The second marriage for both, their intentions were to elope on a magical island off the coast of Maine. That day they were married on the Monhegan Island dock on a glorious clear sunny morning, despite the forecast of a grey and rainy day. Wearing tiny white leather ballerina shoes and a dress she designed of antique curtain lace discovered at a little shop in Hallowell. She carried a feathery green bouquet of maidenhair fern he had freshly picked that morning as his gift to her on their way to catch the Laura B. out to the island.
They sat quietly holding hands in the back seats en route on the Laura B. coast guard boat out to Monhegan, fingers linked, smiling nervously, reflective of their separate lives, apprehensive of their future together. They were both excited about their secret trip. The Captain, attentive at his helm, looked back and forth overseeing his passengers with a watchful eye, intent on his destination in the distance.
Met at the dock by two anxious old friends, Zoe with her brilliant smile and Newt in his flamboyant Mexican Sombrero, who were to stand as witnesses at the ceremony. Moments after changing into their Mexican-themed wedding clothes, the bride and groom met at the agreed upon spot on the dock. He predictably, arrived first. She could not keep her dried chili pepper earrings with silver balls gleaming in the sun, and chili pepper corsage from flipping around in the slight breeze. No matter, they were on a secret mission to be married and not many would even notice.
Clutching her copy of the Prophet in one hand, her bouquet of ferns and bright red chili peppers in the other, she filled her lungs with brisk salt-air, for a moment looked upward into the blue sky and rounded the corner of the boathouse. He was a handsome groom in his top hat, wearing the Mexican print shirt and satin tails she had sewn for him, but all she could see was his kind face and the tears in his eyes, twinkling in the sunshine.
As they said their vows on Marriage on the dock, under the warm August sunshine, with guidance from Justice Karen W. quoting from the Prophet, the Captain swung his boat around in the little harbor where passengers cheered & whistled as they threw handful after handful of birdseed at the groom and the “Secret Bride” of Monhegan!