she began, again in a whisper. “Will you do something for me, Hutch?”
“Anything, Jen. You know that,” Hutch answered.
Evangeline watched as moisture filled Hutch’s eyes—as emotion caused his hands to begin trembling where he held his sister’s.
“I want you to marry Evangeline, Hutch,” Jennie began. “Promise me you’ll marry her. I don’t want you to be without her…and I don’t want her to be without you. Promise me you’ll marry her.”
Evangeline held her breath—waited for Hutch’s response—wondered if he would be as astonished as she had been at Jennie’s request.
“All right, I promise,” he said, however. Evangeline felt her mouth gape open with astonishment.
But Jennie’s requests were not finished. “Marry her now, Hutch—right here, so I’ll know you’ll both be cared for…so I’ll know you’ll be together. It’s why I had you fetch Reverend Lloyd.”
Evangeline couldn’t breathe for a moment! Was she dreaming? Was Jennie actually demanding that her brother marry Evangeline?
“All right,” Hutch said without pause.
Evangeline closed her eyes a moment—concentrated on simply trying to draw breath.
But she was startled from her weakness of mind and body when Jennie cried out in sudden returning agony!
“Please, Evie! Please!” Jennie cried through her pain. “I need to know that it’s done! I need to have that peace!”
“Of course, of course!” Evangeline assured her, brushing tears from her own cheeks.
Hutch took Evangeline’s chin in one of his strong hands, forcing her to look at him. “You’ll do this thing with me, won’t you?” It was a demand, not a request. “For Jennie.”
“O-of course,” Evangeline answered in a whisper.
Hutch turned to Reverend Lloyd—a tall, spindly man, dressed all in black and with graying hair that stood up on his head as if it were wire driven into his scalp.
“Marry us, Reverend Lloyd,” Hutch rather ordered. Realizing then the tone of his demand, he halfheartedly added, “If you please, sir.”
“Hurry! Hurry, Reverend Lloyd!” Jennie begged through her own tears. “Marry them before I…before I’m gone.”
Evangeline wiped her tears on her sleeve. It couldn’t be happening. Jennie couldn’t be dying! Not after everything—not after they’d only just become so close once more!
“P-please join hands,” Reverend Lloyd instructed, nodding first to Hutch and then to Evangeline.
Evangeline trembled at Hutch’s touch. Even for the tragedy that was upon them all, his mere touch caused her pleasure.
“Here now, Jennie,” Doctor Swayze said, suddenly speaking. “Brace your leg over my shoulder here…but do not push until I tell you it’s all right to, do you understand?”
“Do you, Hutchner LaMontagne—” Reverend Lloyd began.
“I do,” Hutch growled. He was nearly glaring at Evangeline as he knelt next to her. Yet she knew his glaring was for the fear of losing his sister, not in disgust with Evangeline.
“Very well. Uh…” Reverend Lloyd stammered. “Do you, Evangeline…I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten your last—”
“Ipswich,” Hutch grumbled with impatience. “Evangeline Ipswich.”
“Oh yes,” Reverend Lloyd choked. “Do you, Evangeline Ipswich, take Hutchner LaMontagne as your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to—”
“Yes! Yes!” Evangeline cried.
“Well then…I, by the powers invested in me, now pronounce you man and wife,” the reverend abruptly finished. Closing the Bible he’d been holding when he walked into the room, he added, “You m-may kiss the bride.”
“Kiss the bride?” Evangeline cried as more tears streamed over her face. “Are you mad?” she cried, looking at the reverend in astonishment.
Evangeline’s attention was drawn away from Reverend Lloyd, who stood perspiring as if he stood in a furnace, and back to Hutch.
Yet before she could even blink, he reached out, taking her face between his two powerful hands and pulling her
“Anything, Jen. You know that,” Hutch answered.
Evangeline watched as moisture filled Hutch’s eyes—as emotion caused his hands to begin trembling where he held his sister’s.
“I want you to marry Evangeline, Hutch,” Jennie began. “Promise me you’ll marry her. I don’t want you to be without her…and I don’t want her to be without you. Promise me you’ll marry her.”
Evangeline held her breath—waited for Hutch’s response—wondered if he would be as astonished as she had been at Jennie’s request.
“All right, I promise,” he said, however. Evangeline felt her mouth gape open with astonishment.
But Jennie’s requests were not finished. “Marry her now, Hutch—right here, so I’ll know you’ll both be cared for…so I’ll know you’ll be together. It’s why I had you fetch Reverend Lloyd.”
Evangeline couldn’t breathe for a moment! Was she dreaming? Was Jennie actually demanding that her brother marry Evangeline?
“All right,” Hutch said without pause.
Evangeline closed her eyes a moment—concentrated on simply trying to draw breath.
But she was startled from her weakness of mind and body when Jennie cried out in sudden returning agony!
“Please, Evie! Please!” Jennie cried through her pain. “I need to know that it’s done! I need to have that peace!”
“Of course, of course!” Evangeline assured her, brushing tears from her own cheeks.
Hutch took Evangeline’s chin in one of his strong hands, forcing her to look at him. “You’ll do this thing with me, won’t you?” It was a demand, not a request. “For Jennie.”
“O-of course,” Evangeline answered in a whisper.
Hutch turned to Reverend Lloyd—a tall, spindly man, dressed all in black and with graying hair that stood up on his head as if it were wire driven into his scalp.
“Marry us, Reverend Lloyd,” Hutch rather ordered. Realizing then the tone of his demand, he halfheartedly added, “If you please, sir.”
“Hurry! Hurry, Reverend Lloyd!” Jennie begged through her own tears. “Marry them before I…before I’m gone.”
Evangeline wiped her tears on her sleeve. It couldn’t be happening. Jennie couldn’t be dying! Not after everything—not after they’d only just become so close once more!
“P-please join hands,” Reverend Lloyd instructed, nodding first to Hutch and then to Evangeline.
Evangeline trembled at Hutch’s touch. Even for the tragedy that was upon them all, his mere touch caused her pleasure.
“Here now, Jennie,” Doctor Swayze said, suddenly speaking. “Brace your leg over my shoulder here…but do not push until I tell you it’s all right to, do you understand?”
“Do you, Hutchner LaMontagne—” Reverend Lloyd began.
“I do,” Hutch growled. He was nearly glaring at Evangeline as he knelt next to her. Yet she knew his glaring was for the fear of losing his sister, not in disgust with Evangeline.
“Very well. Uh…” Reverend Lloyd stammered. “Do you, Evangeline…I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten your last—”
“Ipswich,” Hutch grumbled with impatience. “Evangeline Ipswich.”
“Oh yes,” Reverend Lloyd choked. “Do you, Evangeline Ipswich, take Hutchner LaMontagne as your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to—”
“Yes! Yes!” Evangeline cried.
“Well then…I, by the powers invested in me, now pronounce you man and wife,” the reverend abruptly finished. Closing the Bible he’d been holding when he walked into the room, he added, “You m-may kiss the bride.”
“Kiss the bride?” Evangeline cried as more tears streamed over her face. “Are you mad?” she cried, looking at the reverend in astonishment.
Evangeline’s attention was drawn away from Reverend Lloyd, who stood perspiring as if he stood in a furnace, and back to Hutch.
Yet before she could even blink, he reached out, taking her face between his two powerful hands and pulling her
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