Martha and Emily were busy orchestrating the residents and guests of Gull Cottage as they would in preparing a great meal. In this case, they were preparing the Christmas dinner and coordinating everything that needed to be done for the wedding ceremony and, so far, their timing had been perfect.
Comfortable with how well things were going in the kitchen, Martha knew the dinner would be ready as planned. The cranberry sauce was going to be served cold, the beets, sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, and baked squash would be ready and only have to be kept warm. The mutton would finish cooking, with the jacket potatoes, during the ceremony.
The biggest challenge was the goose. The breast would finish cooking before the rest of the bird, so Martha had to remove it to keep it from drying out, then put the legs and wings back in the oven to finish cooking. It was a bother, but not impossible to accomplish.
Along with getting the food on the table, she would have just a few things to finish after the 'I dos' had been said: crisping the skin on the breast, which will also serve to warm the meat, making the gravy, and putting the rolls in the oven. Many cooks would have found the coordination of all this daunting, but to Martha, it was as easy as breathing.
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In the master cabin, the bride was dressed, except for the dress itself. Emily was dressed and ready, and Candy was still in her robe, in case she had to deal with the baby before the ceremony. She watched with interest as her grandmother and mom talked about how to do her hair.
Emily wanted to put Carolyn's hair in a style that had been popular 20 years ago, but faced fierce resistance from her daughter and granddaughter. Carolyn politely told her mother she had a vision of what she wanted, but would need her help to make it a reality. After some discussion of how the final result should look, Emily agreed.
The process started by taking the hair around the crown of her head, twisting it into a bun, and pinning it out of the way for the time being. Then, starting in the front, they finger rolled the fringe hair back and pinned the loose rolls in sections, all the way around, so it appeared continuous. Once that was complete, they undid the bun from her crown, and split her thick hair into two sections and, rolling each piece, pinned them around the crown. Finally, Carolyn pulled out a few tendrils so they fell over her ears, being very careful not to damage the actual rolls. The result was a soft, romantic, and unique style. Gazing in the mirror together, both women were pleased with how it turned out. Candy admired her mother's hairstyle as only she could.
"Wow!"
Laughing, Carolyn pulled her daughter in for a hug.
"Sweetheart, with everything going on today, I forgot about a very important role that needs to be filled during the wedding ceremony. I need your help."
"What is it Mom?"
"Would you be my bridesmaid?"
"Me?"
"Of course you, silly. You've already done most of the work, with Grandma, helping me get ready. The Captain and I would be honored if you would stand up with us."
"Yes! Yes! Yes! I would love to be your bridesmaid. Thanks, Mom!" she said as she gave her another hug.
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The men were playing chess in the alcove. After being banned from the nursery, Brad decided it was best to stay out of the way, and Claymore, having fallen out of Martha's good graces, if he had ever been in them, by just being his annoying self, took cover with his brother-in-law. Despite their lack luster performances, both men were quite aware they could be called upon to assist at any time and had better be ready.