Chapter 42 – Blast from the Past
Bella
Dad and I made our way up into the attic, weaving through stacks of what could best be described as junk, but it was all things adored by Grammy and Poppa. I knew I really should clean it out, but I just didn't have the heart to toss out their treasures. Back in the far corner of the attic, underneath a pile of old picture frames and dusty knickknacks, was the huge antique trunk.
We cleared the top of it off, and dad suggested we carry the whole trunk down from the attic to avoid getting the contents dirty. We dragged it into my bedroom, and I grabbed a wet cloth to wipe it down before opening it. It had been tightly sealed for many years, and when we opened it up, I couldn't believe what was inside.
I reached in and pulled out a bundle, thickly wrapped in heavy white cotton. I laid it out on the bed and began unwrapping the ties that held it together, revealing the most beautiful vintage wedding gown I had ever seen. Dad's eyes glistened, as I held it up to me, turning to look in the long mirror in the corner.
"It's so beautiful, Bells," dad said softly. "I'd only seen it in my parents' and grandparents' wedding pictures. They didn't do it justice."
"This belonged to my great-grandmother as well?" I marveled, amazed that it was so well preserved. "How old is it, exactly?"
"I'm guessing it's around one hundred and twenty years old, give or take a few years," dad answered.
The dress had an elegant late-Victorian flair…antique white satin, with lots of embellishments and lace. It had obviously been well made from good quality materials for it to have survived all these years. All the stitching looked to have been done by hand by an exceptionally talented seamstress. I grabbed some clips and piled my hair up in a loose twist on top of my head, and then dad grinned and turned around, while I pulled my shirt off and slipped on the dress. I let dad button up the back, and then I moved again in front of the mirror to survey the fit. That was when my daddy lost it.
"I can't believe my baby's getting married," dad murmured into my hair, as I held onto him, starting to cry myself. The front door opened, and I heard mom and Esme's voices downstairs. They had stopped to speak to Edward, and then they came running up the stairs, appearing in my bedroom doorway.
When I turned to face my mother, she was rendered speechless, which was an accomplishment where mom was concerned. Esme was holding her hand over her mouth, tears welling in her eyes. She heard Edward's footsteps on the stairs and slipped out of the room. "Bad luck…" was all she was able to choke out, as she quickly pulled the door shut.
The dress fit perfectly, as if it had been specially made just for me. I stood there staring at it, with my mom and dad on either side of me, both in tears by now.
"You're going to get married here in the house, aren't you?" mom finally asked. "It's perfect, from close to the same time period as when this house was built. Lots of roses, I think…" she trailed off, wiping her eyes and heading towards the door to start making her lists of what to do for decorations.
"We've decided on Valentine's Day, Mom!" I called after her. She spun around, her eyes going wide.
"Bella, that's less than three months from now! How are we going to get anything done in time?" she gasped.
"It's either that date, or we elope. We're not waiting any longer than that," I said firmly.
"We'll have to hurry, then. That's a popular wedding date, and everything will be booked if we don't get started immediately, if it isn't already!" She threw her hands up and ran from the room. She was off down the hall, and I heard her squawking to Esme, in a panic about the short notice and potentially limited supply of red roses there would be then due to Valentine's Day. The two were off, modifying all the ideas they had already come up with. They headed downstairs, no doubt to start planning their phone calls for next week.
"And she's off," dad snickered while unbuttoning the dress so I could take it off. He was about to leave, but he stopped at the door. "You're going to make a beautiful bride, Bells," he said softly, smiling as he pulled the door shut behind him. I knew he was happy for me, but I also knew his heart was heavy at the thought of losing his baby girl. That first grandbaby with the headful of curls to match his should cheer him up, though.
I wrapped the dress back up in the cotton fabric and laid it aside, and then I went to look at the rest of the things in the chest. The outside of it was covered in aged brown leather that was still in excellent shape. I decided to condition it and keep it in my room. In the bottom of the trunk was the slips and undergarments that went with the dress. Beneath the dress's underpinnings, I found a carved wooden box. Inside was what looked like a string-bound leather book, a bible, some pearl and blue crystal-encrusted hair combs, an ancient coin, and an old yellowed, lace-trimmed ladies' handkerchief.
I gently opened the string-bound book to find several tiny flowers, dried and brittle with age, pressed inside the cover sandwiched in a piece of silk. It appeared to be a diary of sorts. I turned to the next page to read the words my great-grandmother had written more than one hundred years prior…
April 18th
Today is the happiest day of my life! My sweetheart, Andrew, asked me to be his bride. Mother and father were thrilled to see me so happy. Father knows what a good man Andrew is, and so he gave his blessings to our nuptials.
As happy as I am, I am still frightened about the war overseas. There are rumors circulating saying America will be involved before long. The thought of losing my dearest Andrew to war breaks my heart. I hope to give him a child before this happens. I love him so and cannot bear the thought of him leaving this earth without someone to carry forth his name.
Our wedding is in a few weeks, and mother talked to Aunt Lottie about her wedding gown. Seeing as she has no daughters to pass it on to, she was gracious enough to give it to me. It was from years ago and somewhat out of fashion, but since we are not a people of great means, it will do fine for me.
Aunt Lottie's mother, my Great-Aunt Martha, had saved an awfully long time to pay for her only daughter's wedding dress to be made right. I am so thankful she did because it is a treasure! My friend, Sophie, is letting me use her best lace parasol for the wedding. I suppose it could be the item I "borrowed," as the old wife's tale dictates, for good luck.
Grandma gave me an old coin grandpa gave to her to save for a rainy day for my "something old." She told me, "Amelia, it is always raining, so be sure you add to this as much as possible." She is extremely wise, so I will be sure to do just that.
Mother promised to make a set of new underpinnings for the dress as my "something new." For something blue, I will wear the pretty hair combs my dear Andrew gave me for my birthday.
To my sweet daughters and granddaughters, I do hope I am able to one day read this book with you, if only over your shoulder in spirit, and share this joy with you, so that you know you come from a long line of love.
If you are reading this in preparation for your wedding, may you have found the man who will fill your life with joy, your arms with many babies, and your heart with the knowledge that he loves only you, forever and always.
Blessings to you, my loves,
Amelia
In that moment, I was certain I could feel her presence in the room. "Thanks, Great-Grandma Amelia, I think I found him," I whispered, and I was filled with an incredible sense of joy and love. She knew.
I continued to look through the diary, stopping to read an entry here and there, enjoying my great-grandmother's recollections of her wedding day, and even chuckling, as she tried to give advice on the "wedding night" in a day-after entry as best she could, given the language and standards of the era. It was very cryptic, but I got the message. In her day, the things she had written would probably have been deemed scandalous, but I found them downright hysterical. I hoped she didn't mind me laughing!
There was a gentle knock on the door, and Edward poked his head in, glancing around. "Is the coast clear?" he grinned. "I wouldn't want to incur any bad luck."
"It's fine. Come on in," I smiled back at him, patting the bed beside me. He came and sat down, wrapping his arm around my shoulders, and pulling me against him.
"So, how is this going to work now?" he asked, glancing towards the bed. "Am I exiled back to my lonely apartment, or do you want me in here with you?"
"As much as I want you with me, I think we'd better have you sleeping down there until the wedding if we want me to truly be worthy of this dress," I said, patting the bundle. "By the way, I really want to know how you knew about it. Given the state of the stuff around the trunk, it's obvious no one has been in that part of the attic for years. Really, how did you know it was there?"
"Your Grammy told me to tell you it was there," he smiled down at me.
"Grammy?" I asked, not understanding how that could be.
"Do you remember the first day I was so sick awhile back?" he asked, looking down at his hands. "I was pretty delirious, but I had this crazy dream…no, actually, I don't think it was a dream at all. My parents came to me, giving me their blessings for us to be together, as did your Grammy and Poppa. That's when she told me about the dress in the trunk in the attic. You were meant to have it, Bella. They've approved all along and have just been waiting patiently for us to figure it out for ourselves."
I knew every word he spoke was the truth. He kissed my forehead gently, and then he pulled me into his arms for the sweetest hug he had ever given me. Sleeping alone for the next few weeks was going to be hard.
