I waited for the server to depart before I asked her, “Are you willing to go downstairs after we eat? I’d like to see for myself what Fiona’s up to.”
“Yes, of course. Also, Cymbeline will be there as well.”
“What? How do you know?”
“She was getting dressed to go out as well,” Louisa said. “Something about Viktor and Emma.”
“For heaven’s sake, I wish she’d just admit to her feelings.”
“She will, I think. Cymbeline does things in her own time.”
“True enough.
We each took a bite of the salad, made from tender spinach moistened with bacon grease. “This is delicious. I love food.”
“Especially food like this.”
She speared another leaf with her fork. “I’ve always been curious what it’s like down there.”
“Really? I’m surprised.”
“As good as Father was to me, he kept a close watch. He would never have let me set foot in a dance hall of any kind. I do want to, though.”
“You’ll have your wish then.” I didn’t relish the idea of our evening ending down in a smoky illegal saloon, but apparently the women in my life didn’t agree.
***
After I’d settled the bill for dinner, I’d asked Maxwell how to get downstairs and been told it was best to go outside and around to the back of the building. We were to use the code dumbwaiter when asked.
“Why dumbwaiter, I wonder?” Louisa asked as we rounded the corner.
“It’s a story from when we were kids,” I said. “When Cymbeline got stuck in the dumbwaiter when we were trying to spy on a party.”
“I’ll have to hear that one sometime.”
“It’s best told by Cymbeline,” I said. “Although it makes the rest of us look bad.”
A man on the other side of the door responded to my knock. I gave him the password and the door opened a few inches. A long nose appeared first, then two deep-set eyes peered at us. “Boss?”
“No, it’s Theo, his twin.”
“Righto.” He opened the door the rest of the way and ushered us into a dark foyer. “I’m Fats. Nice to meet you, Theo. Your brother and Phillip talk about you all the time. The smart brother.” Fats wore a deep blue suit and red tie. Shiny shoes glittered under the electric light that hung from the ceiling. He opened a door that led down a skinny stairwell.
“Have a good time,” Fats said.
Louisa paused in the doorway. “Why do they call you Fats? That’s not your real name, is it?” Her eyes widened as she realized what a gaffe it would be if that were his God-given name.
Fats held up his fingers. “Like sausages, right? That’s where the name comes from.”
They were round and stubby, particularly given the rest of him. As we got to the bottom of the stairs, the sound of jazz music grew louder.
We walked into a room hazy from cigarette smoke. Ladies in evening dresses and men in various kinds of suits gathered at tables. The scent of gin and smoke mingled in the hazy air.
I wasn’t surprised to hear jazz music in a place like this. However, seeing my sister Fiona at the piano as well as Li Wu playing a trumpet took me aback. The music was wild. Proper young ladies called the music “dirty.” Apparently my sister wasn’t as proper as I’d thought. No Beethoven or Bach tonight. Currently, Fiona was leaning over her piano with her eyes closed. She sang into a square silver microphone that hung over the keyboards. Notes in a low register of her voice that I’d never heard come out of her mouth. Not a song I recognized, and it was as sultry as a summer breeze carrying the scent of honeysuckle. Without a doubt it was what some would call dirty.
“I don’t like this,” I said under my breath.
“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.”
Louisa’s face was as animated as I’d ever seen it. She tapped her foot to the music. In addition to Li and Fiona, there were two others. One played a stand-up bass, the other a saxophone. Both had to be middle-aged if they were a day. Where had these people come from? Why was my sister with them?
Louisa tugged on the sleeve of my jacket. “There’s Cymbeline.”
I looked to the left. Yes, there was Cymbeline along with Poppy, Isak, and Neil Hartman. Alone with two men at an illegal bar. And Poppy? She was old enough to know better than to be here in this illegal establishment. Owned by my brother and brother-in-law, I reminded myself. Why had I thought this would be all right? Of course my sisters would think it was appropriate to join in with the derelicts if their precious Flynn operated the joint.
My blood boiled. And Isak. He was a business owner. He should know better, too. “Come on,” I said to Louisa.
I marched over to the table where Cymbeline was currently tipping back a glass of champagne. Or was it gin? God help me. Had this been going on since I’d left town?
When I arrived at the table, Cymbeline’s eyes widened. She put down her glass. “Theo, what are you doing here?”
At just that moment, the song ended. “The question is, what are you doing here?” My voice rang out in the now-quiet room.
Several people turned to look at us. My blood pulsed in my neck. On the stage, the band started playing another raucous jazz tune as if to drown me out.
“Keeping an eye on Fiona,” Cymbeline said. “Not that anything could happen to her with Li here. But Papa prefers if I accompany her.”
“Pa…Papa,” I sputtered. “Papa knows you’re here?” For some reason, I’d assumed he was in the dark about these night rendezvous. I should have known better. There were no secrets between him and my mother.
“Sure he does,” Cymbeline said. “What’s the harm?”
“Does he know you’re drinking?” I asked.
Poppy had the nerve to laugh.
“You.” I turned on Poppy. “Was this your idea?” She was too modern. Our formerly sweet Poppy. With her sheared hair and running around the valley telling farmers what to do. All the power had gone to her head.
“Theo, there’s no reason for alarm,” Poppy said. “This is just a fun night out. We enjoy music and some laughs.”
“Why didn’t you invite me, then?” I asked. Was I mad or hurt or a combination of both?
“Given your reaction, you can see why,” Cymbeline said.
Isak rose to his feet and clapped my shoulder. “Don’t make a fuss. Join us.” He bowed his head toward Louisa. “You’re looking lovely this evening.”
“Thank you,” Louisa said gaily. “I’m excited to be out.” Out? What had I done? I should never have brought her here. Her father would not have liked it. She said so herself. Now she was in my care. I burned with shame.
Neil had gotten up and held out his hand for me to shake. “Good to see you.”
I shook his hand without enthusiasm. “Yeah, you too.”
Isak had the audacity to look amused. “Have a seat. We’ll order a round of drinks.”
“No, thank you.” I took Louisa’s hand. “I don’t think this is the place for a lady.”
“What did you expect, Theo?” Cymbeline asked. “It’s a jazz club.”
“A jazz club? In Emerson Pass, Colorado?” My voice had risen to just below shouting. “What has happened to you all? This isn’t New York City. We don’t do this here.”
“There’s nothing wrong with it,” Isak said. “And Fiona loves playing and singing here. Would you deny her that joy?”
“What do you know about my sister?” I asked.
Louisa put her hand on my arm. “Theo, it’s all right. We can stay a few minutes. I’d like to hear more music.”
“You would?” I asked. Would this night of surprises ever end?
“See, you’re the only one who sees anything wrong with all this,” Cymbeline said.
If it wouldn’t have made a terrible scene, I would’ve hauled her out of that chair and up the stairs. In addition, Louisa was looking at me with imploring eyes. I couldn’t resist her. Anything Louisa wanted, I wanted.
“Pull out my
chair,” Louisa whispered in my ear.
And so I did.
16
Louisa
* * *
I knew I’d surprised Theo by asking to stay. In truth, I’d surprised myself. I’d have never thought I’d step into a place like this and wouldn’t have if my father were still alive. He’d been adamant that I was not to ever entertain the idea of an illegal nightclub, even if Alexander and Flynn were behind the idea. The music, though! I’d never heard anything quite like it.
My foot tapped under the table and my body wanted to move. Fiona’s voice, which I’d heard hundreds of times at church, was different, lower and sultry. Something stirred inside me as if waking from a long sleep. Mother had called jazz the devil’s music, but it sounded heavenly to me. I couldn’t help but move.
“You two should dance,” Cymbeline said to Theo.
“Dance? To this?” Theo asked.
I turned my gaze to the dance floor. Several of the young women were dancing alone, kicking one leg back and then the other in front. I’d never seen such a thing.
“What are they doing?” I asked.
“That’s the Charleston,” Cymbeline said. “Do you want me to teach you?”
“How do you know?” Theo asked, then put up a hand to stop her from answering. “Never mind. It’s obvious you and Poppy are no strangers here.”
“Would you like to learn?” Poppy asked me. “It’s actually easy and very fun.”
I glanced over at Theo to see if he thought it was all right.
“You do as you please,” Theo said in my ear, brushing my hand where it rested on my thigh under the table.
“Are you sure?” I asked quietly enough that no one would be able to hear over the music.
“Our marriage will not be a dictatorship,” Theo said in my ear, “but a partnership. If you’d like to dance, then dance.”
“All right, I’ll give it a try,” I said to Cymbeline and Poppy.
“Berries,” Cymbeline said.
I followed the girls over to a corner of the dance floor for my lesson.
Cymbeline demonstrated in slow time. “Rock left foot back, then bring it forward, like this.” She did a little kick. “Then take your right foot back and so on. Now you try. We’ll go slowly until you get it.”
I followed along imitating Cymbeline until soon it came easily. Once I’d mastered that move, Cymbeline went on to teach me the next step—moving your knees inward and outward in a quick fashion. This one was such fun that I giggled every time I did it successfully.
I guess I was doing well enough that I wouldn’t embarrass the other girls because Cymbeline dragged me out to the middle of the dance floor. Poppy joined us and we danced the Charleston to this devil’s music. After several more songs, we stumbled back to the table thirsty. Theo and Isak had ordered a round of drinks in the most adorable widemouthed glasses.
“Is there alcohol in them?” I asked.
“Not ours,” Theo said. “Dancing is one thing. Moonshine is quite another. Unless you wanted some?”
“Oh no. I think learning to dance the Charleston is quite enough for one night.” I sipped from my glass. The lemonade was room temperature and sour. My mouth puckered but I took another sip anyway. Dancing made me thirsty. I felt alive, though, in a way I didn’t usually. Just as kisses from Theo had wakened me, dancing and music had the same effect.
The band began to play a ballad. Fiona’s lovely voice made my chest ache. Neil asked Poppy if she’d like to dance. Her eyes glowed as she offered her hand to him.
Cymbeline scowled, her attention aimed toward the entrance. I turned to look at what had changed her mood. A who, not a what. Viktor Olofsson had Emma Hartman on one arm and Nora Cassidy on the other.
Isak grinned and raised his hand to wave them over to our table.
“Why didn’t you pick up Nora yourself?” Theo asked Isak.
“She’s afraid her mother won’t approve,” Isak said. “I’m older than her by a bit, you know.”
“And Viktor seems harmless,” Theo said.
“Because everyone knows he’s in love with Cymbeline,” Isak said.
“He’s not.” Cymbeline tossed her curls. “Now that Emma Hartman’s in town.”
“Are you jealous?” Isak asked, teasing.
“Are you completely sozzled?” Cymbeline asked.
Was Isak drunk? I inspected him closely. No, he seemed his usual unflappable self. Dressed impeccably and not a hair out of place.
“Not enough to not see that you are jealous,” Isak said.
“Be quiet,” Cymbeline said under her breath.
Viktor and the girls were at the table by then. Although my loyalty would always be with Cymbeline, I had to admit that Emma was a beauty. Had Viktor’s head finally been turned by someone besides Cymbeline? Would my sister live to regret her dismissal of Viktor?
Nora’s gaze landed immediately upon Isak. He stood and held out a chair for her. “What can I get you, Miss Cassidy?”
She remained standing instead of taking the offered chair. “I’d like a dance, please.”
He dipped his head before holding out his hand. “It would be my pleasure.”
Nora giggled as they headed out to the dance floor. If her mother gave them her blessing, I had a feeling they’d be married before the year ended. Would Theo and I be married by then? How strange to think that we’d all been children together and now we would be married couples.
Viktor had helped Emma into a chair and sat next to her. “How’s everyone tonight?” Viktor asked.
“Would you care to dance with me?” Theo asked in my ear.
“Yes, please.” I’d been taught how to dance with a partner at school, so this didn’t worry me.
He led me out to the floor and took me in his arms. “Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?”
“Yes, I believe you have.” I smiled up at him. His eyes really were remarkable. Framed by his dark lashes, a girl could fall into the pools of blue and never return to the real world.
He twirled me around the floor, deft with his footwork. “How did you learn to dance?” I asked him.
“My father taught us when we were younger. I had to dance with my sisters then. Which is not as nice as dancing with you.”
I sighed with pleasure as he dipped me backward, then swung me back up to his chest. I was having the most wonderful night. A smidge of guilt caught me then. Father was dead, and I was out at a gin joint having the time of my life. He would not have wanted me here. Not even if it were with a Barnes. Would Mother be waiting up for me? I had no idea what time it was. I spoke sternly to myself. Forget it all. Have fun. For once in your life, let go.
The song ended, and Theo led me back to the table. “Are you all right?” Theo asked me, peering down into my eyes. “You went quiet.”
“Yes, I’m fine. It’s just that…”
“You’re feeling guilty about your father?”
I nodded. “How did you know?”
“I used to feel that way after my mother died. How could I still laugh and enjoy myself after how she’d suffered when she was alive and in the way she died?”
“Yes.”
I sat back down at the table. Cymbeline’s chair was empty. Emma and Viktor had their heads together, chatting.
“Where’s Cym?” Theo asked.
Viktor shook his head. “I don’t know. She seemed in a foul mood and wandered off somewhere.” He pulled out a pocket watch from inside his suit pocket and looked at the time. His head jerked upward. “She left at exactly five minutes after nine. That’s been a while ago now.” He got to his feet, surveying the room with a penetrating gaze. I turned around in a circle, searching for her.
“I’m going to see if she’s outside,” Viktor said.
“I’ll go with you,” Theo said.
Without being invited, I followed the men across the room and out to the stairwell. Viktor led the way with Theo on his heels. Fats sat at a table reading a newspaper
by the door to the outside.
“Did you see Cymbeline come through here?” Theo asked him.
“Sure,” the guard said. “A few minutes ago. Said she needed something from the car.”
We all went outside. The air was brisk and fresh compared to the basement. I looked right, then left. What I saw chilled me to the bone. Cymbeline was pinned against the wall by two large, rough men dressed in work clothes. One was pressed against her while the other held her arms over her head.
In all my life, I’d never seen Cymbeline cry. In fact, I couldn’t remember her ever showing anything remotely close to fear. But now, with these large, obviously drunk men trapping her, tears fell down her cheeks. At the same time, she fought with all her might. Regardless of her strength, she was no match for two large men. Viktor let out a yell that was as close to a war cry as anything I’d ever heard. He and Theo charged toward them.
The men turned toward us more slowly than I would have expected. When they saw what was coming for them, they jumped away from Cymbeline. One reached under his jacket for what I could only assume was a pistol. But they were no match for the Viking-sized Viktor or my swift, strong Theo.
Viktor grabbed the larger of the two men by his thick neck and tossed him to the ground as if he were no heavier than a rag doll. Simultaneously, Theo punched the other one in the face and shoved him against the wall, then hit him again. Blood spurted from the man’s nose as he raised his arms in front of his face. Theo pushed his arms away and took him by the collar. “How do you like it?” Theo asked as he smacked the back of the man’s head against the side of the brick building.
I gathered Cymbeline in my arms and pulled her away from the four men. She collapsed to the ground, pulling me with her. Smoothing her hair, I cradled her head again my chest. She sobbed into my shoulder, dampening the front of my dress. “It’s all right now,” I whispered.
Viktor kicked the man on the ground in the gut and was about to do it again when I begged them both to stop. If it went further, who knew what Viktor and Theo would do? They didn’t want the death of someone on their hands, even men like this. “Please, stop.”
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