Chapter 33
“Atoast to the groom,” said Jack, raising a glass of sparkling apple cider.
The guests sitting at round tables in the modest wood-paneled reception hall of the Methodist church, where Ernie’s father was minister, all quieted down.
It was mid-afternoon on Christmas Eve, and the room was decorated with Christmas trees and holly wreaths adorned with tiny model airplanes.
Oh, no. Now Ernie was in for it.
“My best friend, Ernest Pritchard, is a married man. Now, I’ve known Ernie my whole life, and I confess I never thought I’d see the day.”
Shit. Was Jack going to embarrass him by reciting his past transgressions for all to hear?
“To say Ernie was popular with the fairer sex would be an understatement. I believe his beautiful bride called him a playboy on the first day they met, if memory serves.”
“Yes, I did,” Millie chimed in with a half grin.
Ernie’s cheeks warmed, and he wanted to hide. Everyone laughed, and some daunting lady aviators over at table three gave him pointed looks. Fortunately, Millie squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek. There was nothing to do but grin and bear it.
“But Millie Aldrich—excuse me…ah…the new Mrs. Pritchard,” Jack said raising his glass and winking at her.
“She came along and showed him the error of his ways in no uncertain terms. I don’t know what you did to him, Millie, but ever since you showed up at Heller Airport in October, he’s been a changed man. ”
“That I am,” Ernie agreed, kissing Millie’s hand. “Changed for the better.”
“You know, these two hated each other at first,” Jack continued. “Did you know Ernie was assigned by his boss to get Millie to quit?”
“Figures,” Katherine Stinson interjected. The lady aviators gave each other commiserating looks.
“I’m sorry, my love,” Ernie said, giving Millie his best puppy-dog eyes.
“And I’m never going to let you live it down,” she said, narrowing her eyes and leaning in so that they were nose to nose. Unable to resist, he touched his lips to hers, and the assembled guests hooted and hollered, clinking their glasses.
Millie was his wife—his delicious, gorgeous wife. He could get used to this.
“But something changed,” Jack said.
“Me,” said Ernie with a laugh.
“There was a spark between these two that could not be denied. Nothing could stand in their way. Not even their boss, Mr. Dickson. When he took away their jobs and it looked like all hope was lost, these two came back and fought for each other. They showed the U.S. Postal Service what was what.”
“Hear, hear,” chimed in the table of lady aviators.
“Together, these two are unstoppable,” Jack said, “and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them. To Mr. and Mrs. Pritchard!”
Everyone assembled raised their glasses of sparkling cider and drank. Such a shame they couldn’t have real champagne. Prohibition was such a drag. Fortunately, Ernie had a bottle of the good stuff packed in his luggage.
“My turn now,” said Beth, standing and gesturing for a waiter to refill her glass.
She looked stunning in her plum-colored, satin bridesmaid dress with a fashionably low waist and hemline just below the knee.
Not that she could compare with Millie, who looked like a scrumptious angel in her floor-length ivory satin gown, pearl studded headdress and cascading veil.
“The first time I heard about Ernie, Millie made me a bet that she could get him to change his ways, and I thought everyone would end up worse off for her interference. As things progressed, and it became clear that Millie was a little bit too interested in the object of her quest, I added a stipulation that she couldn’t end up romantically involved with Ernie at the end of it. Obviously, she lost the bet.”
Interesting. Ernie had no idea about this bet with Beth. He snuck a glance at Millie, who smiled and shrugged.
“I got this lovely necklace out of it,” Beth said, holding up a rope of pearls that dripped nearly to her waist.
The guests oohed and aahed.
“But,” Beth continued, “I’ve been thinking about it, and while technically, I won my bet, I think I was wrong.”
Millie gasped.
“Yes, Millie, I was wrong,” said Beth. “I may have guessed right about what was happening, but I was betting against your best interests, something I should never have done. In recognition of that, I got you something.”
Beth reached into a bag beneath the table and brought out a large, gleaming trophy and handed it to Millie whose eyes went wide.
“It says, ‘I was wrong. Love, Beth,’” Millie said, holding it up triumphantly.
“Don’t get too cocky, dear. It won’t happen again,” Beth said, walking over to Millie and kissing her on the cheek.
“You really are the best friend I could possibly have,” said Millie quietly, tearing up a bit.
“Yes, I am, and don’t you forget it,” Beth said, squeezing Millie’s arm. “To the happy couple,” Beth said loudly, turning back to the room and raising her glass.
There was raucous noise as everyone drank to their health.
Ernie looked out at the room full of friends and family, grateful for their love and support. It was a warm blanket wrapping him up on this cold winter’s day. He turned to his bride, who was looking out at the guests and smiling.
“We’re very lucky, aren’t we?” Ernie murmured in her ear.
“Yes, we are,” she murmured back.
“And now,” Ernie said, standing and holding out a hand, “I would like to dance with my wife. Millie Pritchard, will you do me the honor?”
“With pleasure.”
He led her to the dance floor, and the quartet they hired struck up a foxtrot.
“I love you, Mrs. Pritchard,” he whispered in her ear as they started to move across the dance floor in perfect sync.
“I love you too, Mr. Pritchard,” she whispered back, brushing her lips against his cheek.
Millie was his wife. Ernie could hardly believe it. His heart swelled at the thought. Was it possible to have a more perfect wife? He didn’t think so. Perfect for him, that was. She was flawed, just like him, and that made him love her all the more.
As they moved together, sinuous satin slipped against him, and he suddenly wished he had her all to himself at the Plaza Hotel where he’d reserved a room, this time with a full-sized bed.
“I had no idea about this bet,” Ernie said to distract himself from his inconvenient reaction to her gorgeous proximity. “When did you make it?”
“Right after I got back from our first trip together.”
“Very interesting. Were you attracted to me from that first trip? After all, you don’t go on crusades for just anyone.”
She stroked his back with her hand, sending shivers down his spine.
“I was attracted to you the first time I met you, not that I was going to admit it to anyone.”
He smiled.
“Likewise, though I knew I had to keep it in check. You were so fierce and determined. How could I help but be bowled over? It was very inconvenient being attracted to the woman I was supposed to make quit.”
She laughed. “I’m sure it was.”
Spinning her around, he watched her veil sweep around her and her skirt flare. What a lucky man he was!
“Can I ask you something, Mr. Pritchard?” she murmured in his ear, smiling.
“Anything, Mrs. Pritchard.”
“That night in Philadelphia when I was out with the girls…”
“Yes?”
“What did you think when you overheard me saying you were handsome? How badly did I embarrass myself?”
“Not at all. It’s nothing I haven’t heard before, though I was rather flattered to hear it from a famous aviatrix.” He brushed his lips against her ear and enjoyed her shiver.
She playfully smacked his shoulder. “I knew it would give you a big head.”
He laughed. “True. And I had a rather big head already.”
“Still do,” she said as he sent her into another spin. “I’ll have to make sure to keep you humble,” she said, returning to him.
“You do it so well,” he said with a smile.
“I do, at least until you distract me with those dimples and those caramel-colored eyes of yours.”
“Are you distracted now?”
“Very.”
Someone tapped Ernie on the shoulder, and Ernie turned to see Millie’s father, whom he’d only met the week before when they’d arrived by train from Florida.
“Might I have this dance with my daughter?” Mr. Aldrich asked. Ernie had hardly noticed the song had ended and a new one had started up. He handed off his bride, reluctantly, to his father-in-law then went to find his mother.
“Are you happy dear?” Mom asked as he spun her around the dance floor in a waltz.
“Couldn’t be happier.” And it was true. He couldn’t remember a time when his heart had been this full.
“Good, sweetheart. I’m so glad.”
Ernie lost himself in the music and dancing, enjoying the good company of all his friends and family. Every so often, he looked longingly over at his bride, who had now danced with a procession of his fellow pilots.
“You’ll be true and take good care of her, won’t you?” asked Katherine Stinson, steel behind her elfin eyes as they danced the two-step.
“Of course, I will. And I know if I didn’t, I’d have you to answer to. That is if Beth didn’t do me in first. Not to mention Millie herself. You’re all a bit intimidating, you know that?”
“I’m glad you think so,” she said with a smile. “You should know what you’ve gotten yourself into. Millie’s going to beat your Chicago record, you know.”
“Oh, I know,” he said, maneuvering Katherine around a group of other dancers. “I can’t wait to see her do it.”
“Good,” Katherine said, all sweetness again.
At long last, he made it through all the female friends and relatives that wanted to dance with him, including one very adorable flower girl he carried around the floor for a waltz. Millie joined him for another foxtrot.
“Thank God,” he said, holding her close. “I missed you.”
Millie giggled. “I missed you too. You should have heard some of the stories your friends told me about you.”
“Oh, no. I don’t think I want to know.”
“And what did my friends say to you?”
“They threatened various forms of bodily harm if I ever stepped out of line, not that I’m in any danger because I am utterly and completely yours.”
She smiled. “I have good friends.”
“And I have terrible ones from the sound of it.”
They circled around Mom and Pop who were gazing into each other’s eyes like newlyweds.
“Is it too soon for us to make an exit, do you think?” Ernie whispered in her ear. “It’s been great fun, but I can’t wait to have you all to myself, Mrs. Pritchard.”
“Hmm. Yes, I think that’s an excellent plan, Mr. Pritchard.”
The song ended, and he led her from the dance floor. He looked around for Jack and found him chatting with Constance.
Jack reddened when he saw Ernie and excused himself. “Ernie, Millie, don’t tell me you two are already tired of dancing.”
“Very tired,” Ernie said.
“Exhausted,” Millie added.
If Ernie didn’t get Millie out of here this second, he was going to burst.
Jack chuckled. “I take it you two are headed out?” When Ernie nodded, Jack signaled to the band, and they stopped. “Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Pritchard are heading out now,” Jack said in a booming voice. “Join me in giving them a proper send-off.”
Beth helped Millie take off her veil and put on a white fur coat while Ernie donned his coat, gloves, and hat.
They made their way out to Millie’s red Stutz Bearcat under a shower of cheer and rice. The car’s fender had a dozen cans tied to it, and the back windshield read “Just Married.” So much for a dignified departure.
As they reached the car, a snowflake floated down and then another.
“We’d better get going before the weather turns,” Ernie said to Millie, opening the car door for her. “With our luck, it will be a blizzard by the time we get to the hotel.”
“I love it,” she said, then waved to all the guests. “Merry Christmas,” she yelled to everyone, and they cheered in return.
“Merry Christmas indeed,” Ernie murmured to himself, settling his lovely wife into her seat and then turning to give the crowd one last wave.
And with that, they set off on their new adventure. Together.