It was a few days after the kidnapping. The girls had settled into their days, cooking and cleaning the house.
Liza hadn't told any of the girls about her engagement and often left the room when they began to trash talk the boys. Most of the girls just thought she was so mad that she couldn't stand to talk about it.
But Martha knew something was up. Between Liza barley talking and Ephraim happily working without a care in the world, something was fishy.
So when Dorcas came up with the idea of pranking the boys, Martha was all in.
It was a very cold day, fresh snow covered the ground. Liza was outside for the first time in days. She was getting wood from the woodpile. She was walking back when she heard someone yell and two voices laugh. She just sighed, she knew that the boys were probably pranking each other, they did that a lot.
But then she heard two more screams and water splash. She rushed around the corner to see Ephraim and Daniel covered in water, with Sarah and Martha holding empty bowls out of the top floor window, laughing. Ruth was leaning out a first-floor window laughing as well. Caleb was laughing too, covered in snow.
Liza frowned, "Are you okay Eph?" She asked gently. Ephraim whirled around to face her and grinned. He was shaking from the bitter cold but this was the first time he had seen her in days and he had missed her.
"I-I'm fine." He said, his voice shaking from the cold.
Liza glared up at Martha and Sarah. " The hell you do that for?" She asked angerly. Sarah and Martha looked shocked.
"They kidnapped us!" Ruth called over as if to remind her.
Liza glared "I hate to tell you but Ephraim didn't kidnap no one. Pick on the others but leave him be!" She yelled.
Everyone looked at the couple in shock. Liza went over and gently took Ephraim's hand. "I hope your happy Martha, because of you, Daniel and Ephraim are coming inside!" And with that, she started to pull Ephraim inside. Daniel just followed.
"What?! Liza!" Martha yelled before ducking inside.
Liza pulled the brothers inside and sat them in front of the fire, "I'll get some hot drinks and blankets." She said gently.
Martha stormed down the stairs and appeared in the room. "They can't be in here. Milly won't allow it!"
"They'll get sick! It's freezing outside!" Liza snapped.
"They deserve it!" Martha yelled. Daniel looked at the floor guiltily.
Liza just glared and marched into the kitchen.
Just then, Milly came in and frowned when she saw the boys. "Why are you in here? And why are you wet?"
"Ask Martha," Daniel said, warming up his hands.
Milly then turned to Martha, "Well?" She asked.
"Liza brought them in." Martha just said like a child. This really wasn't like her at all.
Liza then appeared in the room with blankets and mugs of coffee. She gave them to the boys, wrapping one of the blankets around Ephraim.
Milly glared at her, "Will someone just tell me what happened?"
Liza sighed, "Sarah and Martha dumped ice cold water on them while they were outside. They got soaked and I brought them in so they wouldn't get sick."
Sarah and Ruth were now in the room. Sarah pipped up, "Yeah. After you claimed Ephraim didn't kidnap you."
Milly just stared at Liza. "What do you mean?"
Liza glanced at her fiancée. "The night that everything happened, Ephraim asked me to come with him. He asked me to elope with him. I said I would and come back with him."
Ephraim then spoke up, "I didn't force her into anything. I never would."
Milly frowned at them, "This is insane! Liza, do you really believe him? If you had said no, he would have carried you off as well!"
Liza frowned at Milly. " I thought that at first but then I remembered who this was. Ephraim Pontipee is one of the sweetest, kindest, smartest men I know. He would never do something like this."
Milly frowned, "I thought that about all of them though. You are being ridiculous Liza. Absolutely ridiculous."
Liza glared at her friends, "Why? Because I want to marry a man that I love? A man that loves me for who I am and not just because I'm a woman?"
Martha frowned in worry before trying to explain, "How do you know he really loves you? All the boys were claiming that and look what happened."
Ephraim then stood up, "I would never do something like that and I think you all know that. I love Liza and nothing any of you say is going to change that!"
Milly frowned, "Even if you do love her. Y'all can't elope like this! Come next spring, we will take the girls back to town. Then you can ask permission from Liza's family. Although considering the fact that they probably believe you kidnapped her, I doubt they will be too happy."
Liza just frowned at Milly. "Now Milly, Ephraim had-"
"That's enough. I want these boys out of the house and I don't want one more word from you Liza May!" Milly snapped.
Ephraim just sighed and left the house, Daniel following as well.
That argument was the first of many that Liza would have with the girls. She would let them talk about the other men but the second anyone mentioned Ephraim, she started yelling.
Soon the other girls just tried to avoid her. Liza didn't really mind much, she wasn't really happy with them belittling her engagement and her fiancée.
What Liza did mind though, was Milly making her do all the chores inside. It seemed that Milly wanted to keep Ephraim and Liza away from each other. Liza hadn't even seen Ephraim in weeks.
One fight changed everything though. It was a cold December evening, just a few days before Christmas. The girls were sitting down to dinner. Dorcas had made chicken and potatoes.
After grace, Liza quickly dug into her food, eager to get away from everyone.
Sarah was slowly forgiving Frank and felt bad for Liza, so she tried to talk to her. "Don't you just love Christmas time Liza?" She asked cheerfully.
Liza was in a particularly bad mood that day, having burned her arm pretty badly that morning making breakfast. This caused her to snap back, "Sure. Gotta love being forced apart from your fiancée and locked in a cabin."
Martha frowned, "Hey now! Sarah didn't do anything!" She exclaimed.
"Yeah! Leave her alone!" Dorcas added.
"Then leave me alone!" Liza said in retaliation.
Milly sighed, "Liza, this nonsense has gone on long enough. You are usually a smart girl, why are you hung up on a kidnapper like this?"
Liza paused, "How many times do I need you to tell you, girls? Ephraim didn't kidnap me! I willingly came to the farm!"
"And how many times do I need to tell you that you had no choice? He just made you think you did!" Milly yelled.
Liza then stood up, "Just because you are mad at Adam, Milly, doesn't mean you can take it out on Ephraim and me!" She regretted that as soon as she had said it, but she still meant it.
Milly gasped and slapped her friend.
Liza held her cheek in shock. She quickly left the room. She rushed out the front door and headed to the barn.
She heard Ruth and Sarah calling after her but she ignored them. She pushed the door to the barn open.
The barn had two levels. The bottom floor had piles of hay, a table with some chairs, and a bunch of farm equipment. The second floor was where the boys slept, it was covered in hay and blankets.
Liza slammed the door shut behind her. All of the brothers were seated around the table. They all jumped at the loud noise and looked over at her.
Ephraim jumped up, looking scared. "Liza? What's wrong?"
Liza just rushed into his arms, starting to cry. He held her closely before frowning at the red mark on her face.
"Love, who hit you?" He asked gently.
"Milly." Was all Liza could say.
Ephraim frowned before glancing at his brothers. They all looked shocked that Milly would do this.
"Why did she hit you?" Dan asked gently.
Liza didn't reply, just buried her face in Ephraim's chest. She felt so upset, her friends didn't believe that her fiancée truly loved her.
Ephraim glance at his brothers and gently pulled Liza over to a far corner of the barn. He sat down in a pile of hay and pulled Liza into his lap.
He held her close, holding her bridal style with her head resting on his shoulder. He gently wiped her tears away.
They sat like that quietly for a few minutes before Ephraim spoke up,
"Want to tell me what happened?" He asked.
Liza sniffed and sighed, "The girls keep telling me that you don't love me and that you only asked me to make me feel like I had a choice."
Ephraim frowned, "I would never! I love you more than anything in the world. I would never do anything to make you hurt or unhappy."
Liza smiled slightly at that, "I know. I love you too."
"But why did Milly hit you?" He asked
"I might have said something about her only being mad at us because she was mad at Adam," Liza admitted.
"Liza..." Ephraim sighed.
"I know. It wasn't proper. I was out of line. But Milly has been keeping me locked in the house, away from you." She said unhappily.
Ephraim frowned, "That's why I haven't seen you at all?" He had been kind of worried about her. She basically disappeared after the prank incident.
Liza sighed and nodded. She snuggled deeper into his arms.
They sat for a few minutes longer before Liza got the courage to admit something.
"I don't think Milly wants us to get married." She said
He chuckled, "That's obvious."
Liza sighed, "No. I think she might lie to my parents next spring to keep us apart."
Ephraim frowned, the gears on his brain turning. "What if we don't wait till spring?" He asked
Liza frowned, "As much as I would love that. There is no way. The pass is closed and nobody on the farm can marry us."
Ephraim smiled slightly, "Gaithersburg. "
"Come again?" Liza asked raising an eyebrow.
"It's a small town on the other side of the mountain. The parson there married my ma and pa! We could go there and be married." Ephraim said with a grin.
"How? Milly would never let us go." Liza said frowning.
"We run away. Tonight." Ephraim was starting to get excited.
Liza frowned, "Are you serious?"
"Definitely. I love you Liza, and I won't let anyone or anything stop us from getting married." And with that, he gently kissed her.
"It's so snowy though. How would we get there?" Liza asked pulling back.
"We'd have to go on horseback. We can sneak out tonight. Bring a couple days worth of clothes. I'll meet you at the front porch at 2." Ephraim decided.
Liza looked at the man in front of her. They were really going to do this. They were going to run away.
A little while later, Liza slowly made her way back to the house. After she and Ephraim came up with a plan to run off, he had cleaned up the mark on her face and told her to go get some sleep.
She was scared to go back in. She felt a little bad about what she had said. She slowly pushed open the door.
All the girls were sitting on the sofas in the living room. They all turned and looked at her as she came in.
"What?" She asked, shutting the door behind her.
"Where on earth did you go?" Martha exclaimed.
"Tennessee," Liza replied sassily.
Martha just glared at her, but Liza paid her no mind. She just marched upstairs to the room she shared with the five other girls. She shut the door and sighed.
Liza went over to the bed that she was using. It was in the corner of the room. It had a dark blue blanket on the bed.
She sat down and sighed. She loved Milly and the girls but they just didn't get that she and Ephraim were really truly in love.
She set to work. She packed the few clothes that she had made and Milly had let her use. She put them in a flour bag that Ephraim had given her. She then shoved her nightgown and a pair of shoes in the bag. The bag was then shoved under the bed.
Liza then dressed in her warmest clothes and went to bed. She knew that the other girls coming to bed would wake her, and she needed at least a few hours of sleep before the adventure started.
Out in the barn, Ephraim was also preparing. He packed his clothes and a pair of rings that he had made from some scrap metal. They weren't much but at least they would have rings.
He then saddled his horse, also packing some blankets and food. He fed the horse and gave it plenty of water. Surprisingly his brothers were all too busy complaining about missing the girls to pay him any mind.
After he finished he walked over and joined the conversation.
"Just lemme out! Lemme see her!" Daniel was moaning.
"How can we live like this?" Frank complained
"We just have to make it through the winter," Ben said
Ephraim just rolled his eyes. His brothers were a bit dramatic.
Ephraim climbed up the ladder into the loft and laid down. He was too excited to fall asleep, which was a good thing, seeing as he had to be up soon aways.
Two AM finally came. Liza quietly got out of bed, grabbed her bag and snuck down the stairs. She put on her boots, her coat, and her gloves. She quietly opened the front door and went outside.
Ephraim was standing there with a horse. He had several bags tied to the horse and blanket in his arms. He was dressed warmly, ready for the journey ahead of them.
"Morning." He whispered to her as she went over to him. Liza smiled and kissed his cheek.
He smiled and gently picked her up, setting her on the horse. He tied her bag to the horse and jumped up behind her.
He reached around her and grabbed the reins. He kicked the horse's side, and they were off!
They left the farm and set off down the mountains. Liza was tired and soon fell asleep in Ephraim's arms.
He didn't mind though. He held her close and kept the horse moving.
They made quick time, making it to Gaithersburg in only a few hours. Ephraim pulled up to an Inn and shook Liza gently.
"Love. Wake up." He whispered.
Liza mumbled and soon opened her eyes, "Did I fall asleep?" She asked looking around.
"Yeah. It's okay though. Look we are here." He hopped down and helped her off the horse.
Gaithersburg was a big town, much larger than St. John's. There were serval churches and inns.
Ephraim tied up the horse, grabbed their things, and they went inside.
It was very early, a man was asleep behind the counter and a lady was at a fireplace, cooking something.
"Excuse me, Ma'am?" Ephraim called.
The lady looked over in surprise. "Oh howdy. You two are up early." She remarked coming over to the counter.
"I've heard that's the case on wedding days," Ephraim said with a smile.
The lady grinned, "Oh are you two getting married?"
"That's the plan," Liza said with a grin, hooking her arm through Ephraim's.
"We would like a room now, just so we can have somewhere to put our things," Ephraim said
"That is fine. How many nights would you like to stay?" the inn lady asked.
Ephraim looked at Liza and thought, chewing on his lip. "I'd say maybe 4 nights. Don't want to go home till after Christmas."
The inn lady nodded and wrote that down, "It will be 2 dollars a night. Breakfast and dinner are provided."
Ephraim nodded and handed her the money for the four nights.
The lady wrote some stuff down and led them down a hall to a small room with a large bed. "This is your room." SHe said, giving Ephraim the key.
Liza went in a looked around, "This is nice!" She said with a grin.
Ephraim put down their things, "Nothing but the best for you."
Liza looked at him and grinned, "I can't believe we are finally getting married!"
He grinned and pulled her close, "Finally." She smiled and happily kissed him.
They spent the next few hours just sitting around and enjoying each others company.
They soon were getting ready to go to the parson's home. Liza put on her best dress, a pale purple dress with green ribbons in her hair. Ephraim put on his nice green shirt and his Sunday trousers.
Hand in hand, the couple made their way down the road to a small white and red house next to a church. Ephraim knocked on the door. An elderly man opened the door.
"Excuse me, sir, would you happen to be Father James?" Ephraim asked politely.
The man nodded, "That would be I. What can I help you young folks with?"
"My name is Ephraim Ponitpee and-" Ephraim started.
The parson's eyes went wide and he cut him off, "As in Catherine and David Pontipee?"
Ephraim smiled, "Yes sir. I am their son, well one of them."
"I married your parents around 30 years ago. How are they?" He asked
Liza glanced at Ephraim, who swallowed, "Um, they both passed away."
The parson frowned, "Oh. I am terribly sorry."
"It's alright. Pa passed away 18 years ago and Ma died 13 years ago." Ephraim said with a frown.
"God rest their souls. They were fine people. Now, what did you and this young lady come here for?"
Ephraim's frown suddenly turned into a grin, "We would like you to marry us."
The parson's eyes went wide, "I would be honored."
He led the couple inside and stood them in front of his fireplace. He quickly got his bible.
The couple exchanged vows, rings, and then as they held each other's hands tightly, Father James pronounced them man and wife.
Ephraim quickly pulled Liza close and kissed her. She happily returned the kiss. They pulled apart and grinned at each other.
Liza was smiling bigger then she ever had before, she was finally Mrs. Ephraim Pontipee!
