Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. All original characters and plot are the property of the author. No copyright infringement is intended.
So I might not get to do any writing for the next few days I wanted to just finish this up. It was a really fun story for me and I think I learned a lot. Still I wanted to thank everyone who's read this and hope you enjoyed it.
Also, apologies for the French, I failed it in high school:(, I failed English too but that's neither here nor there. If you speak French and want to bother correcting me I'd appreciate it. Ok last thing, same for the Irish wedding referrals, I've only been to two and I don't know if the things I was told were authentic to the time period or at all! Thanks again!
The doors of the church opened letting the wedding goers spill out into the snows of Christmas day. Rice was still thrown even with the feathery flakes falling all around. Willie picked up Elise and they followed the procession back over to the restaurant.
The instant they stepped through the door a cheer went up and an irish wedding reel started to play in the background. Charles Ingalls played the fiddle while Almanzo Wilder strummed his guitar and Tim Ferrill played a tin whistle and led them along the jolly notes.
In the crowd around them, Nellie squeezed her brother and ruffled his hair then hugged her new sister-in-law welcomingly. Isaiah Edwards clapped Willie's back so hard Willie had to take a step forward to keep from going to the floor. Then Edwards grabbed Elise and swung her around to the music. The Carters and their boys all congratulated them and the boys went quickly over to the refreshment table. Jenny Wilder and Grace Ingalls had quite forgotten their prejudices and dotted on Elise's dress and such declaring they would have the same at their weddings to the groan of their nearby mother and aunt. Cassandra and James waited shyly in the background until Willie walked over and shook James' hand. But it was Cassandra who spoke.
"Willie, I wanted to apologize for letting my imagination run away with me. I'm so sorry." She said genuinely.
Exhaling shortly Willie laughed, "First of all, after everything my mother told you, anyone would be nervous as a chick in a fox den. I probably deserved it anyway for getting too close. I'm sorry Cassandra."
The two Ingalls' wished them well and let them be bombarded by the next group of people.
To Willie's surprise Mary Ingalls Kendall and her husband Adam came up to them as well having come to spend Christmas with their family. With a small bump visible she was obviously expecting and she and Adam couldn't look any happier.
As Willie and Elise went around the room, they were trailed by a gaggle of children consisting of Jack Carter, Rose Wilder and Ben and Jennifer Dalton who were Nellie and Percival's twins. Rose and Jennifer crawled under the modest train and even draped it over their heads drawing the attention of their mothers who came to shoo them away. Benjamin and Jack just laughed and darted in and out of the clumps of attendees.
Nancy appeared here and there, retreating to her room often.
Elise saw Carrie and hurried over to her to give her a close hug.
"Je suis heureux de te voir!" Elise chirped at her.
"Tres bien!" Returned Carrie who was soon to depart on her exciting new journey to Europe in the next couple of months. Carrie had come to see Elise often during Elise's recovery and they had made amends. Now Elise turned to Willie who was talking to Dr. Baker and she reached into one of his coat pockets and pulled out a little metal sculpture.
"Carrie, I didn't know if I'd get to see you before you left again but I had Willie make this," She held up the three inch high likeness of the house at Plum Creek. "So that you can take a little bit of Walnut Grove with you to all your destinations."
Taking it carefully as if it might break, Carrie looked at it in wonder.
"It's incredible! Thank you so much! I never knew Willie could do this!" She said excitedly.
He was still distracted and Elise and Carrie both smiled and hugged again. "Congratulations Elise. I've never seen him so happy." Carrie concluded.
"I've never been this happy either. Thank you Carrie." Elise said and slipped her hand into Willie's which brought his attention around to her.
Carrie held up the little house and thanked him again and he nodded shyly.
"I think we need to toast and serve this cake!" Ordered Harriet from across the room.
The room all hurried to get a glass of punch and Andy was prompted by Tim.
"Alright, I'm obviously not Irish but Tim here has assured me this is what I'm supposed to say for this. 'Friends and relatives so fond and dear, 'tis our greatest pleasure to have you here. When many years this day has passed, fondest memories will always last. So we drink a cup of Irish Mead and ask God's blessing in your hour of need.' Well we don't have any mead, just punch as the women folk 'round here get a little fussy…" Tim elbowed him and the crowd answered back.
"On this special day, our wish to you, the goodness of the old, the best of the new. God bless you both who drink this mead," A chuckle rippled through the crowd, "...may you always have your every need."
The room drank and burst into chatter again with the starting of the band.
The dancing began and even the children grabbed hands and circled around the newly wed couple skipping. Jason Carter and Victoria Terhune did their best at trying to copy the adults around them.
Rachel Garvey laughed as she tried to get Andy to keep in time but had to jump out of the way of his heavy steps.
Hiram came to Kate O'Shea and bowed, "If I could ask a dance of the prettiest lady in the room?"
Kate, who had been serving by Harriet blushed and nodded, letting the doctor lead her away.
Harriet rolled her eyes, "That old goat would say anything to get a dance…"
That's when Isaiah Edwards walked up and grabbed her hand and said with a twang, "Let's have a dance ya sturdy lass!"
Despite her protests, Edwards pulled her out and began to twirl her around to the lively music.
Laura was clapping cheerfully to the beat when she looked over to some chairs by the windows and saw Jeb Carter lean over and kiss Jenny on the lips. Tapping Almanzo on the shoulder, Laura pointed with a stifled smile.
Almanzo wasn't as charmed and handed the guitar to her as he leaped up and went over to the young couple in a huff.
"Alright Jeb Carter…" He growled and Jeb's face went white and he bolted out of his chair and out the door.
"Manly!" Laura called after him, trying not to laugh. She hurried over to Jenny to comfort her and to reprimand her husband to calm down.
The dancing continued and the evening began to settle when another figure came into the still crowded room.
Albert sidled in quietly but was greeted by those who did notice him. He watched the happy couple dancing around the room as well as others and he smiled.
Willie saw him and his face fell but he continued to dance until the end of the song. Charles Ingalls came up for a dance with the bride as the musicians had traded out and Willie passed Elise on to him then walked over to Albert.
Straight faced he stopped in front of him, "Thought you were in Louisiana."
"Came back to surprise the family for Christmas." Albert explained simply. His bandages were gone and only some red chafing remained from the burns he had had. "They said there was a wedding they were going to, I didn't know it would be yours."
Willie found it unlikely that Albert hadn't heard that it was their wedding but it was Christmas after all and Albert's family was here.
"There's plenty of food. Stay as long as you want." Willie nodded finally and started to step away when Elise came up behind him and he put he slipped his arm around her waist.
"Hello Albert. Merry Christmas." She beamed happily.
"Well Merry Christmas Mrs. Oleson." Albert almost laughed at the name that had such tinged history for him. "You look beautiful Elise. Now remember I gave you a chance but you had to go and marry old stick in the mud Willie."
Willie raised an eyebrow at Elise who smiled back at her husband. "Best decision I ever made."
"I guess I left myself open for that one." Albert shook his head but grinned.
Little known to them that Nancy had seen Albert also and had gotten a glass of red punch and was making her way over to him, intending to pour it down his fancy white shirt when Nellie intercepted her.
"Now Nancy, let's try to think about this like the sophisticated women that we are." Her older sister attempted to pacify her.
"Get out of my way." Nancy snapped and started towards Albert again. Nellie caught her arm gently and stepped closer.
"Why don't we go talk to mother instead and see what we can do about you coming to stay with me in New York?"
Nancy's eyes widened and she lowered her hand, allowing Nellie to redirect her.
Shortly after, Willie and Elise left the celebration in another storm of rice and doubled up on the back of Titan again, letting the large horse meander his way back to the cabin in the fading light.
Elise sat closer this time to Willie and he wrapped his coat around the both of them as much as possible.
"Gotta get up early in a couple days catch the stage. Williams is expecting us by the New Year." Said Willie, breathing in the soft scent of her hair.
Elise rested a hand on Titan's shoulder, "I'm so glad Laura said she'd look after Ty. There's no way he'd be happy in a livery in the city." She sighed.
Willie got a smile on his face and said, "Well wait a second. I was going to surprise you but I might as well tell you now, it is Christmas. I found a little estate…"
"Will, we decided we weren't going to spend a lot of…" Elise started but Willie hurried on.
"Now wait a second, the house isn't much bigger than the river house but it's on an acre lot by the park, all fenced in with a decent corral in the back. I think Ty would like it. They say it's very green and nice in the summer time. And it's only a few blocks from the hospital."
"Really?" She thought about it.
"I don't think he'd be very happy without you." He pointed out.
Elise decided to consider it as they went.
Then Willie asked, "So Mrs. Oleson, are we going to have another game of marbles when we get home?"
Elise had been waiting for this and blurted out, "I'm stuck on you Will and you'll have to give me all your marbles to unstick me."
He looked at her surprised. "Did Laura tell you that story?"
Giggling Elise nodded, "I can just see you tailing her around and kissing her cheek."
"I doubt there's enough marbles in the world Elise."
"Huh?"
"For you to ever unstick me." He said with all the sincerity in his heart.
With a content sigh she snuggled into him, the soft snow flakes melting as they landed on their faces.
The End
