Graciously Ginny
Chapter Eleven
~~
Ginny woke up when Callie started barking, she had never done that before and she wondered what was wrong. She quickly got out of bed and reached for her robe making her way to the door. Yelling could be heard from downstairs and the voices seemed familiar. She opened the door and made her way downstairs with Callie at her heels.
"I will see my daughter this instant, where is she?" He heard her mother yell, her heart sped up and she wondered why she came out to see her, had something happened?
"I'll go get her if you'd like, she's still asleep." Thomas answered unafraid of her intimidating Mother.
"Yes I-"
"Mama?" Ginny said making her way into the living room her gaze going from Thomas to her mother who didn't seem the least bit happy "Mama? What are you doing out here?"
Her mother rushed to her hugging her tightly before she held up parchment "Well I received this letter" she said as she waved the parchment in the air before she read it out loud "I am writing to inform you that I am getting married in a matter of moments. I am marrying Mr. Thomas Jay Clayton... Virginia Autumn Wade do you care to tell me why I, your mother who raised you and loved you had to find out you were getting married from a letter, to a man I've never met no less!"
"With all due respect ma'am, she's Virginia Autumn Clayton now." Thomas said receiving her mother's glare in full.
"Oh and you must be Mr. Thomas Clayton am I correct?"
"Yes ma'am." He said quietly
Scarlett nodded turning her attention back to Ginny "Honey, I support you in anything you do, but I thought it odd especially from you that you'd just get married and so quickly too."
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to worry anyone, I did marry Thomas and I'm very sorry that I didn't tell you in person, and I'm sorry you weren't there."
"But honey why did you wed so quickly?"
"It's really a long story Mama... I need to get dressed and send Agda to get the girls up and started on their lessons. Why don't you go to the parlor and I'll meet you there in ten minutes? Thomas, come with me please."
Thomas nodded and followed her back up the stairs; she waited until she was in her room before she spoke "Tom, my Ma worries too much... I need you and I to pretend to be in love or at least have strong feelings otherwise she'll want to drag me back home."
"Gin, you do realize that you're an adult and we're already married there isn't much she can do-"
"Please just do this for me?" Ginny asked looking into his deep brown eyes, she liked the way his hair was growing out, it seemed to be a lighter blond then she originally thought, and it barley curled at the ends.
"Okay."
"Thank you, can you please go tell Agda to get the girls started on their lessons... and tell Signilda to get them breakfast."
"Yes ma'am." He said, placing a kiss her on the lips before leaving the room. Ginny decided not to over think it; it was only a simple peck of a kiss- that left her feeling as breathless as their passionate kiss.
She hurried to get dressed and made her way back downstairs to the parlor her Mother was waiting for her. She hugged her before taking a seat in the settee across from where she sat.
"I've missed you." Ginny said sincerely
"I've missed you! The house just isn't the same without you... I cannot believe how much you've grown up!"
"Thank you Mama... so tell me of what's been going on back home!"
"Ariel is about to pop! She should give birth in the next month or so, you should see what a nervous wreck Nathan is! Lindy is expecting again, and Little Georgie is grown so much! Julie and Lawson are settling in to their new house, it's just beautiful." Her mother told her smiling with the last part "I cannot believe how quickly my children grow... I've told our Maggie, that she cannot leave me until she's at least thirty."
Ginny smiled at that her mother seemed to have calmed down since she arrived earlier that morning.
Her mother turned serious and lowered her voice for only their ears "Honey, are you in love with this man?"
"Why do you ask Mama?"
"I want you to have a wonderful marriage full of love like your father and I had."
"Mama, I am happy here and I do love Thomas and our daughters, just wait until you meet them."
"You know I love being a grandmama... but I do hope that you aren't just being married for the sake of children that aren't even yours."
"Mama they're my daughters now and Thomas is my husband."
"Alright, but just know no matter what happens you can always come home and be welcomed with open arms." Scarlett said seriously. Ginny smiled, her mother meant well, and she wanted to make sure that every one of her children were very happy.
Thomas smiled as he entered the room "Mrs. Wade, it's a pleasure to meet you... and I must say I can see where Ginny gets her beauty from."
"Thank you, but please just call me "Scarlett" no need for formalities since your family now and all."
"Yes ma'am." Thomas said taking his seat right next to Ginny.
Scarlett cleared her throat and after an awkward silence spoke "Do you have any siblings Mr.-"
"Please just call me "Thomas" and I had two brothers- Timothy and Titus whom both died when we were children... from yellow fever."
Ginny didn't even know that he had siblings let alone that he lost them in such a tragic way.
"And your parents?"
"Both dead, my mother died when I was fourteen and my father died seven and a half years ago."
"And how old are you?"
"I'll be twenty-seven in December."
"Where are you from?" Scarlett asked.
"I'm originally from Pennsylvania."
"Oh how wonderful!" Scarlett said "I went there once as a child it's a charming territory. I'm originally from New York and my husband God rest his soul was from Colorado."
Ginny smiled at her Mother, she had loved listening to their stories from their youths, if she remembered right her mother's Aunt Autumn had moved her to Colorado where she had meant her father they were both very young and fell in love instantly they married quickly but in those days her father wasn't ready to be a good man, he left her alone and pregnant with Lindy only to show up years later at her boardinghouse where they fell back in love and remarried and had Julie, her, and Maggie.
Scarlett smiled at her "Ginny you said it was a long story, why you two married so quickly?"
"Yes" Ginny said "Well um..." She bit her lip wondering if she should tell her Mother the truth or not. It was highly improper that she was in a saloon and even more improper that she was in Thomas's room at night.
"We started courting" Thomas said realizing she was fighting with herself on what to tell her Mother "We lost track of time and the livery was already closed so we had to walk back up to the house. My staff is officially off duty after dinner so they were all asleep, and I tend to leave my window open so our only option was to climb in threw it."
Ginny nodded "Yes and once we got indoors Signilda- the maid heard us and she got the wrong impression-"
"I wanted to fire that one but Ginny wanted to keep her on. Anyhow we sped up the courtship with marriage because we didn't want people to get the wrong idea and I didn't want Ginny's good name ruined."
Scarlett nodded slowly, her deep gaze seemed to bore into both Ginny and Thomas.
~~ ~~
Thomas smiled on as he watched Ginny with her mother; the two were chatting away while the girls played with their dolls nearby.
Ginny looked the most like her mother Scarlett- A name he thought was rather fitting for her, Her hair was the same red as Ginny's and her eyes were gray like smoke. He realized were Ginny got her unusual eyes from.
"Thomas?" Scarlett said as she came to stand by him.
"Yes?"
"I just wanted to thank you for doing right by my Ginny... and I wanted to let you know you have my approval, I haven't seen Ginny this happy since before she lost Fergus... it's good to see her smiling again, and wearing color."
"Thank you but I'm not sure I had very much to do with her being happy again, I give my daughters full credit for that."
Scarlett smiled the same smile Ginny had "It's good to be humble, but I know my daughter and I'd say you had something to do with her new sparkle."
"Sparkle?"
"Yep, I've seen the way you two look at each other. It's the way my husband and I used to and we were happily married for seventeen years"
"Seventeen years is a long time."
"Indeed, but it wasn't always this way- there was a time at the beginning we were apart, but he came back you see, and I gave him another chance... without that second chance I wouldn't have had Julie, Ginny, or Maggie."
Thomas nodded. Before Ginny came into his life he wasn't a good man, he barely knew his daughters and he spent too much time away from them. She had made him want to change.
"I'm glad you came out here, Ginny's been homesick since Gideon left."
"Perhaps it would do her well if you were to spend Christmas with us? We're planning on doing it back home in Kansas this year."
Thomas smiled and nodded "I think it would, we'll be there."
~~
Thomas made his way to his room, the room Ginny had gone to earlier. She wanted her mother to think they were married and in love and as part of that insisted, they shared the room while she was visiting.
He knocked lightly before entering. Ginny was reading a book while her dog Callie lay at the foot of the bed.
"Hello." she said looking up from her novel.
"Hello." He replied nervously. She smiled and turned her attention back to her book.
Ginny was in a flannel nightgown and she looked effortlessly beautiful as per usual. He crossed the room to his wardrobe deciding to dress for bed. He took off his shirt and then his trousers, changing into his night pants. He could never sleep in the dress like night clothes he was forced to wear in his youth, he much preferred pants with no shirt for sleeping.
Feeling like someone was watching he turned his attention back to Ginny, who blushed instantly.
"Enjoying the view?" he questioned donning a smile.
"Perhaps" She said nonchalantly clearing her throat before turning the page on her book.
He nodded and made his way to the bed. He had been thinking of what her mother had said all day and was shocked when he realized his feelings for Ginny were growing stronger and stronger- he was falling in love with her.
"So my mother and you were in deep conversation... what did she say?" She said as if reading his thoughts.
He cleared his throat "Well, she said he approves of me."
"My mother?"
"Yes."
"That's... surprising, usually it takes her much longer to like someone who is with one of her children."
"Perhaps it's my charm?" Thomas said with a smile.
Ginny laughed at that and his smile grew, he liked the way she laughed- her eyes seemed to sparkle like diamonds and her whole face lit up with the smile breaking across her face.
"What? Do you not find me bewitching?" he asked halfway serious.
Ginny turned serious she leaned towards him slightly before speaking "Bewitching wasn't the term I would have used for you before."
"And now?"
"Now, I think... I think it's time for bed, goodnight Tom."
He nodded getting up to blow out the lanterns and add a log to the fireplace. He made his way back to the bed crawling in under the blankets before he said, "Goodnight Gin."
She lay faced away from him while he lay on his back listening to the familiar sounds of the fireplace. The room felt colder than usual signaling they'd be in for a nasty winter- Hopefully it wouldn't prevent them from going to Kansas for Christmas.
"Your mother invited us for Christmas." He said nonchalantly.
"And what did you say?" She asked turning over to face him.
"I said "we'd be there" I thought it'd be good for you and the girls to have a big family Christmas."
"You've got no idea just how "Big" my family is" Ginny said with a giggle "I've got three sisters, nine cousins- not counting their spouses and children- And my auntie Em and Uncle Dan and of course my Ma."
"Nine cousins?"
"Yes, not all of them come to Christmas though, and I reckon based on what Gideon said Isaac won't because of the girl he's with."
"All right, so who's all going to be there?" He asked.
"My older sister Lindy and her husband Levi and their daughter Georgie... my other older sister Julie and her husband Lawson. My younger sister Maggie...then there's My Uncle Dan and my Auntie Em and my cousins Gideon, Ariel and her husband Nathan for sure, I'm no sure who else will be there."
"I am not going to remember all of their names..."
Ginny laughed a real laugh that sounded like music to Thomas's ears "It takes a while, but you'll get used to them... Ariel's husband is still having some difficulties but for the most part he's finally managed to remember everyone."
Thomas smiled, it was relatively dark in the bedroom, but the fireplace put off enough light for him to see Ginny smiling back at him. She leaned closer to him and he met her lips with his only for a moment before a knock sounded at the door.
"Who is it?" he called sitting up.
"It's Wilhelmina and Lorelei, it's too cold in our room and Lorelei had a bad dream." Wilhelmina said in a small voice.
Ginny got up and opened the door before Wilhelmina could finish the sentence. She kneeled down to hug Lorelei. Thomas smiled which was something he had been doing a lot lately. Ginny made a wonderful mother he noted as he scooted over to make enough room for everyone.
Ginny lay on the other side of the girls and the farthest from him, while Wilhelmina lay right next to him and Lorelei laid in-between Ginny and Wilhelmina. They had become a family- he didn't know when it had happened, but it had and he'd never felt happier.