The next few evenings were dedicated to making decorations for all the Christmas trees. They all gathered after the restaurant was closed, sang carols, made paper chains, and strung pretty beads. The three boys were so busy chasing each other around the restaurant and wrestling that they weren’t really accomplishing anything, and Lottie had to settle them down with threats of no Santa if they didn’t behave. They laughed.
Louis went up to Victor, who was sitting at a table cutting out strips of paper for the chains, and put his hands together as though he was about to pray and said, “Please, please, dear Santa, do not forget us. We have been such good boys, Santa dear.”
Eddy and Paulo laughed so hard the tears were rolling down their cheeks. Gladys was shocked. She had no idea that Eddy didn’t believe in Santa anymore. She had been so busy working in the restaurant that she hadn’t been aware of what Eddy was thinking or doing. Now when she looked at him, she realized how American he had become. His speech had become less articulate, and although he was still polite, he treated everyone with the same amount of respect whether they were young, old, rich, or poor. Gladys thought he was wonderful.
After the decorations were made, Angelo bought some candles and clip-on candle holders, and Gladys finally allowed him to put the tree up on Christmas Eve. Then they put on the decorations and lit the candles. Gladys was thinking of Dolly and all the decorations they had made and taken with them to Four Oaks, and she wondered if Dolly thought of her when she put them on James’s tree this year.
In spite of missing the girls, she and Eddy did have a jolly Christmas. They had their Christmas dinner at the Ruttens’. They had sung carols after dinner, and everyone joined in.
Angelo had spent far too much money on Eddy’s presents. Gladys didn’t argue with him, but she warned him that this year was to be an exception. Many of their customers had never seen a Christmas tree, so having one in the restaurant added gaiety to the season.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Gladys had come to New York in March and she was determined to return to England in a year’s time so she began making plans. Although the restaurant was doing well, Victor was determined to make large monthly payments to Peter Rutten in order to pay off the mortgage as soon as possible. Ike Murphy, the owner of the building attached to theirs, came in to dine often, and he and Victor had become good friends. Victor told Angelo that Ike only rented the building out as a warehouse and he had hinted that if the right man came along, he might sell and move out west.
“I think he would make us a better deal than anyone else, Angelo. We could expand the restaurant and put in some apartments upstairs like we have now. We have to keep growing if we are going to get anywhere in this town. It is the time of opportunities, and we have to grab them while we can. The sooner we get this place paid for, the sooner we can buy another, don’t you agree?”
Angelo agreed, but such a generous payment left very little by the time he gave Gladys money for food and other necessities. He worried that she was going to be extremely upset when he told her that he hadn’t been able to put aside any money for their trip to England.
The next few weeks, were so busy at the restaurant that Angelo didn’t have time to worry about money. A colourful variety of customers came to dine regularly and they were all treated equally. At first this bothered the upper classes, but they kept coming back and bringing friends. Surprisingly, they had very little trouble with drunkards. Perhaps they stayed away because the policemen that worked in their area often came in for a free bowl of chowder or a cup of coffee.
A good number of captains and sailors frequented the restaurant, which probably had a lot to do with the recommendation of Captain Bob, Sandy’s friend. With such an interesting array of customers, Gladys had some amusing stories to tell the girls in her letters, but not all the happenings proved to be amusing.
During the next two months, Gladys began purchasing little gifts for everyone at Four Oaks. She wrote and told Dolly she was planning on being in England around the end of March. When James heard about it, he was kind enough to write and say that she, Edward, and Angelo would all be welcome to stay at Four Oaks. She was happy that neither he nor Dolly had asked how long they would be staying in England, because she hadn’t discussed it with Angelo.
At the beginning of March, Angelo knew he couldn’t wait any longer. He had to tell Gladys that he hadn’t been able to put aside any money for their trip to England. Besides, he couldn’t possibly leave Victor to run the restaurant and the apartments alone, not for more than a week or two.
He hadn’t objected when Eddy’s tutor showed up. The man was a most likable sort, and Angelo could tell Eddy would benefit from his teaching, so he hoped that would be something in his favour.
One weekend, Angelo asked Victor to invite Eddy to stay at their house overnight, then he suggested Gladys and he go out to a pub. Gladys thought he was being very sweet and romantic. They hadn’t had much chance to enjoy time together since arriving in New York, and she hadn’t worn her best dresses since then either. They both dressed up in their finest and went to one of the most respected pubs in town.
“You look beautiful, Gladdy,” he said once they had been seated. “I wager every man here is wishing he was in my shoes right now.”
“I think the women are far more envious of me.” She took a drink of her wine before she smiled and added, “Sometimes it seems too good to be true, doesn’t it?”
“What’s that, Gladdy?”
“That we are really married and are going to be together for the rest of our lives.”
“I know. It seems like yesterday we were in Old Nichol talking about how happy we would be if we could get married, and now here we are. There was never anyone but you for me, Gladdy, and there never will be.”
“I know, darling.” A three-piece band started to play. Gladys asked, “Will you dance with me, Toughie?”
The use of his old name suited their mood and he said he would try. If he made mistakes, Gladys didn’t notice because they were looking in each other’s eyes with such love, they weren’t even aware they were dancing. The music had stopped for a minute before they realized it. They were both feeling a little tipsy when they caught a cab and returned to the flat.
It was such a nice evening that Gladys suggested they go for a short walk before going in. Angelo hadn’t wanted to spoil the evening by telling Gladys the bad news, so he thought perhaps a walk might be the best place to do it.
They walked down to the wharf and sat on a bench to look at the ships. Watching, Gladys said, “It won’t be long before we are on one of those ships, Angelo. I guess we had better book our passage soon.”
He couldn’t wait any longer. “Gladdy, I have something to tell you. Something you are not going to want to hear.”
Gladys knew by the sound of his voice it was going to be bad news. She looked at him and waited.
“Gladdy, I don’t have the money for our passage.”
“Oh, Angelo! I should have been keeping the money. You are not that good at finances, you know. Luckily, I still have some money left in my savings. How much are you short?”
Angelo hung his head and didn’t look at her when he answered, “All of it.”
“All of it? I do not believe you, Angelo. You cannot mean that you haven’t saved a penny.” She got up and put her hands on his shoulders. “We need it. You have to have it, Angelo. You have to.”
“I am so sorry, Gladdy. Victor was determined to pay off our mortgage in a hurry. I’ve just been able to give you only enough to run the house with. I haven’t been able to save anything.”
“And what are we supposed to do about going to England?”
“We will have to wait until next year, I suppose,” he said, getting up and going over to the railing.
She followed him and grabbed his arm. “Why didn’t you tell me a long time ago? I could have saved m
oney. Instead, I bought a sewing machine and presents, and you spent so much money on Eddy this Christmas. We could have been saving the whole year.”
“I kept thinking I would save the next month, and, before long, the months had gone and I had nothing. I can’t borrow from Uncle Victor because he doesn’t have any savings either.”
“Damn him! What right had he to decide our finances by demanding we pay off that stupid mortgage?”
“Glad, I am so sorry.”
“What angers me the most is that you could have told me right from the start. I only hope I still have enough left of my own money to pay for the three of us.”
“How long do you want to stay in England?”
“That depends on how long they will want me there and if James will allow me to bring Eliza back here with me. At least two months.”
“Two months! I can’t possibly leave Uncle Victor with all the work for that long. I thought we would only be staying for a fortnight.”
“I have been away from my daughters for a whole year, and you expect me to just spend a fortnight with them? No, Angelo, I am going to spend a lot more time than that with them, so if your uncle means more to you than I do . . . Well, Eddy and I shall just have to go without you.”
“What about Eddy’s schooling? You insisted he have a tutor, and now you are going to take him away?”
“He will be able to study with Eliza’s tutor, and his tutor will still be here when we return.”
“Maybe you should ask James to hire someone to work with Uncle Victor while I take a few months off. It seems he gives you everything you ask for.”
“Now you are being petty. You know very well that James has been more than fair to both of us, Angelo.”
Angelo was about to answer when three drunken and noisy sailors came out of a building. They were unsteady on their feet, supporting each other as they walked by. Gladys and Angelo heard one say In a slurred voice, “She runs the best goddamned whorehouse in the whole country. That girl I had tonight, she was the sweetest gal. If she wasn’t a whore, I’da got down on my knees and proposed.” Putting his head back, he hollered, “Whooey!” then threw his empty bottle into the water.
The tide was out and it seemed to take forever before Gladys heard it splash. She watched the three sailors disappear down a gangplank as though they were descending into the sea. Angelo took off his overcoat and put it over her shoulders.
“You are cold, Gladdy,” he said tenderly. “Come on, my dear, let’s go home and have a cup of tea.”
After they undressed, they sat in their nightwear drinking tea. Gladys broke the silence. “What are we going to do, Angelo?”
“I don’t know, but as much as I’ll miss you, I think you and Eddy will have to go alone. This building is our future, Gladdy. I want to be able to give you and Eddy a decent home and everything else a family deserves. Uncle thinks that as soon as we have this place paid for, we shall be able to buy the building next door. Then we can expand the restaurant and rent out more apartments.
“In time, we should be able to have a nice home. When we get old, we’ll be able to sit back and enjoy life. But if you don’t want me to stay here, I won’t. I cannot expect Victor to buy me out, because he hasn’t the money, but I can probably find work down on the docks. We could manage somehow. It’s up to you, Gladdy. I know I can’t live without you, so whatever you say is what we shall do.”
“I’m sorry, darling. I was just so disappointed when you said you hadn’t saved any money. I understand how you can’t leave Victor with all the work. I feel guilty for leaving Lottie, but I must go. You can see that, can’t you?”
“Of course I can. And I don’t expect you to come home in a fortnight either, but I will miss you and Eddy so much. You know, I am afraid he might want to stay there.”
“He would never do that. He worships you, and I think he is going to miss the twins as much as he missed Dolly and Eliza when we left Sandwich.”
The next day, Gladys told Eddy that his father would not be going to England with them.
“If Dad isn’t going then neither am I,” he declared.
“But don’t you want to see Dolly and Eliza and your pony?”
“You can take them a present for me, but I will stay here with my dad,” he insisted. Gladys had heard him call Angelo “Dad,” and it made her realize just how close the two had become.
Eddy was determined to stay in New York until Gladys told him that the more times he sailed across the ocean, the better sailor he would be. If he intended to be a captain someday, he would have to sail a great deal. Then she promised him he could wear long trousers.
Before she booked their passage, Sandy’s friend, Captain Bob Nicholson of the ship they had sailed to New York on, came to the restaurant to enjoy some of Sandy’s excellent cuisine. When he learned that Gladys and Eddy were going to England, he said he was sailing in three days’ time and had a cabin that they might be able to have free of charge.
A gentleman from out west had paid for it and told Captain Bob to assume he had struck it rich and would not be leaving America if he didn’t show up two days before the ship was to sail.
“I think he must have been one of the lucky ones, because he would have been here otherwise, Gladys. If he does not show up tomorrow, the cabin is yours. Can you be ready in three days?” Bob asked.
“I have been packing for weeks now, Captain. My girls do not expect me to be there until the end of the month, but your offer is so kind that I don’t think I can refuse. What do you think, Angelo?”
Angelo agreed that it was too good an opportunity to pass up. He told Gladys that the sooner she went, the sooner she would return. Overall, he thought it was a good idea.
The next day, when the gentleman failed to appear, Lottie helped Gladys finish packing. She and Eddy were ready to leave two days later. Everyone came to see them off. Angelo just about broke one of Gladys’s ribs hugging her goodbye. Tears were beginning to run down Eddy’s cheeks, so he mumbled a goodbye and quickly ran aboard the ship where no one could pick them out of the crowd.
Angelo stayed on the pier and waved until they were out of sight. He had never prayed before, but, as they disappeared from view, he looked up at the sky and said, “Go with them, God, and please bring them back to me.”
For the first few days, Gladys enjoyed the voyage. Captain Bob invited Gladys and Eddy to join him on the bridge, which heightened the boy’s desire to be a captain when he grew up. Bob insisted Gladys call him by his first name instead of Captain.
Bob was a Norwegian man who had grown up on the sea. His father had been a captain, and Bob’s oldest son was a second mate on another ship; he was slated to become a captain as well. Bob was a handsome man. His complexion had darkened with the bright skies and salty air. His tanned skin contrasted nicely with his head of generous blonde hair and blue eyes. He also had a charming personality and was very popular with his female passengers.
Bob had been attracted to Gladys the first time he saw her, but Angelo was with her at the time. Now that she was traveling without her husband, he took advantage of the situation and invited her and Eddy to dine with him at his table frequently. He also spent most of his off-duty time with her, discussing books and sitting out on the deck enjoying the fresh air while Eddy played games with two other young boys.
Although he enjoyed innocent flirtations, Bob had always been a loyal husband. However, there was something about Gladys that made him want more. When she was near him, he would foolishly picture himself in the role of one of his Viking ancestors. Sometimes he had a ridiculous urge to emit a manly howl, pick, throw her over his shoulder, and take her to his cabin. Fortunately, he was a gentleman and kept a firm control over his fantasies.
Gladys was thoroughly enjoying Bob’s company—she hadn’t been so pampered since her father-in-law had died. She didn’t think anything of his at
tentive behaviour toward her until she was sitting in the ship’s salon with two other women one afternoon. As soon as Bob entered the room, both of the women got up to leave and one of them winked at her and said, “We had better leave now. Here comes your captain, Mrs Matthews.”
Gladys felt both guilty and embarrassed.
Bob put his hand on her shoulder and said, “Ah, here you are, my dear. It’s a lovely day and I am off-duty for an hour. Would you care to take a stroll?”
Suddenly, the feel of his hand on her shoulder didn’t feel as innocent as it should, and she knew it was time she put a stop to their close friendship. She had been so flattered by his admiration that she hadn’t realized how much time they were spending together.
Rising from her chair, she said, “Thank you, Bob, but I want to write a letter to Angelo. I like to write to him every day so I can mail it as soon as we land. I have been telling him how kind you have been to Eddy and I, but I’m afraid we have taken advantage of you and monopolized too much of your time. You mustn’t neglect the other passengers. I also promised Eddy I would have a game of checkers with him this afternoon. He is in the cabin reading and waiting for me now.”
Bob was visibly upset and would have argued with her, but she didn’t give him a chance and quickly took her leave.
The next few days were awkward for Gladys. She appreciated Bob’s kindness in giving them free passage. If he hadn’t given the cabin to her and Eddy, he may have been able to find someone else to pay for it and made a little profit for himself. When he no longer asked her to join him, she was both relieved and sad.
A day before they were due to land, she knocked on his cabin door and asked if he could spare a few minutes. This time it was he who was embarrassed. After Gladys had made it clear that she didn’t think they should see each other so often, he realized that he had behaved badly. He also realized that he was becoming too fond of her. Before she could say anything, he apologized for encroaching on her privacy.
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