It all started when...we were on the ship. She was a nurse working for the Heaton's. Do you remember her?"
William answered, "Oh yay! She was the young girl, really sweet, and lovely."
I took a deep breath and stated, "Well, we started to talk on the ship, and I liked her then, but I knew I was not free yet, so we agreed to wait for each other before we arrived here.
Then last year (1637) after church, I walked to a client's home to drop a doublet that I finished the day before. After I was done, I was walking back home. I was watching people still wandering in the church yard when someone bumped into me. She just finished closing her Bible when she did not look where she was going, she hit her nose right into my chest. Of course, I asked her if she was alright. I checked to see if she had a bloody nose, and she did not.
"I am so sorry. I was not paying attention. I just finished reading my Bible and did not look up. I did not see you there," she said with tears in her eyes.
I said, "No worries, are you alright?" Then we looked at each other in the eyes, and I could see light in them. She had beautiful brown eyes with long lashes, rosy cheeks, long chestnut brown hair, nice pink lips. She was dressed in her Sabbath Day best as it seems she just left church. She wore a beautiful dress with a white apron, a white bonnet, and blue bows on her waste coat. This dress made her very attractive to my eyes and showed her curves. I remembered her from the ship and knew her name was Mary. I noticed she was studying me too and seemed to recognize me too.
She said, "Yay, I am alright. My nose hurts, but it is not bleeding, so I will live." Then she greeted me and said, "Hello, John, and are you still working for William Hutchinson?
I said, "Yes, and told her that I will be opening my own tailoring shop soon because my contact was almost finished." I proceeded to ask her where she lived.
She told me that she was still working as a nurse for the Heaton's. She was orphaned and came to work for them, so they are like her parental figures.
I asked her if she wanted to go for a walk, and she agreed. As we walked, I found out that she is 23 years old, and that she made her dress herself. I complemented her on a job well done.
We have been trying to meet at least once a week to take a walk. We became best friends, and it has grown into love. I have talked to her about mentioning me to the Heaton's to see if I could talk to them and stay with them until I become married and an inhabitant here in Boston."
William was astonished as he said, "WOW! I guess I have been so caught up with Anne's trials that I missed the signs."
John said, " I am sorry. I did not tell you earlier. You know that settling down has always been part of my plans, here right? God has finally given me my future bride. I am going to court and marry her soon."
William replied, "Yes, I know, and I will support you any way I can. I will give you money to purchase a small dwelling for you and your bride. Plus, I will even give you a few letters of recommendation to the town and her employer to make you worthy to marry, own a shop, and have your own home. I do not know what God has in store for Anne and me, but we are moving south to a different colony."
John replied, "Thank you so much! May the Lord Bless you richly."
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Records indicate that Anne and William were banished from Boston in 1638. The marriage record for John is late 1638 in Boston. We will have a chapter in Mary's POV next.
The courtship is next. I am doing research on the different types of weddings in this time period. According to records, John and Mary do not become members of the Puritan Church until May 1639 after their wedding, so a church wedding is not likely.
I hope you enjoy this story. Vote and comment!