Christmas Under Western Skies by Anna Schmidt

Author:Anna Schmidt
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2010-09-12T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Julianne soon discovered that planning a wedding on the prairie in the middle of winter was a convoluted affair to say the least. In the first place, the citizens of Homestead had come from all manner of communities and cultures back east, and every woman had her own ideas about how the wedding should be handled.

“You’ll naturally need to reserve the school for that day, and there’s the matter of floral decorations,” Emma said, as she ticked off items on her fingers. “My sister Melanie is quite adept at arranging flowers. Will you need a bouquet for Laura as well as yourself, dear?”

Julianne opened her mouth to answer, but Emma wasn’t listening.

“Are you quite sure you wouldn’t prefer to have someone—well, more mature—attend you? It’s a responsibility as well as an honor after all. And what will you wear?”

“In our homeland of Germany,” Margot Hammerschmidt interrupted, “it is quite common for the guests to kidnap the bride before the wedding so that the groom must search for her.”

“That’s barbaric,” Lucinda Putnam exclaimed.

Glory rolled her eyes. “And how, may I ask, is that any more uncivilized than grown men racing each other to the bride’s house for the reception, just so they can be the first one there and win a kiss from the new bride?”

Emma tapped her pen impatiently on the counter. “We were discussing what our dear Julianne is to wear.” She studied the shelves behind her that held bolts of fabric in all the colors of the rainbow.

“I can wear my Sunday green,” Julianne said. “At least that’s one decision we don’t have to fret about.”

“Absolutely not,” Emma exclaimed. “I will not hear of it.” She took down a bolt of fine wool in a pale rose.

“White is out of the question, of course, but this…”

Glory ran her palm over the fabric. “It’s beautiful.” She unwound several yards and let the fabric spill over her tall frame. “Look how it drapes.”

Julianne lightly ran her fingers over the fabric. She couldn’t help thinking how Nathan’s eyes would light up, seeing her in such a beautiful gown. But he would love her no matter what she wore, and the price of fabric, not to mention the time it would take to sew the gown, was just impractical.

“No,” she said firmly, and turned her attention to the bolts of lace trimmings. “Perhaps a lace cap.”

“That, too,” Glory said, testing the rose wool against several of the lace patterns. “Something a little heavier, I should think.” She looked at the other women who all nodded in agreement.

“Yes, that cream is perfect,” Margot said. “Come over here, Julianne, and let me see it against your skin in the daylight.”

Before Julianne could stop them, her friends had gathered around, draping the rose fabric over her shoulders and letting it flow to the planked floor of the mercantile, and then unfurling several feet of the lace to cover her golden hair.

“Perfection,” Lucinda murmured. “The captain will be quite overcome when he sees you.”

All of the women giggled like young girls, and Julianne could not help smiling.

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