Chapter 22
Good weddings can frazzle strong nerves, and shrink even the bravest spirits to mere shadows, because they demand not only a mass of careful preparation, but also depend on all the fates working in harmony. Iris and Evelyn found themselves both caught up in a whirl of activity as the magic day neared, and both sometimes wondered whether they would stay the course.
�I declare that �Lalia can sometimes be most vexing.� Evelyn had just come from trying to persuade Eulalia that cold codfish cakes might very well be served outside on the great day, still some three weeks ahead of them, providing they stayed in the shade, but Eulalia had been wholly unconvinced. �They�re a great treat in Baltimore, and heavens knows that it can be hot there in summer.�
Iris nodded a little perfunctorily. She was having great difficulty securing the exact shade of silk she wanted to wear on her wedding day. Cousin Stephanie had sent samples from Baltimore, and she had chosen a particularly pretty shade, somewhere between amethyst and pale lilac, in a figured material, to match her eyes. A Nashville textile merchant was committed to supplying two bolts. But they seemed a long time coming, and time was beginning to run short. She knew the pattern she wanted: a long dress with a high-necked bodice, puffed sleeves and a train flowing like a cloak from her shoulders, with a small matching head-dress supporting a light veil. Madame Laval, the best dressmaker for miles around, was waiting. But there was no amethyst silk.
�It�s really most provoking.� She bit her lip. �People make promises, and then make you wait so. Why is he taking so much time?�
Evelyn was nothing if not a determined woman. �We�ll go and call on him.�
They rode down to Nashville that afternoon. They were both mounted sidesaddle, for Evelyn argued that it conferred such a ladylike air, though Iris thought privately that she much preferred riding astride, and her temper was not much improved when the merchant, George Duvallier, kept them waiting at his Second Avenue warehouse. Finally a clerk ushered them into Duvallier�s office, but he seemed very little concerned at their impatience.
�I�m sorry, ladies.� Duvallier was a fat, oily man, with a belly that strained at his waistcoat buttons, and spoke as though he regarded them as little short of an infernal nuisance. �But I�m very busy right now. The governor has ordered up a quantity of cloth to be made into uniforms for state troopers, and you know how it is � the state must take priority.� He smiled greasily.
Iris felt a touch of panic start to rise in her. She had set her heart on wearing a amethyst dress with a veil and a train, though she supposed, if push had to come to shove, that another dress might well suffice. But she really wanted her wedding to be a dream day to remember.
Evelyn was made of sterner stuff. �Two bolts is not a great deal of bother, Mr. Duvallier.�
Duvallier spread his hands. �I�m sorry, ma�am. But my colleagues in Baltimore had to order your silk especially from Europe, and routed it through New Orleans. I last heard of it in Memphis.�
�But that�s only a few hours by railroad.�
�The Governor said he was in a hurry, ma�am.�
�I see.� Evelyn�s voice was icy. �You will hear more of this.�
Duvallier was still rubbing his hands together in a greasy sort of way as she swept out of his office, followed by Iris, for it was plain he considered himself the victor.
Evelyn hurried to where their horses were tethered, and Iris had almost to run to keep up with her.
�Where are we going?�
�We�re going to see David.�
Five minutes later they were climbing a flight of stairs to David Kingman�s office at the Union Station building, and this time they did not have to wait at all. A clerk ushered straight them into David�s office, and he frowned as they recounted their rebuff at Mr. Duvallier�s hands.
�I have a friend who will want to know about this.� He pulled a notepad across his big desk towards him, and began to write on it rapidly. Then he pressed a bell push, folding the note to hand it to the clerk who hurried in.
�Take this over to the Governor�s office.�
He stood up. �I think we will take a little walk, and pay a social call.�
Evelyn and Iris had both heard talk of Governor Benton McMillin, but neither had met him, though they knew David expected him to come to the wedding. They were therefore much impressed when a man in uniform greeted them at the entrance to a large, imposing building, and told David that the Governor wanted them to step right up to his office.
The man in uniform walked ahead of them, as though conducting important visiting dignitaries, and several clerks stood aside respectfully to let them pass. Then he pushed at a door, and they found themselves in a large office hung with oil paintings of distinguished looking men. A man rose from an imposing desk to greet them. He was of middle height, with large moustaches, with his hair brushed over his scalp to hide the onset of baldness, dressed formally in a dark morning coat with velvet facings on the lapels.
�Come in, David, ladies.� He bowed slightly. �You said you needed my help.�
Evelyn quickly outlined the visit she and Iris had paid to Mr. Duvallier, and the� Governor stroked his moustaches. �Tsk, tsk.� He clicked his tongue against his teeth. �I think George Duvallier has been a little too enthusiastic.� He jotted briefly on a notepad. �I will have somebody speak to him, and I think, ladies, you can forget your fears.�
�You mean we will get our silk?�
�You have my word on it.�
Evelyn and Iris never learned how things moved then, but the following morning a man arrived at Mount Vernon with a groveling handwritten apology from Merchant Duvallier and a note from Madame Laval acknowledging the delivery of two fine bolts of amethyst-lilac silk.
Everything moved relatively smoothly after that. It seemed that everyone who counted for anything in mid-Tennessee, plus a good number of friends and acquaintances from the rest of the state, and a strong contingent from Baltimore, wanted to be present at Iris and David�s wedding, and Eulalia�s eyes grew rounder and rounder as Evelyn increased the projected number of mouths they might have to feed.
�The Good Lawd hev� mussy on us, Miz Evelyn, but how kin we?� Eulalia cast around in her mind for comparisons. �Why, yo�re talkin� lak Jesus hissel� gwine come down on us, an� bless bread �n fishes.� She drew in a deep breath. �The Good Lawd respec� me, �n I mean no disrespect, but we jes cain�t do it. We ain�t got no ministerin� angels �mongst us.�
Evelyn sighed, for the two women were much of a mind. But David felt a big wedding would both do wonders for the railroad, and strengthen his own personal standing, and there were those who had noted his friendship with Governor McMillin and believed he should set his sights high. Men were such children, she reflected wryly. They viewed weddings and similar events in terms of provision bills, parking space for carriages, and dollar and cent accounting, whilst sensible women knew the importance of keeping precious moments small and intimate.
�We�ll just have to hire help, �Lalia. Surely you have kinfolk who can help out?�
Eulalia thought for a moment. Many of her extended family from around Gallatin had begun moving north, towards Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago, to find work. But she had a cousin who had joined the military, and was now garrisoned just over the state line in Kentucky. She imagined military men would be both obedient and tractable.
Evelyn thought the idea a very good one. �I�ll talk to David.� She began to muse to herself. �Of course we�ll need them to stand out. Perhaps they�ll be able to come in uniform. That would be rather dashing.�
Eulalia coughed gently. �They�ll all be black, Miz.�
Evelyn started. �So they will. So they will.� She repeated her words thoughtfully. Sometimes she thought Eulalia, Triphema and Rosanna no different to herself. From differing backgrounds, perhaps, and with differing expectations. But all women, nonetheless. Perhaps one day they might all rank equal.
Everyone at Mount Vernon lived in a state of nervous expectation as the great day approached. Madame Laval came several times to take Iris� measurements and fit her into her dress, and then to make numerous adjustments. Fortunately Iris had regained her teenage figure after losing Uriah�s child, though diminishing her milk had been painful at times, and she had no need for excessively tight corseting. Evelyn set one room in the house aside as a wardrobe, with Iris� dress displayed on a life-sized wicker frame, and then Madame Laval conjured up white bridesmaid�s dresses with amethyst-lilac sashes cut and stitched from the rest of the silk for Harriet, Jemma and Ellen, whilst Evelyn decided to wear dark gray.
David set the wedding ceremony for midday on a Saturday, so that it might not conflict in any way with guests� other plans, but Friday was already a busy day.� Joshua and his family arrived with Cousin Stephanie and a gaggle of Kingman cousins, and Evelyn busied herself shoehorning them all into the house. Mount Vernon then dined in an atmosphere of nervous anticipation, but barely slept at all, for Eulalia�s cousin arrived with the rest of his company at the crack of dawn, and began to busy themselves erecting a big marquee in front of the house and a smaller beer tent for the railroad men, with another tent for their own refreshment, and there was no more opportunity for sleeping.
Madam Laval arrived at nine to help Iris dress, whilst Harriet, Jemma and Ellen shared a light breakfast of toasted muffins and hot milk with Joshua�s two sons. Stephanie, Joshua and the Kingman cousins all ate heartily, but David ate little, only toying with some toast spread with a little orange conserve, whilst Evelyn ate nothing at all.
�I can�t, I just can�t.� She held up her hand as Eulalia tried to coax her into nibbling at a lightly poached egg. �I�m just too strung up.�
Eulalia made a disapproving face. She had never been in any situation capable of curbing her appetite, and was sure that starvation could benefit nobody. But she saw that Evelyn was determined, and held her peace.
By eleven everything was in place. Nashville�s premier tailor had fitted David out with a fine black cutaway morning coat, boiled white shirtfront, pale gray vest, striped trousers and spats, and a pin with a head fashioned from a gold Indian Head dollar secured his white silk cravat. He held himself very straight as he stood on the front steps of the house to greet his guests, holding a tall black hat in his gloved left hand, for it is not every day that a man weds, even if he is wedding for a second time.
Men sent by Arthur Hudson had already set up an altar on the grass, and Slew Grant and his coronet band were in place, for a good coronet band can turn a capable hand to any function, whether it be to provide music for a wedding service, a funeral, a ball or plain dancing of the popular kind.
It came up twelve, and David stood in front of the altar a little nervously, with Turner Evered at his side, for he had chosen his most trusted colleague to serve as best man. Turner clutched a gold ring in his hand, and promised himself that he would sink a good measure of the champagne he had seen put on ice in the marquee. The Reverend Arthur Hudson faced them, beaming benignly. Governor McMillin and his wife stood between Joshua Kingman and Cousin Stephanie in the first row of guests behind David, with Madam Laval beaming proudly at Stephanie�s side, and Eustatia Hudson and the four good ladies of her committee beyond her, all with their handkerchiefs at the ready. Eulalia�s cousin and his fellow soldiers were still marshalling late-arriving carriages, and helping carry cakes and pies baked by the guests into the shade of the canvas.
Suddenly Slew Grant lifted his baton, and brought it down smartly. The coronet band struck up Mendelssohn�s Wedding March, and the whole assembly turned towards the house as Iris came down the steps, her veil over her face. Ellen walked in front of her, a circle of small wild iris in her fair hair, and a sheaf of violet iris in her arms, whilst Paws walked beside her with an amethyst sash and a matching garland around his neck. Harriet and Jemma held Iris� train, and both were wearing iris garlands.
Iris walked slowly to stand beside David, raising the veil from her face, and smiled up at him. Arthur Harrison intoned the words of the Episcopalian marriage service, and Turner Evered handed the gold ring he was holding to David to place on Iris� finger. David kissed her gently as heaven united them, and Tennessee gave a great cheer.
The Kingman wedding reception was a celebration to go down into local history. A special train had brought down the railroad men and their wives, together with all David�s Coates acquaintance, and Nashville contributed even more guests. Evelyn tried at one point to estimate the number of people eating, drinking and dancing in front of the big canvas marquee, and guessed that the throng totaled the best part of a thousand heads. Abner, who had taken command of the beer tent, had to send down to Nashville for fresh supplies, and Iris danced with the Governor, though he trod once on her foot. But she refused numerous other invitations, including an approach from a railroad man who smiled at her hopefully, for she recognized him as a brakeman she had once known, and he was longer part of her life.
However all good things must eventually come to an end, and the last guests rolled away in their carriages, leaving Eulalia�s cousin and his fellow soldiers to clear up.
David escorted Iris back to the house, and paused as they stood in the hall at the bottom of the stairs. He bent to kiss her again. �Now you are Mrs. Kingman.�
Iris reached up to fold her arms around his neck. She had thought so often of this moment, and what she might say, once she were wed, but no words were enough to encompass what she now felt. She opened her mouth against his, to kiss him in a way she had never kissed before, and pressed herself against him, because now she had no more need to repress all the feeling and desire she held for him. �Now I am yours.�
Later that night, after their initial learning each of the other, they lay together, and she rested her head on his chest. �Now I know what it is to be happy.�
David caressed her breasts gently, cupping them in his hands. �You are my Wild Iris.�
�And you are my king of a man.�
They slept, but fitfully, because each had ignited a fire in the other, so that they came together each time they woke again, and their unions were each a peak of enjoyment in which they caressed and were caressed, deriving new pleasures from each other with each new caress, and new kiss and new embrace. And then they could kiss no more, and they slept the sleep of the just.
Next day they traveled back to the homestead at Coates. They traveled alone, and Iris cooked for David, and it was a sweet and honeyed time for them both. They rode out in the mornings and afternoons, exploring the land around, and visited the Hitt farm, and the tumbledown building where Jedediah had once kept his still, though again Iris would not dismount.
�� �I hated this place.� She spoke quietly, as though not wishing to disturb Capitola�s ghost, for Mayor Brent had arranged with Pastor Macdonald for Capitola�s interment beside her husband and son.
David moved his horse up against hers and pressed her hand. �Now it�s yours.�
�I don�t want it.� Iris was silent for a moment before speaking again. �There�s so much hardness here, so much death and hatred.�
�I could have it all flattened.�
�No, David.� She shook her head. �Don�t just clear it. Find some charity that will take it, to build a place for orphans like I was. Then good will drive out the evil.�
They traveled to the homestead every weekend after that, through the rest of the summer, taking the children with them, and the three girls learned the names of the flowers and plants and the animals that roamed through the trees by night, and Ellen never took a step without Paws being at her side. But Evelyn began to grow a little restless, for she knew now that her grandchildren were happily settled, and her dream of a trip to Europe pressed a little on her mind.
One morning she came down to breakfast at Mount Vernon, to find a large buff envelope on her plate. The envelope held a first class rail ticket to New York, a second ticket for a comfortable suite on a British liner named the Berengaria, and a letter of credit on Coutts� Bank in London for five thousand pounds sterling.
She looked up, and both David and Iris were smiling, whilst the three girls watched with something akin to awe as she laid the papers in a row on the table.
For a moment they were all silent, and then Evelyn brushed at her eyes with her handkerchief and circled the table to stand with David seated on one side of her, and Iris on the other.
�You are both my darlings.� Her voice caught as she stood with her hands on their shoulders. Then she bent to kiss each of them in turn. �How can I thank you?�
Iris wiped at her own eyes. �How can we thank you? You have been like a mother to us, and we owe you and Franny our happiness.�
�But we�ll be so far apart.�
�Don�t worry, grandmama.� Harriet spoke for herself and her sisters. �We�ll look after Papa and Mama for you.�
They all traveled to Nashville�s Union Station on her day of leaving to wave her farewell, and Eulalia and Abner, Triphema and Rosanna all wept. Even Ruben, the elderly servant whom the general�s widow had treated so coldly, managed the trip, though he was now distinctly rickety on his legs, and Eulalia�s military cousin traveled down from his garrison, for David had presented the soldiers with a generous reward for all their hard work.
Evelyn left Nashville on a Thursday, and David, Iris and the children traveled out to Coates on the Saturday morning. Iris rode into town to shop a little and greet old acquaintances after their arrival, and Cornelia Whiteside presented her with a fine venison pie she had baked. Iris also called on Doctor Carter.
She was quiet as she watched David finish a large slice of pie that night, but there was also something held in within her, a kind of suppressed excitement, and she could not keep it to herself. She stood up to clear his plate from the table, and then returned to stand at his side, caressing his face with the tips of her fingers.
�I�ve been to see Dr. Carter.�
David looked up at her in sudden alarm.
Iris smiled. �No, dearest. It is good news. I am to bear your child.�
Nine months later she also smiled up at David, but now she was lying on a bed, with a small bundle cradled in the crook of her arm.
David bent to kiss her, and she pushed the bundle towards him. �Isn�t she beautiful?�
He smiled as he lifted his new daughter. �I think I am the luckiest man in the world.�
�Next time I will give you a son.�
David shook his head. �It doesn�t matter. Every child you bear me will be a gift of happiness.�
Iris touched his hand. �The girls would never forgive me. They want a little brother to boss about.�
She glanced at Harriet, who had popped her head around the bedroom door. �Isn�t that right?�
Harriet looked a little hurt. �I don�t need to boss any boys. I have two little girls to do what I tell them.�
Jemma and Ellen pushed in after her, and Ellen fondled a big black furry Newfoundland ear. �And Paws.�
And love united the Kingman family, because love had brought them together, and no power can separate what love has united.
ends