Before she could finish, Bobby tapped her hard on the shoulder.
I said, "Beat it, kid. I'm dancing with her."
He sneered at me. "I'm cutting in on her, not you."
I shook my head and walked backward, trying to get away from him. I could see Carter moving our way and was hoping nothing would happen.
He insisted on following us and poked her hard the second time.
"Stop it, Bobby," said Peggy.
He forcefully pulled her away from me as she repeated, "Stop it, Bobby!"
He then got right up on me and held out his arms. "Let's you and me dance, Nick."
I stood where I was and crossed my arms. "You need to apologize to your wife."
He reached down and grabbed my arms and tried to pull me in close. I stepped back as a man behind me asked, "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Carter finally got close as Bobby leaned in and tried to kiss me on the mouth. I pushed his face away from mine with my right hand. Right then, Carter pulled Bobby's arms behind him and lifted him off the ground. "Come on, boy."
Bobby started screaming and kicking his legs. "Don't you touch me, you faggot!"
The people around us stopped dancing and began to move away.
"Come on, Bobby," I said, as Carter moved him across the dance floor.
"You faggots! I hate you! I wish you'd never found us!"
Kenneth appeared from nowhere and said, "Shut the hell up!"
That made Bobby even angrier as Carter carried him through the bar. Patrons were moving out of our way, ducking left and right. Bobby was screaming. "I want everyone to know who these two faggots are! They're goddam queers! Does everyone hear me?"
We were almost to the door when an older man in black tie said to no one in particular, "We all know that, for God's sake."
For some reason, that made Carter stop. I almost bumped into him as he did but managed to catch myself.
Bobby asked, "Why don't you do something about it?"
The man, who seemed surprised to be answered back, said, "Well, some people are trying to but, as far as I'm concerned, I don't give a good goddam. This is San Francisco, after all." He raised his glass and his voice. "Home of the Barbary Coast!" For some reason that got a cheer from about half of the bar.
I said to Carter, "Let's go."
He seemed to come to and we moved out of the bar with Carter dragging Bobby out to the side entrance on California Street.
. . .
Ed and Kenneth took over from there. Carter and I stood on California and watched Kenneth push Bobby up the hill while the kid hollered and made a big fuss.
"You wanna go home?" asked Carter.
I looked up at the hotel and said, "What about—"
"They're adults. Let's you and me go home."
I nodded and followed him up the hill. It was a little chilly out, probably in the low 50s. When we got to Mason, we cut across and walked along the sidewalk next to the Pacific Union Club. As we made a left onto Sacramento, I said, "I wonder if there's something else going on with Bobby."
"Do you think he's really one of us?"
I shook my head. "Nope." I thought for a moment as we walked.
Carter reached over and took my hand in his. The street was mostly empty and I let him hold it.
"I wonder if he was always like this?" I asked.
Carter squeezed my hand and said, "Probably. Being here is probably making it worse. Those rooms are like museum pieces, after all."
I nodded. "Maybe we should have Rob Kimble come in and re-do them." He was an interior decorator friend.
Carter sighed. "We could. But let's think about that later."
I laughed as we crossed the street in front of the house. "Yeah. One thing at a time."
Carter unlocked the front door and we walked in. As we moved to the stairs, I could see Nora, the upstairs maid, sitting on one of the dining room chairs. Her head was in her hand and her elbow was on the table, propping her up. She appeared to be asleep.
I said, "Carter, wait."
He was already up a couple of steps. He came back down and walked over to Nora. Kneeling down, he gently shook her shoulder. "Nora?"
She opened her eyes and yawned. "So sorry, Mr. Carter. You have guest." She pointed to the sofa. I suddenly realized that Mrs. Grossman was stretched out and snoring slightly. There was a fire in the hearth and it was burning merrily, cracking and popping a little as it did. Her skirt was up a little and her slip was showing. Carter was headed that way but I waved him off. Walking over, I knelt next to her head and quietly spoke. "Mrs. Grossman?"
She opened her eyes and looked at me. Sitting up quickly, she pulled her skirt down and said, "I'm so sorry. The fire put me to sleep."
I didn't move other than to nod. "Is there something we can help you with?"
"Where is my daughter?"
"At the dorm."
She shook her head. "No, she isn't. I called over there at 8 and they said she hadn't come in yet."
"Well, one of our employees took her out for dinner first. I'm sure she must be there by now. Do you want to use my phone in the office?"
She stood and I did the same. "Where is it?" she asked.
I pointed to the front door. "Just to the left of the front door."
Without saying anything, she walked over to the office and closed the door behind her.
I walked over to Nora, who was standing by the kitchen door. "What happened?"
"This woman came at 9. She want to see you. I tell her that you at dinner and come home late. She say she wait. Mrs. Kopek tell me to wait with her. If you no back by midnight, we ask her to leave."
I nodded. "Thank you, Nora. I'm sorry to have kept you up late. I know tomorrow is a big day."
She smiled. "But nice. Weddings are always nice."
Carter asked, "Where are you and Ida going on your vacation?" We'd told everyone on staff to take the week off after the wedding.
Nora smiled. "We taking train to Chicago and fly back home."
"That sounds like fun," said Carter, lying through his teeth. We'd made the same trip back in '49 and had been bored in Chicago. There was nothing wrong with the city. That was when we'd discovered we weren't very good tourists.
"Yes, we see art museum in Chicago. Very exciting." Nora was becoming a very accomplished modern artist. She had a studio up in the attic that we'd set up for her. Her art was hanging in a couple of galleries and she'd already made some sales.
Right then, Mrs. Grossman came charging out of the office. "Mr. Williams!"
"Yes?" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Carter point to the kitchen door. Nora slid through quickly.
"What is the meaning of you sending my daughter, a mere child, out with a known and practicing lesbian?"
"Why do you ask?"
She crossed her arms. "Alicia just told me. She called it, and I quote, 'A date,' unquote." The woman was furious.
"Well, then, I hope Alicia had a good time."
Mrs. Grossman turned on her heel and left, slamming the front door behind her.
. . .
About ten minutes later, Kenneth and Michelle, along with Peggy, arrived. By that time, Mrs. Kopek and Mrs. Strakova were putting together a late supper in the kitchen. I'd told them they didn't have to but they had shooed me out of the kitchen.
Michelle collapsed on the sofa and kicked her shoes off. She leaned back and spread her arms out. "I could get used to this."
Kenneth sat down next to her and put her legs on his lap as she rested her head against the arm, facing the fire. Rubbing her stocking feet, he said, "This feel good?"
She nodded and said, "God, I love you Kenneth Richardson."
He leaned over and kissed her. "I love you, too."
Peggy sat on one of the chairs and pulled off her shoes. Rubbing her left foot, she said, "Carter, that cousin of yours had me spinning around the dance floor. He's something else. Too bad—"
"Peggy," said Michelle, reproachfully.
I grinned. "Sometimes. Carter usually bends over for me, which isn't good for his back."
"Say," said Kenneth as he looked around the room. "Do you have a hi-fi down here?"
Carter nodded and walked toward the cabinet where he kept it. "What's your pleasure?"
"Whatever you have. I was just thinking it might be nice if everyone got to dance with the partner of his or her choice."
. . .
Carter and I were dancing by the garden door to "Autumn Leaves" by Jo Stafford when the doorbell rang. I looked at my watch. It was half past midnight. Kenneth and Michelle were dancing over by the fire while Peggy was stretched out on the sofa.
I left Carter to walk over and answer it. Mrs. Strakova had set out a plate of sandwiches and a pot of coffee for us. She and Mrs. Kopek had then turned in for the night.
I looked through the glass of the door. It was Ed and Louise. I pulled it open and said, "Come on in."
They walked in, hand in hand.
"Sorry to bother you," said Ed.
I smiled. "It's no bother. We were just, uh, dancing."
Louise looked around and said, "That's why we thought we'd pop by. We could see you were up. We were..." she looked over at Ed.
Ed grinned. "We were sitting in the park and necking."
I laughed.
He playfully boxed my ear. "Don't laugh. Someday you'll be as old as we are."
"No, I think it's sweet. Want a sandwich or some coffee?"
Louise smiled. "If it's no trouble."
"Not at all. Mrs. Strakova made some for us and there's plenty." I turned and led the way.
"Hiya, Dad," said Kenneth as he and Michelle continued to dance. The album had moved on to "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes."
Ed said, "Hiya."
Louise sighed. "This house is at its best by firelight." She looked around the room as Ed made a small plate of sandwiches for them.
. . .
Jo Stafford was singing "Haunted Heart" as we arranged ourselves in front of the fireplace. I pushed two chairs next to each other for Carter and myself. Ed did the same for him and Louise. Michelle and Kenneth were stretched out and in each other's arms on the sofa. Carter set up a small nest of pillows for Peggy, who was leaning against the end of the sofa and had her feet pointed at the fire.
Once we were settled, Ed said, "I'm really sorry about Bobby."
I looked up as Carter took my right hand in his left. "It's OK. He's in a lot of pain. That much is obvious."
Ed nodded as Louise stared at Carter holding my hand. I wondered what she thought about that. I wondered if she wished that he wouldn't. But she didn't say anything. After a moment, she looked up and caught me watching her.
I blushed and said, "Did he get to bed?"
Ed nodded. "Velma gave him a sedative and that knocked him out."
Kenneth added, "I wanted to knock him out, Dad."
"I know, son. And I'm glad you didn't. I went ahead and arranged for him to fly home tomorrow morning. Or, I guess I should say, later this morning. I don't think he should stay here any longer."
Kenneth said, "That's a good idea."
Carter dropped my hand and put his arm over my shoulder, rubbing my neck. I felt conscious of Louise's gaze. I didn't know if Carter was watching her but she didn't seem perturbed. She just looked at us, as if she was seeing something she'd never seen.
Michelle sighed. "Peggy, hon, are you gonna be OK?"
Sitting up and turning to face the rest of us, she said, "I think so."
Ed asked, "What's next?"
On the hi-fi, Jo Stafford began singing "If I Loved You." It was one of our favorite albums and I knew all the songs by heart.
Peggy pulled in her legs and said, "I'm definitely moving here. There's no reason to go back to Boston."
"What about your clothes and things like that?" asked Louise.
She shrugged. "I can get what I need here. I have plenty to tide me over in the short term."
Carter asked, "Where are you from?"
She laughed. "Nowhere, really. But I spent most of my childhood in North Carolina. My parents are both from Arkansas. My father was a marine and, during the war and after, we were stationed at Camp LeJeune."
"Where are your parents now?" asked Louise.
She sighed. "They're still in North Carolina. My father retired a few years ago. Mother was a teacher and she retired last year. Last I heard, they bought a trailer and were planning on traveling for a while."
"Maybe they'll come here," I said.
She shook her head. "Not to see me. Michelle and I are in the same boat. When I married a Yankee, they disowned me."
Ed said, "I'm still sorry that happened."
"Don't be, Ed. You've been more of a father to me than my own father ever was." She sighed. "I realized today that Bobby and I have been more like siblings than husband and wife."
"In The Still Of The Night" began as Ed said, "I don't know how to help him."
"He's beyond help," said Kenneth.
Louise stirred. "No one is beyond help, Kenneth. Look at me."
We all did just that.
"What do you mean?" asked Michelle.
Louise looked at me. "There was a time, not too long ago, when I thought all my children had abandoned me. My youngest son left town. My oldest son died in the war. I was a dutiful wife to a very angry man and did all the things I was supposed to do. But I thought I would die in that kitchen. I really did." She ran her finger under her nose. "But look at me now." She reached over and kissed Ed. "I'm about to be married to a man I truly love. Now I have six children, all of whom I adore. I'm doing the kind of work that I always wanted to do in Albinny but never could figure out how." She looked over at Kenneth. "Don't give up on your brother. I know how much you love him."
Kenneth snorted.
Ed said, "It may take a while, but he'll come around."
Kenneth looked at me. "What was that all about? Do you know?"
I shook my head. "No. I don't."
Carter squeezed my neck. "I do," he said.
"What?" asked Ed.
"He wants love. That's all." Looking down at Peggy, whose head was bowed, he said, "And I bet you can tell us about how he won't accept it."
Right then, Jo Stafford started singing "Some Enchanted Evening," which was our favorite song. Carter squeezed my neck again. I wondered if he would kiss me in front of everyone but he kept his eyes on Peggy.
She looked up at him in wonder. "That's right." She glanced at Louise for a moment. "He, uh, won't let me love him. He wants me to stand by him, but he won't let me do much more than that."
Ed said, "I'm to blame for that, I think."
Shaking her head, Peggy said, "No, Ed. This started after we got married. Sometimes I think there's something wrong in his head. I don't mean that he's crazy, it's just that I sometimes think he sees the world in a way that I can't see. On the one hand, he has a sense of wonder about things. You know how he is about the first robin."
Carter asked, "The first robin?"
Ed chuckled. "It's a thing we do. The boys' mother had a tradition in her family about whoever saw the first robin could have a pie baked for them. She did that when they were young." He sighed. "I still look for the first robin."
Peggy nodded. "When he sees a crocus poking up through the snow, he gets all excited. You know how he gets."
Ed nodded as Kenneth said, "You're right, Peggy. He's always been like that. Maybe he's not crazy. Maybe he's just an artist or something like that."
Louise said, "Whatever he is, I think Peggy's idea is best."
Sounding incredulous, Carter asked, "You do?" I was surprised, too. Carter had once told me that his mother was virulently opposed to divorce.
She smiled at her son. "Yes, I do. I only wish I had divorced your father."
Carter nodded and said, "Me, too."
There was a brief flash of anger that passed across Louise's face but it was gone almost as fast as it came. She frowned slightly. "There's only so much a body can do before they've run out of options. The worse thing, I now think, is to stay in a loveless marriage."
Michelle laughed. "Here we are, just a few hours before you two are getting hitched, and we're talking about divorce."
Just then, the song ended and the needle lifted off the album. I heard the familiar click as the hi-fi switched off the turntable.
Ed stood and offered his hand to Louise, who took it and stood. He said, "I need to get my bride-to-be back to her sister and get some sleep. We all have a big day tomorrow."
As we all stood, Carter put his hand on Ed's shoulder and said, "Now, you two go straight home. No more making out in the park. Save something for—" When he realized what he was about to say, he turned red and stopped talking.
We all laughed as Ed said, "Yes, Papa. We'll be good. I promise."
Chapter 23
1198 Sacramento Street
Saturday, October 15, 1955
A few minutes before 8 in the morning
"Here's the bus, Nick."
I looked over at Mack. He was leaning against a lamp post. And he was in his sailor's uniform. He winked at me.
"Are you going with me?" I asked as the bus pulled in.
"Nope. Not this time."
Tears began to run down my face. "But I miss you. I wish you were going with us."
Even though all the people on the bus could see us, he pulled me into a hug and kissed my forehead. "You have to go, now. I'll see you the next time around."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why can't you go with me? With us?"
"I guess you could say that I have my own bus to catch."
I buried my face into his chest and took a big whiff. He smelled just like he always did. A little bit of sweat and a little bit of bay rum. "Don't leave me, Mack."
He pulled my chin up and looked into my eyes. "I'll never leave you, Nick. I'll see you again. Before you know it." He reached down and kissed me deeply and warmly.
"Nick."
I opened my eyes. It was foggy outside. Carter was looking down at me with a frown of concern. I could feel that my face was full of tears.
The Childish Churl (A Nick Williams Mystery Book 15) Page 19