The Gloves
Chapter Four: Happiness at Last
Over the next four weeks, the ladies in London planned the wedding and the celebration afterwards. Edith and Margaret had many long conversations, and Margaret told her cousin all about how she came to love her John. Edith thought it all very romantic.
As John had expected, his mother did not receive the news of his engagement well. John was disappointed, but if need be, his mother could live with Fanny and Watson. His sister was excited to attend a society wedding in London, so she was happy for him.
John made a point to linger at breakfast a bit longer each morning to soothe his mother's anxieties. He knew that his marriage would bring big changes to their lives, and for his mother, the changes were unwelcome.
John worked long hours restoring the mill operations. He wanted to surprise Margaret with a short wedding trip, so he toiled late into the evenings. . At night, he dreamed of the intimacies they would share as husband and wife. His arms ached to hold her, and his dreams of her were vivid. Soon, very soon, she would share his bed.
In his moments of deep loneliness, he would take out the gloves his beloved had given him and hold them in his hands. He imagined her, with needle in her hands, adding his initials to the leather. Those gloves were his prized possession because they represented Margaret's love for him.
Margaret and John were to be married on Saturday, so the John's family traveled to London on Friday. John had booked the family at a hotel near Harley Street and the two families had dinner together on Friday night. It went as well as could be expected with the two elder ladies barely speaking to each other, and Fanny rarely stopped chattering.
John and Margaret were only aware of each other. They had been apart for four weeks and longed for some privacy. Tomorrow, they would be married, and their life together would begin.
The day of the wedding dawned, and Margaret woke rested and excited for the day. Edith and Dixon came to her room to help get the bride ready. A tea tray was brought up, a hot bath was drawn, and the ladies got to work preparing Margaret for the most important day in her life.
Margaret's gown had been a gift from Edith and Maxwell. It was a soft white, with lace covering the bodice and small pearls sewn around the neckline. Margaret wore her mother's pearl jewelry and her veil.
Dixon let the tears flow down her cheeks. Margaret looked so much like her mother had on her wedding day. She wished Maria Hale had lived to see her daughter on this day. It was her job to dress Margaret's hair, and Dixon outdid herself with an elegant style that was very becoming.
Edith arranged the veil and declared Margaret a most beautiful bride.
A servant knocked on Margaret's door and delivered a box to her. Margaret opened it and lifted out the most beautiful bouquet of yellow roses. She read the card from John.
My Love,
The day I have so long dreamed of has finally arrived. Please accept these roses from Helstone as a token of my great love for you. I will meet you at the bottom of the stairs and make you my wife. No man has ever loved a woman more than I love you and will love you for the rest of our lives together.
I am forever yours, John
Margaret wiped the tears from her eyes. Aunt Shaw knocked on the door and asked the ladies to leave them for a moment.
"Margaret, I have loved you as a daughter all of your life. I wish you a lifetime of love with John. I have a ring to give you that my father gave to me when I married. Edith and I agree this ring suits you well.
Aunt Shaw opened the velvet box and revealed a beautiful sapphire ring. She placed it on Margaret's hand and kissed her niece's cheek.
"I wish your mother was here today, and I see so much of her in you. She would be pleased to see you in her wedding veil and her pearls."
Captain Lennox knocked on the door as announced it was time to begin.
Aunt Shaw kissed Margaret's cheek and said, "Be happy dear Margaret."
Maxwell escorted his mother-in-law down the stairs, then returned for the bride.
"Ready, Margaret?" He smiled kindly to the woman he considered a sister.
"Yes, I am more than ready, Maxwell."
The guests gathered downstairs at the foot of the stairs. Captain Maxwell escorted Margaret downstairs. John stood in front of the other guests, and he could not take his eyes off his love. She was utterly beautiful in her wedding gown and she carried the bouquet of yellow roses he had sent for her. When Maxwell gave Margaret's hand to him, John struggled to contain his emotions. As her husband, he would hold her hands in his for the rest of their lives.
On their honeymoon trip to Bath, John commissioned an artist to draw a picture of their hands joined together. They hung it in their bedroom in Milton, and only the two of them understood what role a pair of gloves played in their coming together at last. Hands, their hands, joined together for life and with a deep love that would last forever.