Sleigh Bells

by Miller, Judith Mccoy

  “I don’t know. I think they’re beautiful and decided I could make a dress and accessories that would resemble a rainbow.”

  “And so you have. It is truly beautiful,” Margaret replied. “Here we are dressed as hobos, looking quite destitute while you look stunning.”

  “I don’t think I could ever look stunning, Margaret, but thank you for your kind words. I haven’t spotted Phillip. What is he wearing, Jonathan?”

  “I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me—said he was sure you could wheedle it out of me if he told. He’s probably right!”

  “He truly didn’t tell you? But I was depending on you, Jonathan. Look how many people are in this place! How am I ever going to find him?”

  “I suppose like everyone else. Accept dance invitations and talk to everyone you can. You’d best get started mingling; we’re off to the dance floor. Now you see why I didn’t want to come without Margaret on my arm,” he said with a laugh.

  In the past, attending with her family had never been a problem. Their first year at Fort Riley, she didn’t have an escort; after that, Herbert had always told her in advance what he would be wearing. If she had known there would be so many guests, she would have insisted Phillip divulge his costume.

  “May I have this dance, lassie?”

  Teddi looked at a man attired in a gray-and-red-plaid Irish kilt, a white shirt, gray wool waistcoat, and red kneesocks. She didn’t think it was Phillip, yet there was something strangely familiar about him. He was disguising his voice with a pronounced Irish accent. Perhaps once they were on the dance floor, she’d be able to tell for sure.

  “My, but you’re lookin’ lovely tonight, lassie,” he said as they twirled across the wooden boards. “And you feel just right in my arms, I might add.”

  “Phillip?” she asked.

  “You can call me by any name you like, so long as you promise to spend your time with me,” he replied.

  His hands! That would let her know for sure. But as soon as the thought raced through her mind, she felt the cloth of his gloved hand. He’d even thought to cover his hands. It must be Phillip, for he’d expect her to look at his hands. Yet something wasn’t quite right.

  “Do I have the promise of all your dances, lassie?” he asked as the music ceased playing.

  “Not yet. I’m not sure you’re Phillip,” she replied. “I’d better wait until I’ve danced with some other gentlemen.”

  “I’ll be here waitin’ for you, lassie. You’re the one I came for, and you’re the one I’ll have,” he said while escorting her off the stage.

  Before she had time to give further consideration to the Irishman, a pirate was walking her back to the stage. However, they had taken only a few dance steps when she was sure the pirate wasn’t Phillip. She giggled when the pirate kept forgetting his pirate jargon and slipped back into using his own voice.

  She moved through dance after dance while the Irishman continued to stand by the stage and watch her, never leaving his post.

  “Have time for a dance with your father?” Clayton asked.

  “Of course,” Teddi replied, taking his hand and walking onto the makeshift dance floor. “Have you seen Phillip?” she asked once the music had begun.

  “No, can’t say as I have. Of course, I haven’t figured out who much of anybody is. I take it you’re having trouble finding him.”

  “I’m not sure. The first person who asked me to dance is that man dressed like an Irishman standing by the stage. He seems so familiar, yet I’m not positive it’s Phillip. When I asked him if he was Phillip, he said I could call him by any name I liked as long as I spent my time with him,” she explained.

  “If you don’t know of another gentleman who might want to spend the evening with you, I’d say it’s probably Phillip. That man looks to be the same size and height as Phillip. Did you ask Jonathan?”

  “Phillip wouldn’t even tell him what he was wearing. He said I could probably wheedle it out of Jonathan.”

  The general gave an uproarious laugh. “I’d say Phillip knows you pretty well! Why don’t you dance a couple more dances with the Irishman? Then maybe you’ll be sure,” he suggested as they left the floor.

  She nodded her head, and General Yorke led her off the floor toward where the man stood watching them.

  “Good evening, General Yorke. I hope you’re bringing your lovely lassie to dance with me,” the Irishman said with his thick accent.

  “I think perhaps I am,” Clayton said, handing Teddi over.

  “I’ve decided I need to dance with you again in order to be sure you’re the man I want to spend my evening with,” she told him.

  “Ah, Lassie, not only am I the man you want to spend the evening with, but I’m also the man you’ll be spending your life with,” he confidently replied.

  Teddi was surprised by the comment. Obviously Phillip felt much more assured of their relationship when hidden behind a mask and Irish brogue.

  ❧

  Phillip surveyed the crowd. He knew Teddi wouldn’t stay close by her parents, but he had felt an assurance he’d be able to find her. Jonathan had even volunteered to ask what she’d be wearing, but Phillip had declined the offer. Just as he was becoming a bit concerned, he was certain that he now spotted her. There was no doubt it was Teddi, although he was surprised she hadn’t taken greater pains to hide her identity.

  “So you did recognize me. I told Jonathan I was sure I’d be able to fool you,” Phillip said as he approached her. “I could have picked you out anywhere. That’s a beautiful costume,” he added, relishing her portrayal of a Southern belle as she twirled a fancy parasol above her head.

  “Why, thank you, kind sir,” she replied, giving him a deep curtsy while feigning a Southern accent.

  “You don’t need to use that accent, Teddi; I know it’s you,” Phillip replied, lifting the side of his mask and allowing her a peek. “I told you I’d reveal myself if you found me,” he continued.

  “I’ve decided I rather like my Southern drawl. By the way, how did you know it was me? Now, that was a silly question, wasn’t it? All these tiny-waisted girls, and then there’s me.”

  “Don’t talk about yourself in such a manner, Teddi. You are a lovely, young woman, and I admire you very much. It hurts me when you speak poorly of yourself. If it were only appearances that interested me, I’d be searching out someone like Helen Hanson. I thought you understood that what I’m seeking in a wife is someone with your attributes. Beauty isn’t merely someone’s outer appearance; it’s who that person is inside,” Phillip replied.

  “Let’s don’t talk anymore, Phillip. Let’s enjoy the music and dance.”

  They finished the set without so much as a word passing between them, although he was pleased when she squeezed his hand several times and placed her head on his shoulder.

  “Why don’t we get some punch?” Phillip asked as the music stopped.

  “I’m quite warm. Could we go outside?”

  “It’s freezing out there. You’d catch your death of cold,” Phillip warned.

  “We could sit under the buffalo robe in your sleigh and talk for awhile. There are some things I want to discuss with you, and it’s noisy in here. I’m sure I’d be able to keep warm there,” she said, the words dripping with her Southern drawl.

  “I suppose, if you really want to,” he hesitantly agreed, though surprised by her request.

  ❧

  “Teddi, my love, you’ve brought me such joy this fine evening. I have a very important question I want to ask you before the night has ended,” the Irishman whispered in her ear.

  A tingling sensation coursed down her spine with each word that he spoke, and his lips lightly brushed her neck in the slightest hint of a kiss as he pulled her closer. She squeezed his hand in her own, unable to restrain the love that had begun to well up inside her weeks ago. Not that she wanted this to happen so quickly. After Herbert, she had never wanted to love again. But Phillip’s kindness and concern, his gentle acce
ptance of her, and his sweet words whispered in her ear dissolved all her defenses. Phillip was an honorable man who would be a good husband to her and a good father to her children. There was no reason why she shouldn’t love him.

  “Would you like something cool to drink?”

  “Yes, thank you,” she replied, following him to the refreshment table.

  He filled two cups and handed her one. “Follow me. There’s a quiet place where we can talk back here.”

  “In one of the dressing rooms? I don’t know if we should,” she stammered.

  “Trust me, Lassie,” he said, pulling her along beside him until they reached the hallway.

  The hallway behind the stage was narrow, causing Teddi to follow along behind. The man held her hand tightly as he opened the door and pulled her inside. The door closed behind them and the room was dark and silent. She felt his hands touch her face as he slowly lifted her mask and ran his finger ever so lightly across her lips. She could hear his shallow breathing as his face lowered toward hers, his mouth seeking and then covering her own in a lingering kiss.

  “Phillip, we need to go back to the party,” Teddi urged as their lips parted.

  “Say that you’ll marry me,” he demanded, still using his Irish accent as he pulled her tightly against him. “Give me your promise, or I’ll keep you here until you do, lassie.”

  His lips once again found hers, and she yielded to the tenderness of his kiss. “Yes, I’ll marry you,” she whispered. “I promise.”

  twelve

  General Yorke pulled off his shoes and leaned back in his favorite chair, wishing he’d have pulled the seat a bit closer to the fireplace, yet too weary to get up and move it. Isabelle came fluttering in from the kitchen, still wearing her wedding dress, carrying a pan filled with warm water.

  “Give me a pair of leather cavalry boots over these fandangled gentlemen’s slippers any day of the week,” the general complained as he rolled up his trousers, pulled off his socks, and tentatively placed his big toe in the water.

  “It’s not hot. You act as though I’m going to scald you,” Isabelle remarked.

  “Just checking. It’s bad enough having these blisters; I don’t want burns on my feet, too. I wouldn’t be able to walk at all,” he complained.

  “Good heavens, Clayton, what are you going to do if you ever have a serious medical problem?” Isabelle retorted. “I’m going upstairs to get out of this dress. I’ll be down and see how you’re doing in a few minutes.”

  She had made it to the first landing when the front door burst open and Teddi rushed into the house, the Irishman following close on her heels.

  “Why did you leave without me?” she asked in an accusa-tory tone.

  “Your father said you’d come home with Phillip. Oh, oh,” Isabelle gasped. “Where did you come from?”

  “What’s going on out there?” General Yorke called from the parlor.

  “Good evening, General. I wanted to come in with Teddi to tell you the good news. She’s given her promise to marry me!”

  “What? She would never give her promise to marry you, Albright. Teddi, what’s he talking about, and what is he doing in this house?”

  “Herbert is the Irishman, Father. He pretended to be Phillip and asked me to marry him,” Teddi answered, tears streaming down her face. “After the two of you left, he went about telling all the guests that we were going to be married. I denied it, but he kept telling people I was only jesting, that we were truly to be married, and that I had forgiven his outrageous behavior.”

  The sight of Herbert Albright had caused Isabelle to visibly pale, but her faintness soon gave way to anger. “How dare you humiliate our daughter again! What are you up to? You’re already a married man. Why would you do such a thing?”

  “Alas, my wife succumbed to cholera out on the prairie,” he replied with theatrical flair. “Had she lived, the marriage wouldn’t have lasted. She knew my heart remained with Teddi.”

  “You unfeeling cad! I want you out of this house and out of my life,” Teddi cried.

  “I’ll leave for now, but I’m sure you’ll come around. I’ll be staying in Junction City for the next month, so we’ll be seeing each other at all the socials. In fact, I’ll just plan on being your escort.”

  “Get out of here! I would rather die than be seen with you,” she screeched.

  “You may change your mind, so let’s keep the option available. After all, you don’t know where Phillip was spending his time this evening, do you?” he asked as he left the house.

  “Oh, Mother, what if someone told Phillip that I’ve pledged myself to Herbert again? How could this happen?”

  “We need to remain calm and keep our wits, or none of us will be able to think,” Isabelle replied. “Did you ever see Phillip?”

  “No, I thought Herbert was Phillip. He used that foolish accent all evening. I kept sensing a familiarity about him and thought it must be Phillip. I asked both Jonathan and George throughout the evening, but both of them denied ever seeing him. Maybe he’s ill and didn’t go at all. Oh, I hope that’s what happened,” Teddi said, the thought giving her a glimmer of hope. If Phillip hadn’t attended the party, she could explain everything before he heard the lies from others.

  “Nothing’s going to be settled by sitting up all night. Besides, this water is getting cold,” the general stated as he pulled his feet out of the water.

  Teddi went upstairs and readied herself for bed, but instead of crawling beneath the covers, she paced back and forth until her father finally knocked on the wall and told her to get in bed. Later, when she heard Jonathan come home, she considered running downstairs to talk with him. But she would have awakened at least one of her parents and suffered their wrath, so she reluctantly turned over and stared at the wall, finally falling asleep shortly before dawn.

  A tapping at her bedroom door awakened her only a few hours after she had fallen asleep. “You need to get up, Teddi, or we’ll be late for church.”

  Church! She’d see Phillip at church, but in all likelihood he’d already have heard about last night’s happenings before she arrived. The thought of seeing all those people, having them stare and whisper behind their hands, watching them give each other knowing smiles, made her want to plow back under the covers and remain there for the rest of her life.

  “I’m not sure I can go to church this morning, Mother.”

  “Are you ill?” her mother questioned.

  “Not exactly. But I will be if I’m forced to face all those gossips,” Teddi replied.

  “The longer you hide behind closed doors, the harder it will be to face the world. Get out of bed and get ready. We’re going to church!” Isabelle responded firmly.

  Teddi pulled out a dark brown dress with pleated sleeves and tan decorative lapels. Both the skirt and lapels were adorned with matching, gold buttons. Looking into the mirror, she donned her dark brown hat that sported tan and brown feathers, and snugly tied it under her chin.

  “Come have some breakfast before we leave,” her mother urged.

  “Where are Jonathan and George?” Teddi asked, surveying the room. She wanted them close at hand in case she felt the need to make a quick getaway.

  “I’m not sure. They were up early and have already left,” Isabelle said. “Hurry now!”

  Untying her hat and placing it on a table in the living room, Teddi hesitantly filled her plate and sat down at the table; however, eating proved impossible. She chased her scrambled eggs around the plate and nibbled on one of Florence’s muffins, but her stomach rebelled, so she finally quit trying.

  “You ladies ready?” Clayton asked as he came in the front door. “I’ve got the sleigh waiting.”

  “We’ll get our coats and be with you in just a moment,” Isabelle replied.

  “I’d really prefer to stay home,” Teddi said, remaining in her chair.

  “You’re not staying home. Don’t forget we’ll have extra guests for dinner, Florence,” Isabelle called o
ut toward the kitchen.

  “Oh, that’s right. You invited Phillip to dinner.”

  “And Margaret, plus both of your brothers, and I believe George invited Ruth Ann. We should have quite a roomful.”

  “Wonderful,” Teddi replied dejectedly.

  “That didn’t sound very enthusiastic. Don’t borrow trouble, Teddi—everything may turn out just fine.”

  “I know, Mother. ‘Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’ I’ve been repeating that verse quite a bit lately,” Teddi replied as they walked out the door.

  The ride to church came to a halt much too soon for Teddi, but she gathered her courage and stepped into the limestone chapel, with her parents following close behind. Jonathan, Margaret, Ruth Ann, and George were already seated in the Yorkes’ regular pew. Teddi slid in beside Ruth Ann and turned her attention to the front of the church. Phillip was busy leafing through his Bible, and if he ever attempted to look in her direction, she missed it when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

  Glancing to the row behind her, Teddi found herself eye to eye with Herbert, who was looking far too smug to suit her. Ignoring his grin, she turned around and faced forward. She wanted to tell her mother Herbert was seated behind them, but she knew he would be delighted if she did anything that indicated he was making her uncomfortable. She was surprised to see Helen Hanson and her friend Mattie seated across the aisle. They were both members of a church in Junction City, and Teddi couldn’t remember ever seeing them at the post chapel before. Obviously Helen was not going to give up on Phillip, she surmised. But then she saw Helen looking in Herbert’s direction and wondered if perhaps she might be interested in him instead.

  Those two would make a perfect couple. Not only did both of their names begin with the letter “H,” but they also had a multitude of traits in common, none of which Teddi admired. However, she decided that they probably deserved each other.

  Before the service officially began, Phillip stood up and announced that a young adults’ Bible study would begin on Wednesday nights after the first of the year. Enthusiastically extending an invitation to all those young people, he then asked them to spread the word among their friends in Junction City and Fort Riley. Once the announcements were completed, Sergeant Little went forward to lead the singing. His rich baritone voice boomed through the small chapel, encouraging those in attendance to join him in praising the Lord.