Melissa took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Ian was gone when she awakened in the mornings, so he was unaware that she had begun to experience morning sickness. Now it seemed dizzy spells were going to plague her, too. "It's nothing, just the excitement is all. I'm fine."
She looked too pale for Alanna to believe her. "I think we better sit down and rest a minute. You really don't look well, and you don't want to be ill for your wedding."
Melissa didn't feel up to protesting her cousin's suggestion. She sank down into the nearest chair, leaned back, and closed her eyes. Only a few days remained before the wedding, and she wasn't worried about missing it. "Can you keep a secret?"
"Yes, but if it's something important, perhaps you ought to tell Ian or your parents rather than me."
"Oh, Alanna, you're so incredibly naive, but it's charming. Truly it is." She sat up and, after a suspenseful pause, confided in her. "It's too soon for me to be sure as yet, so please don't tell anyone, but I think Ian and I will become parents as quickly as my mother and father did."
Rather than respond with the excited squeal Melissa had expected, Alanna had to look away. The mention of a baby had brought such painful memories of her sisters and brother, that she needed a moment to shut them out. They had been beautiful children, and she tried always to think of them as angels surrounded by the glory of heaven, rather than as she had last seen them. It was a struggle, but finally she found a smile.
"Does Ian know?"
"No, not yet, and don't you dare tell him either! This is my news, and I'll share it with him when I'm certain. I had to tell you because there are times, like a few minutes ago, when I'm not quite myself, and I don't want you to worry. I'm sure it's perfectly natural."
"Shouldn't you speak with Dr. Earle?"
"Having a baby isn't like being sick, Alanna. There's no need for me to consult a physician. I'm feeling much better already."
The color had returned to Melissa's cheeks, so Alanna didn't argue, but she still felt uneasy. Melissa was right, it was time to grow up, but somehow she thought she had already done that a long time ago.
* * *
Melissa's wedding day was slightly overcast at dawn, but by the time she, her parents, and Alanna were dressed and ready to leave for the Bruton Parish Church, the skies were clear. May was always an exceptionally pretty month, and that year it was especially fine. It would be a glorious day for a wedding, and no effort had been spared to make Melissa and Ian's memorable.
Rachel had been too busy supervising the preparations to have time to consider the meaning of the day, but once she was seated opposite her daughter in the carriage, she could no longer stifle her tears, prompting her husband to scold her in a teasing fashion.
"This is supposed to be a happy occasion," he reminded her. "What will everyone think, if the mother of the bride is weeping throughout the ceremony?"
"They'll think me very sentimental, which I can't deny," Rachel replied.
Melissa was too happy to care what anyone said about her mother, but she hastened to defend her. "The wedding is going to be so beautiful, everyone will be moved to tears, and no one will think Mother is overly sentimental. I want to thank you both. Ian and I will never forget your kindness."
It was John who nearly choked on tears then. He took out his handkerchief and blew his nose to hide his discomfort, but both his wife and daughter understood the cause of his distress. For the past month, Melissa had remained at home, and her marriage had brought little change in their lives, but from that day on, she would be living with Ian, and her love and loyalty would belong to him. "Our home is going to seem empty without you," he finally managed to say.
"Just wait for the day when Ian and I come to visit with all ten of your grandchildren. Then you'll be happy to see me leave."
Amused by the thought of his lovely daughter surrounded by ten youngsters, all with Ian's bright red hair, John had to laugh. "When you put it that way, yes, I realize I ought to enjoy the quiet while I can. I wonder just how much longer you'll be with us, Alanna. You're so pretty today, we'll be lucky if someone doesn't run off with you, too."
"John, you hush about that," Rachel scolded. "One elopement was more than enough for this family."
Alanna was grateful her aunt had distracted her uncle so easily, but she could not even imagine herself becoming so enamored of a young man that she would consider marriage, let alone an elopement. She was thrilled for Melissa, but didn't expect to ever have a lavish wedding of her own. Perhaps it was because Melissa was already wed, but there had been very little in the way of confusion that morning. Their gowns had been laid out the previous evening, with every stocking and slip in its place, so they had been able to dress in less time than they had for parties. There had been no anxiety, no apprehensions, merely a calm commitment to giving this second wedding the look of a well-rehearsed formal rite.
Melissa and her family arrived at the Anglican church as the first of the guests began to appear. The priest had not been taken into their confidence, and before leaving the carriage, John reminded the women to keep their silence in that regard. "This is the day your marriage begins, Melissa, and none of us need ever admit otherwise. We'll ask for God's blessing today, but we've already been blessed, and I hope that for the rest of our lives, we'll never have to fool our friends and neighbors as we have this last month. Lies don't come easy to me, and I don't need more practice in using them. From now on, let's all endeavor to live lives where only the truth prevails."
"Amen," Rachel added.
Melissa nodded and, in her mind, her actions had all been governed by the truth. She cared deeply for Ian, and she intended to be all he would ever want in a wife. She took her father's hands as she left the carriage, and smiled bravely. "You'll never be sorry for this, Papa."
John had seen the love reflected in her eyes when she was with Ian, and didn't doubt her. He placed a kiss on her cheek and helped her adjust the fit of her veil. "I've never seen a lovelier bride. That's not to say that your mother wasn't a beauty, but today you look enough like she did on our wedding day, for me to mean that as a compliment to you both."
"Thank you, Papa."
The Frederick sisters and their parents arrived then, followed by additional guests; the bridal party entered the church to wait for the ceremony to begin. They heard the muffled conversation as the pews began to fill, and the deep tones of the organ as the hymns Melissa and Ian had chosen were played. John and Rachel smiled with memories of their own wedding, while Sarah and Robin Frederick looked forward to equally splendid ceremonies of their own. Melissa twisted the sapphire and diamond ring Ian had given her, and had only sweet thoughts of him. Alanna, with neither pleasant memories nor hopeful dreams, stood nearest the door and, when all the guests had arrived, conveyed the priest's signal to begin.
The church had been decorated with huge bouquets of white roses and camellias. Sarah, Robin, and Alanna were dressed in gowns of ice blue taffeta with the iridescent sheen of pearls, and Rachel was equally lovely in an exquisite shade of sky blue. The golden threads interwoven in the ivory satin of Melissa's gown reflected the sunlight streaming in the windows, framing her in a hallowed glow. The guests responded with appreciative gasps as her father escorted her down the aisle, but all she saw was Ian.
Recently promoted to captain, Ian's red coat was accented with deep blue lapels, generous amounts of gold braid, and two rows of brass buttons. His waistcoat, while bordered in gold, matched the cream-color of his britches. A pair of highly polished black boots and a sword completed his attire. Melissa had chosen blue for her bridesmaid's dresses, not simply because it was her favorite color, but because blue blended perfectly with the uniforms Ian and his friends would wear.