Page 24 of Leather and Lace
Mary chuckled, fingers twirling the punch glass in her hands. “Blunt is quite an apt way to describe my handling of it, but I could not watch you both pine for the other so without speaking up, especially when I played a part in, well, keeping you both apart.” She frowned and bit her lip. “I am truly sorry for that, Violet.” When the other woman made to speak Mary took a quick step towards her until they were close and continued. If she did not speak her piece now, she feared she might lose her nerve, and a wedding reception seemed as proper as any setting for such an apology.
“I should not have said what I said or allowed my mother to do as she pleased. I should have stopped her that day in the boarding house, and most certainly in the mercantile when she sought to tarnish your reputation. It is a time in my life that I am most ashamed of. I am sorry, Violet. Truly. I do not expect you to forgive me, but I mean to make Gold Sky my home and I hope that you will be able to give me a chance to prove my character to you.” Mary gave the other woman a watery smile and found that she could not breathe. In the background she heard laughter, the strum of a guitar and the telltale sound of feet on the makeshift dance floor merry makers were enjoying. Her eyes stayed on Violet. She didn’t expect for her to accept her apology, but Mary hoped she would at least be able to begin to make amends to her on this day.
Violet reached out and grasped her hand. “I forgive you.”
Mary blinked in surprise. “You do? Just like that?”
“Just like that.” Violet squeezed her hand. “It doesn’t do well to hold grudges and Julian and I, well, we are leaving Gold Sky soon. It wouldn’t do for me to leave with a heavy heart when you expressed yourself so clearly to me then.”
“But I was horrible to you.”
“We all do things we aren’t proud of...and your mother is not a woman I can see allowing for difference of opinion.”
“That is true, but I should have--”
“It’s all right, Mary. Honestly. I am happy to be here with you and even more glad to know your heart.” Violet smiled brightly at her and continued on, “Alex has chosen you as a bride and that has to count for something. You are now a part of Gold Sky. We have a way of taking care of our own. That includes forgiving them when apologies are made.”
Mary moved then, throwing her arms around the other woman. Punch sloshed over her cup and onto the ground, but she scarcely paid it much mind in her scramble to embrace Violet.
“Thank you, Violet. Oh, thank you.” Mary squeezed her tightly, the feeling of warm happiness Violet’s words had given her growing and bubbling up until it was practically spilling over. Violet squeezed her back and when the women parted, they were both smiling at each other.
“When are you leaving town?” Mary asked. “I would like to--”
“Mary Sophia James! What is the meaning of this?”
Mary went stiff. It was her mother, and she sounded none too pleased.
Both women turned to look over their shoulders to take in the sight of Sarah James striding towards them. The crowd of townsfolk parted in front of her like the Red Sea before Moses, and Sarah James was a vengeful Pharaoh.
“Oh no,” Mary whispered. “She’s here.”
“Did she not know you were marrying?” Violet asked.
“She knew, but not in this manner and not now...nor did she know to whom.”
“Oh no, oh dear.” Violet whispered.
“Oh no is right,” Mary moaned. She forced herself to stand tall. She was a married woman, the entire town had seen and even if her mother was unhappy with it, or her, she was no longer beholden to her mother’s whims.
“What is going on here?” Her mother jabbed a finger at Mary as she came to a stop in front of her daughter.
“My wedding reception, mother.”
“Who did you--what?” Sarah James’s eyes went wide at Mary’s response. “What do you mean a wedding reception? Why are you in your dress?” She gestured at the plain white dress Mary wore and came forward to snatch her daughter’s wrist. “You are meant to wear that to marry Mister Pierce, not parade about with riffraff.” Her eyes cut to Violet as she spoke, and Mary felt a surge of anger overtake her. All of the cheer and good feeling her reconciliation with Violet had brokered vanished in an instant, and she snatched her wrist away from her mother.
“Stop it.”
“Stop--” Sarah James’s mouth dropped open and she shook her head slowly as if she had been struck. “Stop what?”
“Speaking about Violet like that and-and grabbing me so. Neither are agreeable and I will not have you speaking of one of my guests in such a manner.”
“A guest?” Her mother laughed and crossed her arms over her chest. “Your guest is it then? Tell me, what man has you feeling tall enough to raise your voice to your mother?”
“I’m no man.”
Mary felt her heartbeat quicken at the familiar sound of her wife’s voice. She looked to the side to see her striding close, resplendent in her suit, blonde hair shining like a polished gold halo, her brown eyes stern, and her full lips pressed into a thin line.
“Who are you?” Sarah James asked, her voice rising as she watched Alex come to Mary’s side. Her green eyes darted between them and lighted on their hands when Alex moved to take Mary’s in hers. Her mother’s hands balled into fists and she raised her eyes to her daughter.
