Call of the Canyon

by Nancy Pennick

  “Kate, may I call you Kate?” Ilene touched her hand.

  “Of course.” She blushed, glad to have her mother-in-law’s acceptance.

  “I’m aware you had no idea we’re having a party in your honor so I took it upon myself to buy you a dress for tonight. It should be in your room when you return. Please try it on as soon as possible and we can get the correct size if needed. Although.” Ilene looked her up and down. “I think I might have done well in that department.”

  “Thank you so much. I was wondering what I would wear tonight.” Kate couldn’t stop blushing. She felt the redness creep into her cheeks. Stop it, she told herself. Do not be impressed by the power and wealth of these people. You have to stay clear-headed for Drew. That’s why you are here, to make things right. Deciding to find out more about her mother-in-law, Kate held her breath and asked the question she was dying to know. “So how did you and Nicolas meet?”

  “Oh.” It was Ilene’s turn to blush. She hung her head, playing with the napkin in her lap. “You don’t want to hear that boring story. I’d much rather hear yours...yours and Andrew’s.”

  Ilene was the perfect hostess, deflecting the conversation back to her guest. Kate was determined to let her know she was truly interested so she placed her hand on the woman’s arm. “No, really, I’d love to hear.” Any information she could obtain for Drew was important. Kate couldn’t picture him asking his mother to tell him the story.

  Ilene raised her head and reached for her coffee, taking a sip before she began. “I came to this country with my parents when I was a young girl. I was about Federico’s age, I believe. There was a large population of Irish living in the mid-west part of the city so we settled there, in an awful tenement.” Ilene turned her head away so her tears couldn’t be seen. “It was a filthy place, but mother did the best she could to make it a home. My older brothers couldn’t find work and joined an Irish gang...the Gopher Gang it was called. Father tried his best to provide for the family, working at any job he could, mostly hard labor. This America didn’t turn out to be the land of milk and honey for the Kelly family until...” Ilene dabbed her eyes with her linen napkin.

  “Until what, Mother?” Drew sat forward in his seat as if he was hearing that for the first time.

  “Until your father rescued us, Andrew.” She met his eyes and smiled. “He rescued us all.”

  So that explains the devotion to her husband. Kate sat silently thinking it over, afraid to speak. She wanted Ilene to continue with the story.

  “I was fifteen and worked as a cook’s helper at a small hotel that Nicolas liked to frequent. I was taking the garbage out one day and nearly ran into him and another gentleman in the alley. They were having a business discussion. I almost dropped the pail I was carrying and Nicolas was so kind. Even though he was wearing the most beautiful suit with a gold watch chain dangling from the front pocket, he insisted on helping me...so strong, so handsome.” Ilene hesitated. “As he walked me back to the restaurant, he wanted to know where I lived, where he could come calling. I was embarrassed to tell him. I lived in Hell’s Kitchen, Kate. Did Andrew ever tell you?”

  If Kate didn’t know a little about New York City, that comment would’ve scared her, such a frightening name. Hell’s Kitchen was the name given to a part of New York where immigrants settled long ago, but it lost its reputation as a slum in the present. It was close to the theatre district and a lot of young, aspiring actors lived there. It was known for its restaurants.

  “No, no he didn’t.” Kate shook her head.

  “A terrible place.”

  “I’m sorry.” Kate made direct eye contact with Ilene, wanting her to know she was empathetic.

  “Don’t be. I had a happy ending. My brothers work for Nicolas at the store and my mother and father did, too. Father has passed on and mother is in a home for invalids. Nicolas takes good care of her. Now enough about me, let’s turn to happy thoughts.” Ilene turned to her daughter. “Maria, I didn’t leave you out. There’s a dress in your room, too.”

  Maria clapped her hands lightly. “Ooh, thank you, Mother! May we be excused so we can see them?”

  Ilene nodded and seemed happy to see her daughter so cheerful. Kate heard from Drew that she had been sulking for months. “I may even let you take it back to school for the Autumn Dance.”

  Maria bounced up from the table. She took Kate’s hand. “Come on. We have to go see our dresses.”

  The two bounded up the back staircase and headed straight for Maria’s room, next door to Drew’s. Not surprisingly, her room didn’t seem appropriate for a teenage girl. Just like Drew’s, it was too formal, although it did have light-colored Italian furniture instead of the dark. There was a beautiful light blue, brocade bedspread on the high four-poster bed and pale gold and blue striped drapes adorned the window.

  Wasn’t this the Roaring Twenties? Kate thought. Art deco was popular and people were decorating their homes with modern themes. These bedrooms seemed more Victorian than modern for their day. They did have the wood floors and oriental rugs like Circle H, so that could be the style in flooring. Kate was distracted from assessing the décor when she heard Maria gasp.

  Lying on the bed was a flapper-style fringed dress with horizontal layers of color. The bodice was white, then starting at the waist were wide bands of silver, dark gray and finally black at the hem. Maria held up the dress and twirled around. The fringe flew out in every direction. “I love it! It’s unreal!”

  “Unreal?”

  “You know, keen, ritzy.” Maria continued to dance around the room.

  Kate hoped her dress was unreal, too. “Let’s go see what my dress looks like.” She grabbed Maria’s hand and tugged her along.

  It was waiting in Drew’s room just as Ilene said it would be. The dress sparkled in the light as Kate took it in her hands. The top layer was black netting covered in shiny black iridescent beads and sequins creating a lovely floral and leaf pattern. Underneath was a black satin liner. It had a slightly fitted V-neck bodice with an A-line skirt. The black liner stopped above the knees but the scallop-edged netting hung slightly below the knee. Kate held up the dress and looked at the intricate beading. “This is beautiful.”

  “That cost at least $750 dollars.” Maria blurted out. “Oops, I did it again.”

  They both laughed. Kate realized people paid more than that for dresses in the 21st century, but $750 bought a lot more in the 1920s. This dress was quite expensive for the day.

  “Mine was probably half the cost of yours.” Maria sulked.

  “You will be lovely, Maria.” Kate put her hand on the girl’s shoulder. “The boys will love you in it.”

  “Do you think? Oh, I hope so. Some of my friends will be here tonight.”

  Kate could see Maria was just an insecure teen and wasn’t really jealous of her. “If you’d like, I’ll help you with makeup before the party starts.”

  “Thank you. I’ll probably have to play the piano as the guests arrive so I may have to get ready a little early.”

  “That’s fine. I’ll come to your room by four this afternoon.”

  “Kate, I have to tell you something. I hadn’t planned on telling you, but that’s before I got to know you. You deserve to know Gia’s coming tonight.”

  Kate barely was able to say thanks as Maria left the room. Gia hadn’t crossed her mind. That was the girl Nicolas and Drew were arguing about on their wedding day. Gia was Drew’s old girlfriend and she was invited to the party. For what reason? To cause trouble? The only answer to those questions was Nicolas hoped Drew would see her and realize he’d made a mistake. Kate took a deep breath and walked over to the dressing table put in the room for her use. She sat down on the little bench, staring at herself in the mirror. She began to brush her hair vigorously over and over to calm herself before she had to make the grand entrance to the party.

  * * * *

  Drew emerged from the dressing room in his custom-made Italian suit designed by his father.
“I guess I’m a male model tonight,” he said sarcastically. “I’ve been informed to tell everyone about the suit.”

  “Well, you look handsome.” Kate touched up her make-up in the mirror and thought she heard piano music drifting into the room. “Your sister plays beautifully.”

  “She’s the only one with the music gene.” Drew stood behind her and kissed her neck. Their images stared back at them from the mirror. “Look at that, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Martin, quite a dashing couple.”

  Kate continued to gaze at the reflection in the mirror. Was she enough for Drew? Did they really make a dashing couple? She hadn’t told Drew about Gia, not wanting to make a big deal. Plus she wanted to see what would happen. If Drew knew ahead of time, he might have a fight with his father or stop Gia from coming. “I’m ready,” was all she said.

  There was a faint knock at the door startling her. They were running late for the party and she was sure the help was sent to see what was keeping them. Slowly opening the door, Kate was relieved to see it was her father. “Dad, how did you manage to find me?”

  “I have my ways.” He strode into the room seeming very comfortable in that environment. “Andrew, I want you to know if anyone does anything to Kate tonight that I don’t like, I will intervene.”

  “Noted.” Drew saluted and smiled. “Always love seeing you in your 1927 form. My big brother...so sure of himself...plus a little more hair.”

  “What did you say?” Kate’s dad playfully punched the air as he stepped closer to Drew. Drew put up his hands, made two fists like he was ready to fight back.

  “That’s enough you two!” Kate hit her forehead at their antics. “Dad, did you leave Grandma Lilly by herself? We should get going.”

  “She knows a lot of people in this town. Don’t worry, she’s fine. I’m more worried about you.”

  “I’m fine now that you’re here.”

  “Hey!” Drew shouted and disappeared into his dressing room.

  “You know what I mean.” Kate laughed.

  He came out with a pair of shoes in hand. “Almost forgot these.” He held them up in the air the way his brother had held the violin case.

  “Death to the shoes?” Kate said almost to herself.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Oh, just an inside joke I have with your brother.”

  “You have secrets with my brother already? You waste no time, wife. They’re both fond of you. They don’t want us to leave.”

  She stiffened at the thought. “That’s so nice of them. I hope you made them feel loved and that they will be in our thoughts always.”

  “Something like that. You were right, we did need to get back here and leave things in a positive way.”

  Kate gulped. She thought of Gia again and hoped that didn’t spoil things.

  Her father walked over to her. “Is there something you need to tell me?” Kate just shook her head no. “I’d better get back.” He opened the door and slipped out, leaving the couple alone in their room.

  Andrew offered Kate his arm and they followed a few minutes later. This time, they did not go downstairs, but continued up another flight of stairs to a large ballroom on the third floor. As they entered the room, Maria was in the corner playing the piano and guests were milling about with drinks in hand. Although it was Prohibition, the champagne and wine flowed freely, just like at her wedding. A band was set up on a small raised stage in the far corner and a huge table filled with hors d'oeuvres ran down one wall. There was a dance floor in front of the band and the rest of the space was filled with round tables covered in white linen surrounded by white padded chairs. White roses ringed with tall white candles in crystal candlesticks were on every table. Everything glittered in the dimmed lighting, making the room seem magical.

  Drew’s father was circulating the room but when he saw them, he extended his arm out toward them. He called out in a booming voice. “My son and his bride, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Martin.”

  The guests politely clapped and Maria went into a rendition of the Wedding March. People began to line up to meet and congratulate the couple. It almost seemed like a second wedding reception, only this time Kate didn’t know the guests. She tried very hard to be polite and thoughtful to each one.

  “Ah, Andrew, look who we have here, the Pasquale family.” Nicolas brought a family of four over to the front of the line.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Pasquale, nice to see you again.” Drew shook their hand. Then he nodded at the girl. “Gia.”

  Gia! That gorgeous raven-haired beauty is Gia? She was slightly taller than Kate and looked older. She was quite voluptuous which made Kate examine her smaller bust and thinner body. Gia had the look of confidence and grabbed Drew around the shoulders, bringing him to her.

  “Mio amore.” Gia said into his ear although Kate could hear. No one needed to translate for her. That girl just said “my love.” Gia then planted a huge kiss on his mouth, making even her own mother gasp. Kate searched the crowd for her father and waved him over.

  “Oh, look, Andrew, Jack Woods is here. I hope he brought his mother.” Kate slid her arm through Drew’s and pulled him toward her. “And this is?” She stared straight at Gia.

  “Gia Pasquale, an old friend.” Drew said it with a slight laugh as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “My wife, Kathryn.” He introduced Gia to Kate.

  Kate shook her hand and could’ve sworn she heard the girl say, “Not for long.” Glancing around to see if her father had arrived, she felt his hand on her back and turned to greet him. “Jack, so nice to see you!” She hugged him and quickly filled him in on her dilemma.

  “You two need to come over and say hello to my mother. She has a little difficulty getting around and would love it if you visited our table.” Jack maneuvered the couple away from the Pasquales.

  “That was a surprise. You held up quite well, Kate.” Drew seemed a bit flustered.

  “Well, I was given advanced notice.”

  “Really? By whom, may I ask?

  “Your wonderful sister.”

  “It was a shock to see her again. I’m sure that’s how my father planned it. He probably thought I’d realize I made the biggest mistake of my life and annul the marriage right on the spot. Little does he know you’re the love of my life. Too bad he can’t see that instead of dollar signs. The marriage of Gia Pasquale and Andrew Martin would help the family business. Mr. Pasquale is in the import/export business and could have materials shipped in and suits shipped out at a discounted price if there was a wedding among the families.” Drew just shook his head.

  “Thanks for sharing. It helps.” Kate told him as they reached the table where her grandmother sat. “Grandma Lilly, I can’t believe I get to see you again.” Kate ran to her and they clasped hands.

  Kate could see she was overcome with emotion. Tears filled her eyes, but Kate knew she was happy. “Drew, do you mind if I sit awhile with them?”

  “No, go right ahead, I have some business to attend to.” Drew hurriedly left the table and Kate hoped it wasn’t to confront his father.

  She lost track of time and of Drew as she talked with her grandmother. She needed to find out about her father’s childhood and what he was like while she had the chance. Lilly told her lots of stories and their talk was filled with fun and laughter. She showed Kate her baby picture, saying she kept it with her at all times. All of the sudden, Lilly’s face completely changed. “Kate, go get your man.” Her finger pointed toward the dance floor.

  Kate turned her head and saw Gia and Drew dancing together. If that wasn’t bad enough, they looked like they belonged together, swaying to the music as one. She stood up and smoothed her dress. “Thank you, Grandmother.” She started for the dance floor to confront her husband when she felt a hand on her arm.

  “That’s exactly what Nicolas wants you to do, cause a scene. Instead, you’ll dance with me.” Her father’s voice couldn’t have sounded any better or more soothing than it did at that moment.


  Father and daughter stepped onto the dance floor. “Should I stand on your feet while you dance around?” Kate remembered how she and all little girls danced on their fathers’ feet.

  He threw back his head and laughed. “You and I can cut a rug, as they used to say, just as well as they can.” He began dancing and twirling her all over the floor until they reached Drew and Gia. “Just follow my lead.”

  “Andrew.” Her dad nodded at him. “This must be the lovely Gia you told me so much about. Allow me to switch partners so I may have a dance.”

  Kate was grateful and slid into Drew’s arms.

  “This is where you belong, Mrs. Martin. Don’t let her get to you,” Drew whispered in her ear.

  “I know.” Kate didn’t care who was watching, she kissed her husband for a very long time.

  * * * *

  Kate and Drew stood at the front door with their bags packed, ready to go.

  “I can’t believe it’s time already.” His mother groaned. She took Andrew’s face in her hands and kissed both cheeks.

  Maria and Freddie looked sad, too. Kate walked over to them and put her arms around them. “Promise me you’ll make plans to stay at the cabin this summer. Drew and I would love to have you.”

  “I’ll definitely be there.” Freddie smiled. “And I won’t bring the violin.”

  “Great to hear,” Kate laughed. “And what about you, Maria? Will you come?”

  Tears filled Maria’s eyes. “Yes,” she said softly. “I’ll be there. I’m going to miss you.” She hugged Kate tightly.

  “I’ll miss you both.” Kate started to feel close to Drew’s siblings in this short period of time. At least they liked her and would have good memories now. They know their brother wanted them at the wedding and loved them very much.

  Nicolas came down the stairs and joined the group. Kate was surprised because she hadn’t seen him anywhere all morning. “Andrew, I’ve been thinking about this for some time. After graduation, would you consider coming home to live, apprentice at the store and attend NYU?”