Mrs. Stribling waved to Nathan and rushed to his side. “I’m so excited to hear you fiddle, Mr. Banks. Your accompanist spent some time at my house this afternoon getting ready for tonight. What a beautiful young lady she is. I hope you appreciate how lucky you are to have her. This is bound to be a night to remember.”
Nathan nodded to Mrs. Stribling, pretending to agree with her. He hoped the night wouldn’t be a night to remember. He just wanted it to be an ordinary Saturday night dance that went smoothly. Nothing too exciting or out of the ordinary. Then he could escort the Gardner family home and collapse into Charlie’s bed. The moment he thought about escorting the Gardner family home, though, his heart beat increased. He had only been looking after Mr. Gardner’s family for one week and he had already botched everything. He didn’t know how he could handle living under the same roof with Ruby Gardner for another few weeks.
He turned to face the young woman who already had such a powerful grip on his heart. Ruby did look different from when they had ridden into town earlier. More beautiful than ever in an off-white lacy blouse and a blue skirt that matched her eyes. Her hair was pulled high on her head, and long blond curls cascaded down her back. She smiled pleasantly as she talked to the townsfolk. Ruby is always pleasant, he thought. And always beautiful.
Nathan walked across the room and stood next to Ruby. “Are you ready?” he asked.
“I’m ready.” There was something mysterious in her eyes. Was it resentment? Was it devotion? No, it couldn’t be devotion, he thought. I’m surprised she’s speaking to me.
Nathan told her the name of the piece he planned to start with, warmed up his fiddle, and then unleashed a seemingly effortless stream of notes. Ruby’s fingers flew across the organ keys, her feet working the pedals. When he moved the bow faster; her fingers moved faster. When he changed the direction of the bow; she changed the direction of her fingers. When he crunched the bow against the strings, creating a raw scraping sound that took that particular tune to a new level; she belted out the chords to match. No matter where he went with his fiddling, she complemented his music with the organ.
The dancers whirled, their feet a blur on the schoolroom floor while Mr. Jepson did the calling. The fiddler and the organ player played for contra, step, and square dancing. All the while Nathan kept his starchy face, almost as if his fingers loved the music, but his heart didn’t. At last Nathan slowed his fiddle to a screeching halt. He had fiddled for nearly an hour, and he was worn out. He figured Ruby and Mr. Jepson were worn out too.
“Can I get you some cider?” Nathan asked.
“Thank you,” Ruby gasped, placing her hand over her heart. “I would love some cider, and I’d like to take it outside in the fresh air.”
Once outside, they found Mr. and Mrs. Jones being helped out of a wagon.
“I heard you playing when we pulled up,” Mr. Jones said, shaking Nathan’s hand. Then he kissed Ruby lightly on her cheek. “Bravo to you both! The town won’t want me back after hearing the two of you play together. Your tempo has increased exponentially, Mr. Banks. Even I didn’t know you could fiddle so fiercely.”
Nathan ducked his head. He looked at Mr. Jones and pursed his lips, not knowing what to say. He couldn’t very well say, “I’ve made a bungle of my life again, sir, and I’m fiddling like a fool, trying to forget all the ways I’ve messed up.”
Ruby hugged Mrs. Jones. “This town will always want to dance to your organ music, Mr. Jones,” she said. “And to hear you play the hymns on Sundays.”
“Well, maybe you’re right about the folks wanting me to play for the dances,” the older man said, chuckling. “After you two wear everyone out with your music, they might welcome a slower pace from a geezer like me.”
He and Mrs. Jones started to go into the schoolhouse. “I heard there was pie here tonight,” Mr. Jones said, turning back with a twinkle in his eyes. “Thought I’d come and see for myself.”
* * *
Ruby and Nathan sat on an empty bench that someone had conveniently placed not too far from the schoolhouse steps. Ruby took several sips of cider. She needed the cool refreshment after their intense playing, and she needed to stretch her tired legs from frantically pumping on the organ pedals. Even though it was cold, she didn’t need her shawl. She couldn’t quit thinking of how tender, Nathan’s kiss had felt earlier in the day, how passionate and enjoyable. After the kiss, she had thought the rest of the day and evening would be the happiest time of her life. She had been confident that she and Nathan would be smiling at each other while they played music together for the dance.
Ruby didn’t understand the man beside her, but she couldn’t quit thinking about him. All too soon after their kiss, Nathan had acted aloof, like he was embarrassed or regretful. Why had he ignored her all the way into town? Why was he fiddling with such a stone face again tonight? Didn’t their kiss mean anything to him?
She didn’t know whether to ignore Nathan as he was ignoring her, or to reassure him in some way that she treasured their kiss. That she yearned for more. That she’d been in love with him since she’d first heard him fiddle when she was only seventeen.
Ruby wanted to talk to Nathan, but more and more people came forward to congratulate them on their music as they sat together, sipping cider and enjoying the crisp evening air. Ruby wished they could have at least a few moments alone so that she might speak to him. She wasn’t sure what she would say, but she wanted to find out why he was so relaxed and comfortable around her family, but grim and forbidding when he fiddled. And now that he’d kissed her, why was he acting more withdrawn than ever?
“I have never danced so fast in my life!” one young lady said to Ruby and Nathan, her voice spilling over with laughter as she and her dance partner stopped to talk. “You two are the most fun!”
“Enjoyed your fiddling!” someone called out as they walked by. “Looked forward to Saturday night all week long.”
A young boy around seven or eight years old ran up to Nathan. “I love your fiddle music!” he said. “I want to fiddle like you someday!”
Ruby watched Nathan’s face as people spoke to him. He nodded, sometimes waved a hand, and occasionally smiled, but his smile stayed formal and stoic. The only truly happy smile he parted with was when the little boy ran up and said he wanted to fiddle like Nathan someday. “Can I ask you a question?” Ruby said quickly when they seemed to have a moment without anyone talking to them.
“Sure,” Nathan said, but his face immediately filled with concern.
“Why don’t you smile when you fiddle? Is it because your grandpa passed away and he’s the one who taught you?”
“No . . . I . . . something happened . . .” Nathan shook his head and quit talking.
Ruby waited a moment, and when he didn’t speak she opened her mouth to reassure him that she cared about him. But Mrs. Stribling and Mrs. Jamison came outside and promptly sat on the bench beside Ruby, sitting so close that they forced Ruby closer to Nathan. Ruby could feel tension in his arm. For a moment, she worried he might stand up and leave, but he simply nodded to the ladies and took another drink of his cider.
“Lovely, lovely dance,” Mrs. Stribling said. “The townsfolk love your music. You have a way of bringing joy into the lives of everyone in attendance.” She leaned over and whispered in Ruby’s ear. “You should marry that man. You two will make beautiful music together for the rest of your lives . . . and beautiful babies too.”
Ruby cringed from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She felt herself turn several shades of red. Thankfully the sun had set over the western hills so no one could see the details of her face. She hoped no one had heard Mrs. Stribling, but kept her eyes focused on the ground in case they had.
Ruby didn’t dare look Nathan’s way, hoping he hadn’t heard, but afraid that he had. Mrs. Stribling generally talked loudly. Even her whispers were never true whispers.
“How’s your sister, Mrs. Stribling?” Ruby quickly asked, trying to divert t
he woman from any more startling statements about marriage and babies. “Have you had any letters lately?”
“Well, I happen to have gotten one today!” Mrs. Stribling replied. She pulled the latest letter from her pocket and slid the paper out of the envelope. “Oh, phooey, I don’t know if I can see to read. My eyes are weak, and it’s getting dark.”
“May I try?” Ruby asked. Anything to keep Mrs. Stribling from going back to the subject of Nathan and Ruby and babies.
Mrs. Stribling happily placed the letter into Ruby’s hands. “I’d love to have you read my letter,” she said. “I’ve read it fifty times today, but I’d like to hear it from your lips.”
“My dear sister, Rolla,” Ruby read. She held the paper up to what light was left. “I loved your last letter, as I always do. It was so good to hear of the doings in Idaho. I know you enjoy your life way out there, but I do wish I could see your lovely face sometime.”
Mrs. Stribling interrupted Ruby by laying her hand on Ruby’s arm. “She hasn’t seen my face for nearly five years. It’s not as lovely as it once was. Wrinkles everywhere!” Everyone who was outside taking in the fresh air couldn’t help hearing Mrs. Stribling as her voice carried around the schoolyard. Ruby noticed that Belle and Cora stood a little way off, giggling quietly.
Ruby kept reading. “Must I fight my way across the continent to see you again? I am getting older by the minute and wish we could have a day or two to spend time together. My eyes are getting weak, and my hearing is bad, as is yours. We might have to sit across the table from each other and shout. Still, I wish we could visit as we have so much more to catch up on than what one can put in a letter.”
There was more, but it was simply too dark to read further.
“Ah . . .” Mrs. Stribling said, her voice soft for the first time that evening. She retrieved her letter and placed it back into her pocket. “Thank you, my dear. What a lovely way to end the evening for me.” She suddenly straightened her back. “Oh, except the evening hasn’t ended yet, has it? It’s just begun! Mr. and Mrs. Jamison brought me tonight, and they are taking me home in a little while. You young folks can party on through the night, but we older folks, we need our beauty rest.”
Mrs. Stribling leaned around Ruby and addressed a question to Nathan. “Are you coming inside soon?”
When Nathan nodded, Mrs. Stribling stood. “Good enough,” she said. “Come, Mrs. Jamison. We seemed to have lost your husband.” The two ladies hurried back into the schoolhouse, giggling as though they were after one more piece of pie.
Ruby dared to look at Nathan after they left. His stern eyes faced straight ahead, his back, ramrod stiff. Not a blink, not a smile came from him.
Surely he had heard Mrs. Stribling speak of marriage and babies.
“I’m sorry about Mrs. Stribling,” Ruby said, feeling completely flustered all over again. “She’s really a very dear lady, but . . .”
Nathan stood up. “We need to get back to the dance,” he said through tight lips.
8
Nathan was horrified that Mrs. Stribling had made reference to he and Ruby marrying and having babies. Of all the bizarre things. He was embarrassed for Ruby too, but hardly knew what to say to her. He had to quit being seen with her before other people started making wild assumptions about them. Even though Ruby Gardner played music like a virtuoso, and was the loveliest young woman he had ever met, he couldn’t think of marrying her. He couldn’t think of marrying anyone. That horrific picture came to his mind of standing at the altar with the preacher, friends, and family, gathered around, but with no bride anywhere.
Oregon wouldn’t be far enough away if he was ever left standing at the altar again.
Ruby had asked him why he didn’t smile when he fiddled. He could never tell her that although he loved to fiddle, every time he did, he relived the hurt of that night back in Tennessee. He couldn’t bear to think about it, let alone share his feelings about it.
The memory still made his stomach churn.
Before Nathan and Ruby made it back inside the schoolhouse, Nathan heard the beginning of Mr. Jamison and some other old-timers hamboning. They slapped and patted their arms, legs, chest, and cheeks, starting out softly, the rhythm steady and fun. The men slowly increased the tempo, and Nathan realized what was happening.
Mrs. Stribling’s voluminous voice reached his ears. The conniving woman stood near the organ and announced her scheme. “Who thinks the fiddler and the organ player are unparalleled in their playing?”
People clapped and cheered, including Mr. Jones. Some stomped their feet.
“Our illustrious musicians haven’t had a chance to dance all evening. Who wants to see them dance?”
People clapped and cheered, stomping their feet louder than before. The old-timers picked up the pace and volume of their slapping rhythm, while the dancers on the floor hooted and waved to Nathan and Ruby to join them.
As the slapping music increased in tempo and volume, a small part of Nathan wanted to cut loose and show Ruby how a farm boy from Tennessee could really dance. Another part of him wanted to run, and not stop running until he reached the Oregon coast. He couldn’t do that to Ruby though. He had already hurt her by withdrawing into himself after their kiss. He couldn’t run off in front of the townsfolk and leave her standing alone like Emmaline had left him.
Nathan compromised by dancing with his feet, but not with his heart. His movements were rigid and laborious. The longer he and Ruby danced, though, something unexpected happened to him. Ruby’s smile and rhythm left him awestruck. She seemed so alive, so captivating, so beautiful. Mixed feelings poured through him like water over a waterfall.
How could this be happening? he wondered as his feet responded to the music faster and faster. It’s like I’m meeting my special someone tonight, and there never was an Emmeline or a banjo player.
When the hamboners threw all their energy into the slapping rhythm, Nathan surrendered to the music and to his heart. He danced like he had never danced before. He smiled like few people had seen him smile before. When the old-timers finally broke off their slapping and the dance ended, the whole schoolroom erupted into a thunderous applause.
The comments and congratulations to the old-timers poured in. The comments and congratulations to the dancers increased ten-fold. Nathan and Ruby were so busy responding to people, it was some time before they took up their positions with the fiddle and the organ again. Once they did, they played with heart and soul, and Nathan’s eyes danced while he fiddled.
After the dance ended, the whole Gardner family helped Nathan clean the schoolhouse and arrange the desks and benches. When Nathan opened the door to the teacherage to put away his fiddle, Bo slithered into the schoolroom, his tail high and curvy. The cat looked around as though to see what all the noise was all about. The younger Gardner girls squealed when they saw their feline friend. Instead of getting his back up at the commotion, Bo sidled up to them one by one, brushing against their legs and letting them run their hands down his back. Beth scooped him into her arms and he snuggled against her like a lost and lonely kitten.
“Is this your cat?” Mrs. Gardner asked, her eyes wide.
“Yes, this is Bo. He likes your girls because he has free reign here in the schoolhouse during school hours. The children spoil him.”
“I feel so terrible,” Mrs. Gardner said. “We should have insisted you bring him with you when we asked you to stay with us. I’m sure he has missed you something terrible every single night you’ve been gone.”
“Oh, Bo’s all right,” Nathan said. “I make sure he has plenty of food and water while I’m gone.” He didn’t look at Bo when he spoke. He was sure he’d get a disgruntled look in return.
“Nonsense,” Mrs. Gardner said. “We’ll take Bo with us tonight and he can sleep in Charlie’s room with you.”
Mrs. Gardner ran her fingers through the cat’s thick fur. Bo looked from her to Nathan as though to say, “See, you wicked person. You made me suffer
needlessly all this time.”
“You are very kind,” Nathan said to Mrs. Gardner. “I’m afraid we’ll have to take him now. Bo heard your offer, and he understands more than you might think. Ruby or you had better drive home though, and I’ll hold him. He’s not used to wagon rides, let alone rides in the dark. He’s likely to spring off the wagon, claws flying, over the slightest bump in the road.”
The ride home turned into a small caravan, with Ruby’s oldest sister, husband, and baby in the first wagon. Evan managed the team while Nellie and Belle sat beside him, talking and laughing. The three younger Gardner girls rode in the back. Cora and Alice, who had also returned from the survey for the dance, rode in the back of Ruby’s wagon with Ruby, Nathan, and Mrs. Gardner on the front seat. Ruby handled the horses and Nathan handled Bo, tucking the nervous cat into his shirt and holding him snugly.
The crescent moon offered little light on the way home, but the horses knew the way. The caravan of party goers sang and enjoyed themselves in the moonlight. In between songs, an owl hooted, and Nathan couldn’t help the peaceful feeling that had overtaken him since the dance. This is what life should be like, he thought.
Bo’s head stuck out of Nathan’s shirt, and Nathan stroked the cat’s head, whispering to him occasionally. He tried to reassure Bo and keep him calm as they bumped along over the rutted road. Singing helped the cat more than anything, so Nathan encouraged his group of wagon revelers to keep singing.
The first wagon moved along a little faster because Ruby seemed to be caught up in the magic of the evening, in no hurry to prod her horses along. They were less than a quarter of a mile from home, and the party goers in her wagon had just started singing, The Cat Came Back, when Nathan jumped and let loose with a loud cry. He doubled over his stomach and held Bo tighter to him.
“What’s the matter?” Ruby asked.
Ruby’s Rhapsody Page 7