“You do that.”
“Can I go tell Drusie now?” Gladdie paused and took in a breath. “You know what? This means Drusie don’t have to leave after all! She can stay here, and we can get married right away!” He had to use all his restraint to keep from whooping and hollering.
Pa smiled. “You go right ahead. But don’t stay too long at her house. You’ve got chores to do tomorrow mornin’, and then we’ve got to go see Mr. Goode and make our offer.”
They would be making Mr. Goode an offer! The idea made him dizzy with anticipation. Without delay, Gladdie took off for Drusie’s. On the way, he met Archie.
“You’re making tracks!” Archie observed. “What’s your hurry?”
“I’ll tell you as soon as I tell Drusie.” Gladdie didn’t stop. If he did, Archie was sure to pry the news out of him and try to talk him into letting Drusie go to Raleigh. “I’ll tell you later.”
Once he reached the house, Gladdie didn’t knock on the Fieldses’ front door but went in and hollered a greeting.
“Gladdie?” Drusie entered the parlor. “Whatcha doin’ here? I warn’t expectin’ to see you again until mornin’.” She grinned. “But I’m sure glad you’re here. We hardly had time for a proper good-bye.”
Gladdie rushed to her and took her hands in his. “We don’t need no time for a proper good-bye.”
“What do you mean?”
“We can get married right away!”
Drusie gasped, and Gladdie noticed that the moonlight streaming through the window caught her wide eyes. “Right away? Is that what you want?”
“Sure do.”
She wrapped her arms around him. Setting her cool cheek against his, she spoke gently into his ear. “We can marry before I leave. Maybe Archie will stay another day or two and consent to be your best man. Clara will be my maid of honor.” She broke the embrace and called her sister.
Clara responded by bounding in without pause. “I heard! Oh, this is keen, Drusie!”
“You eavesdropper, you!” With no accusation in her voice, Drusie hugged her sister.
“Wait,” Gladdie said.
“Wait?” Drusie pushed away from her sister and looked at Gladdie as though he’d just suggested that Christmas was canceled. “I don’t got no time to wait. I’ve got loads to do.”
“You don’t understand. Archie won’t want to be my best man after what I have to say.” Gladdie set Drusie down on the sofa, with Clara observing from a nearby chair. He told Drusie what had just transpired with his pa, omitting the prideful opinions he spouted about the Gordon men.
“So you can buy the store sooner than you thought,” Drusie concluded. “You won’t have to wait for me to earn the money. Oh, Gladdie, this is wonderful news!”
“And you know what this means, don’t you?”
“Sure. We can get married now, just like you said.”
“Yes, it does mean that,” Gladdie agreed. “And somethin’ else.”
The smile disappeared from Drusie’s face, replaced by curiosity. “What?”
“It means that you don’t have to go to Raleigh after all. You can stay here and sing your sweet little heart out for me.”
“Oh.” Drusie dropped her hands from his.
“No!” Clara jumped from her seat in protest. “Drusie, you’ve got to go.”
“But she don’t need to go,” Gladdie argued with fierceness even he didn’t realize he felt. “We have the money for the store now. Don’t you see, Clara? That’s the only reason Drusie was goin’ in the first place.
“You can still go,” Gladdie pointed out to Clara. “It’s just that Drusie don’t need to go no more.”
“Yes, she does,” Clara whined. “Pa won’t let either of us go alone. I’ve waited all my life for a chance to make good, and now I’m this close.” She put her forefinger and thumb a quarter inch apart.
“But Clara,” Gladdie objected, “you didn’t have no hankerin’ to sing for pay before your pa came up with the idea.”
“I know it, but now that I have the chance, I really want it. I want it real bad!” Clara exclaimed. “I cain’t let anybody stand in my way now.”
Clara ran to Drusie and took her by the shoulders. “Oh please, Drusie! You cain’t let me down. Say you’ll go. It won’t be that long. No longer than you planned to start with.”
Drusie’s eyes lit with helplessness, and her posture slumped. “I don’t know—”
“I do! You’ve got to go,” Clara wailed.
Drusie turned to Gladdie. “I don’t see no way out of it. You see for yourself how disappointed Clara will be if I cain’t go. Not to mention, I’m sure Pa’s already signed our contract. Please understand, Gladdie.”
“But our plans—”
“I ain’t gonna let nothin’ happen to our plans,” Drusie assured. “But if I don’t go, and Clara loses her big chance all because of me, I’ll never forgive myself. And if you think about it real hard, you know years from now you’ll never forgive yourself, either, if you keep Clara from goin’.”
Gladdie tried not to glance at Clara, who no doubt would send him a mournful look if he did. He knew he wouldn’t be able to stand it. “I don’t like this,” he murmured.
“I know,” Drusie agreed. “Look at it this way. We can still use the extra money to set up our house. A store don’t run itself without money. Why, I can even help you pay back your pa faster.”
“I know. But I still don’t like it. I don’t like it one little bit.”
Seven
The next day before dawn, after excited and emotional farewells with their family, Clara and Drusie were headed out of the mountains toward the state capital. Drusie looked back at the only home she had ever known until it was out of sight, but Clara kept her focus on the road ahead—and on Archie. Drusie hadn’t been surprised when her sister hopped into the front with Archie, leaving her in the back. But she had plenty of room and no desire to sit beside the record producer. Judging from the way Archie and Clara stole glances at each other from time to time, their initial attraction to one another hadn’t ebbed.
Lord, help me keep Clara out of trouble.
If only Gladdie’s love for her hadn’t ebbed. Or had it? Couldn’t he have stolen a few moments that morning to see her off?
Gladdie must be powerful mad.
Drusie slumped in her seat. Any excitement she once felt about the adventure had long since drained from her spirit. She could only hope—and pray—that time would heal Gladdie’s anger. There was no other man for her. She had to come back to him. The sooner the better.
After they’d covered a few miles of crooked mountain roads, Clara took her attention from Archie long enough to look back at Drusie. “I’m sorry Gladdie didn’t show up to say good-bye this mornin’.”
“He took off a whole day to see Archie. Cain’t expect him to live all the time like he ain’t got no work to do.” Drusie knew the excuse sounded puny, but she couldn’t think of anything better to say.
“Maybe so.” Clara’s voice sounded unconvincing.
“Oh, it’s all my fault,” Drusie confessed.
“What’s your story, morning glory?” Archie asked.
“Nothin’,” Drusie answered.
“Oh, Gladdie got the money for the store from his pa, and now he’s in a knot over us goin’ with you,” Clara explained to Archie. She shifted toward Drusie, draping her arm over the back of the front seat. “But don’t you worry about that. Gladdie will come around.”
“Sure he will.” Archie barely slowed for a curve. “We’ll be in salad days sure enough soon, and Gladdie won’t regret letting Drusie go.” He shrugged and glanced back at Drusie in the rearview mirror. “And if he does, well, you can keep all the money for yourself.”
“I reckon that’s your way of lookin’ at things.” Drusie tried to keep her voice from sounding too heavy, even though Archie’s words didn’t comfort her in the least. What was the use of having money if she couldn’t share it with Gladdie?
Unwilling to dissect the past day’s events further, Drusie stared out the window. The automobile seemed to fly by houses and trees. As they rode down a wide valley, she noticed that most of the trees in this part of the state were still green. Drusie had been hoping to enjoy the drive to Raleigh. She’d never been so far from home and wanted to see a different part of North Carolina at a pace where she could breathe in its beauty. But the way Archie drove, she wondered if they’d even get to their destination in one piece.
Later they passed the courthouse square in Burlington and followed the railroad line east. The drive lasted hour after hour, but since she was so enamored by the idea of seeing the state and because Archie sped along, the ride almost seemed short. Before she knew it, they had reached Raleigh.
Streets hummed with people who all seemed to have somewhere important to go. The buildings and houses were so close together compared to where she grew up that Drusie found herself feeling a mite closed in by it all. Many of the houses looked like mansions, but Drusie couldn’t imagine being happy in any of them. How could anybody live in town, when some of the yards didn’t cover as much as an acre? She held back a shudder. Excitement sparked the air, but Drusie longed for the solitude of home.
In contrast, Clara caught a flying bolt of energy before they passed the welcome sign. “Look at all the people! All the stores! Sunshine Holler sure does look slow after bein’ here.”
Archie chuckled. “You’ll get used to it.”
Clara eyed a woman wearing a fine wool coat trimmed in fur and a matching hat. “I hope we get to stay long enough for me to get used to it.”
“I’m not sure I ever will.” Drusie observed what looked like a near miss between two automobiles. Thankfully Archie’s Auburn wasn’t one of them.
“Where will we be stayin’?” Clara asked.
Drusie hadn’t thought of that. Archie seemed to have the world at his command. His swaggering confidence never let up. Surely he had a plan.
He did. “I let all of my out-of-town canaries stay at Mrs. Smyth’s Boardinghouse. She only accepts women boarders. I talked to her last week and told her I might be bringing her another lady. She’s just set aside one room. You two don’t mind sharing, do you?”
“Of course not,” Clara said as Drusie nodded. “We share a room at home.”
“Good,” Archie quipped, “because you’ll be sharing a room on the road, too.” He glanced at Clara. “Feel like doing a little shopping before I take you to the boardinghouse?”
“Sure!” Eagerness colored her voice.
“Unless you’d like to grab a bite to eat first.”
Clara shook her head. “I’m not hungry.”
“Good. We can get started.” Archie turned left at the next block.
Drusie noticed that Archie didn’t seem to care much about her feelings. But then again, if she cared what boardinghouse they slept at, whether they ate, or what store they shopped at, she could always speak up.
Archie pulled in front of a store. Rose’s Finery was painted in lime-colored script on the front glass. “This is where I outfit all my stars. She keeps some inventory on hand for me, and she’ll alter any dress you like to fit.”
Clara clapped her hands, reminding Drusie of when she got a coveted doll for her sixth birthday. “A dress! I get a new dress already?”
He sent her an indulgent smile. “Maybe even two.”
They headed into the shop, and moments later, Clara held up a red dress with silver and gold sequins sewn on the bodice. “I love it! Isn’t it beautiful?”
Drusie inspected the garment. “I don’t know. Isn’t it a little low cut?”
“It won’t show nothin’. I wouldn’t wear nothin’ I wouldn’t want Grandpappy to see me in.”
Rose, a gray-haired woman whose appearance hinted at youthful beauty, chimed in, “Your grandfather would be proud of you in this.” She swept her hand in a motion toward racks of attention-getting clothes fit for any stage. “Any of my dresses here would do you proud.” She aimed her forefinger at Archie. “That reminds me, Elmer’s shirt is ready.”
“Good. I’ll see that he gets it.”
“Will he need another one since you’ll be on the road?”
“Not yet. But I might have to place an order for a new band member. That is, if I decide to hire a skin tickler,” Archie mused.
“A skin tickler?” Clara asked.
Archie chuckled. “That’s a drummer. I think you girls would sound fine with a harmonica and maybe a second fiddle. Even bass. I’ve got a man in mind who’s good on bass and harmonica.”
Clara took her gaze from the dress and concentrated on Archie. “You mean, there’s gonna be some men in the NC Mountain Girls Band?”
“Well, yes. But you two will be the stars. How could I have two beautiful girl singers onstage and not make them the center of attention?” Archie asked. “Especially if you’ll be wearing that pretty dress, Clara.”
Clara giggled and held up the dress. “You like it?”
“Looks good on the rack. How’s about letting me see you in it? And you try on a dress, too, Drusie. If I’m fronting you canaries the money to buy these dresses, I think I’m entitled to see if they look good.”
The last thing Drusie wanted was to let Archie ogle her in a fancy dress, but she realized he had a point. Rose had promised to alter the dresses if they didn’t fit, and once they were on the road, sewing wouldn’t be easy.
Moments later, each sister emerged in a sparkling frock.
Archie let out a low whistle. “You two look sweet. Not doggy at all.”
“I agree!” Rose said with the eagerness of a clerk wanting to close a sale. She tugged at the sash on Clara’s waist. “Looks like a perfect fit for you.” She inspected the shoulders and waist on Drusie’s frock. “You, too.” Rose shook her head in disbelieving admiration. “You girls have perfect figures. You’re lucky.”
“I don’t know about luck,” Drusie observed. “We just do the best we can with what God gave us.”
“And a fine job you do at that,” Archie quipped.
Clara twirled. “I’ve never felt so wonderful as I do right at this moment.”
“This is nothing. Just wait until you’re onstage with adoring crowds applauding your every note.” He nodded to the store-keeper. “How’s about another one for Clara, Rose? Oh, and Drusie, too.”
Rose’s eyes shone. “I have just the thing. A gold gown with sequins in neat little rows all along the skirt and sleeves.”
“Sequins! They look fine on Clara, but for me?” Drusie hadn’t given such a daring choice any thought. “I don’t know. What do you think, Clara?”
“Oh, I would love for all my gowns to have sequins!”
Rose stood back and admired her handiwork. “They do show up well onstage.”
“But do I have to be all sequined?” Drusie scrunched her nose.
Archie chuckled. “I thought you’d like to dress pretty.”
Drusie shook her head and watched her sister try on one fancy dress after another. Clara enjoyed every moment of seeing herself and being admired in different outfits. Drusie settled for the only two she tried, happy to have those.
Later, Clara clutched her dress box to her chest as they rode to the boardinghouse. She wouldn’t even let Archie put the dresses in the trunk of the car, saying she didn’t want to let them out of her sight.
“I’ve never seen you so excited,” Drusie commented.
“I’ve never been so excited. You don’t seem thrilled at all, but I’m not gonna let that spoil my fun.”
“Enjoy the fun all you like, because it won’t last long. Now we have to work,” Archie said. “First thing tomorrow morning we’re going to the studio and record your songs.”
❧
Gladdie counted six pickled eggs that Mrs. Cunningham ordered, but his mind wasn’t on his task. If only he hadn’t let Drusie leave without telling her good-bye. He missed her, and the way they left things so uncertain left him long
ing to see her again. He wanted nothing more than to straighten everything out with her, to kiss her lips again, and to murmur into her ear how much he still wanted to marry her. But he couldn’t. At least, not yet.
He handed the customer a mason jar containing the eggs. “Will there be anything else, Mrs. Cunningham?”
She ignored her child’s plea for penny candy and counted the eggs. “Yes. One more egg.”
Embarrassed, he took the jar she handed him and recounted them. “There sure is one missin’. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry that Drusie’s left, aren’t ya? Cain’t concentrate on a thing?” The matron’s voice poured out in a sympathetic tone.
“Word does get around.” He was glad the task of retrieving one more egg kept him from having to look at her.
“Yep. Fast around this place. Well, I hope she comes back. I’m sure she won’t find no other man.” One of the Cunningham tots pulled on her skirt. Mrs. Cunningham smiled and grabbed her package. “Put that on my bill.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
As she hurried out, Gladdie scratched a figure onto the ledger. He wished Mrs. Cunningham hadn’t made such a suggestion. He hadn’t thought that Drusie might start looking at city slickers with new eyes now that he’d been so mean to her.
Drusie, what have I done?
❧
The sisters spent a comfortable night at Mrs. Smyth’s large house, yet sadness permeated Drusie. The reality of her decision had made itself evident. Now she’d give anything for a chance to turn back the clock just a few days, before big ideas about making money for Gladdie to buy the store got into her head. Then she’d still be home, planning to marry Gladdie. She would have been plenty happy no matter what, as long as she was Mrs. Gladdie Gordon. Now she was all alone, living a life she wasn’t sure she wanted. And she had no one to blame but herself.
Soon Drusie was distracted by Archie’s arrival. Clara brightened in his presence, but all Drusie could see was a long day of work ahead. In no time at all, Archie drove Clara and her into town and parked in front of a nondescript storefront. The tiny, dark studio was nothing like Drusie had imagined. Judging from Clara’s lack of a smile, Drusie guessed she was disappointed in the dingy surroundings, too.
Music Of Home Page 6