Michelle's first day back at school was uneventful. She needed to go by Buzz Cooper's dry goods store on her way to the boarding house to pick up the last of her clothing. When she entered the store she could see this was obviously the high point of the social season, everyone from town (or so it seemed) was in the store and from the looks of it doing their best to congratulate and wish Cassie and Ray Santos, wedding couple #1 the very best in good tidings.
Michelle felt sad, she did not have a husband with her, holding her hand and staring into her eyes like Cassie did. Ray was smitten with Cassie; a blind peddler could see that. The thing that surprised Michelle was how envious she was of this attention and the love the two shared. Buzz was making some grand announcements and gifts were handed to the couple who upon opening them would send shrieks throughout the room.
Buzz Cooper saw her enter the store and acknowledged her quietly, shifting his eyes to the opposite side of the store where the fabric rolls were kept. Michelle saw that he was trying to shield her embarrassment and was telling her that she could stay hidden from view by looking at the material. Ironically, this is what Michelle needed to do anyway. There was one other patron examining the fabrics, a dark woman covered completely head to toe in what was commonly called "widow's weeds."
The darkly veiled woman smiled briefly at Michelle and went back to examining the dark gray and black silks. Michelle walked over to the bright ginghams and woolens; she would like to make some new dresses in bright colors for the winter. The teachers college taught prospective teachers to wear dark conservative clothing and to act in a manner appropriate to their station in life. That meant quiet, scholarly learned pursuits where afternoon teas were the highlights of their social season. She did not remember any lectures covering what to do about your reputation when you were discovered making love in a hay barn sans most of your clothing. She doubted too that most schoolteachers got married to notorious town Marshall's within just a few months of their arrival in a new town either.
Mrs. Drew Kitty came into the store with Mrs. Selena Davis. Michelle noticed that the similarities between the two was striking, they could easily be mother and daughter, had no one else mentioned this, or was another town secret. They both came over and extended their quiet good wishes to Michelle. Selena was looking for dark brocade and went over to inquire of the dark widow of her finds so far.
Drew Kitty took the opportunity to take Michelle's arm and ask her to tea with her on Saturday over at the hotel. She said, Miss Michelle, I have known the Marshall longer than anybody in this town, excepting your brother Doc. He is a good man and you can make this relationship work with him. He is a strong man though; you have to let him make his own decisions. Michelle ever curious of their relationship and what transpired between Drew and Danny agreed to tea and decided to hold her tongue about Drew Kitty's points of discussion. She did ask Drew Kitty about her name. She answered that she liked the two names and often interchanged the two, she said, "People can call me Mrs. Drew Kitty or Mrs. Kitty Drew or any mixture or nickname, just so they call me if you know what I mean."
Michelle noted that Drew Kitty seemed resigned to her line of work but also somewhat depressed. Michelle noted a spark in her eyes when she mentioned certain topics. Maybe one way to deal with this ongoing dilemma with Danny Santos might be for her to play matchmaker with Mrs. Drew Kitty or at least find her a nice man. She thought immediately of the deputy but then realized that the saloon owner would not want a lowly deputy as companion or would she? Meddling would be what her brother called it. Where was her brother anyway? She looked up, would wonders never cease, he was standing with Miss Abigail Blume at the front of the store and for the first time that she could remember they were smiling at one another.
Her brother Doc Bauer was teasing Abigail Blume over her desire to purchase only Shaker seeds and herbs for the medicinal garden she planned for the doctor's small patch of land. Doc was teasing her about her odd choice of Shaker seeds what with her being a Jayhawker (marauders who were old confederates and southern sympathizers who ran roughshod across the state for over ten years following the end of the Civil War). Abigail actually laughed at Rick Bauer for the first time before rethinking her position and saying that she wanted the seeds and herbs but didn't have to answer any questions asked her by a man who'd done his part in killing good southern men. Doc reminded her again that he had saved the live of confederate and union men during his stint in the Union Army and Abby had softened again and actually gazed up into Doc's eyes. This got Vanessa, India and Eleni's attention and there were smiles all around, maybe Miss Abby would not go back to the south come the spring thaw after all. Why didn't this twosome see they were perfect for one another?
Ray and Cassie received a large gift basket of Shaker seeds and herbs and a few bottles of Shaker mixtures, tinctures and elixirs from the townsfolk. Everyone knew that Mrs. Cassie wanted to set up farming. They also knew that with Ray Santos' strong manly ways it was unlikely that she'd get around to doing much of anything other than setting up a kitchen garden with vegetables and herbs outside their ranch house. Santos was obviously smitten with the woman, Buzz Cooper made that announcement for everyone in the room who failed to see the obvious.
It was true, Ray held Cassie throughout the afternoon and kept his hands upon her belly anticipating the baby's first kicks months before they were due. He was so protective of this woman as if she were the most precious person on the face of the earth. Cassie made a big point of saying the basket of seeds was perfect because with this baby coming, her main objective was to make a good home for Ray and the baby.
Cooper shook his head, as did Jesse Blue, the two of them had placed a bet. Jesse bet that Cassie would turn Ray around to becoming a farmer and Cooper bet that Ray would turn Cassie around in her thoughts and ways. Now neither Buzz nor Jesse wanted to even know who won the bet, this couple was just so darn smitten with one another it was kind of sickening to two unmarried men, plus this kind of thing took all the fun out of betting.
Michelle stepped back in surprise when she saw the Marshall come into the store. He walked over to her and without warning bent to kiss her on the lips, a long kiss that caused her to sway and move backwards. This caused a group of cloth bolts to tumble to the floor and all of the attention turned towards them. Later Michelle realized that Danny planned the kiss to achieve this objective. Had he seen her and felt sorry for her or had Drew Kitty mentioned this to him when they passed out on the street? Whatever, Michelle was grateful and even her brother sent a smile her way today. Abigail just scoured at Danny, she obviously now thought him a heathen and a user. She took her brother's arm and walked with the others towards bridal couple #2.
David Grant came forward and said that he had gifts for the two newlywed couples, a book with Shaker lessons, poems and hymns. He asked to read aloud a prayer, which everyone enthusiastically agreed to, as the Shaker sect was well respected but misunderstood, it was the misunderstanding which lent a bit of excitement to the whole proceeding. Afterwards, the townsfolk were somewhat sad that they got all excited over a church prayer.
"Purest Blessing"
Shun the thorn and grow the flower,
Speak no sentiment unkind;
Let thy life like balmy showers,
Give sweet fragrance to the mind.
For with days so swiftly passing,
Friends may go and come no more;
Let them bear thy purest blessing,
Giving but refills, they store.
----
If every good deed and kindly thought here, formed a flower in
the pathway beyond,
How beautiful, how rich in sweet perfume must be the way up the
hill to God.
--From the book "Hymns and Anthems in the Hour of Worship" Canterbury, New Hampshire, 1872
Everyone thanked David Grant, who was still intent on becoming a minister and after passing the ministry test was set to accept the offer to be Dodge's first minister.
Michelle and Daniel followed the rest of the shoppers to the front of the store to partake in Buzz Cooper's rare offering of hard cider and cookies.
Cassie was now tired and weary. She asked Ray if they could leave soon. He nodded yes and kissed her neck as she swayed back in his arms. Both wondered if any two other people had experienced bliss like this. Then Ray saw the dark widow and begged Cassie's pardon, asking her to stand with Michelle for a moment. He went and spoke to the dark widowed woman, a sight few saw except for the Marshall and Buzz Cooper. The widow and Ray had a heated exchange and Santos strode to the front of the store and after saying a few pleasantries, pulled Cassie rather roughly from the store.
He said, "We've got to leave here now Cassie, not later, now." Cassie noted Ray's urgency and looking up into his stern eyes smiled at him and said of course Ray. This softened him a bit and the two left, Ray's eyes met the dark woman's eyes once more as he pushed Cassie through the door. Marshall Santos saw the entire exchange, he, and Cooper exchanged glances of disdain. Cooper wondered if Santos remembered two years ago come November. Something similar to this occurred, a woman in dark clothing came to town, mysterious things started occurring culminating in two farmers dying within a week of each other and right after that Ray Santos bought their lands and increased the size of his spread. The woman disappeared within the week in which Ray bought the land but not without a sizable chunk of bank money exchanging hands. Money from Ben Warren's bank, Savings R Us and Cooper knew for a fact that Warren received 10% of the land purchase fee to cover his handling of the deal.
Marshall Santos' thoughts wandered along the same path, did Cooper remember this as well? More so, had Cooper himself been in on the deal too? Did his cousin have a bad streak; was something wrong with this new picture of Ray as the happy bridegroom? This did not seem to be a case of waiting for time to tell. This needed his attention and clear thinking. He walked over to where Michelle was running her finger across fabric bolts, he went to touch one that she touched and he could swear he felt electrical sparks shoot through his body. The Marshall decided at that moment that he needed to take care of investigating this dark widow business soon but first he needed to pursue something with his new wife or perhaps die trying.
