The Weddings
Joane and Leonard stood in front of the priest and recited their vows in front of the whole community. When it came time to the part of the "I do's" Joanne spoke very softly and Leonards was more of a grunt. Sophie, ever the optimist still had hopes that their marriage would find momentum and affection but this scene was not encouraging. Sophie wondered if this man could talk. Sophie cringed when he bent down to kiss Joane. It was a soft sweet kiss though and Sophie wondered what it would feel like to kiss a man with such a full beard.
A few other brides and their husbands were next. They were all slightly awkward. How could it not be when they didn't even know each other? Soon Kathryn and Phillip were standing at the front of the church. Phillip was a lot taller than Kathryn. Sophie smiled as he watched him put his hand at the small of her back offering support. Sophie thought they would be okay. She briefly wondered about their wedding night thinking it would probably be pretty exciting. There was definite chemistry radiation off of the two of them. Their kiss made Sophie blush and look down at her hands. She watched the two of them walk arm in arm back down the aisle as a newly married couple. She spotted Thomas the blacksmith leaning against the wall in the back of the room. She smiled at him and raised her hand in a small wave. He didn't smile back but nodded his head. He was dressed just the same as he was yesterday and his face was still smudge with filth.
Finally Sarah and Terrence made their way down the aisle. Terrance was smiling proudly and he couldn't keep his eyes off of Sarah. Sophie was so happy for her friend. He was just a kid himself and he was so sweet. Sophie imagined watching their marriage grow and blossom. What an amazing future they had in front of them.
Sophie dabbed a small tear from the corner of her eye as she stood and everyone applauded. They followed the crowd out to the town center where a celebration was waiting. The couples sat together at tables. Drinks and food were passed around and everyone was laughing and conversing with each other. Frida introduced Sophie to so many people she couldn't remember all their names.
Frida never indicated herself if a man was single or not but they each found a way to work that bit of knowledge in. The butcher was single. He made that clear within the first 30 seconds of their conversation. So was the cobbler, tailor and local merchant. She met a few other men who worked on farms like Sarah and Kathryn's husbands. Usually they would let her know they were single by saying something like, "I wish I had been lucky enough to be paired with one of you ladies today." Sophie just smiled and nodded. She did not address the obvious fact that she was a lady from the ship and she was not married.
Sophie was enjoying meeting everyone but the constant reminder that she was single was getting extremely tiresome. She met a few of the women who arrived in Jamestown a few months earlier. She wanted to dive right in and ask them real questions but this wasn't the time or place. She made plans to meet with them the following day. That gave her time to really think about what questions she had.
Willard did not leave her side despite all the times she tried to ditch him. He never added much to any conversation; he just stood creepily at her elbow snorting and laughing at any comment that was remotely humorous. She really wished she could shake him. Even his mouth breathing was becoming unbearable.
The whole situation, while enjoyable, made Sophie nervous. There were so many people to meet and so many of them wanted to meet her. She fiddled with the key around her neck almost constantly. Her mother would have scolded her for her fidgeting. Every time she thought about it, she slid the key discreetly back inside her dress, but without fail, she would unconsciously pull it back out again. She was absently rubbing her key between her fingers while she looked for Thomas. He was drinking with some other men at a table across the crowd and when she spotted him he had been watching her. He didn't avert his eyes or pretend not to be looking at her. She found she liked his subtle confidence. There was no deceit in him she thought. Even if he was caught staring, he owned it, he didn't pretend he wasn't. His eyes shot between her and Willard curiously. She tried to make her way over to him but Willard stopped to introduce her to Millie, one of the devoted members of their perish. By the time Sophie had offered the polite greetings and inquiries Thomas had disappeared. She was disappointed. He was still her most favorite person on the whole continent.
"Excuse me," a man said from behind her. Sophie turned around to see who had approached her. It was the priest and the governor's clerk Taylor who she had been introduced to earlier.
Taylor was a shorter man but pleasant. He had sandy blonde hair and a kind enough smile although he was all business all the time. Sophie didn't know this, but Jeremiah's death was putting quite the toll on him. He was doing all of his own work and Jeremiah's. Not to mention that Jeremiah was his very good friend. They had crossed the ocean together. Their lives were very intertwined.
"Oh hello," Sophie said cheerily.
"We have some business we would like to speak with you about. Could we call upon you later today?"
"Well I suppose. Can I ask what it is in regards to?"
"Yes," the clerk said. "It is in regards to Jeremiah's personal effects."
"Excuse me?"
"We have discussed this a lot," the clerk explained. "And we all feel that he would want you to inherit all his belongings. We would like to discuss that with you."
"Oh," Sophie was speechless. "Me? Are you certain?"
"Absolutely," the priest interjected. "Ms. Collins, even though your marriage was not legally solidified. You were in every other aspect, his wife. You gave him so much hope and happiness. This is what he would want."
"Wow, that is really incredible." Sophie swallowed really hard. "I would be happy to speak with you all."
"Good," Taylor nodded. "We will come for you after the celebrations.
Sophie didn't remember much of the party after that. All she could think about was Jeremiah, this man who was having such an impact on her life and whom she had never met. She was sad again. It was so strange to mourn a person she didn't know but she suddenly felt disrespectful in her baby blue dress. She should be wearing black.