Chapter Six:
The Wedding
After many weeks had passed and winter turned to spring, the date of the wedding finally arrived. As Annabelle had initially decided, she would indeed have a wedding with a well-balanced pallet of all things spring. As many floral arrangements as could be brought into the church were brought in, transforming the church into a practical grove of florals and greenery.
As her sister, Elizabeth would serve as Annabelle's best maid. Elizabeth was tastefully garbed in a light peachy-pink satin gown, with sleeves that ran down to her elbows and were finished off with sheer, cream lace. Elizabeth's ensemble was complete with a pair of cream brocade slippers, a wide peachy-pink silk ribbon tied around her neck into a fashionable bow, and pearl teardrop earrings adorning her ears. Her light blonde hair was swept up into a curled updo, decorated with pale pink rosebuds and small white feathers. Elizabeth would primarily be responsible for holding the end of Annabelle's train to ensure its straight and smooth travel down the aisle. After which, she would take her seat next to her parents in the front pew on the left side of the chapel.
Ben's two younger sisters, Dorothy and Lucy, were of course included in the wedding party. Fifteen-year-old Dorothy's gown was a deep shade of lavender, and twelve-year-old Lucy's was a pretty shade of powder blue. Like Elizabeth's dress, both of the sisters' satin gowns had three-quarter-length sleeves going down to their elbows ending with lace, but unlike Elizabeth, the pair wore cream silk gloves that ended where their sleeves began. Being young teenagers, Ben's sisters' gowns bore the added attraction of stomachers embellished with cream lace. Both Dorothy and Lucy's nut-brown hair was smoothed and curled into intricate half up, half down styles ornamented with baby's breath and white feathers. Dorothy and Lucy would walk down the aisle well before Annabelle prior to taking their seats beside their parents in the front pew on the right side of the chapel.
Annabelle was the most beautiful of them all. The materials for her apparel had to be shipped in from London and only the most qualified seamstresses were allowed to work on the gown. But come the day of the wedding, all of the fuss appeared to be well worth the effort. She was a lovely vision of cream satin and lace stylishly stitched into an elaborate gown. Annabelle's sleeves ended at her elbows, with lace frosting down to the middle of her forearms. The top of her dress cut off around the top of her shoulders and beneath the collar bone, which allowed a sheer cream fabric to swirl around the back of her neck and crisscross in the front, set off by her mother's pearl brooch. The bodice of the gown was accentuated by a stomacher crowded with an elegant clutter of different textures and patterns of lace. The impressively large skirt ballooned up in the front, revealing a matching display of grace as included in the stomacher, ending with a five-foot train in the back. Her dark brown hair was pulled up into a tall updo with a few ringlets left hanging down on both sides of her neck and adorned with strands of pearls and ivory feathers. She completed her look with a small pearl choker, pearl teardrop earrings, and cream brocade slippers. Elizabeth was impressed by the mature transformation the look gave Annabelle.
Ben had originally requested for Felicity to also be included in Annabelle's bridal party as one of his own dear friends, but Annabelle stuck to her opinion that Felicity was an "uncivilized brat," and wouldn't hear of it. However, the entire Merriman family would still be invited to the ceremony and to the celebrations afterward.
As the hour of the ceremony drew near, family, friends, and other invited guests began filing into the church, their chatter creating a murmur of general excitement and anticipation. Back in the bridal chamber of the church, Mrs. Cole was emotional to tears and consistently blotted her eyes and nose with her handkerchief while hugging Annabelle. Dorothy, Lucy, and Elizabeth fussed over Annabelle's hair, gown, and train. Annabelle stood in the center of them all, bossing them each about. Mr. Cole found his way back into the church's groom chamber to check on Ben and have a few words with him, full of expressions like "You're marrying someone very special," and "I'll take good care of her." Mr. Cole walked in just as Mr. Davidson finished helping Ben into his new black wedding coat.
"Oh, Mr. Cole! How glad I am to see you! Amidst all the planning over the past few months, we've never had the chance to really talk without boring the ladies. Now that we're alone, I've been meaning to thank you!" Mr. Davidson expressed with a twinkle in his eye.
As they shook hands, Mr. Cole asked, "Thank me? For what, pray?"
"Why, for the kind thought to assist my family by suggesting that my son marry your daughter, of course!" Mr. Davidson merrily stated what he considered to be obvious.
"Excuse me, Mr. Davidson? I'm not quite sure I follow," Mr. Cole asked, slightly confused. Ben was the first to catch on to what was happening and winced.
Mr. Davidson also became confused. "I am, of course, referring to the sacrifice on your family's part to uphold another family in need—the Davidson family! We've had some unfortunate financial reverses. As you are doubtlessly aware, my company's ships were lost at sea last year never returning to harbor, and—,"
"I beg your pardon!" Mr. Cole angrily fumed.
"My dear Mr. Cole, why…I thought you understood, I mean…didn't you know? Hadn't you heard? There was quite a squib about the event in 'The Yorktown Gazette,' so with Williamsburg quite near, I just assumed you'd read about it…" Mr. Davidson stuttered.
"Indeed, I did not! This whole affair began when my daughter—my rather imprudent daughter, I now might add—expressed a wish to marry your oldest lad! I only consented because of her assurance that our families were at least equal!" Mr. Cole was furious. Ben stifled a laugh by coughing. Now this whole thing made sense.
"I dare say, she was mistaken. Of course, that did use to be the case, but regrettably, it is no more," Mr. Davidson sadly stated.
"Then this wedding cannot take place! We will, of course, be embarrassed to send everyone home, but we will not embarrass our posterity!" Mr. Cole fumed.
"Oh, but Mr. Cole!" Mr. Davidson pleaded, trying to persuade Mr. Cole otherwise. "Consider. Your daughter is in love with my son. Doesn't her heart mean anything to you?"
"Our hearts can be deceived. My daughter must learn to guide hers rather than be led by it. I am the head of my household, and I draw the line!" Mr. Cole decisively exclaimed as he heatedly pantomimed an imaginary line between himself and Mr. Davidson.
Mr. Davidson was rather offended. "Fine! You and your family appear to be too haughty for your own good, anyway. It would disgrace my family much further than any financial ruin would were we to join in relations with you! Let's go home, Ben. Ben? Ben!" Mr. Davidson called. Ben was nowhere to be found.
As soon as Mr. Cole and Mr. Davidson stopped shouting, they began to hear the organ playing the wedding march. They realized the ceremony must be starting, and having heard his cue in the music, Ben had gone up for the wedding before the two fathers had concluded that the wedding would be cancelled. Mr. Cole and Mr. Davidson quickly made a dash for it and scampered up to the chapel, though it was a little difficult and rather awkward to move so hastily dressed in their stiff, Sunday best.
By the time the two gentlemen made it to the chapel, it was nearly time for Mr. Cole to walk Annabelle down the aisle. Mr. Cole didn't want to call it off right then and there and completely crush Annabelle, so he swallowed his pride for a moment, and linked Annabelle's arm under his.
"Father, where have you been?" Annabelle asked with relief and annoyance.
"Excuse me, Annabelle. I had some very choice words for Ben and his father," Mr. Cole said sarcastically.
"Oh, how nice!" Annabelle said in a contented daze.
Once the cue for the bride was played, the congregation stood, and the chapel doors opened. The crowd was a sea of "awes" as they beheld Annabelle practically glowing with radiance and grace. After reaching the end of the aisle, Mr. Cole reluctantly handed Annabelle off to Ben. As he made his way to his place on the front pew, Mr. Cole urged his wife to scoot over to give him the seat on the end of the row, closest to where his idea of a nightmare was unfolding. Mr. Cole sat on the edge of his seat, anticipating the moment he'd be able to properly object.
"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all," the priest began.
As the priest spoke, Mr. Cole was antsy. He kept rising a little from his seat and would raise his hand a bit before being cut off by the priest with words different than the ones Mr. Cole was waiting for. Mrs. Cole kept glancing over at her husband with a confused expression and wondered what it was that ailed him.
Annabelle peaked over at Ben, attempting to wink, though it was difficult for her other eye to remain open. Ben looked at her and faked a grin before looking back at the priest, gulping hard.
"If anyone can show just cause as to why these two individuals may not be lawfully joined together, let them speak now, or forever hold their peace," the priest finally said. Before Mr. Cole or Mr. Davidson could even stand, a tall, richly dressed gentleman anxiously arose.
"I can, and I will!" A familiar voice called from the back, with strength and determination.