Patience would need a wedding dress and asked Bessie and Martha if they would make it for her. Bessie and Martha were very good at sewing and quickly agreed. Charlotte said she would obtain the needed fabric, but it would take a couple of days.

Charlotte sent for one of her men, then wrote a note to a woman who ran a fabric shop in a village not quite a day's ride away. The man left the next morning with directions to the shop and the note to the shop owner detailing what was needed.

Bessie had several dress books, and Patience spent hours looking through the books for the dress she wanted. While Rud slept, Patience would lay next to him, thumbing through the pages trying to imagine what she would look like in each dress. She finally settled on a design, and while Rud was chatting with Ollie, Bessie and Martha measured Patience for the elements of the dress. Patience could not stop smiling.

The next day Charlotte's rider returned with the fabric. Charlotte, Bessie, Martha, and Patience were all admiring the beautiful silk fabric and lace the man had brought back. Patience thanked Charlotte for purchasing the material and hugged her rider to thank him for making the trip.

Patience asked how much it cost so she could repay her, but Charlotte dismissed the question with a wave of her hand. Charlotte, who had only sons, was very much enjoying the wedding preparations and having the young women around her.

Bessie and Martha started getting things organized and the pattern laid out on the fabric. Bessie commented there was enough fabric here for several dresses. Charlotte said, "Really, imagine that," as she winked at Bessie and nodded towards Martha. Bessie said, "Charlotte, you are a sneaky woman."

Martha did not see Charlotte's wink or nod but knew who Charlotte had in mind for the second dress. After Martha had told Ollie about what her father had done, she started to think maybe she could love, marry, and lead a normal life.

Martha's eyes began to tear up, looking at the fabric that could someday be the wedding gown she thought she would never wear. Martha did not want Bessie or Charlotte to see, but both women knew. Bessie provided Martha cover by saying, "Weddings always make me cry."

Bessie and Martha spent every spare moment working on the dress. Patience did small work like buttonholes and sewing small pieces together while Rud was asleep or when someone else was available to watch him. A week later, there was enough dress stitched together for Patience to try on.

At first, it was just trying on a dress with Bessie and Martha pulling, tucking, and pinning here and there. But before Patience took her soon to be wedding dress off so the sewing could continue, she had a few minutes to look in the mirror and imagine what she would look like when she married Rud.

* * * * *

A few weeks later, Billy visited with Rud while Alice and the other women examined the now completed dress. Neither Rud nor Billy had any nice clothes, so Charlotte instructed one of her men to buy suits for Rud and Billy while he was in town picking up equipment.

Rud was getting better every day. Patience constantly had to keep him from trying to do too much. Rud would argue getting up and moving around was good for his recovery, and Patience would let him until she thought he had enough. Patience knew how strong a person Rud was, he had to be to survive all these years alone and live through the injuries he had suffered.

But Patience was going to marry her woodsman. If she had to tie him down to make sure he was still alive come her wedding day, she would get the ropes and tie the knots herself. Rud liked being looked after by Patience. He would constantly test her, but only to the point where she would put her foot down. Then Rud would give in and have Patience dote over him for a while. Patience was spoiling him, and Rud was more than happy to let her.

The wedding date was fast approaching, and the final plans were being made. The dress was ready, and everyone except Rud had been dressing up Bessie's barn for the event. Billy would kill a pig, and he and Ollie would roast the pig for the meal after the ceremony.

The night before the wedding Patience stayed at Charlotte's house. It was the longest Rud and Patience had been apart since he came back from town. It was the first time Patience had not been at his side since he was injured.

On the day of the wedding, Rud needed a bath. Patience had bathed Rud every day to make sure his wounds were kept clean, but with her gone, the task of helping Rud fell to a lady who worked for Charlotte named Miss Betty.

Miss Betty did most of the doctoring around Charlotte's farm, and while working on Rud in the barn had been the one who told Patience if she married Rud, she would need to know how to mend his injuries. Rud was able to get up and get around fairly well, but was sometimes unsteady from his injuries and being in bed so long. He just needed help. As Miss Betty removed his undergarments, Rud felt his face turn red.

Miss Betty said, "Don't you get embarrassed around me. I was one of the ladies who sewed you up that day, and you were as naked then as the day you were born. Besides, I was married to the same man for forty years and raised five boys. I know more about a man's body than you do. Now throw your leg over into the bathtub." Miss Betty sat by the tub, waiting to be needed as Rud washed where he could reach without too much pain.

She said, "So tonight is your wedding night." Rud said, "Yes, it... It is, I guess." Miss Betty asked Rud what he was nervous about. Rud said, "You know... first time and all for both of us."

Miss Betty laughed a bit and told Rud, "Everyone else gets through their first night together just fine, and I am sure you will too. Just don't rush it, let things happen naturally. Take your time, and you will know what to do. If you love each other, I promise it will come naturally."

Once Rud was cleaned, dried, and back in his nightshirt, he thanked Miss Betty for fixing him up in the barn, for helping him today, and especially for the advice about tonight. Rud kissed Miss Betty on the cheek. Miss Betty responded, "That is all the thanks I need."

With Billy and Ollie's help, Rud put on the new suit Charlotte had bought him. Billy had cleaned and shined Rud's old boots, and they looked better than Rud had expected. Rud put on the fancy vest he had bought that day in town and carefully buttoned all the front buttons. Rud still hurt and was still sometimes shaky on his feet. Considering his injuries, it was amazing Rud was above ground, much less standing up and about to get married.

Rud asked Billy and Ollie to keep an eye on him and if he looked like he was wavering to take his arm and hold him up. Billy had the ring in his pocket. Bessie came in and pinned a flower to each of the men's lapels. Bessie kissed Rud on the cheek, told them it was time and, led them out of the room.

The judge had some papers for Rud to sign, and with the legal document completed, all that was left was to say the words. The Judge, Rud, and Ollie headed into the barn and took their place at the makeshift altar next to the tack room door. Billy waited outside as wagons began pulling up, carrying everyone who worked for Charlotte and a number of their neighbors.