Ane Marie - Chapter III

The Courting of Ane Marie

As the crowd had made its way back up the hill and into the village, Ane Marie had slipped to the back. She wanted to turn and look at the guest haaus one more time, to review the happy look on Ane Kjerstine's face as she closed the window. It was assuring that someone she knew could look so happy.

Somehow she sensed rather than saw someone watching her. Maybe it was just in her thoughts, but somehow she felt that she was going to be that happy too. Then she turned and there he was, standing a little farther up the road, looking at her. He smiled and she walked up the hill towards him.

In no time at all they were back at the Olesen house. Ane Marie was smiling as she walked around the house to the back porch. The wash tub was hung on the wall and the tinderbox lid was closed. Mama had already been out here to get the wood for the stove. She's be baking up a storm, now that the wedding was over and the relatives were coming for dinner. One deep breath of fresh air and she opened the door. As she went in she grabbed her apron from the hook by the back door.

"Oh good, you're here. Take those pies out of the oven and put the other two in." Ane Marie picked up the heavy towel mama kept on the back of the chair and opened the oven. The heat made her stand back for a second and then she reached in with the towel covering her right hand while she held the other end in her left to keep if from touching the bottom of the stove. She pulled the first apple pie to the edge of the shelf and then grabbed it with the towel around both hands. She quickly took it to the window sill and gently placed it there. Then she repeated the process and put the other apple pie there too. Then she took a moment to admire her mother's workmanship. These two pies were more like tarts than the pies. The crusts were thicker, but embedded with fruit. They smelled wonderful.

The two pies on the table were exactly the same, though the top crusts were cut a little differently. Mama saw that she noticed and said, "Those are from the apples that Papa brought from town. They're really tart, but they should make very good pies."

Ane Marie placed them in the oven and closed the door. What amazed Ane Marie the most was her mother's ability to correctly time everything she cooked so it came out just perfect. The pie crust was always so 'buttery' that with just a sprinkle of sugar and no filling, it was still a grand desert. Mama said the secret was to not over work the dough and to make sure that the butter was cold. But, even though Mama let her try, Ane Marie didn't always get it right. Her first attempt had resulted in brown lumps that were so tough that even Rasmus couldn't chew them.

When Mama had any fresh fruit she would take some and make pies and jelly. The family preserved a lot of fruits and vegetables by storing them in the root cellar beneath the house. Potatoes, carrots and apples would last the longest, though the apples would have no taste by the time the last ones were used. The small buckets for butter and jam were close to the stairs because they were used so often, but the potatoes and carrots were against the far wall, to keep them as cool as possible.

Whenever mama made jelly she always made fresh bread. The crust was brittle and the brown bread inside was tender and sweet. There was no need for the butter and jam, but they added to the treat. Amazingly, Ane Marie's breads were as good as her mothers. No one could tell the difference. But her pie crusts still had a ways to go.

"Hurry, Uncle Niels will be here any minute. I want to be done so I can spend some time with him. He's come all the way from Kopenhaven. Make sure the table is set properly."

"Yes, Mama." Uncle Niels Nielsen was Mama's favorite uncle. He was her father's youngest brother and he was 72 years old. But he always brought gifts and stories from far away places. Ane Marie loved to listen to them. Sometimes she yearned to see the places he described. He'd even been to America and back, though he'd never gotten off of the boat.

She looked in the dining room before going in. Ole wasn't there, so she quickly set about getting the lace table cloth out from the chest. She placed it carefully on the sideboard. It was her mothers favorite wedding gift. Uncle Niels had brought it from Spain. She unfolded the cloth to reveal its delicate, intricate lace patterns of roses and bowls. It was only as wide as the top of the sideboard, about eighteen inches, but it was long enough to drape over each end by about a foot. It was never out of the chest unless Uncle Niels was coming.

She went to the next chest and got out the small dishes and stacked them on the table. These would be used to serve the pies and deserts when everyone else returned from the Pedersens. Ane Marie looked in the chest for the forks and spoons, but they were not in the chest. She stood up and was about to call out to her mother when her mother walked in the room with them.

"I had to make sure that they were clean and shining."

Mama placed them next to the small dishes. "Oh, that looks so beautiful." Mama was looking at the lace. "Do me one more favor. There are some apples left. Pick out the best ones and put them on the blue plate and put them right here," she said as she headed for the stairs. "I've got to go get ready."

Ane Marie headed back into the kitchen and found the apples her mother was talking about. She then looked for the big blue plate that her mother was talking about. She found it on the shelf by the stove. She quickly checked it for dust, wiping away the nothing that wasn't there, and took it to the small table in the corner of the room. She put the five most beautiful apples she could find in the middle of the plate. Then she took the box of apples and went to the cellar door. She was tempted to just leave them there for someone else to put away, but she opened the door and took the box down into the cellar. It was musty, but somehow she loved the smell down there that day.

She climbed the steps quickly and shut the door. As she turned around she saw Ole standing in the kitchen doorway. He was leaning against the door frame and smiling. His dark, wavy hair was not slicked back now, but it was well combed. And his smile for her was gentle and appreciative, as if he were looking at a great painting.

She smiled back at him. He stood straight and nodded at her and then turned and walked out. She didn't move for a moment and then she took off the apron she had been wearing and hung it on the hook by the back door. As she walked into the living room she saw the family standing by the door. She grabbed the last bouquet of flowers that were left and as she did she realized that Ole was standing beside her.

"Do you mind if I talk with you?"

"That would be very nice."

"Well, I thought that it would be ok, since I'm going to ask your father for your hand in marriage."

She stopped and twisted to look up at him. "Oh, really? Don't you think you should ask me, first?"

"I just did." There was a breathless pause, then "Well?"

"I, uh…", she stammered a bit as she looked up into his face. She wasn't frightened of being alone with him. In fact, it was a wonderful feeling of being safe that warmed her. "Uh, I…" Just then Juliane burst through the door. Ane Marie, turned to look at Juliane and said "Well, why not?"

Juliane, who was about to yell for Ane Marie, grabbed her hand instead and out the door they went, leaving Ole to wonder a bit as to whether or not he had understood her. The puzzled look on his face suddenly turned to a grin as he realized what Ane Marie had said. Now all he had to do was ask her father.

He began going over his 'assets' in his head. He had his job on the fishing boat. He was sharing a room at the inn with three other fishermen from the boat, but of course, Rasmus would not be living there any more.

Through the open door he saw Ane Marie standing at the roadside with her family. She was looking back at him and smiling. His mind began to race ahead to the conversation he was going to have with her father. And her brother. But Rasmus would understand because he was in love, too.

His sudden wave of fear lifted and he moved through the door and headed for the small family group waiting for Uncle Niels. As he approached her she, stretched our her arm and took his hand in hers. She smiled at him and then looked up the road, past Papa, towards the sound of the carriage. Papa was, however, looking back at her, staring at their hands. She noticed his eyes, looked down at their hands, and then she lifted her head and smiled back at her father.

He let out a sigh, shook his head, and turned back in time to see Uncle Niels' carriage come over the last hill. Thankfully Mama had not seen her little Ane Marie holding hands with that stray that Rasmus had dragged in. He took a quick glance over at his wife. She was smiling and waving.

As the carriage stopped the driver jumped down and got the wooden step from the back of the carriage. He placed it beneath the carriage door. Papa went to the door and opened it for Uncle Niels, who reached for the door frame at the same time. He pulled himself out of the door and stepped down. Then he was all arms and hugs, grabbing everyone and giving them a crunch. They were all laughing and squealing as he showered them with affection.

Papa went to the back of the carriage with the driver and took down Uncle Niels' bags. "Ole. Will you come give me a hand with this?"

Ole ran to his side and grabbed the handle at the far end of the traveling chest. They lifted it off of the end of the carriage. Papa looked at Ole and met his glaze. In that instant, Papa decided to like him and treat him as one of his own sons. Papa decided that if Ole didn't like that then he was not the man for Papa's Ane Marie. As they came around the side of the carriage, Uncle Niels paid the young driver and reminded him to return in three days. With Ole walking backwards and Papa walking forwards, they all headed for the house.

The talking and joyful reunion continued once everyone was in the house. As the two men carrying the chest came through the door Mama called out, "Ole, take that directly to the room." Both of the men answered, "Yes, Mama." They looked at each other and smiled and then they both began to laugh so hard that they had to stop and put the chest down for a moment.

When Mama realized what she had done, she apologized, "I'm sorry Mr. Andreason. I didn't mean to be so rude to you. Papa, what are you laughing about so hard?"

"Looks like he's Ole and I'll be Papa. That's all right with me. I figure that he'll be around for a while." Ole was looking at Papa and then he turned and nodded his head while he looked straight at Ane Marie.

Everyone laughed out loud, including Ane Marie, though she looked back and forth between her Papa and Ole. She couldn't imagine that he would have already asked her Papa if he could marry her. Papa and Ole just picked up the chest, looked at each other and smiled.

"Ane Marie, get Uncle Niels some coffee and pie."

"Yes, Mama."

"Where do we put this?"

Papa pointed his chin and said, "Over there." Papa and Ole walked around the bed and set the chest down on the far side against the wall.

"I do want to ask you something, Mr. Olesen. I realize that you've only known me for a few hours today, but I would really like to come see Ane Marie and .."

"We know. Yes, you may come and see our Ane Marie. Rasmus told me a lot about you. But still,” the pause was long, “you may come." With that, the twinkle in his eye and the smile on his lips eased Ole's fears.

"Thank you, Papa." He reached across the chest to shake Papa's hand and then he stumbled a little climbing over the chest. He nearly knocked Papa over. Papa caught his shoulder, steadied him and then chuckled as he led the way out of the room.

Ane Marie was watching as they came out of the room. Papa was smiling as he looked around for Mama. When he spotted Ane Marie he smiled and then, still smiling, nodded to Mama. She too had been watching the doorway while listening to Uncle Niels. And Ane Marie's heart did that flutter that brought the red to her cheeks.

And thus it began.