Chapter Seven
Steve stood nervously on the train platform, Bucky beside him. They were both dressed in their Sunday best; clean shirts (Steve’s light blue, Bucky’s dark green), vests, and string ties. It was still a few hours to noon, but the day promised to be seasonably warm.
“You know, I could be over at the church, helping set up the tables.” Bucky pointed out as they saw the train approaching from a distance.
“I want you here to meet her with me.” Steve protested. “It’s important that you two get to know each other and like one another. Almost as important as her and I liking one another.”
“Yeah, but she’s coming out here to meet you in particular. I don’t want to get in the way of your first meeting.”
“Buck,” Steve smiled over at his friend. “You’re never in the way.” The two shared a smile, before Bucky had to look away. He might not be in the way, but he wanted to be. Wanted Steve to put aside his idea of marriage and stick with him.
The last few nights had been hard on Bucky. Steve had finally moved out of the room they shared, and had settled into one of the other rooms, the one he planned on sharing with his new bride. Runa.
What sort of a name was Runa? Bucky wondered at that. He hadn’t heard the like before, not even in Brooklyn. Hell, even Amaranto Springs had its share of people with strange names. The blacksmith was named Thor, for crying out loud. Maybe her people were same place his were.
Bucky watched the train as it pulled into the station, smoke and steam billowing, making it hard to see. When it began to clear, he could see that only one passenger had gotten off the train. A tiny woman in a navy dress, a carpet bag in one hand and two baskets in the other. She was very fair, her skin alabaster, her hair a pale, silvery sort of blonde instead of golden like Steve’s. She had brilliantly blue eyes that seemed too large for her thin face. All in all, she looked too small and delicate for the sort of work that she would need to do around the ranch, and Bucky sent Steve a sidelong look, about to tell him to tell her to turn around and get on the first train back to Washington D.C., or anywhere else for that matter, but the look on Steve’s face stopped him.
Hell.
Steve was… He wasn’t quite entranced, but he was smiling as he looked her over, clearly pleased. Bucky couldn’t see a hint of reservation on Steve’s face or in his eyes, and he sighed, before turning back to the little woman, who was smiling shyly, a bit uncertainly.
Steve took off his battered hat and stepped towards her. “Miss Freydis?” He asked. Her smile lost some of the uncertainty, broadening slightly.
“Yes, sir. Mister Rogers?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He agreed. “I… It’s good to finally meet you.” He took her carpet bag, “Is this all your luggage?”
“No, I also have two trunks. One is rather heavy, I’m afraid. It has some books and other things. Heirlooms.” She ventured. Steve’s look changed to puzzlement.
“I thought you were an orphan?” He ventured.
“I am.” She looked down. “There are things that were saved from the fire that took my uncle. Almost everything was destroyed or too far damaged by smoke, but they were able to save some things for me.”
Steve smiled again. “I’m glad of that.” He turned slightly, “This is my best friend and partner.” He said indicating Bucky. “Bucky. Well. James Barnes.” He corrected. The name sounded almost foreign to Bucky, he hadn’t been called James in so long, and then only by his mother.
Runa turned her smile on Bucky, and he found himself smiling automatically in response. “Miss Freydis.” He tipped his hat to her.
“Please, you’ll both have to call me Runa.” She protested. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mister Barnes.”
“Oh no, Mister Barnes is my father. I’m just Bucky.” Bucky protested.
“Bucky.” She repeated, before looking to Steve. “And… Steve?” She ventured. “Not Steven?”
“He was only ever Steven when he was in trouble or needed to be formal.” Bucky pointed out, causing Runa to bite her lips together to keep from laughing and Steve to give him a long suffering, aggrieved look.
“I wasn’t that bad.” He tried to tell Runa.
“He was that bad.” Bucky told Runa conspiratorially. “But in a good way. Before he sprouted, he was small and scrawny, and always picked fights.”
Runa’s smile faded. “Oh?”
“Bucky!” Steve’s tone conveyed so much information. Dismay, hurt, shock, and chastisement, all rolled up into one word. “Runa, it wasn’t like that, I swear.”
“I made it sound bad, sorry.” Bucky continued unashamedly. “When he was picking those fights, he was standing up for the underdog. He can’t stand bullies. If we didn’t need him on the ranch as much as we did, he could be a sheriff or a Texas Ranger, always standing up for people.”
The concern and worry melted from Runa’s face, and she was smiling slightly once more. She looked to Steve with admiration, and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I couldn’t leave you to run the ranch by yourself. Besides, we did enough sticking up for the underdog and fighting during the war.” He looked down to Runa, “Bucky and I will get your trunks, put them in the wagon. Then I’m to take you to Miss Potts’ boarding house. She told me you’d want to clean up a bit before the ceremony.”
“Ceremony?” Runa asked, startled. She had expected to just stand up before a pastor and a couple of witnesses.
“I arranged to have a ceremony at the church. Reverend Fury said he wouldn’t mind having a ceremony for us after services, and the ladies all arranged a big potluck dinner afterwards.” Steve agreed. “I didn’t think you’d mind.”
“I don’t mind.” She hurried to assure him. “I… I just didn’t expect it, is all. Thank you.”
Steve smiled at her, then looked over to where the porter had left her trunks. “We’ll go load up your trunks.”
~*~
Runa sat beside Steve on the wagon bench, Bucky taking his horse to the church. She was quiet beside Steve, not certain where to start with conversation, wanting to know everything, wanting to tell him… Well, not quite everything, but near enough.
“Here we are. Miss Potts will help with anything you need.” Steve assured her as he parked the wagon in front of a large, whitewashed house with green painted trim and shutters. “Do you need anything out of your trunks? Might be a bit awkward, but we can manage.”
“No, thank you. All I need is my carpetbag.” She assured him as he got down from the wagon and hurried around to help her down. He got the carpetbag out of the wagon and smiled at her, offering her his arm. Runa smiled up at him as she took it, feeling a familiar flutter in her belly. He was just as handsome as Brock, in his own way, but more approachable. He didn’t feel as dangerous, and certainly not as forbidden, which soothed her somewhat. There was no dread mingling with the attraction when he smiled at her, which was a blessing. She found herself hoping that all Titus’ fears were unfounded, and that Steve would prove to always be unfailingly kind, not just acting that way until the wedding.
Runa stole another look at him, and was hard pressed to keep from smiling. He was tall and broad shouldered, with slim hips. He was well muscled from his work on the ranch, and his skin tanned from his work outdoors. She liked looking at his eyes, even though she hadn’t really had a chance to yet. They were a light blue, lighter than hers, but there was a kindness in them that made her melt.
Steve caught her looking, and his smile turned a bit sheepish. They looked away from one another quickly, both with blushes rising on their cheeks.
“You’ll like Miss Potts. She’s a fine lady. Firm, but fair.” Steve promised as he escorted her up the steps to the door of the boardinghouse. Almost as soon as his knuckles touched the wood to knock, the door flew open. A pretty, graceful looking woman with strawberry hair and smiling eyes stood there, and she smiled broadly when she saw them.
“Miss Potts, this is Runa Freydis, my bride.” Steve said, sounding both shy and proud as he made the introduction.
“Call me Pepper.” She instructed Runa, “It is a pleasure to finally meet you. Come on inside, you must be exhausted after your journey.” Pepper said, taking the carpetbag from Steve, who smiled at Runa.
“I’ll see you at noon.” He promised her.
“All right.” Runa smiled at him. He tipped his hat to Pepper, then hurried off back to the wagon, turning to give Runa a final look as Pepper ushered her inside. A part of Runa wondered who would name their child after a pepper pot, or if it was a nickname. Then she decided that was absolutely none of her business.
“I’ve got the water heating for you, and have the tub set up in my room. If we’re quick about washing your hair we should have time for it to dry before we need to pin it up.” Pepper said as she led Runa to a bedroom on the first floor of the house, where there was indeed a large tub set up for Runa to bathe in.
“Washing my hair would be a relief.” Runa smiled, “I hoped there would be time for a bath and to change, but I worried there wouldn’t be.”
“As soon as we found out that Mister Rogers was expecting a bride, he was told that he needed to bring you right here and give me a few hours so you could make yourself presentable. No one wants to get married in a dress they’ve been wearing over a week.” Pepper said decisively. “Do you have a dress you’d like to wear in your carpetbag?” She asked as she set the bag in question down onto her bed.
“Yes, ma’am. Wrapped in brown paper.” Runa moved to open the carpetbag and unpack the beautiful challis, and the clean underpinnings to go with it.
“Don’t call me ma’am. I’m not that old.” Pepper laughed as Runa unwrapped the dress. “Oh, that’s lovely.” She praised as the dress was unwrapped.
“It was a wedding gift from my employer.” Runa explained, “I’d been with her for nine years, and I suppose she wanted to show her appreciation.” The lie didn’t bother her any longer. Maybe if she told it often enough, she would come to believe it. Just as she was beginning to believe that Missus Rumlow had done her a great favor, writing those letters and sending her out to Texas to marry Steve.
“That was incredibly kind of her. I’ll start bringing in the water, and then while you wash, I’ll give this a quick ironing to get the creases out.”
“Thank you so much, Miss Pot-I mean, Pepper.”
Pepper smiled at her. “Much better. And it’s no trouble.” Pepper assured her as she left the room.
Once the heated water was added to the tub, Runa stripped and luxuriated in a bath in the way she hadn’t since she was a child. She honestly couldn’t even remember the last time she’d had a full bath instead of a scrub while standing in a wash tub using hot water from an ewer to clean with.
Soon enough she was seated in front of Pepper’s dressing table, Pepper brushing out Runa’s waist length hair, discussing how to pin it up.
“I usually just wear it in a bun.” Runa ventured, but Pepper shook her head.
“That’s fine for every day, but not for your wedding day.” Pepper frowned as she began to work on Runa’s hair. “Swiss braids, I think…” She mused, beginning to braid, eventually creating a braided crown about Runa’s head with the flaxen locks. “Perfect.” She declared, guiding Runa to look at her reflection in the mirror, not just at what Pepper was doing with her hair.
Runa blinked in surprise at her reflection as Pepper moved about, gathering Runa’s things and putting them back into the carpetbag. Runa could scarcely believe that the reflection in the mirror was hers. Her cheeks were still rosy from the heat of the bath, and she looked like a young lady with her hair done up and dressed so finely.
“We’ve finished just in time.” Pepper said with satisfaction. “Let’s get you to the church. It’s only a short walk.” She assured Runa.
“All right.” Runa stood, moving to get her carpetbag, but Pepper took it up and shook her head. “I’ll carry this. The only thing you need to carry is the bouquet of bluebonnets I have in the parlor.”
Runa couldn’t help but giggle at that. “All right.” She agreed.
Soon they were on their way to the church, Pepper pointing things out to her as they walked. When they reached the church Runa was quite surprised, because it wasn’t a church in the traditional sense of the word. It was a large, rather dilapidated warehouse of some sort, with what must have once been a stock yard beside it. The yard was grassy, and there were makeshift tables set up there. There was also a crowd of people milling about, enjoying a respite after service but before the wedding began.
Bucky came striding over when he saw them, tipping his hat to Pepper. “Miss Potts, I’ll take that and put it in the wagon.” He offered.
“Thank you, Mister Barnes.” Pepper said as she handed over the carpetbag. That was when Steve approached, walking beside a tall man dressed in unrelieved black, a black eyepatch covering his left eye. He was bald, but kept a very short black goatee, and though the careworn features on his face caused him to look stern, she could see a gentleness in his dark amber eye as he looked her over.
“Reverend Fury, this is Runa Freydis. Runa, this is our reverend.” Steve seemed nervous to introduce the man, and Runa could understand why. The Rumlows would have been apoplectic if this man had been their reverend. Runa had always kept in mind what her uncle had told her; people were people, no matter what they looked like or where they came from.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Reverend.” Runa smiled, holding out her hand.
The Reverend smiled, and reached out to take one of her hands in his, giving it an abbreviated shake. “Miss Freydis. Heard a bit about you from Mister Rogers. Are you still certain you want to change Freydis to Rogers?”
She flushed. “Yes, sir. And I hope you’ve only heard good things, though I don’t think I told him much of the bad.”
Reverend Fury raised his eyebrow. “And is there bad, Miss Freydis?”
“Well, there’s bad in everyone, isn’t there? We just have to work hard to make sure it doesn’t show or eclipse the good. That’s what my uncle told me. We had a lot of talks about people when I lived with him, and about how to grow into a good person.”
“Wise man.” Fury drawled. “Going to ask a second time, just to be sure. You want to go through with this?
“Do you ask everyone if they want to go through with their weddings?” Runa ventured.
Fury nodded once. “Every single one. Weddings make me a bit nervous, you see. Funerals, well, I know how those are going to turn out. Christenings are fine, you’re giving a new soul to the shepherd. Can’t see any downside in that. Weddings? Those are different. Don’t know how that’s going to turn out, binding two people together until death do they part.”
Steve smiled down at Runa. “He’s asked me if I’m sure about getting married about twenty times now.”
Fury gave Steve a sidelong glance. “Like I said, there’s a reason for that.”
“Well, if he’s still willing to have me after meeting me, then I’m still willing to have him.” Runa told them, an excited yet nervous flutter in her stomach.
“Either of you mind getting married in front of the church? Big crowd to shuffle back inside for a short ceremony.”
Steve looked to Runa, who gave a nod to show she was fine with it. He looked back to Fury. “That would be just fine, Reverend.” He offered Runa his hand as Fury turned away and let out a piercing whistle. Runa took Steve’s arm, and he took her to the door of the church while Fury called everyone to gather around.
He moved to stand before the door, and Pepper took the bouquet from Runa so her hands were free for the ceremony. Runa turned to face Steve, standing in front of Fury and a growing crowd of witnesses who formed a horseshoe around them so they could see the ceremony.
The words were simple and sweet, although when Fury asked if anyone knew why they should not be wed a small murmur went through the crowd and Steve flushed slightly as a few people coughed. Runa’s smile faltered in confusion, but Steve gave her hands a slight squeeze, and no one spoke out against the union. Finally, Fury spoke again, finishing the ceremony, Steve and then Runa each saying “I do” at the appropriate time.
Then Fury said that Steve could kiss the bride, and Runa’s gaze met Steve’s, the shy, excited smile coming back… Until she saw the startled look in his eyes, the sudden panic. He tried to hide it, and she thought she might be the only one who saw it. Her smile faded at the realization that something was not quite right here, but then he took a half step closer to her and bowed his head, pressing his lips against hers.
His lips were soft and warm against hers, and she wanted to melt at the gentle kiss that brought on several cheers and whoops from the crowd, but she drew back, realizing this was neither the time nor place for melting or anything similar. The wedding kiss was supposed to be simple, chaste.
Steve looked down at her and gave her a halfhearted smile, the anxiety still in his eyes before he turned away, turning to face the crowd with a smile, taking Runa’s hand and turning her to face them as well. She smiled broadly, inwardly bewildered at these turn of events, and then she spotted Bucky, standing at the edge of the crowd. He wasn’t smiling, not at first. He was giving Steve a look of anger and longing. A look replaced by a smile and a nod when he realized Runa was looking at him.
Just what exactly had she gotten into?