Sleigh Bells

by Miller, Judith Mccoy

  “Let’s see how Thursday goes.”

  “But if everything goes well and you have a pleasant evening, you’ll accompany me on Friday and Saturday?” he pursued.

  Teddi leaned forward in the chair and gave him a grin. “If we have an agreeable evening, and if you still want to escort me on Friday and Saturday, then the answer would be yes,” she conceded.

  “Wonderful!” he whooped, bounding out of his chair. “Now that we’ve gotten that settled, let’s get to the ward and begin seeing our patients.”

  As they worked side by side during the succeeding days, Phillip determined Teddi was beginning to trust him a little more. She appeared more relaxed in his company, and she didn’t hesitate to ask for his assistance when a problem arose with one of the patients. There were more patients in the hospital than Phillip had anticipated, but with all of the men garrisoned at the post for the winter, he assumed the increased number of patients was to be expected. It would have been impossible to care for all of them without Teddi’s capable assistance. She ensured that the soldiers working in the hospital were trained and skilled in their duties, and if they didn’t meet her standards, she asked that they be reassigned outside the hospital. There was no doubt that Teddi’s first concern was the care and well-being of the patients. She had even mentioned planting a vegetable garden outside the hospital again this year, and Phillip took that as a favorable sign. At least she was planning to continue working at the hospital.

  And yesterday she had completely surprised him by asking when he planned on beginning the Bible study, suggesting several topics she thought might interest the young adults. Her ideas had been sound, and it pleased him that she was giving positive consideration to some of his suggestions for the chapel.

  By Thursday, Phillip was looking forward to spending the evening with Teddi. “I’ll be at your quarters by eight o’clock,” he said as they were leaving the hospital.

  “We should probably leave a little earlier. Jonathan will need to stop at Margaret’s home in Junction City before going on to the Hornbys’. Will that be a problem?” she asked.

  “No, not at all. I’ll be there at seven-thirty. The more time together, the better, as far as I’m concerned,” he replied with a broad smile.

  He watched until Teddi was out of sight and then walked back to his quarters. Phillip had decided to wear one of his two civilian suits to the party. Both were quite stylish, and since he was required to wear his uniform to all military galas, it seemed the party in Junction City would provide him with an opportunity to blend in with the rest of the town’s residents. Besides, he reasoned, being out of his military uniform might cause Teddi to view him as more of an admirer than the doctor or chaplain she worked with at the hospital.

  ❧

  Straightening his tie, Phillip rushed up the front stairs to the Yorke residence and knocked on the door. General Yorke pulled open the door but appeared startled when he saw Phillip standing before him in a black greatcoat, which remained unbuttoned and permitted a view of his gray double-breasted jacket, waistcoat, and trousers. A gray silk tie was neatly fastened around his starched, white collar, and a pair of shiny leather oxfords had replaced his black military boots. He quickly removed the black, silk top hat when the general motioned him inside.

  “Surprised to see you in that getup,” the general remarked as he gave Phillip a slap on the back. “Tired of the uniform already?”

  “No, sir. Just thought it might be a nice change,” Phillip replied.

  “Women prefer men in uniforms, you know,” he said with a boisterous laugh.

  “Well, I’m not looking to impress anyone but Teddi, so I hope she doesn’t mind,” he said just as Teddi descended the stairs.

  “He looks very handsome in civilian clothing, Father. Besides, I think that it was probably a soldier who decided women prefer men in uniform,” she said with a smile.

  “Possibly. But there are a lot of military wives who agree with me. Where’s your brother?”

  “Right here, Father,” Jonathan replied as he came down the steps two at a time. “You’re going to put me to shame,” he said to Phillip, pulling back the overcoat to gain a better view of Phillip’s suit.

  “I doubt anyone is going to be interested in what we’re wearing. It’s always the ladies’ dresses that everyone’s interested in. Speaking of which, that’s a lovely gown you’re wearing,” he said to Teddi.

  “Thank you, Phillip. We’d better be going or they’ll start without us. Don’t wait up, Father,” she instructed, leaning over to place a kiss on his cheek.

  “Have a good time, but don’t forget that tomorrow’s a working day, and there’s a party tomorrow night, too. Best not stay out too late.”

  Ella Hornby was beginning to arrange people at the tables just as the foursome arrived. Mrs. Hornby greeted them, took their wraps, and instructed them to join the others in the parlor. They each dropped a calling card in the silver tray that was placed in the center of a claw-footed oak table in the entryway. Phillip breathed a sigh of relief when Mrs. Hornby didn’t appear disturbed by Margaret’s appearance at the party.

  “Hurry up—I’ve already placed your names in the drawing,” Ella told them as they entered the room.

  “Drawing for what?” Jonathan inquired.

  “To see where we’ll be seated to play whist. I’ve divided the ladies’ and gentlemen’s names into separate bowls. I’ll draw two from each bowl, and those four people will play at the first table, and so on,” Ella explained.

  “I want to sit with Margaret,” Jonathan whispered at Teddi.

  “It’s not my party. You’ll have to go along with it.”

  Phillip was pleased when Ella drew Margaret’s name and she was seated at the same table as Jonathan. But when the drawing was completed, Teddi was seated across the room with Ella and two fellows who had attended the skating party, while Phillip ended up with Helen Hanson, Mattie Fielding, and William Hornby.

  Phillip saw Teddi glance in his direction just as Helen placed her hand over his and gave it a squeeze.

  “I need to talk with you. It’s very important,” Helen whispered with a note of urgency, her breath tickling his ear as she spoke.

  “Talk away. You have my undivided attention,” he replied, beginning to shuffle the cards.

  “Not here. It’s a private matter. When we change tables, we always mingle and have refreshments. We’ll talk then,” she quietly replied.

  It had been several years since Phillip had played whist, but the game soon came back to him. In fact, he and Mattie managed to soundly defeat Helen and William. However, Helen was playing so poorly that it gave him cause to wonder if she didn’t understand the game or if she was intentionally misplaying her cards. Poor William seemed totally unnerved by her lack of skill, and when the game was finally over, he vaulted out of his chair to the refreshment table without saying a word.

  “Could you give us a few minutes alone, Mattie?” Helen purred.

  Mattie jumped at her cue and rushed off to join William at the refreshment table. None of the others had completed their game, and Helen took the opportunity to move her chair closer to Phillip. Once again she leaned over and began whispering, occasionally leaning back to emit a soft giggle or murmur some remark loud enough for the others to hear. Her performance didn’t go unnoticed.

  Finally, when the last group had completed their game, Ella announced they would adjourn to the dining room for refreshments before beginning the next game. Phillip immediately rose from the table, only to feel Helen’s fingers winding around his arm, digging into his flesh with a viselike grip. As he attempted to free his arm, Teddi turned toward them, watching as Helen giggled. When Phillip asked her to release his arm, instead she shrewdly placed her head on his shoulder for a moment and gave him an engaging smile.

  “Teddi,” he called out, finally wresting his arm out of Helen’s grip and crossing the room.

  “Feel free to join Helen at the refreshment table. I ca
n find my own way,” Teddi snapped.

  “I don’t want to join Helen. I didn’t ask to sit with her and I can’t control her behavior. She said she had something she needed to discuss with me as soon as I was seated at the table,” he explained.

  “I see. And the only way she could talk to you was by putting her lips up against your ear? Quite frankly, Phillip, I didn’t see you objecting to her attention,” Teddi stated. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get a cup of cocoa and something to eat.”

  Phillip stood in stunned silence as Teddi marched off, leaving him to his own devices. Before he could decide how to handle the situation, Helen was back from the refreshment table carrying two plates laden with tasty treats.

  “I brought you a plate, and I have something else I want to tell you,” Helen said as she settled in beside him. “I apologized to Margaret for my bad behavior the other day.” There was a look of pride on her face, and she stared at Phillip as if she expected some sort of enthusiastic reply.

  “That’s wonderful, Helen, if your apology was genuine and not given to serve some ulterior purpose,” Phillip said.

  “Well, of course it was genuine, Phillip. Why would you doubt my intentions?” she asked while giving him an exaggerated pout.

  “If you’ll excuse me, I see someone I want to speak to,” Phillip said in an attempt to get away from her. “Jonathan!” he called, quickly moving toward his friend.

  Jonathan turned and gave him a smile. He and Margaret seemed to be enjoying themselves, and as far as he could tell, the other guests were including Margaret in their conversation.

  “Where’s Teddi?” Jonathan inquired, looking about the room.

  “It appears I’ve offended her—again,” Phillip answered. “Do you think you could speak to her and help me straighten this out?”

  “I can try. What happened?”

  Phillip gave his friend a quick explanation and sent him off in search of Teddi while he remained close by Margaret’s side. He wanted to protect Margaret from any ungracious behavior that might occur in Jonathan’s absence, but he also hoped that her presence would keep Helen at arm’s length.

  “I understand Helen apologized,” Phillip quietly remarked as they stood at the far end of the dining room.

  Margaret gave him a faint smile and nodded her head ever so slightly. “I suppose you could call it that.”

  “Was she unkind?”

  “Helen’s apology is of little consequence to me. She’s not someone I would choose as a friend, so it makes no difference. I’d rather talk about something more pleasant,” she answered.

  Phillip honored her wishes and quickly changed the subject, but he was now sure that Helen had merely added insult to injury with her so-called apology. They were discussing the upcoming masquerade ball when Teddi and Jonathan approached. Phillip breathed a sigh of relief when Teddi smiled and moved next to him.

  “Have you had refreshments?” she asked.

  “Yes, Helen. . .” He wanted to choke back her name, but he couldn’t. It was hanging in midair, separating them, just as immovably as if she’d physically walked between them.

  Teddi finally broke the thick silence. “You and Helen ate together?”

  “Not exactly. She went and filled a plate and brought it to me. I certainly didn’t ask her to do such a thing, and I never expected it. She just appeared with two plates of food and sat down beside me. Teddi, I don’t want to spend the evening with that woman. I don’t know how to make you believe me. Surely you realize that I had no control over the seating arrangements.”

  “Yes, Phillip, I do understand what occurred. Let’s go back into the parlor.”

  When Ella announced that the guests could choose the partner of their choice for the remainder of the games, Phillip quickly asked Teddi. He hoped that her agreement was a sign that the earlier events of the evening had been forgotten.

  eleven

  At her mother’s insistence, Teddi had been working on her costume for the masquerade ball for several months. Now, she was pleased that it had been completed and was hanging in the closet awaiting the party. There were a number of guests who had failed to appear at the Mahoneys’ due to last-minute stitching on costumes, among them Helen Hanson.

  Helen’s failure to appear at that get-together had permitted Teddi to relax and enjoy the evening’s festivities. The game of charades had been great fun, and she’d been amazed by Phillip’s clever performances. He had proved to be good at both acting out his clues as well as guessing the actions of others who were performing. In fact, their team had been in total agreement that, without Phillip, they would never have won.

  Although she had all but begged him to tell, Phillip had steadfastly refused to divulge what he would be wearing when he came to call on her this evening. Many of the married couples wore outfits that complemented each other, but those who were single most often decided upon a costume without consulting their escorts.

  Phillip had agreed to help Jonathan and George find costumes among the wardrobe stored for use by the theater troupe. Isabelle had been delighted to have that task removed from her list of worries and promised Phillip Sunday dinner for the rest of the year. She had, however, been somewhat embarrassed when Phillip pointed out the fact that there were only two Sundays left until the beginning of the new year and that he hoped she would consider an extension.

  “Are you absolutely positive that you don’t want to tell me what you’ll be wearing this evening?” Teddi asked as she was leaving the hospital for the day.

  “Of course not! That’s half the fun. I want to see if you’ll be able to find me in the crowd.”

  As was the custom, Teddi would go to the ball with her family. Then, after everyone had arrived, the partygoers would begin to seek out their escorts. Inevitably there were occasions when couples would go through most of the evening thinking they’d found their escort, only to be surprised when the masks came off. Although the use of accents to disguise voices was commonplace on masquerade night, Teddi was certain she’d have no difficulty detecting Phillip.

  Jonathan insisted he was not going to attend with the family and had already left for Junction City to get Margaret. Teddi wasn’t sure if it was because he feared the possibility Margaret might suffer insult from someone attending the party, or if he was unwilling to spend any part of the evening with other girls while he attempted to find her. Either way, Margaret had agreed to the arrangement. And surprisingly, Isabelle had re-mained silent on the issue.

  “Do you need any help with your costume, Teddi?” Isabelle asked as she tapped on Teddi’s bedroom door.

  “No, I think I’m ready. Come in and see what you think.”

  “It’s lovely, and such a unique idea. I don’t think you need worry about anyone else duplicating your costume. Come along. I believe your father is waiting impatiently at the bottom of the stairs.”

  “You look beautiful, Mother,” Teddi remarked as they walked down the hallway. “Do you feel like you’re getting married all over again?”

  “Not quite, but it does please me that I can still wear my wedding dress. Especially since I had to let out all the seams in your father’s suit,” she said, causing both women to laugh.

  “What’s so funny?” Clayton asked as mother and daughter walked down the steps.

  “Just reminiscing, dear,” was all that Isabelle said.

  “Well, now, that certainly takes me back,” Clayton said as he twirled Isabelle around in the parlor. “My bride has returned after all these years, looking even more beautiful, if that’s possible,” he complimented. “And, you, Teddi, aren’t you just gorgeous? I would have never known it was you. What a remarkable costume!”

  “Where’s George?” Isabelle inquired. “We need to be on our way.”

  “He decided to ride along with Jonathan, so it’s just the three of us.”

  “Don’t forget, we’re going to the theater building, not the mess hall,” Isabelle instructed as Clayton helped them into the
sleigh.

  Clayton gave her one of his uncontrolled laughs, his beefy cheeks puffing the cold night air. “I think I can remember where we’re going. My mind isn’t quite that bad yet, my dear.”

  “I wasn’t insulting your memory, Clayton, but the masquerade ball has been at the dining hall ever since we’ve been at Fort Riley. With all the important things you have to remember, I didn’t know if you might overlook something so trivial.”

  “That was an excellent piece of diplomacy,” he said, kissing his wife on the cheek.

  “We’re off,” he called out into the cold night air. “To the theater,” he added, and then he graced them with another hearty laugh.

  The theater was ablaze with light when they arrived amid guests alighting from sleighs that in many cases sat some distance away from the front door.

  “I’ll let you ladies out here and go put the sleigh in back,” Clayton instructed. “Go on inside, and I’ll be with you momentarily.”

  “I’ve never seen so many people at this ball,” Teddi said to her mother.

  “The Junction City newspaper printed several excellent articles about the event and encouraged everyone to attend. And the theater has enough room for them all,” Isabelle replied.

  The stage curtain had been raised, and the stage would be their dance floor for the evening. Barry’s Band from Junction City was in the pit providing music, and many of the theater chairs had been removed to allow the guests extra room to mingle. Large banquet tables were covered with linen cloths and decorated with greenery and candles, and festive, red bows festooned the rough-hewn support beams throughout the building.

  “Oh, look, there’s Jonathan. He must have told Margaret what he would be wearing. Their costumes match. Folks will think they’re a married couple,” Teddi remarked as she moved toward them. “Jonathan!” she called, waving her arm.

  “Don’t you look quite stunning,” Jonathan remarked. “Where did you ever come up with the idea of dressing like a rainbow?”