“I never imagined being on a train would be quite like this.”

James Connor lowered his newspaper and peered across to the woman seated across from him.

She had long golden hair that fell over her shoulders like a waterfall that morning. Her eyes, as blue as the sky outside, were wide with anticipation as she looked at him, beaming.

Marigold Langston was the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen. She was charming, kindhearted, and had a gentle spirit.

She was, without a doubt, the love of his life.

“Truly?” he asked, laying the paper down upon the table. “Why do you say that?”

She gazed out of the window. The landscape was rushing past, the long, stretching plains having given way to dense forests and rolling hills just the day before.

“It has felt very much like an adventure,” she replied. “All of these interesting people, and the view outside has changed every morning when I have awoken.”

James smiled. “It is one of the beauties of the train. A magnificently fast way to travel across the country.”

“It is incredible,” she said. She leaned closer to the window. “I thought two weeks sounded like a very long time to be cooped up indoors, but it has gone by rather quickly. Wouldn’t you agree, James?”

His heart skipped a beat. She had only been calling him James for the last month or so, ever since he had proposed to her. It still thrilled him to hear her say his name as opposed to properly addressing him. It constantly reminded him he was as blessed as he was and that they were as close as they were.

“Indeed, my darling,” he replied warmly.

Her cheeks flushed and she smiled, looking down at her hands in her lap.

“I am so looking forward to seeing New York …” she said almost wistfully as she turned to look out the window once more.

“As am I,” he replied, still watching her.

It had not been two weeks since they had been engaged when Marigold approached him one evening with a very surprising request.

“I would like to be married in New York,” she had said very matter-of-factly.

“I beg your pardon?” he asked, staring at her with confusion. “New York?”

She nodded her head, her eyes shining brightly in the candle light of his small clinic. “Indeed. I don’t feel it would be right for us to be married without me meeting your family as well. And you have said how lovely New York is in the fall. I should like to have a lovely wedding, one in large stone church. And my family has been here throughout our entire relationship. I would want your family to be involved as well, especially since you are as far away as you are from them.”

He blinked at her. “This … is quite the surprise,” he said eventually. “I would have imagined you would want nothing more than to be married in the chapel here with your father and your sisters around.”

She nodded her head. “That would be lovely, but what about you and your family?”

“They knew the commitment I was making when I moved out here,” he replied. “They knew my life would likely continue on without their involvement.”

“Yes, but I would like their involvement,” she said. “I so loved your sister Abigail, even if she was trying to take you back to New York. She meant well. Your family loves you. I feel I would be doing them a great disservice by not allowing us to be showered in their love and affection as well.”

He sat back in his chair, allowing the idea to sink in. “I do rather like the idea,” he said. He stared at her intently. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

“Of course it is,” she answered, smiling. “As long as they are willing to have us.”

Letters were written right that very evening and sent off the next day. He had just sent his parents a letter about their engagement, and he was certain they would be delighted to have them for the wedding. Sure enough, when the reply came in the middle of September, James rushed to find Marigold and tell her his family would be honored to have them for the ceremony.

“I don’t want to waste any time,” Marigold said, her hands knotted in his. “I want us to be married as soon as we can be. Don’t you agree?”

“I couldn’t agree more,” James replied. “I shall send a letter ahead of us, letting them know we are taking the very next train to New York.”

James’s greatest concern was for the town of Bear Springs in his absence. He worried the town might struggle without him. They had gone out of their way to hire a physician, and he had dealt with some difficult cases for the people. Some, he knew, would have fared far worse if he had not been there with the proper treatment and medicine.

“Certainly we have come to depend on you,” Mrs. Green told him. “But you must go and get married! Then you can return to us and resume your duties! None of us will hold that against you.”

“We got on just fine without you before you got here, son,” Marv, the saloon owner told him with a wink. “We can handle ourselves until your return.”

Mr. Langston, Marigold’s father, was the one who concerned James the most about telling. He was an incredibly protective man, especially of Marigold.

Marigold insisted that she be the one to talk to him, and when she returned that night saying he thought it was a wonderful idea, James knew there was nothing to be done aside from purchasing the train tickets.

He left the care of the clinic with Mr. Morrison, a man who James was coming to reply upon as a friend. He assured James he would take good care of his place for him, and he would keep track of anything he might use and refill his stocks if the need arose.

Marigold’s eyes were glued to the window, watching in awe as the train wound its way through the mountains. They climbed ever higher, the valleys spread out before them like a painting.

Being the middle of October, the trees were all varying shades of gold and amber and ruby. There was a pleasant crispness to the air, and the sunlight made the forests seemingly glow from the inside.

“How are you feeling?” James asked her.

“I’m quite all right,” she replied, smiling knowingly at him.

“Well, I still wish to ask because trains often upset people’s stomachs. Or make them dizzy.”

“You have asked me those same questions every day since we began this journey,” she said, still smiling.

James replied in kind. “It is my duty as a doctor, and your fiancé, to ensure your health is in good condition.”

“I am fine,” she replied. “More than fine. Excited.” She gazed out of the window. “Everything is so different out here …”

He nodded. “It certainly is.”

The train conductor appeared inside the car, pulling his golden watch from the pocket of his coat.

“We will be arriving at our destination within the hour,” he told the passengers in the car.

Marigold’s face paled. “One hour?”

“I shall be grateful to stretch my legs properly for the first time in three days,” James said, stretching his arms over his head.

She didn’t say much over the next hour, but instead watched the changing scenery with anticipation.

James knew when they had reached the city without even looking up from his paper; Marigold gave a small gasp and laid her hands on the window as she peered out of it.

“My heavens …” she said.

And there it was. The sprawling, reaching buildings could be seen in the distance, the river around it reflecting it like a perfectly smooth piece of glass.

James felt a sense of relief wash over him.

He was home at last.

He helped Marigold to gather their belongings onto one of the trolleys, and together they disembarked from the train.

The platform was a very busy place. People were coming and going from all over the country. Train whistles shrieked, people called to one another, and the great rush of steam from the engines filled the air.

Marigold was staring around with wide eyes, her face still pale.

“Just stay close to me,” James said as he began to walk down the platform.

She did not stray more than a foot away from him, her hand clamped tightly on his arm.

People continued to file past them, but James noticed one thing that many people had in common.

They were, both men and women, staring at Marigold. The women appeared envious, as if no woman should be allowed to be as lovely as she was. The men were obviously transfixed with her beauty, staring at her with dumbfounded expressions. She was far too beautiful, James knew, especially to be there with him, such an ordinary man.

But she did not seem the notice the attention. Instead, her eyes gazed around at the large train station with mingled awe and apprehension.

“It’s lovely, isn’t it?” James said. “A very busy place, indeed, but such magnificent architecture.”

The ceiling towered overhead, made entirely of glass, allowing the afternoon sun to shine down onto the trains and their passengers.

“I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.”

They continued on, pressing forward toward the entrance, when a voice called out through the crowd.

“James Connor! Over here!”

He and Marigold looked around, and James burst out laughing. “Charlie! Whatever are you doing here?”

The men crossed in front of a few unhappy passersby and threw their arms around one another, laughing merrily.

“It is good to see you again, brother,” Charlie said, pulling away. “Let me get a good look at you, now.”

Charlie was a head taller than James with the same dark hair, but he had their father’s grey eyes. He was a larger man as well, with broad shoulders and a strong jaw. His closely trimmed beard disguised the fact that he and James looked so much alike.

“Well now, it appears that the West has done you some good. Look at all of those muscles!” Charlie said, pinching James’s upper arm.

“I had no idea it would be you coming to pick us up!” James replied excitedly. “I thought it would be Father.”

Charlie grinned. “I insisted that it was us,” he said, gesturing to the red headed woman beside him and their two children.

“Oh, Molly, it is wonderful to see you,” James said, turning to embrace the woman. “It has been far too long.”

“Indeed it has,” she replied.

The two children were clamoring to get to James, dragging on his coat and his legs.

“Yes, yes, how could I forget about you two?” he asked, kneeling down and allowing them to throw their tiny arms around his neck. “My favorite niece and nephew after all,” he said, winking at them.

“And you must be Marigold,” Charlie said, turning to Marigold who was standing just off to the side, her hands folded tightly in front of herself. He grinned and held out his hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Marigold smiled, her whole face lighting up as she allowed Charlie to place a small kiss on the back of her hand.

“You are a pretty thing, aren’t you?” Molly said, coming forward. “I am Molly Connor, Charlie’s wife. And your soon to be sister-in-law.”

‘It is lovely to meet you both,” Marigold said, moving closer to James. “I have heard many wonderful things about his siblings and their families.”

“And this is Mary and Michael,” Molly went on, putting her arms around the little ones still trying to crowd around James.

Marigold greeted the children as well, but James could tell there was an apprehension in the way she spoke to them, a reservation he was unfamiliar with. He was aware that all of this, everything around her, was very new. It must have been very overwhelming for her, a great amount to take in in such a short period of time.

“So how was the trip?” Charlie asked, moving to take control of their trolley. Molly grabbed the children by the hand, and together they all began to make their way toward the exit doors.

“Quite enjoyable,” James replied. “Rather quiet, as well. We only made a few stops along the way, but it gave Marigold a chance to see a bit more of the country.”

“And how are you liking our fair city?” Charlie asked, leaning around his brother to look at her.

Marigold’s face colored. “Oh, well, it is rather lovely, isn’t it? Such a large city.”

“A large city indeed,” Charlie laughed. “No lovelier city in the country. Nor the world, if you ask me.”

“Darling, you haven’t been to every city in the world. How can you know?”

“I have seen my fair share, and New York is the greatest among them.”

Molly smiled and shook her head. “Once from New York, always from New York,” she said.

“Where are you from, then?” Marigold asked.

“New Jersey,” she replied. “The shore, of course. I do miss it. But New York is lovely, especially this time of the year.” She grinned at Marigold. “The perfect time of year for a wedding, if you ask me.”

They found their carriage, and Charlie helped to unload their trunks. James helped Marigold up inside. Her large eyes looked all around at the fine detail, the luxurious fabrics used, and James could tell from the look on her face that she was highly impressed.

“Mother and Father are so very excited for your return home,” Charlie said as he crawled into the carriage beside his wife. “They planned a lavish dinner for you both this evening.”

“They didn’t have to go to all that trouble,” James replied.

“You know how Mother is,” Charlie said, grinning. “Never misses a chance to celebrate. And you coming back to New York is something to celebrate! And a wedding! It’s all very exciting.”

He looked over at Marigold, who was peering out of the small window.

“I imagine you are quite excited about this whole affair?” he asked.

Startled, she looked around at him. “Very much so.”

Charlie grinned at James. “You both must be exhausted after such a journey,” he said. “I do hope Mother will allow you some rest before the big day.”

Conversation lapsed into casual discussion, and James watched Marigold as she stared out into the large city. He wondered what was going through her mind at that very moment, if she was as happy as he was to be there.