Ian smiled as everyone broke into applause, and then he was kissing her.
She felt a tickle on her leg, then realized Elmer had snuck under her skirt. But since the chicken didn’t peck her even one time, instead settling down on her foot and leaning against her leg, quite as if that was Elmer’s way of letting Isadora know she’d missed her, Isadora pulled Ian closer. As she enjoyed the feel of that closeness, she knew she’d finally found the life she was meant to live. She’d been put on a path to a fulfilling life by a loving God, who’d known all along that Isadora was capable of living a life of purpose. She simply hadn’t known how to find that purpose on her own.
Epilogue
OCTOBER 1885
Sitting in the back of the wagon, her elaborate white wedding dress pooled around her, Isadora found the clip-clop of Clyde’s hooves soothing as the wagon rumbled ever closer to the church in Canonsburg where she would be met at the end of the aisle by Ian, the man she couldn’t wait another day to marry.
He’d recently presented her with a spectacular mare he’d purchased from Garrison Farms. But Ivy, named by the children, who’d thought it was appropriate to pay homage to a plant that had originally kept Izzie at Glory Manor, was rather spirited, so Isadora had chosen Clyde to pull the wagon, not willing to put the children sitting beside her in any harm.
She and Ian had decided to return to Garrison Farms in the near future to purchase additional ponies for the children because there were no finer ponies to be found than the ones Mr. Garrison and his family bred. That Ian had told her Mr. Garrison’s troubling financial issues had been resolved, although he wasn’t certain about the details, had been good news indeed. And she was looking forward to reacquainting herself with Miss Poppy Garrison, a lady she didn’t know well, but one she thought could become a good friend.
Isadora smiled as she looked down at Daisy, who was sitting on her lap and playing with the heart-shaped locket Isadora had filled with the dried petals of the flowers the children had used when they’d made her the flower necklace. “It’s pretty, isn’t it?”
“Henry’s chicken’s pretty too.” Daisy smiled her gap-toothed smile, touching the wooden chicken that was hooked at the top of the locket.
Elmer, the real chicken, released a squawk from where she was nestled on Henry’s lap, earning a grin from Henry in return. That grin was at complete odds with the trembling lip he’d brought out earlier when Isadora had made the suggestion Elmer might want to stay at home instead of attending the church service.
“I see the church,” her father said, turning his head to smile at her, holding the reins in a practiced hand as he steered Clyde down the main street in Canonsburg. “Looks like the entire town has turned out to watch you and Ian get married.”
Leaning forward, Isadora saw buggies and wagons lining the street leading to the church, but there were no signs of any people. The good folks of Canonsburg obviously had already taken their seats, waiting for her to arrive.
Accepting her father’s hand after he pulled the wagon to a stop in front of the church, she stepped to the ground, joined by the children. Hester and Aunt Birdie arrived a moment later, driven to the church in an open buggy with Beatrix at the reins, all three ladies looking windblown but not seeming overly concerned about that.
“She’s a bit of a free spirit, your Beatrix,” Aunt Birdie proclaimed as she looked Isadora over, her eyes suddenly turning bright with tears. “You do look beautiful, my dear, although I do miss those spectacles you used to wear all the time.”
“I can’t say I miss those,” Isadora said, taking the hand Aunt Birdie held out to her and giving it a squeeze.
“Amos and I are simply delighted for you and Ian,” Aunt Birdie said, dashing a handkerchief over her eyes. “I told you what seems like months ago that you’d arrived at Glory Manor to find your path, and . . .” She looked to the sky. “I can only thank God that you discovered that path and will now be a part of our lives forever.”
Patting her on the cheek, Aunt Birdie turned and smiled when Henry offered her his arm. Telling everyone she’d see them inside, where she was going to check on Amos, who’d been given the honor of standing up with Ian as his best man, she walked away.
“Jonathon’s sitting with Miss Olive,” Henry all but shouted as he raced back to join his sisters a moment later. “I think we’ll be seeing another weddin’ soon.”
Isadora kissed her mother on the cheek before taking the arm her father held out to her, drawing in a deep breath.
“You don’t have to go through with this if you’re having second thoughts,” her father said, his lips curving into a grin.
She immediately began tugging him toward the door.
As Anna Gillespie applied herself to the organ with enthusiasm, Isadora watched as the children marched their way into the church, Daisy dressed in bright yellow, Violet dressed in purple, and Prim dressed in pink. Henry looked dashing in a blue suit, but not the velvet one Isadora had first thought to have him wear.
A collective sigh drifted through the now-open door of the church, and after Isadora allowed the children enough time to make it down the aisle, she took her place with her father, and then they walked into the church, pausing directly over the threshold.
It was filled to capacity with everyone from the community, as well as some of Ian’s friends, her brothers, and even Miss Norma, who’d been helping with the orphanage that was well underway.
There was no need to worry that the dastardly Duke of Montrose would show up unexpectedly and ruin her day. After he’d been arrested what seemed like years ago, he had made the monumental mistake of descending into a bit of a tirade, screaming as he was held behind bars that he knew how to wield poison with great effect, especially since he had three dead wives to prove it. That tirade was directly responsible for the police charging him with murder.
Bertie, as many society ladies thought of him, although everyone else considered him the Prince of Wales, had stepped in and asked for the duke to be extradited to England, where Bertie promised to deal with him most severely.
True to his word, the Prince of Wales stripped the duke of his titles and his lands, and then had him committed to an asylum, where he was to spend the rest of his days guarded by the queen’s men. By having the duke, whose name, amusingly enough, turned out to be Percival, committed to an asylum, England was spared the embarrassment of having a duke put on trial for murder, something Bertie wanted to avoid at all costs.
Feeling her father give her arm a bit of a squeeze, Isadora began walking with him down the aisle, beaming at everyone beaming back at her. She finally turned her full attention to the man waiting for her, her vision turning misty when Ian sent her a smile, one that was filled with love.
After placing her hand in Ian’s, Frederick lifted aside the veil that was barely covering her face, kissed her cheek, and reminded Ian that Beatrix was an expert shot. As Ian grinned, Frederick stepped back, leaving her holding Ian’s hand.
As Reverend Davis welcomed everyone and began the service, Isadora felt a sense of peace sweep through her, mixed with a great deal of anticipation.
Her future, she knew, was going to be something she’d never imagined, and she couldn’t help but believe that God had thrown up the obstacles she’d had to overcome in order to get her where He wanted her to be.
After Reverend Davis proclaimed them man and wife, Ian took her face in his hands and kissed her, a kiss that was filled with promise and love, and a kiss that had her knees going wobbly.
Keeping a firm grip on her hand after he drew away, Ian turned them as one to face the congregation now on their feet and applauding the new husband and wife.
As the sun shone through a stained-glass window shaped in the form of a cross, Isadora felt her lips curve into a grin as she caught sight of Buttercup moseying through the door, Sparky by her side, although how they’d gotten to town was a bit of a mystery. Buttercup and Sparky were soon met by Elmer, who’d escaped from Henry and
was clucking up a storm as she raced to join her friends.
“That’s a sure sign our life is certain to never turn dull,” Ian said, shaking his head and grinning as the children suddenly raced after Elmer, Violet and Daisy giving Buttercup and Sparky hugs as soon as they reached them, quite as if they’d been parted for years instead of a few hours.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Isadora whispered, and then, with the man she could now call her husband by her side, she began walking down the aisle and into what was certainly going to be a most unusual, yet completely wonderful, life filled with love, laughter, and purpose.
Jen Turano, a USA Today bestselling author, is a graduate of the University of Akron with a degree in clothing and textiles. She is a member of ACFW and RWA. She lives in a suburb of Denver, Colorado. Visit her website at www.jenturano.com.
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Table of Contents
Cover
Half Title Page
Books by Jen Turano
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Epilogue
About the Author
Back Ads
Back Cover
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