry in the tavern after the wedding. Jean was sitting at a table quietly while everyone around him was dancing and eating. He looked out the door to see his new wife standing on the porch. She was looking up at the night sky. Her red hair was still bright despite the low lamplight of the lantern that hung above her. He got up to join her. Within the three hours they had known one another, not a single word had been passed between them.

Ruth was swaying and tapping her fingers on her leg to the rhythm of the music while she looked up at the sky. The stars were beautiful. She was trying to take her mind off the task ahead of her. She suddenly felt a presence behind her and turned around, letting out a startled gasp.

"Sorry," were Jean's first words to her. It seemed oddly fitting, Ruth thought.

"You're alright."

They awkwardly fumbled a bit and stood next to each other, looking up at the stars. They didn't feel uncomfortable near one another but the situation made for an awkward time. He didn't even know her age. She didn't even know his. They were strangers at that moment, brought together by convenience. Jean knew he had done the right thing but he wanted her to know she could leave if she wanted. He didn't know how to go about saying it, however, without sounding cold or demeaning. The truth was, he wanted a wife but most were married and he hadn't found the time.

"Lovely night," Jean said to break the silence.

"Yes," Ruth replied. She knew they would eventually be able to speak freely with one another but the process was grueling.