Chapter Five
Two days after Maura had been informed she was part of a marriage arrangement with Aidan Langley, she spent the morning of her wedding in a haze. She wouldn't let herself think about the details of what today would bring. It was just too much to process, knowing tonight she would not be returning to her little back bedroom on the second floor of her family's home. It wasn’t as if she had spent a lot of time there growing up. It was just that she had known it was there waiting on her if she ever needed it.
A soft knock rapped on her closed bedroom door before her mother breezed into the room, the dreaded wedding dress draped over her arm.
"Oh, darling. I hope you like it. I’m sorry you weren’t given the opportunity to pick out your own dress, but—"
"But you and Papa were afraid if I knew about this arrangement beforehand I would head for the hills. Yes, I totally understand." Maura didn't hide her sarcasm. It was the only armor she had against this nightmare.
Her mother had the audacity to look hurt by Maura's comment.
"Maura, this isn't what I wanted for you. You must know that, my darling girl. But these desperate, gut-wrenching situations we are in call for desperate, gut-wrenching measures. Your papa agreeing to this arrangement to marry you to that Langley boy shows we are out of options."
“Or maybe it was the quickest way Papa could get rid of me now that I’m home full-time and without any prospects of a job.” Maura’s chest hurt at the thought her papa didn’t want her around, but there was something between them, a distance Maura had never understood. It was as if he didn’t like her. But why?
Maura watched a single tear slip down her mother's cheek. It tore at her heart. She could be the bigger person and save her mother at least a little bit of grief.
"Momma, please don't cry. I’m sorry I said anything at all.” She wrapped her arm around her mother’s shoulders to comfort her.
“Maura, darling. I’m sorry. For the situation we are in. For allowing Harvey to marry you off to Sully’s boy…"
"Aidan," she prompted.
Her momma wiped at her tears. “Yes, Aidan. He seems like a nice young man. I’ve only seen him a handful of times in all the years we’ve lived here. Harvey likes to keep to himself, and he hates it when I go to town without him, so we pretty much stayed to ourselves all these years—”
“Isn’t it lonely, Momma. Being out here with just Papa? Don’t you have any family you could go visit from time-to-time? I’ve never heard you talk about anyone.”
Her mother hesitated for a second then added, “No, there’s no one.”
Maura searched her mother’s face for a sign of something. Was she trying to tell Maura something? Convey some message? Before she could ask, her momma changed direction entirely.
"Okay, let's get you ready for your big day."
Maura rolled her eyes but kept her mouth closed. It didn't help anyone to beleaguer the point. She had agreed to this arrangement with Aidan Langley, and she would keep her word whether anyone else thought a Jackson would or not. It was funny that a Langley would take the word of a Jackson after all these years.
Two hours later, Maura was standing at the top of the wide, winding stairs of the Langleys’ great room on the arm of her papa, waiting to walk down them to the center aisle dividing rows of folding chairs borrowed from the church just for this occasion.
Maura's bird's-eye view gave her the opportunity to observe her surroundings without the worry of being observed in return.
It appeared most of everyone in attendance were friends of the Langleys. A couple of her papa’s friends showed up. He wasn’t well-liked around the community, so he didn’t have many. And, only a handful of her momma’s friends came—just the ones who dared to visit at the farm in spite of Papa’s belligerent nature.
They came to see the spectacle, Maura supposed. After all, it wasn't every day two feuding families united in holy matrimony. She was certain everyone just wanted to say they were present in case a fight broke out. No one wanted to be left out of that sort of social notoriety. Not when entertainment was so expensive to buy. There was always a line forming for free fun and food.
The Langleys insisted on having the wedding in the great room of the main house—something about starting a family tradition now that the big house was finally completed. Maura didn’t care one way or the other. Where she was married under this marriage arrangement made no difference to her.
And it helped that Sully Langley took care of all the arrangements. He hired a family friend, Reverend Folger, to perform the ceremony and the reverend’s wife was playing songs to entertain the guests gathering below.
Maura had been in awe of the beautiful two-story home. It was obvious the Langleys had done well before the depression played a dirty trick on them. It was the same for her papa and momma. They had worked hard to make that run-down piece of property a decent place to live. They hadn’t done as well as the Langleys, but they had done well enough.
Her papa pulled her hand and wrapped it around his forearm. She would like to think it was for encouragement, a gesture of unity, but that would be out of character for him. She figured it was more to keep up appearances and that he was feeling a bit charitable toward her for agreeing to marry Aidan Langley. After all, her papa had pointed out more than once since he and Sully had signed the marriage agreement, that she should count her lucky stars. Sully’s son was considered quite a catch for someone like her. Like her? His words had hurt, but she should be used to his offhanded comments by now.
Taking advantage of her wedding veil, she pulled it down over her face to study her groom without anyone knowing it. She cast a glance at the massive fireplace where the reverend and her groom waited. She stumbled.
"Stand up straight, Maura. You don’t want anyone to see you slouching."
Maura stiffened her spine and her resolve. "Of course, Papa. We certainly wouldn’t want that," she whispered, hoping she hid the hurt behind her words.
Her papa nodded, and they continued to stand, waiting for the signal to march down the stairs toward her destiny. Her outward appearance may have been calm, but her internal dialogue was screaming loud and clear. Are you sure you want to do this? The answer was equally loud. No, but I made my decision. I’m doing this—for Momma.
She redirected her attention to the man waiting for her at the altar. This was the first time she had seen Aidan Langley since the day he surprised her swimming naked in the creek. She remembered a lot about that day.
He was taller than she remembered. His frame was more muscled. And, much broader at the shoulders. He had a look about him she found—appealing. His Irish ancestry showed in his dark auburn hair, long around the edges with the slightest of curls giving him a boyish feel. It would have been endearing except for the arrogant set of his jaw. And his blue eyes—
Shock vibrated through Maura's body when she realized those eyes she was remembering from two days ago were now focused on her. How could he have known she was looking at him? Nonsense, she chastised herself. It was just a coincidence. He couldn't see through her veil. She pulled her courage together and continued to study him.
He seemed impatient, shifting his weight from foot to foot like he wanted to hurry up and get this farce of a wedding over with. "No more than I, Aidan Langley. No more than I."
"Did you say something, Maura?" Her father leaned in to hear her whispered answer.
"Nothing of importance, Papa."
For the next few minutes, she stood next to her father and waited for the signal to march down the aisle toward a man and his family that her papa had maligned for as long as she could remember. Now, she was being asked to pledge her love and loyalty to those same people for the world to witness. No, not love. Not once did her papa mention love. It was as it always had been between them. Something simmered underneath their relationship that kept her papa at arm’s length.
Her thoughts moved back to her arrangement with Aidan. She would be having his child. The thought made her core bloom with need. It both disgusted and infatuated her.
Here in her private world, behind this thin veil of lace, she could admit to herself she was attracted to him. Very attracted. Looking at him now made her feel things. Things she shouldn't feel. And knowing these feelings could get her in very deep trouble with a man who didn’t love her, sobered her musings immediately.
She heard the familiar chords of “Here Comes the Bride.” Her time was up.