_____
Ten minutes later, they were sitting in Reverend Jacob Faraday’s parlor with his wife, Adelaide sitting beside him. Jake assumed the only reason for her presence was to evaluate him. He was sure that she knew Sara well, but he had been gone for three years and neither she nor her husband had met him since he’d returned. He could have become a devil worshipper while wearing his blue uniform. Even worse, he could have converted to Catholicism.
“Your mother already told me of your plans to marry, Sara. I’ll admit that I am a bit startled by the suddenness of your request.”
He then turned to Jake and said, “I know that you were visiting Sara’s sister before you enlisted. It’s only natural for one to believe that you might be marrying Sara because of her sister’s rejection.”
Jake wasn’t offended because he was sure that it was probably the general consensus in town, so he took Sara’s hand before he said, “I can understand why you might be concerned, Reverend. But I assure you that I love Sara completely as Sara. If she didn’t believe me, she would never have agreed to let me court her.”
Sara squeezed Jake’s hand before saying, “I asked him that question the first day we talked, and I know he loves me as I am. I love him just as much and neither of us wants to delay the start to our new life together.”
Reverend Faraday glanced at his wife who nodded just slightly before he looked back at the couple and smiled.
“Then I’ll be more than happy to perform the ceremony this afternoon at two o’clock. I suppose you would have walked to the courthouse if I ‘d denied your request anyway. Am I right?”
Sara smiled as she replied, “You know me well, Reverend.”
Everyone stood and Reverend Faraday said, “Come to my office first to fill out the necessary papers. Will you bring your own witnesses?”
Sara answered, “My parents will be there to act as witnesses.”
Jake shook the reverend’s hand before he and Sara left the parlor.
As they walked back to retrieve the horses, Jake said, “That went better than I’d expected. I thought Mrs. Faraday was about to bring out a torture rack to start an intense interrogation. I guess our almost non-existent courtship was the reason more than my absence.”
“I don’t think she was that worried about you. She just knew better than to try to stare me down.”
Jake laughed because he knew it was true.
_____
After returning Orville’s horse to the small barn behind the Smith’s home, Jake and Sara stepped onto the back porch and Jake let Sara open the door.
When they entered the kitchen, Jake was surprised to find Kay sitting with her mother at the kitchen table. He assumed she had heard about her sister’s nuptials, so he hoped that Sara’s judgment of Kay’s reluctant acceptance was accurate.
He took off his hat, smiled and said, “Hello, Kay. How are you?”
Kay didn’t even glance at Sara as she stood, smiled and replied, “I’m fine. I was told that you and Sara are going to be married soon.”
Jake nodded then turned to look at Sara as she said, “In about two and a half hours, to be exact. We just left Reverend Faraday and wanted to let everyone know.”
Her mother quickly bounced to her feet and exclaimed, “You’re getting married this afternoon?”
Sara replied, “Mama, I didn’t come home last night, so I would think that you’d be relieved to know we’ll be getting married today.”
Priscilla sighed before she smiled, took Sara’s hands and said, “I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. Do you need me and your father to act as your witnesses?”
“If you don’t mind. Orville and Emmett can watch the store for an hour or so.”
“I’m sure they can. Have you had lunch yet?”
“No, Mama.”
“Then let’s get you and Jake fed.”
As her mother bustled to the cookstove, Sara looked at her older sister and asked, “Who is watching the boys?”
“Oh. After I told Homer that you were getting married, he hired Hanna Marsden as a nanny. She was very happy to get the job and loves our babies.”
Jake was still smiling as he listened but had no idea who Hanna Marsden was. It didn’t matter. What did matter was that Kay did seem at least tolerate his decision to marry Sara.
Sara and Kay then joined her mother at the cookstove and because he was sure that his assistance was neither necessary nor desired, Jake took a seat at the table
As he studied the two sisters, Jake tried to see them through a stranger’s eyes. If he was walking down the boardwalk and they were leaving their father’s store together, would he even think they were sisters? Granted, Kay was older and had a gained some weight, but Jake imagined her as she was when he was visiting her. It was then that he saw the family resemblance. There were physical differences, of course. The younger Kay was more fully figured than Sara, and there was the small difference in hair color and in the shade of their blue eyes.
His lust-driven attraction to Kay had made him blind to her character. Yet because Sara was just a young, thinner sister, Jake was able to recognize her extraordinary inner nature. And now he finally was able to realize that it was their personalities that were so markedly different.
Sara may have described herself as blunt, but Jake saw her as frank and honest. She also had a perfect sense of humor bolstered by a vivid imagination. Sara was insightful and intelligent, which would help him avoid major pitfalls in the future. He’d already made more than his fair share of mistakes.
But
