Page 50 of Hers to Marry
“This is it! We’ll have to meet up with Muriel so she can tell you what to do.”
“Will I have to get dressed up?”
“Of course you will.” Mary gave her daughter a don’t-you-know-what-a-reenactment-is look. “You have to play the part.”
“What was an 1860s wedding like?”
Her mother smiled. “Aren’t you lucky you get to find out?”
Kat narrowed her eyes. “Now I know you’re in on it.”
Mary’s own eyes widened. “In on what?”
“Ugh!” Kat exited the vehicle with a huff.
She and her mother walked through the rough parking lot and met with other period-dressed people who were standing in a line to check in. Kat traveled to and from the registration booth with boxes of treats she had prepared the previous evening while practicing different recipes.
Muriel rushed up to them, her petite frame swallowed by her own period costume of a dress with a massive skirt, ruffled bodice, and large sleeves. “Oh, good. You’re here. I was hoping your mother could convince you to come. Let me take you back to meet the groom. You know him, of course.”
“I do?”
Were they setting her up with some other guy she knew? Kat’s heart sank with the weight of awkwardness. She was done with men. After Marcus and then Drew, it would be a long time before she was ready to put her heart out there again.
Muriel took her hand, and soon they stood in front of a large tent. “This is the changing area for those without costumes or who didn’t bother to put theirs on before coming. Space is limited, so you may have to double up with a few of the other girls. Let’s get you into the dress first, and then I’ll let you know what you have to do.”
Muriel shoved aside the flap, and they entered the tent. She called to someone who dragged Kat into a small changing area. Soon, Kat stared at herself in a small standup mirror. She looked glamorous, 1860s-style. A simple, dark blue with gold trim cotton dress with a dusting of lace at the high-neck collar, simple long bell sleeves that ended in lace that graced her wrists, a wide belt that cinched her waist, and a not-too-puffy petticoat beneath the skirt to fill out the dress.
“Isn’t this supposed to be a reenactment?” a blondish girl said from across the tent. “I said I’d be happy to play the part of the bride so it’sfactuallyaccurate.”
“If you don’t shut your trap, you’ll be playing the part of a nurse who gets shot on the battlefield from a stray bullet,” Muriel snapped. “I’m in charge here, and I get to say who plays the bride.”
Kat’s gaze volleyed from Muriel to the girl who stood with her arms crossed. “Look, I understand that this is a reenactment and things should be factual. Muriel, I don’t mind—”
“Well, I do. Let’s go meet the groom.”
She marched out of the tent. Kat held her head high but ignored her nemesis who started chatting with the girls next to her.
“Drew! Your bride is here.”
And it all made sense why the other girl felt Kat was out of place. Muriel had wanted Kat to play opposite her grandson. Kat shook her head. Her mother had to be in on it. It would explain her advice to steal Drew from Parker. Acting in a fake marriage would be the perfect inspiration.
Drew turned, and Kat caught her breath. He wasn’t dressed in a tux, but he certainly knew how to wear the style of the 1860s. Kat allowed her eyes to drift down over his athletic body. Hugged at the arms was a well-fitting dark jacket garnished with brass-colored buttons, and across his thighs were pants that were a teeny bit too tight for him. She raised her eyes slowly, taking in every inch of him. She heard her own breath and clamped her mouth shut.
“Wow,” he said with a smile that blinded her. “You look beautiful.”
“So do you. Handsome, I mean.”
He chuckled. “Thanks. I think I make the suit.”
You certainly do.
“Pants are a little tight though, don’t you think?”
Do not look;or she might never meet his eyes ever again. “Uh-huh, maybe.”
“That dress… You look like a bride.”
“I hope so.”
