A humorous WHI for part 1 of Forever. Little Joe's wedding to Alice Harper brings in some interesting wedding guests.
Featuring some interesting relatives and friends from past episodes.
We Gather Together
It was an event that the whole town of Virginia City had been waiting for years to happen. One of the Cartwrights was finally getting married! Sure they had come close in the past but something had always happened and in the end the Cartwrights had remained bachelors. But not today because Joseph "Little Joe" Cartwright was marrying the girl of his dreams, a young lady named Alice Harper.
The day of the wedding brough much happiness and also sadness. Happiness because one of the Cartwrights had finally found the woman of his dreams. But sadness because some months before Hoss Cartwright had perished in a tragic flash flood. Despite the sadness of the latter event they remained positive because they knew this day would bring some positivity.
It was about an hour before the wedding that the guests were starting to come in and find their seats in order to witness the ceremony. Both Candy Canaday and Jamie Cartwright had taken the liberty of guiding the guests to their respectable pews in order to limit the traffic in the narrow aisles of the church.
"Alright you three gentleman why don't you take this pew over here." Candy said as he guided the three older gentlemen to a nearby pew.
The three men found their seats and sat down. The one sitting in the middle was an older gentleman with blues eyes, graying hair and a matching mustache. He had moved away from Virginia City over ten years ago. At the right side of him was a man wearing a sea captain's uniform. To his left was a older gentleman wearing a fancy suit. Knowing that it was going to be an hour until the ceremony started he decided to strike up a conversation.
"Good day gentleman. I am Luther Bishop I used to be Ben's neighbor before I moved East ten years ago. How do you know him?" Luther asked hoping to break the ice.
"Matthew White I used to sail with Ben in the old days." said the man in the sea captain's uniform.
"George Bristol. I own the bank here in town. I have done a lot of business with Ben over the years." said the man in the fancy suit.
"I never knew that a Cartwright wedding would bring me back to Virginia City." Luther commented.
"Amazing that Joe managed to find love again after the engagement between him and my daughter Sally ended with her tragic death." George commented.
"Interesting Joe was engaged to my daughter and she died too." Matthew piped in.
Luther sank down in his seat. How many girls had Joe been engaged to since the death of Amy?
Jamie had escorted another group of people to the pews. This was a family of a pretty blonde woman who had put on at least twenty pounds in the last few years, a man with a mustache and dark hair that was starting to go gray, then there was a girl with blonde hair and brown eyes that was roughly Jamie's age.
"Will you are sitting on my dress." complained the blonde woman.
"Sorry Laura." said Will Cartwright as he adjusted himself and made sure he wasn't sitting on his wife's skirts.
"And Peggy stop making eyes at the red haired boy. He may be rich but he is too homely to be a husband for you." Laura explained.
"Yes mother." Peggy said as her eyes looked down at the floor.
Laura pulled out her fan and started waving it as she look around the room. "I see Adam has managed not to show up. Just like him to miss an important life event."
Peggy and Will looked at each other and knew that it was going to be a very long day to get through.
A group of three pretty young ladies walked into the church. Candy took the opportunity to lead them to an unoccupied pew. They looked very sorrowful.
"The name is Morbath Terry. How do you ladies know the groom." Morbath asked.
"I left him at the alter." cried Tessa Caldwell.
"I was engaged to him and I kissed his brother." said Melinda Banning.
All three girls started crying into their handkerchiefs over a lost love they all had shared.
Jamie eventually escorted a man with two ladies on his arm to the back of the church. He was not someone who was from around this area as he was wearing a sombrero and clothing that looked like it was from Mexico. Jamie should have gone to Ben to question the matter but decided not to as he was aware that his family had some strange friends.
The lady on the left turned to the man and asked. "Would you like some pulque Senor Stafford?"
Clay took the jug from her and took a sip. "Thank you Rosita."
The woman on the right turned to him and gave him a napkin.
"Thank you Conchita." Clay said as he wiped his lips with the napkin.
Meanwhile Candy was escorting another woman to her seat. She seemed to be looking around the church with distaste and was complaining about everything.
"Mr. Candy when escorting someone it is good manners to walk slowly. I will be sure to have Ben dock your pay for displaying such bad manners." Clarissa Cartwright complained as she took a seat.
"Very sorry Miss Cartwright." Candy just rolled his eyes and walked away.
Clarissa looked around the room with her look of distaste on her face. It's a shame that Ben didn't have me help decorate she thought.
Jamie was getting ready to escort some other guests when a very tall man with dark hair and a guitar ran up to him giving him a rib crushing hug.
"Well Golly you must be my new cousin Jamie. Cousin Ben told me all about you." I'm Muley Jones from Missouri. I got told I would be playing music for the wedding." Muley told him.
It took Jamie a while to gather his thoughts. He remembered Pa telling him about Muley and his glass shattering singing. "Yeah you'll be playing the guitar, While Andy Walker and Julia Grant sing a duet."
"Aw thanks cousin Jamie." Muley said as he went to join the other two. Jamie sighed in relief knowing that he had spared a Cartwright wedding from shattered windows.
At the entrance of the church a short scraggly man had walked in. He took a drink from his flask before speaking to his companion.
"Walter I have a feeling that today is going to be a wonderful day." Obie said as he looked down at the yellow dog at his feet.
The End