Angel In The Saloon (Brides of Glory Gulch) (33 page)

Someone announced the Bride’s dance. He meandered
through the crowd to Amelia and came up behind her and placed his arms around
her waist.

“I love you, Angel. May I have this dance?”

Amelia twirled in his arms to face him and answered
him with a smile. He took her cane and handed it to a guest to hold and took
her right hand in his left. Her left arm slipped up to his shoulder, and he
pulled her close to him and began to waltz with her. The guests applauded the
newlyweds, and couple by couple joined them on the dance floor.

 “Are you enjoying yourself, Mrs. Strupel?” he asked
her.

She beamed at his calling her that, and in her most
charming Southern accent she answered him, “I have never been happier in my
life, Mr. Strupel. I think someone has pulled the floor out from under my feet,
because I’ve literally been floating on air all evening.”

He smiled at her. When the waltz was finished, Paul
and Amelia lingered in each other’s arms, neither of them wanting to ever be
apart again. It was Jeremiah who broke their reverie once again by tapping Paul
on the shoulder.

“Excuse me, but I believe this next dance is mine.”

Paul broke his embrace and said loud enough for
Jeremiah to hear, “If he tries anything, just call for me.” He threw an ornery
look at his best man and left the dance floor to get some punch.

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Jeremiah had been noticing that the groom had been
keeping a watchful eye on Amelia, so he led her all around the room, knowing it
would be more difficult for Paul to keep an eye on them---just to tease him. They
danced very near the stairway for a moment. Two voices were overheard coming
from underneath the open staircase.

“Well, she’s too young to be marrying someone forty
years old. It just isn’t natural,” an older woman’s voice was heard.

“And with her blindness and all---well, she certainly
can’t be a proper wife to him,” came a second voice.

Amelia breathed deeply and almost stopped dancing. Jeremiah
tried to get her to head away from the gossip, but she wouldn’t move.

Paul had noticed something was wrong from across the
room and made his way toward his new wife.

The voices continued. “I know what you mean. She can’t
cook, or clean or sew. It’s quite obvious to me as to what exactly was on
his
mind when he married
her
.”

“And that’s probably the
only
thing she’ll be
able to bring into this marriage.”

Amelia broke free of Jeremiah’s hold and felt her way
around the stairs, just as Paul arrived at the scene. Jeremiah stopped him from
grabbing her and put his hand to his mouth to gesture to Paul to remain quiet. Amelia
made her way to where the elderly ladies stood.

“Ladies, how are you this evening? I trust you are
enjoying yourself?”

“Why, yes, Mrs. Strupel. Thank you. This is a
wonderful party. And the wedding was beautiful.”

“Well, it is a shame that you have to be leaving so
soon then.”

“Why, we weren’t leaving yet.” The ladies looked at
each other and then back at Amelia.

“Oh, but yes you are.” Amelia informed them. “You see,
my dear ladies, my late mother always told me that when one attends a party in
someone’s honor, it is considered rude to speak poorly of the guests of honor.”

The ladies faces went pale.

Paul and Jeremiah looked on with amused interest.

“What I just overheard you say were some of the most
vile, offensive words I have ever listened to.” Amelia’s jaw tightened her face
intense, her accent intensified. The ladies’ shoulders were sinking and it
became obvious they wished to escape, but their young hostess wasn’t through
yet.

“I will not tolerate you coming to my wedding party
and insulting my husband and me like that.” Amelia’s voice rang loudly through
the saloon. Nearby conversations quieted and several couples stopped dancing. “You’re
right. I cannot cook or start a fire in the stove or wash clothes or even boil
water without getting hurt. But Paul does not need me to do that. Mrs. Scranton
does that for him, and she has agreed to continue to do so after we are married.
My Paul loves me for who I am and for what I
can
do, and I have much to
offer him. It doesn’t matter to him what I
can’t
do. And you’re
insinuation that Paul married me out of lust . . .” Amelia stopped, shaking her
head. “I am afraid I must ask you two ladies to leave my party. You are no
longer welcome here. Please, just go.” She pointed to the door, which surprised
Jeremiah that she could think straight enough to know in which direction the
door was.

As the ladies left hurriedly in complete
embarrassment, applause erupted around the stairway. Amelia heard one man say,
“Someone should have told those two ladies off years ago.”

Jeremiah turned to Paul and laughed. “Hey, Strupel,
your Angel has a bit of spitfire in her. You sure you can handle her?”

 Amelia turned back to Jeremiah, her face taught, her
body rigid, and she was obviously trying to regain her presence of mind.

“Jeremiah, I believe we haven’t finished our dance.” She
put her arms out in dance position and he took her hand to lead her back to the
dance floor.

“I believe I’ll take this dance, if you don’t mind.” Paul
whisked her away, holding her dangerously close. His mouth brushed against her
cheek, and he whispered in her ear. “When I saw you walking down the aisle
today, I thought I was looking into the face of a real angel, and my heart
leapt at the joy that you would actually say ‘I do’ to me.” She relaxed in his
arms as he continued to whisper romantic expressions of his love and devotion
to her.

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The sleigh pulled up to the Strupel house very late
that night in November.

Jeremiah had borrowed Paul’s key earlier, promising to
have a  warm, cozy fire going in the bedroom and lamps lit so Paul could find
his way easily and not stumble and fall while carrying the bride over the
threshold. Paul had been reluctant, thinking this would be an opportune time
for his friend to pull a prank, but the look on Jeremiah’s face told him he was
sincere, so he gave him the key. Jeremiah also had made sure that Amelia’s
things were moved from the saloon to the house. Paul was proud to have this one,
good friend in his lifetime. This particular friendship was more valuable than
a dozen casual acquaintances, and he thanked God for him often.

He guided his new bride up the walkway and stopped on
the porch to reach above the door jamb for the key. There it was, like Jeremiah
had promised. He opened the door, and then swooped up Amelia into his arms.

This surprised her and she squealed and grabbed his
neck. He liked that and kissed her before he carried her over the threshold
into his big, cozy house.

He gently put her down in the entryway and kissed her
passionately and unrestrained. From this moment on, Paul knew that this big
house would forever be permeated with music, laughter, love, passion, and the
sweet voice of an Angel.

THE END