Martha knocked on her door early the next morning. Elizabeth had already been up for a few hours and rose quickly to open the door.
"My dear," Martha sighed when she saw her. "Did you sleep at all?"
"A little," Elizabeth admitted.
"Pre wedding jitters," Martha concluded as she entered the room. Elizabeth didn't really want to admit that she had awoken early from a nightmare and it had not permitted her to return to her slumber. Elizabeth had so hoped that her nightmares would leave her now that she was safe and with Ben again but this one had been different.
In this one, she saw Johnathan Brooks as she did every night. But this night he held a gun, not to her but to Ben. She screamed as he fell just in front of her.
"This can never be," Johnathan sneered in the dream and she woke up with a start.
"Come now," Martha said motioning for her to follow. "Get dressed. I have a friend who can help us today." Elizabeth pondered what this could mean but she dressed and followed Martha out to the nearby town.
They came to a small shop and the woman who owned it, upon seeing Martha, opened the door immediately. She looked to be about Martha's age though she stood about a foot taller.
"Clara, my dear friend, we need a dress. But not just any dress, a wedding dress fit for a princess," Martha explained. Elizabeth opened her mouth to insist that she didn't need anything elaborate and that she could marry Ben in any of the dresses Martha had given her but Martha wouldn't have it.
The woman named Clara looked through several different rows of dresses before she found one she was satisfied with presenting to Martha and her guest. Elizabeth gathered that Martha held a fair amount of influence in the town.
It shimmered as Clara brought it forward. The sleeves and bodice were silk but the skirt was bright white tulle.
"It's beautiful," Elizabeth breathed.
"Perfect," Martha said to Clara. "Please have it sent to the house." Clara nodded earnestly and Martha left the room with Elizabeth in tow.
"You needn't make all of this fuss over me," Elizabeth tried to reason with Martha.
"You speak nonsense!" Martha exclaimed. "Major Tallmadge is an honored officer and you are a jewel of the revolution. Your union is just as important to the cause as it is to the two of you." Elizabeth hadn't thought of that. "Now come on, there is much to do before this evening."
Martha spent the rest of the afternoon helping Elizabeth prepare for her wedding. She wrapped the girl's long hair in damp rags so as to curl her beautiful hair. Once her hair had dried, she brushed through it and pinned it high on her head.
"I wish I could see him," Elizabeth noted.
"Would you like me to send him a message?" Martha offered. Elizabeth looked at her in surprise.
"Could you do that?" she asked.
"Of course," Martha assured her tucking more of Elizabeth's hair up.
"Just make sure he still wants this," Elizabeth pleaded.
"My dear, he asked you. Surely you do not think he would back out."
"No he wouldn't," she agreed. "But I cannot marry him if he has any doubts." Elizabeth's words troubled Martha but she agreed and set out to the village to see the Tallmadge boy.
She knocked on the door to the house where the Reverend had moved into. The Reverend opened the door and smiled at Martha. He moved to allow her entrance into the house where Caleb and Ben were. Ben was pacing back and forth and looked very pensive.
"How is she?" he asked when he saw her.
"Good," Martha assured him. "She just wanted me to see you, as she cannot. She wanted to be absolutely sure that you loved her undoubtedly and that you had no reservations."
"No! I have none at all," Ben insisted. "You must tell her that." Martha smiled.
"I will be happy to," she replied.
"Thank you," he said breathing a sigh of relief. Martha turned to leave. "Wait," Ben added suddenly. "Give her this." He handed her a rose; one rose. It reminded Caleb of the bush that had been outside the Brewster home. Martha took the flower and headed back to deliver it to Elizabeth.
The young woman brightened up as soon as she saw it.
"He really loves you," Martha said. Elizabeth nodded.
"I know," she replied.
"Now let's get ready for a wedding!" Martha exclaimed excitedly.
Caleb was standing outside of the chapel waiting for Elizabeth to arrive. He and Ben had decided that since Lukas was gone, he should be the one to give Elizabeth way. Both young men had wondered what her first wedding had been like but the Reverend had told them not to ask. He gave as few details as possible and Caleb and Ben got the idea that it was not a happy affair.
He smiled widely when he saw her. She was a vision in her shimmering white gown. Martha was escorting her over and they both looked exceptionally happy. Caleb silently thanked God that Elizabeth had finally found joy again.
"Now don't you look amazing!" he exclaimed once the women had reached the church.
"Thank you, Caleb," Elizabeth replied. He offered his arm to the bride.
"Shall we?" Caleb asked. "Finally?" Elizabeth chuckled lightly.
"I've kept him waiting long enough."
They opened the doors to the church together. The first person Elizabeth saw was the Reverend. He stood straight in front of her and was smiling fondly. She saw Washington next. She was quite startled to see the great General at her humble wedding but she knew that a lot of things had changed in just a few short days.
When she had gotten about halfway down the aisle, she could finally see Ben. Their eyes met and for just a moment, time stood still for both of them. Elizabeth could see that there were no reservations in his eyes and when he saw that she carried with her the rose he had sent her, he smiled impossibly wider.
Caleb squeezed her hand and kissed her cheek once they were standing in front of the Reverend. He hugged his friend and moved so that Ben could stand with his rather recent fiancé.
Elizabeth didn't hear a single word the Reverend said throughout the whole ceremony. She knew what to say and when purely because she had done it before and seen it done as well. Instead, she spent the entire time staring at Ben. After a year and a half apart, she had nearly given up any hope that she had about a future with Ben. She had resigned herself to believing that she wasn't any good for him but here he was gazing intently at her and she was overwhelmed by the love she could see in his face.
She heard the Reverend tell Ben to kiss her and she suddenly realized her lack of attentiveness to the ceremony. But none of that mattered as Ben took her face in his hands and kissed her strongly. She felt as if she might melt as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
"I now present to you all, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Tallmadge," the Reverend announced. Elizabeth could hardly stand the warm feeling that swelled in her chest. Elizabeth and Ben broke apart and smiled at each other.
"I love you," Ben whispered only to her.
"I love you, too," Elizabeth replied with her whole heart.
Ben spent that whole night proving just how much he loved her and she fell asleep on his chest with his arms wrapped around her. When the morning came, they made love one last time and he dressed to head out with the troops.
"Come back safely," she told him as he started out the door with Caleb. "Both of you." The two men turned and embraced Elizabeth firmly before leaving to complete the mission they had been detouring from. They felt far better, however, this time because they knew she was safer from enemy hands here than she was the last time they left. Ben looked down at his left hand where the proof of the last twenty four hours glimmered in the sunlight. He said a silent prayer thanking God that he finally had Elizabeth back; for good this time.
So that's the end! Please let me know what you think. I have ideas for a sequel but I haven't fleshed them out quite yet. This was just something I wanted to do since the next season doesn't start until April 13th. Just let me know if you think I should write a sequel and what you thought overall.