Chapter Four
By the time Owen pulled up to Judge Rick Johnson’s house, it was well after midnight. He had dropped Natalie and Velma off at his home since it was on the way to the jailhouse. As he promised, his wife was willing to take the two women in. Afterwards, he and the deputy put the men in jail. The deputy stayed behind to fill out the paperwork on the men, and Owen took Angela and Sep to the judge’s residence.
As Owen knocked on the front door, Angela stayed close to Sep. It was strange that she could feel safe with him so soon, but there was something about him that compelled her to trust him. Maybe it was the way he’d held her. There was a certain tenderness in his touch. And he had come to rescue her and the other two women from Mr. Dodson. He was on the side of the law.
It seemed to her that he was a fine man who would make a good husband. She only hoped he wasn’t going to be too upset when he found out about her face. Surely, he figured there was some reason why she wore a veil. No other woman did it.
She bit her lower lip. Maybe she should show him her face. Maybe she should let him know what he’d be getting himself into by marrying her. If he was as good as she suspected, then he would still go through with the wedding, even if he was disappointed.
She was ready to remove her veil so he could see her face when the door opened. A very sleepy middle-aged man looked at them. As soon as his gaze fell on Owen, he grew more alert.
“Is someone in trouble?” the man asked.
“No, no one’s in trouble. Well, no one here anyway.” Owen paused. “I know the hour is late, but a situation came up, and Sep needs to marry this fine young lady.” He gestured to Angela. “Her name is Angela. Angela…” He glanced at her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your last name.”
“It’s Frank,” Angela replied.
“Bank?” he asked.
“No. It’s Frank.” Then she cleared her throat and said in a louder voice, “My name is Angela Frank.”
“My apologies,” Owen said then turned his gaze back to the judge. “She’s Angela Frank. What do you say, Rick? Do you mind doing this tonight? That way they can go straight to Sep’s house and get some sleep. It’s been a long evening. I’m sure they’re exhausted.”
Rick nodded and led them into the parlor.
“Rick, who’s here so late at night?” a woman asked as she came into the room.
The middle-aged blonde was just as attractive as Velma and Natalie. Without having to be told, Angela knew this was Rick’s wife since Rick gave her the same affectionate look Angela’s father gave her mother.
“Sep is getting married, Sally,” Rick said. “I suppose he thinks coming here in the middle the night is more romantic than going to the courthouse during the day.”
By his playful tone, Angela knew he was joking, and she relaxed. That was good. At least he wasn’t upset with her and Sep for showing up at this late hour.
With an excited squeal, Sally hugged Sep. “You’re finally getting married!”
Sep rolled his eyes as Sally turned to hug Angela. “You’d swear I was an old man with the way you said that.”
Sally shook her head. “You’ve been all alone at that farm since you were sixteen. I was beginning to wonder if you’d ever get someone out there to keep you company.” She clasped her hands together and grinned at him and Angela. “I’m so happy you’re getting married. Weddings are romantic whether they’re done in private or in public. It’s always a thrill to see two people come together in holy matrimony. You’re embarking on a new journey together. It’s a journey that you’ll share for the rest of your lives. You’ll now have the same dreams, the same hopes, the same—”
Before she could finish, a seventeen-year-old boy came into the parlor. “What’s going on?” he asked through his yawn.
Sally’s attention went to him. “Greg, your cousin Sep is getting married. Isn’t that exciting?”
“Not really,” Greg said.
She gasped in surprise. “Greg Theodore Johnson, that’s not nice. You should be excited for him.”
“What is everyone doing up?” came another voice, which was from an eight-year-old girl.
“Maybe Laura will appreciate this moment,” Sally told Greg. Turning to her daughter, Sally said, “Your cousin Sep is finally getting married.”
“Is that all?” Laura asked, not looking any more excited by the event than Greg was.
It was a good thing Angela was wearing a veil because she couldn’t help but grin in amusement. They were both too young to take an interest in weddings. It was something only older people could appreciate.
Probably noting Sally’s disappointment, Rick put his arm around her shoulders. “I’m sure if they were more awake, they would appreciate this a lot more. Let me get my book from the den. I’ll be right back.”
Realizing that Greg and Laura were staring at her in curiosity, Angela lowered her gaze. No doubt they were curious about the veil. She thought she wouldn’t be so self-conscious with the veil on. It was why she bought it before she left her hometown. But now she knew otherwise. In some ways, the veil almost seemed worse because people could imagine all kinds of reasons why she wore it.
She could not, however, bring herself to remove it. Not yet. Not here. Not when everyone was watching her. She wasn’t sure when the right time would be to remove the veil. Any chances she might have had of warning Sep about her scars were long gone. There was no way she could tell him right now.
She wasn’t sure when she should do it, either. Should she do it later tonight? Should she wait until tomorrow? Or the day after that? Or should she try to get away with wearing the veil for the rest of her life?
Rick came back into the room, a book open in his hands. “Alright, I’m ready. It won’t take long. If the bride and groom will come over here,” he gestured to the spot in front of him, “we’ll get the ceremony started.”
Sally, letting out another excited squeal, guided Sep and Angela over to him.
It was obvious to Angela that the person most excited about this wedding was Sally. Angela had no idea what Sep was thinking since his expression was blank. Given the bored looks on the children’s faces, they weren’t all that pleased about being woken up.
Rick, on the other hand, seemed to be a good sport about things since he started reading from the book with a smile on his face.
Angela dared a peek over at Owen. Owen’s thoughts seemed to be elsewhere. He was probably thinking about what he should do with the men he had just arrested. She had no idea what would become of them. Mr. Dodson and the men he had hired to sell her and the other two women deserved what they were going to get.
Even as the thought crossed her mind, her stomach churned with guilt. Was she any better than them? She would have gone along with their plan. She was so desperate for a husband that she would’ve done just about anything to get one. Well, anything short of committing a crime. Was allowing oneself to be sold to the highest bidder a crime? Just what did her willingness to do it say about her? Did it mean she was a bad person? Did it mean she would be a bad wife?
“Angela Frank,” Rick began, “do you take Sep Wilson to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
She quickly turned her attention to Rick. She hadn’t realized Sep had already said yes to his vows.
“Do you promise to obey, respect, and cherish Sep,” Rick continued, “in sickness and in health, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, forsaking all others for as long as you both shall live?”
She cleared her throat. “I do.”
Rick turned his gaze to Sep. “Usually, I would tell the groom to put a ring on the bride’s finger, but since this happened so suddenly, I know there isn’t one. We’ll go straight to the kiss.”
Angela blanched. A kiss? That meant she would have to lift her veil. If she did that, then everyone, especially the groom, would see the scars that she was hiding. And it might make him reconsider following through with marrying her, or it might make his family tell him to consider taking a prettier bride.
“That’s not necessary,” Sep said, saving her from having to come up with a reason why they shouldn’t kiss. “We can kiss at home. It’s been a long day, and I’m sure everyone is eager to get back to bed.” He glanced over at Greg and Laura who were whispering to each other about how long the wedding was taking.
Sally frowned at them. “I’m ashamed of you two. I raised you to be better than this.” She turned her attention back to Angela and Sep. “I am so sorry they’re acting this way.”
Sep chuckled. “It’s alright. I’m not a big fan of weddings, either.”
“I think weddings appeal more to women than they do to men and children,” Rick said, giving Sep and Angela a wink.
“Well, I should get these two home,” Owen spoke up. “I picked Sep up earlier tonight from his home so he could guide me to the livery stable where the men were hiding Angela and the other two women they had tricked into coming to Omaha.”
Rick nodded. “All I need is for everyone but the children to sign the license. Then this marriage will be official.” He pulled a piece of paper from the book and set it on the table.
Signing the license went quickly enough, and as Angela, Sep, and Owen left the Johnson’s residence, it occurred to her that she was no longer Angela Frank. She was now Angela Wilson.
Just the thought of taking on Sep’s last name made her skin warm with pleasure. She was finally a married woman. Now she would have a home that was her own. She would have a husband and children to care for. She no longer had to live by herself in a small teacher’s room off to the side of the schoolhouse.
Angela wasn’t sure what kind of marriage she was getting herself into. To be fair, Sep didn’t know what he was getting himself into, either. But they had the rest of their lives to learn about each other.
Sep, she was sure, was a good man. He told the sheriff what was going on with Mr. Dodson, and he even helped the sheriff rescue her, Velma, and Natalie. So there was no doubt she was getting a bargain with him. It was a much better bargain than she would’ve gotten with a seedy man who bid on women in an auction.
She could only hope that, in the years to come, he wouldn’t regret marrying her. She vowed to be the best wife possible. Maybe if she was pleasant enough, cooked well enough, and cleaned well enough he would be willing to overlook her scars. Because, as much as she’d love to wear the veil forever, it really was just a matter of time before he saw them.
***
By the time Owen pulled his wagon up to Sep’s farm, Angela had fallen asleep. Sep wasn’t surprised. She had started yawning as soon as Owen left Rick’s house. He had put his arm around her shoulders to support her so she wouldn’t fall over when she started to doze off. He could only guess how long she’d been up. If she came in on a train earlier that day, then she could have been up for days.
The hour was well past midnight. Judging by the position of the moon in the sky, it was almost two. At this point, even he was ready to fall into bed and get to sleep.
Owen stopped the wagon in front of his house and set the brake. “I’ll bring her carpetbag inside.”
With a nod, Sep gathered Angela into his arms and carefully stepped down from the wagon as Owen retrieved her luggage. Following Owen up the porch to his front door, Sep did his best not to wake her up. As soon as Owen opened the door, Sep’s dog, an American Foxhound named Fred, came rushing over to them.
Fred let out an excited bark, and Angela stirred in Sep’s arms. “Shh…” Sep told Fred. “You need to be quiet. She’s asleep.”
Fred quieted down and backed up so that Sep could carry Angela across the parlor and up the stairs, Owen following close behind. Fred, meanwhile, followed Owen.
Sep went to his bedroom and placed Angela on the bed. Owen set the carpetbag in the center of the room. While Sep removed her boots, Angela opened her eyes and looked over at Sep.
He gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. “You’re home. You’re safe here.”
She gave him a nod and then closed her eyes. It seemed that she had fallen back to sleep.
He glanced over at Owen, who was standing in the doorway. Sep straightened up and went over to him.
“Is there anything else you need?” Owen whispered.
Sep shook his head. “No. I’ll be fine. You should get on back to the jailhouse and take care of those men.”
“Oh, I will. Sep, I want to thank you for marrying Angela. I know you’ll be good to her.” He paused then added, “In all of my years of being a lawman, I’ve never seen anyone try to sell women off in an auction. Those women must’ve been scared. It’s nice to know that they’ll be alright.”
“I can’t guarantee Mark or Anthony will want to marry the other two.”
“I’m sure they will. They’re Larsons, and Larsons can be depended on to do the right thing.” He gave Sep’s shoulder a kind pat. “I’ll see you around.”
Sep went downstairs to see Owen out. As Owen led his wagon off the property, Sep let his dog take care of business.
Shortly after Joel and April moved out, Sep brought his things over to the large bedroom since it had the biggest bed in the house. Because the bed was big, he had let Fred sleep on it, too. But now that Angela was his wife, the spot next to him now belonged to her. He could only hope Fred would understand.
When Fred came back into the house, he knelt down and petted the dog. “I know I didn’t have time to warn you that someone else was coming to live with us, but she was in real trouble. She needed someone to marry her right away. I hate to tell you this, but from now on, you’re going to have to sleep on the floor next to the bed.”
The dog panted in excitement and wagged his tail.
“I’m going to assume you’re alright with the new sleeping arrangements,” Sep said, giving the dog another pat on the head.
Sep went back up the stairs, Fred on his heels. Sep went into his old bedroom, retrieved a blanket, and set it on the floor next to the bed. Sep patted the blanket, and Fred rested on it.
“Good boy,” Sep whispered. “I’ll give you an extra treat tomorrow at breakfast.”
After he gave the dog another pat, he stood up and took off his shirt and pants. As was his habit, he left his drawers on. He didn’t know how many people slept in their underwear, but at night, he had a tendency to get hot. If he wore anything else, he would sweat the whole night away, even though the window was open. He only hoped Angela wouldn’t panic when she woke up and saw that he wasn’t fully dressed.
He went to the bed and got into it, careful not to wake her.
She mumbled something, but he couldn’t make out what it was.
He was tempted to lift the veil so he could get a better look at her face. But he didn’t. Maybe in the morning when she saw the scars on his back, she would feel better about her own scars. The only difference between them was that he could hide his with a shirt, and she needed to hide hers with a veil.
He closed his eyes and slowly exhaled. Now that the activities of the day had caught up to him, he realized how exhausted he was. Usually, he would count backwards until he fell asleep, and most of the time, he made it from 500 on down to 250. Tonight, however, he didn’t even make it to 450 before he dozed off to sleep.