"I thought it would take longer," Hannah said.

"Oh, it will," said Many-Doves . "Another thirty or forty years, most likely."

Elizabeth bit back her smile, but Nathaniel laughed out loud.

The wedding party had been set up on tables behind the church on the small green that ran down to the brook. Under a stand of maples flaming in oranges and reds, children already gathered around plates of sweets. Dolly Smythe called to Hannah, who disappeared into the crowd of children without a backward glance.

The men were opening a keg of rum.

"Can't have a wedding in Paradise without rum," Nathaniel said, taking in the look of surprise on Elizabeth's face. "Don't worry, Boots. I'm not about to partake."

"A toast to honor the bridal couple would not be unreasonable, Nathaniel."

He shook his head, his eyes traveling over the crowd. "Not today." And then: "I wish my father were here."

With a frown, Many-Doves dealt Nathaniel a pinch hard enough to make him jump. "This is a wedding party," she reminded him. "Not a war council."

"Yes, please," Elizabeth added. "Today of all days. The children are so looking forward to the recital. And look at Curiosity, I have never seen her so happy."

Nathaniel moved away from Doves, rubbing his arm. "I'm no match for the two of you, Boots. I'll give it a try."

He took Elizabeth's hand and the three of them made their way toward the bridal couple. What a strange but wonderful thing it was, Elizabeth thought, to hold a man's hand in a crowd. It made her feel very young and silly and at the same time very pleased. It was just five months since she had been a bride herself after all, and for Many-Doves it was even more recent. Elizabeth caught sight of Molly Kaes teasing one of the Cameron brothers, and she shook her head slightly to herself.

"It's the business of the day, Boots," Nathaniel said, reading her thoughts. "Harvesttime and courting go together."

"And a rush of babies in the spring," added Many-Doves , patting her own belly.

Polly and Benjamin accepted their good wishes with pleasure. Elizabeth let Galileo press a glass of punch into her hands, and she spoke a few words with Manny and Daisy. Curiosity, for once at a loss for words, simply hugged her and smiled. As the brother of the groom, George had decided to take charge of entertainment, and together with Joshua he had begun a game of boules. Many of the men were wandering in that direction.

Elizabeth finally turned away to find herself face to face with the judge, and Julian.

She looked over the crowd, hoping for some distraction which would reasonably take her away, but her father's tone, tentative and friendly, stopped her. Not for the first time Elizabeth wondered if it was her father's role in Chingachgook's death which had caused this sudden change in his attitude, or if there was some other, less visible or pleasant motivation. He had even been willing to speak to the treasury agent on their behalf or so he had claimed to Nathaniel. Now he was trying to meet her eye, like a schoolchild looking for praise.

"You are looking very well, daughter."

His face was drawn thin, but his hands were steady and he had lost some of the vacant look in his eyes. He held a cup of punch rather than rum, she saw with some relief. But Elizabeth could not think of one topic to discuss with him that would not soon bring them to an argument, and so simply thanked him.

"Has your harvest gone well?" he asked, directing the question to both Nathaniel and Many-Doves .

"Very well," Many-Doves said. "We are pleased."

"You are gaining weight, Elizabeth."

Her head snapping up in surprise, Elizabeth saw that her father was sincere: he did not know about her condition, or he never would have made such a remark. She had never had the opportunity to talk to him alone and pass on this information, but she thought by now someone would have pointed out to him what would soon be obvious to all.

At the same time, there was a new look on Julian's face. He had not known, but he did now.

"I did not mean to offend," the judge said, looking uncertainly between Elizabeth and Nathaniel. "It suits you, after all."

Nathaniel cleared his throat. "Well, that's good to hear," he said, his hand moving to the small of Elizabeth's back as if to keep her from running away. "Because she'll gain a sight more before she's done. There's a child on the way, I guess you didn't realize."

The deep flush on her father's face might have been embarrassment, or dismay, or joy; Julian's reaction was less ambivalent. With one piercing look at Nathaniel, he turned and walked away.

* * *

An hour before the recital was set to begin, Dolly, Hannah, and the Glove sisters were arranging food while Elizabeth hung garlands of the last of the summer asters. Excitement and silliness were running very high, and she was beginning to worry about the boys, who had been sent to fetch more cups and should have long been back from this errand.

Anna arrived with doughnuts and the distressing news that the wedding party had broken up and was drifting resolutely in the direction of the schoolhouse.

"Folks been waiting months to see the inside of this place," she said, taking the garland out of Elizabeth's hands and climbing up on a chair in a businesslike fashion. "Couldn't wait anymore. Anyway, you want the men with another hour's worth of rum in their bellies? Let me do this, you got other things to attend to, I fear. I just saw that son of mine running away from the Necessary with the McGarrity boys."