Storing Up Trouble, стр. 106

“All excellent decisions on your part, but how did you find out about Edgar’s plan?”

Aunt Gladys smiled. “Mamie prevailed upon the delightful Agent Cochran to uncover the details for her.”

Beatrix grinned. “Agent Cochran seems to be dropping by your house often these days.”

“Indeed he does, which isn’t all that surprising, what with his obvious interest in Mamie. I do believe a Pinkerton man may be exactly what she needed to keep herself out of trouble, even though she and Agent Cochran do seem to have the tendency to slip away often, what with how they enjoy holding hands and gazing longingly into each other’s eyes.”

“Norman and Beatrix seem to have that tendency as well,” Annie said, stepping up to Beatrix and giving her a squeeze. “I’m delighted you finally found a gentleman who loves you wholeheartedly, and one who doesn’t seem opposed to holding your hand, kissing you whenever he pleases, and—”

“I think the music has begun,” Beatrix said, interrupting her mother before Annie could list all the ways Norman showered Beatrix with affection, affection that certainly took New York and Chicago society matrons aback, not that Beatrix was bothered by that, since she’d never really put much stock in the many opinions of society.

“It is the music,” Aunt Gladys said, her eyes sparkling. “Which means it’s time.”

“Let me go take my seat.”

After giving Aunt Gladys a kiss on the cheek, Beatrix rushed out of the room and down the aisle, grinning at her two very best friends in the world, Isadora MacKenzie and Poppy Blackburn, who were sitting with their husbands, Ian and Reginald.

Slipping into a seat beside Norman as the “Wedding March” began, Beatrix turned as Annie walked down the aisle, met halfway by Arthur, who kissed his wife in front of everyone before he escorted her to the front of the church, Annie sending Edgar a wink, which he immediately returned.

Everyone stood as Aunt Gladys entered the room. She’d insisted on walking down the aisle by herself, knowing that God, who’d always been by her side, would be walking beside her, giving her His blessing as she married the man she’d loved for so long, her Edgar.

Tears blinded Beatrix more than once as Aunt Gladys and Edgar exchanged their vows. And then they were finally pronounced man and wife, drawing applause from everyone.

With both of them beaming after Edgar kissed Aunt Gladys, they turned and moved down the aisle, their happiness a palpable thing.

“Who would have ever thought all of us would experience so many weddings in, what, just over a year?” Isadora asked, walking over to join Beatrix. Poppy waddled beside her, looking radiant and due to give birth any day.

“It’s been quite the year,” Poppy agreed, giving her stomach a pat, smiling as the children Isadora and Ian had adopted, Prim, Henry, Violet, and Daisy, dashed past. “Reginald’s been feeling rather smug about your marriage to Norman, Beatrix, because he told me this past summer, after you stated to us you were destined for spinsterhood, that you’d be married by Christmas, and here you are, married by Christmas, and to a most unusual, yet delightful, gentleman.”

Glancing to where Norman was having an earnest conversation with Ian, Isadora’s husband, and probably about labor issues at the factories he was now involved with, Beatrix smiled. “He is a most unusual man, and I’m now convinced he was certainly placed in my path by God, although that particular path was not one I’d ever dreamed for myself, what with it being such a lovely path to find myself on.”

Taking Isadora’s hand, and then Poppy’s, Beatrix lifted her gaze to the cross that was at the very front of the church right as the Bible verse her aunt had mentioned a few months before sprang to mind.

And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

Closing her eyes, Beatrix took a moment to say a prayer of thanks to God for directing her to a most unexpected path, one that had allowed her to find the love she’d always hoped to find. With a quiet “Amen,” she linked arms with Isadora and Poppy, walking with her friends to join the husbands none of them had seen coming, content with the idea that all of them were certain to discover new paths throughout the years, paths that would bring even more laughter, happiness, and love into their lives.