Chapter 1 Finding time
It was a fairly normal day, The Bolt brothers and Mr. Stemple were arguing about a contract, Ben was busy at the mercantile with several customers and Lottie was doing inventory for her saloon. Candy and Biddie were walking and picking berries and just enjoying a beautiful sunny day in Seattle.
"You know Candy, some of the older ladies are beginning to talk!" Candy continued picking her berries and nodded, she did not want to talk about the older ladies since they themselves had been not too kind to her and the brides when they had arrived a couple of years ago on Clancy's ship. In fact, one of the ladies, Maude had made a remark that all the women on the ship were not marriageable and went to Aaron for confirmation. When he did not answer her, she was upset and spread a few rumors that Mr. Stemple and Jason had to talk to everyone in the town.
"Well, Maude said that you and Jeremy should already be married and…well, she suggested that you and Jeremy had already begun?" Candy stood up and looked at her friend Biddie and said:
"Do you believer her Biddie?" Biddie was surprised that Candy even questioned her and she said:
"Of course not, I have been around you too long to know the truth!" said Biddie upset that Candy had asked her that question.
"I am sorry Biddie, it is just that I wonder sometimes if Jeremy has forgotten all about us getting married, he may be getting used to just seeing me, maybe he doesn't want to get married?" Candy said as she picked up her basket. Biddie stood there feeling sad for her friend and then said:
"Well, maybe you could ask him if he is ready to set a date yet?" Biddie said as she too picked up her berries and they both walked back to the dorm. Candy didn't say anything but thought about it. That afternoon, she invited Jeremy to come and sit with her at their rock that evening.
Jeremy was at the rock on time. He was waiting for Candy. He had no idea what she wanted to talk about, it wasn't their regular courting night. Biddie and Molly sat a little aways from them facing the lake. Candy walked up to the rock and sat next to Jeremy.
"Hello, Candy!" Jeremy said with a smile. She looked at him and said:
"Hello, Jeremy!" She smiled as well. With Biddie and Molly nearby, they could not get as close as they liked but Candy set that up that way. She had heard that Maude might be doing more than talking and since this was not their courting night, she wanted to avoid any rumors that might hurt others.
"Candy, what did…" Jeremy began,
"Jeremy I wanted to talk…" she said and they both smiled, and he said:
"Go ahead!"
"Well, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind setting a date and getting married?" Jeremy looked at her and then said:
"you know, I have been thinking of the exact same thing. Joshua says we need to get married; he keeps hearing all kinds of rumors from the men and other ladies as well! So, what date do you have in mine?" He asked her.
"I was thinking June 6th. It is about 8 weeks away which is plenty of time for us to plan and set up the reception. Reverand Collar is okay with that date and said that it would be a Sunday and we can get married during the service. Mandy, his wife is excited and wants to help plan the wedding!" Candy said getting excited that this might work out for them. Jeremy on the other hand was thinking about the date and worrying about how the contracts would work around him getting married.
"Candy, I like that date, but we would not be able to have a honeymoon for at least a few months, would you be okay with that?" He asked her. She looked at him, his blue eyes full of expression of gladness and love for her.
"that will be okay, we can always find time for a honeymoon, just getting married seems to be getting pushed farther and farther away!" She said to him.
"Well, June 6th it will be, you can start to plan the wedding. I have already gotten you a wedding ring. But I don't know if I should show it to you yet!" He said with a mischievous smirk ono his face. She looked at him and said:
"Mr. Bolt, that is okay for me to see the ring, it is the wedding dress YOU can't see!" They laughed together and Jeremy, taking a quick look towards the lake saw that Molly and Biddie were not facing them he placed his finger under her chin, raised her face to his and kissed her. Then they gave each other a hug and went to get Biddie and Molly.
The next day, they made the announcement to all of Seattle, and everyone was excited, this was the wedding they had been waiting for. The first Bolt to be married, the youngest and they had waited so very long to be married.
"Well, little brother, we will have to send out invitations to Uncle Duncan, I am sure he will be happy to attend." Said Jason who had kept in touch with their uncle. He was now living near an area called Dupont, he had an Indian wife and children. They of course would be coming.
"Jason, do you think I could get to San Francisco for a new suit and a gift for Candy?" Jeremy asked.
"I think you can go, maybe we could combine the trip with a little business. Mr. Harmon sent a letter asking about some extra wood for a smaller boat, he said it would be on his ship as a life boat or something like that, so maybe you can visit with him, and invite him as well?" Jason said
"That sounds good, let him know, I will find out when Clancy is leaving next, and we can set up the meeting." Josh came in and had heard the last part of the conversation.
"Well, making plans already are you?" He said to Jeremy and Jason told him about the meeting and going to San Francisco. Josh looked at his brothers and then looked serious and said:
"I don't know if we can spare Jeremy right now Jason. Two of the men quit, said they were not going to wait around to get paid, they wanted to be paid today, I had to let them go. Another man, was injured and will be out for at least a couple of weeks. I am sorry Jeremy; you may have to postpone your wedding for another time!" Joshua said. Jeremy had been listening and said nothing at the time.
"Josh, maybe he can get married on the date and we can send them on their honeymoon, and he can talk to Mr. Harmon then?" Jason asked Josh about it. Josh, being the main bookkeeper showed them the accounts. They were behind for a couple of paydays, and the payment from Mr. Harmon was late in arriving. It had been expected two weeks prior, but they had not heard from him about that.
"I am sorry, Jeremy, but that is business, it seems that you will have to find another time, to get married!" said Joshua. Jeremy looked at Jason for help, but Jason just stood there, he was thinking but he did not want to say anything until he had thought this one through.
"Jeremy, give me some time to check things out, maybe we can at least get you married…"
"It is not so much for me, but for Candy, there have been rumors about out courtship!"
"What rumors?" Jason asked, then Josh said:
"Jason, sometimes you are so busy, you don't hear what is being said around you. The men, and most of the women think that Jeremy and Candy have…well, you know…" Joshua said to Jason.
"Are these rumors true?" Jason asked Jeremy, who looked at his brother and was unhappy that he even had to ask.
"Did you have to ask that? No, but it sure would be nice if we were married, all we need is to find the time!"
Candy was busy with Biddie and the others helping her find the right wedding dress and what they would do for the reception, asking Lottie if they could use the saloon for the reception and Lottie said okay. They were all so busy that they did not notice Jeremy walking over to the dormitory.
"Candy, I need to talk to you please." He said politely. She looked at him, he wasn't mad, she could tell, but he wasn't happy either. She excused herself and went out on the porch to talk with him. When he told her what his brothers said she looked at him and without being angry or yelling or even crying, because she knew that he was as unhappy as she was about the way things were going.
"Well, Jeremy, thank you for telling me. Maybe we can set another date?" she said trying to make herself sound hopeful, it always seemed that everything they wanted to get married something would come up. He put his arms out and she went and let him hold her. They both had tears in their eyes.
Chapter 2 Making Time
The work proceeded as usual. The more lumber cut, the more men were needed. Each team had about 10 men. The ones who topped the trees, the ones who chopped them down, and the ones who cleared the trees of branches. Not forgetting those who hauled the logs out of the cutting area once they were ready. They had started to use what was called a steam Donkey, but the logs still needed to be loaded and transported. Jeremy was working with his team as was Jason and Joshua. The day was getting late. This was Candy and Jeremy's official courting day and he wanted to get home to be near her. It was getting harder and harder for him to leave her before the night was over.
Things were starting to look up though and he had an idea that maybe they could take a break and he and her could go to Olympia and get married there. Sort of eloping with his brothers blessing! Or at least that is what he was hoping for.
Jason was coming around to his team and told him that they could stop for the day. It was break time and he would see everyone at the saloon in an hour.
"Jason, may I talk with you for a minute?"
"Sure Jeremy, what is it?"
"Well, I know this may be hard on the family, but I was wondering if I could take Candy to Olympia this Thursday, and we would stay overnight and get home by Saturday?" Jason looked at his brother, he had an idea what his brother was thinking and asked him:
"So, you want to elope?" Jason asked.
"Y-y-yes!" Jeremy stuttered in reply.
"What does Candy say?"
"W-w-well I ha-ha-haven't told her yet!" Jason looked at his brother and said:
"We can spare you the rest of this week. But, you will still need witnesses? Are you going to have strangers?"
Jeremy just shook his head no and then said:
"I will ask Candy to see what she says."
"Let me know before you leave!" Jason said as he went ahead to the next team. Jeremy went home and cleaned up. It was just after supper when he arrived at the dorm. Candy came out to walk with him. They walked in silence until they came to the rock. He stopped and turned to her and said:
"What do you think about getting married in Olympia?" He waited and watched hoping she would like the idea.
"You mean, elope?" she said, he waited for her reaction.
"I think it is high time we did something! Yes, when do we leave?" He was overjoyed and said,
"We can leave tomorrow if you want? We can take the stage to Tacoma and then the train to Olympia!"
"Does it matter that I don't have a wedding dress?" she asked him.
"No, because I have the ring!" he said, they both held each other and smiled. Maude was watching, her companion was also watching. Jeremy saw then out of the corner of his eye and whispered something to Candy, and she smiled and said yes to his idea.
He walked her back to the dormitory so she could pack. Then he went to find Jason and ask him a question. When Jason said yes. He went to see Maude and her friend who were sitting on the porch of her friends cabin and asked them:
"Good Evening Maude, and Helen! May I ask you both of you a question?" Maude looked at Helen and said:
"Yes, you may."
"Good, I would like to know if you would like to accompany Candy and I to Olympia. Seems as if we are having a hard time getting a date to be married so we decided to go ahead and elope and wondered if you wouldn't be kind enough to be witnesses for us?" Helen was shocked, and Maude was flustered, no one had ever asked her to be a witness at a wedding! They looked at each other and then Maude said:
"We would be happy to accompany you and Candy. Thank you!"
"Okay, then, it is settled, we are leaving on the noon stage for Tacoma and then the train to Olympia. The Bolt brothers will be footing the bill for accommodations, so pack your bags ladies and we will see you tomorrow at noon!" said Jeremy with a smile on his face. He was smiling all the way home.
"Look at our baby brother, smiling and happy go lucky. What is it that makes you so happy?" Joshua asked, teasing his brother the next morning as he was packing his bags.
"Well, Joshua, by this time Saturday I will be married!" he said to Joshua.
"I hope for the best for you and Candy. Say, do you have an idea where you two will live?" Jeremy stopped packing and looked at his brother and said:
"I forgot, to ask if we could stay at our parent's place until we can build our own cabin?" He looked at Jason and then at Josh and waited to find out if that was a possibility.
"Jeremy, you know that old cabin is falling apart, it is going to take a couple of months work to get that cabin livable again. Why don't you plan to stay here in our cabin until the other place is livable?"
"Well, I-I-I don't know, I do-do-don't want to put you two out? We can stay in Lottie's for a while." Jeremy said as he finished packing. It was almost noon and Jeremy wanted to get to the stage to help Candy and the ladies with their luggage.
"We can discuss this when you get back on Saturday. You go ahead and don't worry where you will sleep once you get back!" Jason said as he grabbed Jeremy's bag and left to go to the stage office in front of Ben's store.
"Thank you again Mr. Bolt. We appreciate that you are so kind as to think of us!" Maude said to Jason and his brothers. Joshua looked at Jason he had not been told about Maude and Helen, when he found out he had a smile on his face. When they were on their way Joshua broke out in laughter and said;
"Jeremy actually invited Maude and Helen to be witnesses'?"
"Do you know a better way to control rumors?" Jason said and they walked to the Saloon for a drink.