An Unexpected Suitor (19 page)

“Got it, boss,” Billy replied.

“Besides, the smell won’t be half as bad once we get everyone inside,” he said, turning his attention back to Nola.

“I suppose we could…”

“That’s my girl,” he said and ran his finger along the curve of her jaw.

“You do know that you are impossible,” she said, her voice as firm as it had been that first day she’d confronted him on this very porch.

“Very clear about that, Miss Nola.” He tried looking chastised but instead broke into a grin. “I’ll go in the back way and help Mrs. Lang in the kitchen.”

“If we’re doing this then you help me get everyone inside,” Nola corrected. “Mrs. Lang has the Huff girls to help her.”

Minutes later, the entire downstairs was crowded with theatergoers mingling with the performers. As he surveyed the scene, Harry had to admit it was a gathering he had never thought he would see. Not in ’Sconset. But the minute word filtered through town that Nola was in trouble, the town had banded together as one to come to her aid. He wondered if Nola had any idea how revered she was among her neighbors and friends.

Judy had insisted that Nola take a chair in the parlor. “If
anybody out there needs to say something to you, then let them come to you for once. This is as much your night as it is Harry Starbuck’s, so you just hold court right here.”

Nola had not argued and that fact alone told Harry that she was more affected by the attack on her home than she was willing to let on.

“Miss Nola?”

Both Harry and Nola turned when Osgood ushered the Huff sisters into the room.

“What’s going on?”

“These young ladies have something to tell you, miss. Meanwhile I’m going to arrest the real culprits.”

The sisters kept their eyes on the floor as they nudged one another and muttered, “Tell her.”

“
You
tell her.”

“Girls, do you know who did this?” Nola asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” they replied in unison.

The elder sister took a deep breath and met Nola’s eyes directly. “We’re really sorry, Miss Nola. We never thought they would go this far. We tried to stop them but, well, they just laughed at us.”

“We thought they liked us,” the other sister murmured. “Edgar said I was the sweetest girl he knew when I told him I’d put that envelope on the kitchen table to surprise you.”

“Edgar?” Harry put the puzzle together at the same time Nola did. “The Gillenwater boys are responsible for this? For all the notes and the vandalism?”

Now the Huff girls looked worried. “We only know about tonight—and that one note,” the elder one assured him.

“Well, I never. You girls just get yourselves back out to that kitchen and stay there,” Judy ordered. “Before you get yourselves in any more trouble tonight.”

The Huff sisters did not have to be asked twice. As they made their escape, Harry heard them casting blame on one another.

“If you hadn’t…”

“Well, you were the one…”

Meanwhile Minnie and Oliver Franks assured others who had pressed into the doorway when they saw Osgood bring the two girls into the parlor that all was well. “Let’s all step across the hall to the tearoom where we can sit and enjoy some of Mrs. Lang’s delicious fruit punch.”

The guests lingered for another hour, their low voices a sign that they were talking more about the real-life drama playing out in ’Sconset than they were reliving the operetta they had just seen onstage. As the clock chimed midnight, Nola heard Harry and Ellie assure the last of the departing guests that Miss Nola would be fine and yes, the tearoom would reopen in a few days, and of course, they could call on Nola to see if there was any way they might help.

When she felt Harry’s hands on her shoulders, she had to resist the urge to turn to him and seek comfort in the strength of his embrace. “Has everyone gone?” she asked.

“For the most part. It’s over, Nola. Osgood has the Gillenwater boys in custody,” Harry assured her.

Nola started for the door. “Oh, dear. I wasn’t even thinking. Poor Rose must be so devastated. I should go to her.”

“She’ll be fine,” Harry soothed, urging her back into the chair. “I asked Dr. Wainwright to check on her and Alistair said the boys will be released tomorrow.”

“They’re in jail?”

“Alistair thought a night behind bars might do them some good. Give them some time to think about their actions.”

Nola closed her eyes, then opened them immediately. “What about Miss Russell? Oh, Harry, you must go to her, explain what happened and offer her my deepest apologies.”

“Tell her yourself,” Harry said as the actress swept into the parlor.

“Well, Harrison,” she said as he went to meet her and lead her to the unoccupied chair next to Nola, “you have always had a special flair for the dramatic but it seems this young lady has managed to outdo even you.” She smiled at Nola.

“Oh, Miss Russell,” Nola said. “I am so sorry…”

The actress dismissed any further comment with a wave of one lace-gloved hand. “Never apologize for the unavoidable, my dear. Harrison, it’s been quite an evening. Thank you for this opportunity. I had forgotten how warm and appreciative audiences like this can be.” She hid a yawn, then smiled. “And now, Nola dear, I am quite spent. Given the circumstances, I doubt the Gillenwaters need an extra houseguest this evening. Might I impose upon you to stay the night in your lovely guest room?”

“Of course, but I’m sure Harry could arrange a suite at the hotel now that everyone knows you’re here.”

Lillian smiled. “And therein lies the problem. I won’t get a moment’s sleep with people traipsing the halls trying to decide which room might be mine. No, I prefer your guest room if it’s available.”

“It’s available anytime you wish to visit, Lillian,” Nola assured her.

“Thank you, my dear. So I will say good-night.” She tapped one forefinger against Harry’s chest and smiled. “This little operetta of yours is going to take the critics’ breath away, Harry. I only wish I were available to be a part of the
cast. Perhaps next time you and Nola decide to collaborate, you’ll keep me in mind for a role—a lead, of course?”

Nola fully expected Harry to laugh at the ridiculous notion that Nola might ever again pen a song worthy of a professional production. But as he took the actress’s elbow and walked with her to the foyer, his reply shocked her. “Nola and I will definitely keep that in mind,” he promised.

Once the famous actress had gone up to bed, Billy, Jasper, Olga and the Kowalski sisters took their leave, assuring Nola they would return the following day to help clean up the damage the Gillenwater boys had caused.

“Thank you,” Nola said and the words caught in her throat as the enormity of support and friendship she’d seen this night hit her, making it impossible to say more.

“Nola, I’m just going to run back to the cabaret and get Lancelot,” Ellie said as she wrapped a shawl around her shoulders. “Then I’ll be back to stay the night.”

“There’s really no need,” Nola protested. “Not now that…” Overcome by the emotional drama of the evening, Nola burst into tears.

“I’ll stay,” Harry said firmly.

“That would hardly be suitable, Mr. Starbuck,” Rose Gillenwater announced. She stood in the doorway with Osgood Daniels, who had a firm grip on her two sons. “Nola, these boys have something they wish to say.” She gave each boy a none-too-gentle shove toward Nola.

“Sorry,” Edgar muttered.

“Yeah, sorry,” Albert echoed.

Rose sighed. “That is hardly a proper apology. Now do this right or…”

“Sorry, Miss Nola,” Edgar shouted, his fury apparent as he swung around to face his mother. “Was that better?”

“Young man, you will not speak to me in such tones.”

“Why are you so mad at us?” he challenged.

Rose was absolutely sputtering as she attempted to find the words to address that question.

“Yeah, we did it for you,” Albert added, taking courage from his brother. “You kept saying that you wished there were some way to get those actor people to leave Miss Nola alone and we thought if we sent her the notes…”

“You sent the notes as well?”

Nola thought Rose might faint, her face went so white.

“On your mother’s notepaper,” Harry guessed.

Albert nodded. “But it seemed like Miss Nola just ignored them. The one we left night before last…”

Harry shot Nola a look.

“I burned it without opening it,” she admitted.

“Probably a good thing,” Edgar grumbled. “We’d probably be getting sent away for ten years or something if…”

“You made at least one direct threat on Miss Burns’s life,” Harry said quietly. “That’s a serious charge and unless Miss Nola burned all the notes, one still exists that proves my point, so I would be very careful what you say here.”

Edgar and Albert refused to look at each other or anyone else. “You were the one who said we had to make each note more threatening,” Albert accused his brother.

“Well, you were the one who thought smearing paint and rotten eggs all over—”

“Stop this right this minute,” Rose ordered. “Officer Daniels, please escort these young men back to their cell. Their father and I will deal with them in the morning.”

“But, Ma…” Albert whined.

Rose stood toe to toe with the boy who was already a good head taller than she was. “Now, you listen to me, young
man. You boys may look like grown men but you are children and you have inserted yourselves—without permission—into a very adult issue here. If only you had come to me…” Her voice wavered slightly and then she grabbed each of her sons in turn, hugged him hard and then watched Osgood escort them from the room.

“There’s no real harm,” Nola said softly when Rose remained standing at the door long after they had all heard Osgood and the boys descend the front steps and move on down the street.

“Yes, there is,” Rose murmured. Slowly she turned to face them. “It is always difficult to admit wrongdoing, but in this case I realize that I cannot avoid at least a part of the blame.”

“Now, Mrs. Gillenwater,” Harry began but she cut him off.

“Let me say this, Harrison.” She gave him a wry smile and added, “You may never hear me apologize again for as everyone knows, I am seldom in the wrong.”

Nola couldn’t believe her ears. She had never once imagined that Rose Gillenwater might be hiding such a subtle and sly sense of humor. Harry chuckled and indicated with a sweep of his arm that she had center stage.

“Nola dear, the boys are quite within their rights to be confused. Over the last several weeks I have worried so about you and your entanglements with Harrison here and his band of minstrels that I’m afraid my concerns have quite dominated conversation in our home.”

“You’ve always had my best interests at heart,” Nola said.

“Be that as it may, I have led my boys astray. Without realizing it I have passed my personal prejudices on to them. Of course, what they did is a sign of their deep devotion to me and yet…”

“Mrs. Gillenwater,” Harry interrupted when the older woman looked as if any moment she might dissolve into racking sobs, “may I make a suggestion?”

Rose pressed her fist to her tight-lipped mouth and nodded.

“Alistair’s idea of a night in jail is a good lesson, but once the boys are back home…”

Rose wheeled around and faced Nola. “Don’t you intend to press charges? They made threats and destroyed property and…”

“Let’s hear Harry out,” Nola suggested.

“As you may recall, Mrs. Gillenwater, I had some run-ins with authority figures when I was about your boys’ age. The problem usually was one of having too much time on my hands.”

“Edgar and Albert are often at loose ends,” Rose admitted.

“So, let’s put them to work. They can begin by repairing the damage they’ve caused here. They’ll need to scrub down the walls and windows and then paint the entire exterior of the house.”

“That’s manual labor, Mr. Starbuck.”

Harry shrugged. “Seems to me it beats jail time and teaches a far better lesson.”

“They don’t know the first thing about painting or window washing.”

“Jonah Lang can teach them and keep an eye on them,” Harry suggested.

Nola could see that Harry’s idea was beginning to have an effect. “It would keep them busy and out of mischief, Rose.”

“And if they happen to complete that work before they head back to boarding school in the fall, then I can use them backstage at the cabaret.”

Rose stiffened. “My sons do not…”

Harry raised an eyebrow and Rose reconsidered.

“You won’t allow them to appear on stage?” Rose bargained.

“No, ma’am,” Harry assured her then added with his own wry smile, “not unless they prove to have more talent than the actors I already have in residence.”

Rose sucked in her breath.

“Oh, Rose, Harry is just—well, being Harry. I’m quite sure there is no reason for Edgar and Albert to be in front of an audience.”